Things to Consider When Sending an Invitation Card

Some questions should be answered when you are creating an invitation card.

You need to tell the invitation recipients where the event is being held; include an address and even a phone number. If it is a wedding, retirement party or even a large birthday party, there may be a map included with the invitation card.

Don’t forget to tell the party guests when the party is going on by including the date and the time. Consider putting an ending time on the invitation card if you don’t want the party to last until the last guest decides it is time to go home.

Some invitations will even list the occasion. Why is this party being thrown? To celebrate John’s 20th birthday, or to wish Maria good luck before she moves to France?

The “what” question may need to be answered if you are having a potluck party or want people to bring their own bottle. What should your guests bring? What are you celebrating? What will be provided? The more information you can include on an invitation card, the better.

Don’t forget the RSVP message. You want to know how many guests to expect, so you can plan properly. Make sure your invited guests can either call or email you to let you know if they will attend. You can also include a response card, which is popular for wedding invitations. Make sure you include a self-addressed stamped envelope so your guests don’t have to pay to let you know if they are coming or not.

Prevention

Invitation cards can get lost in the mail. This can lead to hurt feelings if a good friend or a close family member does not receive his invitation card. If you haven’t heard back from a person whom you know usually responds to invitations, just give him a call or write a quick email to see if he received the invitation card in the mail.

If you are having a wedding reception where a meal is served, or for which a reception hall has been rented, you probably need to know the number of people who are planning to attend. Though you may provide self-addressed stamped envelopes for your wedding reply cards, people do not always get around to mailing them.

Time Frame

Invitation cards need to be sent out well before the event, especially in today’s busy world. Wedding invitations should be sent at least 6 weeks before the date of the wedding. Eight weeks is better for your guests, as many of them will need to make travel arrangements and ask for time off from work. For birthday parties, wedding and baby showers, and even retirement celebrations, it is important to give people at least a month to get the date on their calendars. It is not as crucial to send a birthday party invitation card as early as a wedding invitation. What about a holiday cards? Since there are so many parties around the end of the year, you may want to treat one of these like a wedding and send out announcements at the beginning of November.