After setting the wedding date and tentative location, the next important decision is choosing your wedding invitations.  With a such a wide variety of wedding invitation  styles and price ranges, this decision can sometimes be overwhelming.  Here are a few ideas to help you choose the perfect wedding invitation for your big day.

How many people to invite.
You may not have specific numbers yet, but you should be able to set a number range of guests you expect to invite, such as fewer than 100 or between 200 to 300.  The  bride and groom each may have different ideas of how they picture their wedding day so it is very important to communicate your wishes and ideas regarding a large  wedding (with many guests) or small wedding (family and a few close friends).  With this guest estimate in mind, you will be able to decide on a budget for your wedding  invitations.

Budget.
When estimating the cost of wedding invitations, setting aside about 3% of your total wedding budget would be an adequate amount.  This means if you have budgeted  $20,000 for your wedding, you are able to spend up to $600 for your wedding invitations.  Costs for wedding invitations can range anywhere from $1,000 and up per 100  invitations on the high end or as little as $70 per 100 invitations on the low end.

Plan ahead, order early.
It’s good to start early when choosing wedding invitations.  You and your partner will need time to research and discuss the various choices available for your invitations.  If  you look early enough, you may even have time to request samples from various companies.  Ordering your wedding invitations  at least 6 months in advance will give you a  cushion of time to allow for printing of the invitations and correction of any errors that may occur in printing.  You also need to account for the time it takes to assemble your  invitations and mailing them out to give sufficient time for a response.  Plan on ordering 20 to 25 extra invitations in case they are needed because of mistakes in addressing  the invitations or if you find you need to add additional guests to the list.

Wedding invitation types.
There are three or four different types of stationery that are popular with most couples choosing wedding invitations.  Prices for these various types of stationery vary widely  because of the way the invitations are made.  The following are some common types of stationery used for wedding invitations:

Thermography.  This type of wedding invitation is relatively inexpensive, popular and easy to find.  This type of invitation can be used for a casual wedding.  Thermography  creates the illusion of raised text through a printing process that heats the ink and resin chemical in a combination that causes the printed text to appear raised while the  paper beneath it looks smooth.  Because of the heating process involved in creating this type of invitation, the proper combination of paper and ink must be used.

Offset Printing.  This type of wedding invitation uses normal, everyday print.  Although the print may seem common, this type of invitation will still announce your wedding  in an elegant manner.

Engraved.  This type of wedding invitation is usually very expensive and reserved for very formal weddings.  Engraved invitations are usually used to annouce a very  traditional style of wedding.  This type of invitation is costly because an engraver must first carve the image or message into a copper plate, ink the plate, and then push the  plate down onto the paper.  This creates the raised lettering on the paper.  Because of all the steps needed to create this type of wedding invitation, this method is time  consuming and you will need to wait weeks for your invitations to be ready.

Embossed.  Embossed invitations are very classy but also very expensive.  Similar to engraved invitations, the raised print on this type of wedding invitation looks  impressive but may be hard on your budget because of the technique used to create this type of invitation.

Calligraphy.  This handcrafted invitation is elegant and refined but needs to be done by a skilled calligrapher who may be difficult to find.  You can also look for a printer who  creates the look of calligraphy on printed invitations.  Obviously, the printed calligraphy is more affordable than the hand-written calligraphy but may not be as elegant as  the hand-written one.

Once you have decided on your wedding invitations, make sure you order all the wedding stationery you will need, such as response cards and thank you cards, together for  uniformity.

Choosing your wedding invitations should be an exciting and fun task in preparation for your big day.  Keep in mind some of the ideas discussed above and choosing your  invitations will be a bit easier.

There are many types of wedding invitations to choose from when planning a wedding. Before making your decision, consider the type of wedding that you are having. This can dictate whether a classic style invitation is right for you or if you should use another style. There are several situations where classic wedding invitations are used. The most common is for a wedding that is taking place in a church or another type of formal ceremony.

Classic wedding invitations look like they are quite old fashioned. Most of the time, they come on one sheet of paper, without any folds. They are often in an envelope with a sheet of tissue paper, and usually have one or two colors. The background is usually white or off white, and the color of the printing is a dark color. There is usually a boarder, and the wedding invitation has important information about the wedding on the inside. This information consists of who is getting married and the time and place where the ceremony is being held. Classic wedding invitations are usually all the same general size, and they have a very formal and traditional tone to them. However, the colors and borders can be customized. It is also possible to customize the text on the invitation to make it your own.

When to Go Classic

There are several situations where a classic wedding invitation is the best choice. If you are very religious, and the biggest factor in your wedding is going to be the traditional, religious aspect of it, you may enjoy having the classic wedding invitation more than you would enjoy having a different, more contemporary wedding invitation. If you are inviting many people who have very traditional values, and you want to make the traditional values into what is most important in your wedding, you may also prefer to choose the traditional and classic wedding invitation.

You want to make sure that your wedding follows this traditional theme after your choice of invitations. This is important because it can help you make sure that you are on track for a formal celebration right from the start. Often the more classic and traditional wedding invitations are the best way to show right from the start that you are planning a traditional and formal wedding. If you are not planning a traditional wedding, it is still possible to use this formal invitation. Although it may not match the exact theme of your wedding, the invitations are very simplistic and you are sure to find one that works well.

When to Choose another Option

Even though there are plenty of reasons that you might want to choose classic wedding invitations, there are also some times where that style is not the best choice. If your wedding is very informal, a classic wedding invitation just is not going to match the theme or setting of your wedding.

Many times, traditional afternoon weddings, followed by evening dinners and receptions do well with the classic wedding invitation. However, weddings that are in the morning, with afternoon receptions, or weddings that are in the early evening with late night receptions are ceremonies that might benefit from a different type of wedding invitation. You have to use your best judgment and ask yourself if a traditional wedding invitation is really the best style for your ceremony.

In addition, if you are having a destination wedding, you probably do not want to go with the classic wedding invitation. A destination wedding is a great time to explore different possibilities when it comes to choosing this type of event , so you want to be sure that you are leaving your options open for the type of wedding invitation that you want to send out. A destination wedding in another location such as the beach, or a different country, may call for a more creative wedding invitation rather than a classic wedding invitation. In this case, you may want something that is the color of the ocean or a landmark of the country where the wedding is taking place. These are just a few informal ceremony ideas where a traditional themed wedding invitation would not work as well.

No matter what, you are going to have a decision to make. You want to take into consideration the overall theme or idea behind your wedding. You also want to think about the time of day, the type of wedding you are having, and the level of formality that your wedding is going to have. All of these factors are very important because they help you to show how important your special day is, and they help you to choose the wedding invitation that is going to mean the most to you. Your wedding invitation should be something that you really love and enjoy.