Invitation Etiquette
Invitations Overview
Invitations are your chance to set the mood for your celebration. Will it be traditional and formal or will you have lots of your own touches in a more casual setting? Or will your celebration lie somewhere in between?
Most people want to do “what’s right.” But the right thing is for you to consider your budget and your event. Invitations can be a complex mailing with multiple inserts (link to parts of an invitation) that follow a Save the Date card or a simple notice of where your celebration will take place.
The only “musts” to invitations are easy to remember if you keep in mind that you’re inviting someone to an event and you want to get them there … and on time! If you’re not hosting an event that people will attend, you will want to send an Announcement rather than an invitation.
| Invitation musts: | Wedding example | Baby shower example |
| Who is hosting the event? | Mr. and Mrs. Michael O’Shea | Come join us |
| Who/what is being celebrated? | The marriage of their daughter Colleen to Mr. Anthony Schwartz | Tara’s expecting a boy! |
| When? | Saturday, the second of July | Saturday, July 2nd |
| Where? | Liberty Park, Washington D.C. | Brigit’s house |
Of course, there are endless ways to invite people to events. Following etiquette tradition would not only make Miss Manners and Emily Post smile, but you as well. Creating the perfect invitation to your event can be enjoyable and will offer everyone a keepsake of the event.
The best thing you can do is to start browsing invitations or announcements to get a feel for the styles that appeal to you. You can save all the cards you are attracted to in your My Own Gatsby folder. Once you have found a handful of invitations, you can start reviewing pricing and customization options to get a better idea of style, and what will fit within your budget. Please note that not all invitations are available for printing. You will need to read each individual product description carefully to determine whether the invitation you have selected is available as blank stock or with printing options.