Etiquette & Advice from InvitationBox.com

Formal invitations should be mailed out 6-8 weeks before the actual event. If the event is a destination wedding, or if you have out of the country guests, the invitations should be mailed even before the 6-8 week timeline. The reply-by date should be set for 2-3 weeks before the event, depending upon a caterer needs for a head count.

Informal invitations should be mailed out 3-5 weeks before the actual event. A reply-by date may or may not be necessary for this event, but is typically required approximately 1-2 weeks before the party. If additional response time is necessary, this is acceptable.

The postage for a typical invitation is one stamp. If additional embellishments are added to the invitation, such as die cuts, ribbons, directions cards, response cards or vellums, additional postage may be required.

A good rule of thumb is to take an invitation that is ready to mail to the post office to have it weighed for proper postage. Besides the contents inside your envelope, believe it or not, the actual humidity in the air will affect the weight of your invitation. It is always better to AAR on the heavier side of the postage than to have 200 invitations returning to your mailbox.

Remember that square invitations require additional postage, as well as vertically addressed invitations.

Before purchasing your invitations, make a house hold list of the attendants for your event. This will assist you in figuring out the total number of invitations you will need to purchase. Remember, each guest does not need an individual invitation, unless they live in a single household.

You may want to purchase 10-25 extra invitations than needed to allow for returned or damaged mail, mistakes on envelopes or additional guests you will add after you have comprised your guest list. It is much less expensive to purchase more invitations the first time than having to later purchase a low quantity of invitations.

When selecting an invitation for your event, think about what type of party you are having. Do you have a theme? Is it a formal or informal event? Think about the guest of honor, their personality and what type of party they would want. Are they a modern and sassy type of person? Are they more reserved and shy? The type of person or event you are hosting the party for will certainly influence your invitation choice.

Another limitation you may not have considered is your budget. If you’ve budgeted $100.00 for invitations, you may not want to order the sparkly, triple-fold, die cut with ribbon invitation you’ve been eyeing up. You may want to choose an invitation that allows for customer-assembly or print-it-yourself invitations. If your invitation budget does not have a limit, than you may want to splurge on an extra special invitation with printed or lined envelopes.

When writing wording for an invitation, there is pertinent information that is necessary to be included in your text. An attendant will need to know who the event is for, who the host is, when to attend and were the party is located.

Below is the suggested order of wording for a formal invitation:
Invitation
Request
Event
Date
Time
Location
City/State
Reply/Attire

Below is the suggested wording for a formal invitation:
Caroline and Edward Banks
(invitation)
request the pleasure of your company
(request)
for an evening of Wine Tasting
(event)
Sunday, the twenty-fifth of November
Two thousand and seven
(date)
at seven o’clock in the evening
(time)
998 North Halibut Avenue
(location)
Silver Springs, Texas
(city/state)
Please reply before the tenth of November
(555) 555-9982
(reply)

Below is the suggested order of wording for an informal invitation:
Invitation
Event
Date
Time
Location
City/State
Host(s)
Reply/Attire

Below is the suggested wording for an informal invitation:
Please join us to celebrate
(invitation)
Jessica’s 20th Birthday
(event)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
(date)
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
(time)
998 North Halibut Avenue
(location)
Silver Springs, Texas
(city/state)
Hosted by Margaret Smithe
(host)
RSVP 555-555-8996
(reply)

The way you write the date on your invitation depends upon the formality of the event. If the event is formal, the date should be written out, rather than a numerical form. The most important thing to remember is to be consistent. If you write out one part of the date, you should write out the other part of the date. If you use numbers for your date, you should use numbers for your reply-by date, and so on.

The use of “th” or “nd” after a number is only needed when it is not followed by the year. If the number is followed by the year, it is not needed.

Below are a few examples:

Formal:
Sunday, the twenty-fifth of November
Two thousand and seven

Informal:
Sunday, November 25, 2007
November 25^th
November 25, 2007

The postage for a typical invitation is one stamp. If additional embellishments are added to the invitation, such as die cuts, ribbons, directions cards, response cards or vellums, additional postage may be required.

A good rule of thumb is to take an invitation that is ready to mail to the post office to have it weighed for proper postage. Besides the contents inside your envelope, believe it or not, the actual humidity in the air will affect the weight of your invitation. It is always better to AAR on the heavier side of the postage than to have 200 invitations returning to your mailbox.

Remember that square invitations require additional postage, as well as vertically addressed invitations.

The way you write the time on your invitation depends upon the formality of the event. If writing out the time, you should only use whole and half hours. If the time is numerically written out, the proper use of ante or post meridian should be used. If using uppercase AM and PM, periods are not needed. If using lower case a.m. and p.m., periods are most certainly needed.

Below are a few examples:
Formal:
twelve o’clock in the afternoon
half past five in the afternoon

Informal:
12 o’clock
5:30 p.m.
5:30 PM

On a formal invitation, the time of the event should be followed by “in the morning”, “in the afternoon” or “in the evening” rather than AM or PM.
Below is a reference for which time of day phrase should be used:
Morning          12:00 AM – 11:59 AM
Afternoon        12:00 PM – 5:59 PM
Evening           6:00 PM – 11:59 PM

On a formal invitation, one should not indicate anything regarding gifts. This includes “No gifts, please”, registry information or special gift requests like gift cards, certificates or checks. The purpose for inviting your guests to your event is to celebrate that event with them, not to receive presents. The wants and need of the guest of honor should be spread by word of mouth. Brides may include an “at home” card if they wish to provide their guests with their new address for gifts or correspondence.

On a bridal or baby shower invitation it is commonly accepted for registry information to be printed at the bottom of the invitation, in a small font.

If you are throwing a baby shower for a friend and want to give the guests some great baby shower gift ideas, including one or more registries on the invitation is always helpful. At InvitationBox.com, you can order custom printed shower invitations and include this kind of pertinent information at no extra cost. With dozens of stylish invitations from which to choose, you can be sure to find the perfect one to fit your friend's unique personality.

Not all moms-to-be choose to register at a baby or maternity store. If you are looking for a sweet baby shower gift idea for a non-registered expectant mother, why not purchase some monogrammed stationery? Pretty stationery with the baby's or the mother's name on it (or both) makes a cute and useful gift.

A gift certificate for a day at a spa is another fun baby shower gift idea for the mom who's stocked up on clothes, diapers, and toys. Don't feel pressured to think of a non-traditional shower gift, just know that there are plenty of options out there. Asking friends who've had babies what they would've liked but didn't receive at their shower is another route to coming up with good gift ideas.

If you are the mother-to-be and are stressing out about sending thank-you notes for all the wonderful baby shower gifts you received, don't despair. While it is important to send thank-you notes for each and every gift, people are generally quite understanding about a new mother needing a little extra time. It's never too late to send a thank-you note, and if you want to make the process a little easier, you can find lots of cute styles here at InvitationBox.com.

Online stationery stores are a terrific source for baby shower invitation ideas. They make it easy to browse through dozens of different styles from cute to sophisticated to sassy and more. Ordering from InvitationBox.com gives you the added options of custom printing and pre-screening of the proofs. Simply check the box requesting that the proofs be emailed to you before printing, and you can double check them to make sure they are exactly what you wanted.

You will want to send out your baby shower invitations at least two weeks prior to the party, three if you will be serving a meal. If several friends are throwing the shower together at one person's house, the hostess's name should be listed first and then the rest should be in alphabetical order. Including a couple of sweet or funny lines about the mom-to-be on the invitations is a great way to personalize them.

It's a good idea to include a phone number for R.S.V.P. or "regrets only" purposes on the invitation, even if most people nowadays disregard it. If someone has a question about a gift or gets lost on the way to the shower, they'll be grateful that you included your number on the invitation. You can also include gift registries at the bottom to make shopping easier for the guests.

If the sex of the baby is not yet known, use a unisex invitation such as the Funky Stroller by Inviting Company. Although traditionally blue invitations are for boys and pink are for girls, some unisex cards come in pink, such as the Baby on the Way card from Noteworthy Collections. At InvitationBox.com, you can view each invitation in detail to see whether it is for a boy, a girl, or unspecified.

As with any type of invitation or announcement, there is a certain etiquette involved in sending out birth announcements. If you're not sure about all the details, don't worry: plenty of people need help with these types of social situations. And remember, sending out cards is a form of social interaction, so if you keep in mind the goals of politeness, inclusiveness, and celebration, you are halfway there.
First off, let's tackle the subject of what to include on the birth announcements. The top of the card should have the baby's name, with his or her nickname in quotes below it (if there is a nickname). Underneath that you can include the date and time of the birth, as well as the birth weight. In cases of premature birth, don't worry about including the weight--the baby's weight is more of an "FYI" than an imperative on an announcement.
Some people like to include the town in which the baby was born, but again, this is more of a "fun fact" than a necessity. Always include both parents' names, even if they are not married, and include the parents' address if you wish. But directly addressing the subject of gifts or a registry on a birth announcement card is a definite no-no. People will often send a card or gift in response to the announcement, but it is not appropriate to imply that they should.<
If including all this information on birth announcements sounds like a recipe for hand cramps, don't panic: you can order custom printed cards from InvitationBox.com. Include everything you want in the ordering section online, and then preview the cards before they are printed. Lastly, try to get the announcements out as soon as possible after the birth, making sure to have them out within six months at the latest.

When choosing birthday party invitations--either for yourself or for a party you're throwing for a friend--it is best to keep in mind a few simple rules. By taking a little extra time to order the right invitations for your event, you can make the party that much more successful. At InvitationBox.com, you can browse through a variety of birthday party invitations for every type of bash you can imagine.

Surprise birthday parties are a great way to show someone that he or she is special. It takes some extra effort to coordinate a surprise, but with the help of the right invitations you can pull it off. The Fab Surprise Friends from Inviting Company, for instance, makes special note of the need for punctuality at a surprise party. It lets you designate what time the guest of honor will arrive, and indicates that the other guests should get there half an hour earlier.

You may also choose birthday party invitations that fit the type of theme you are having. InvitationBox.com has cards for retro themes such as 70's People or 80's People parties, as well as costume parties and bring-your-own-wine tastings. Every invitation comes with custom printing so that you don't have to waste time filling out the date, time, and address of the party.

When you order custom printed invitations from a convenient online store such as InvitationBox.com, it's a good idea to request the "email proof" service. This will allow you to see what your finished invitations will look like before they go to the typesetter. Shipping usually averages around three to four days, so make sure you order well enough in advance to mail your invitations out two weeks before the party.

As is the case with most party invitations, there are certain rules that apply to filling out bridal shower invitations. Bridal shower invitation etiquette is not that different from the etiquette one would use for baby shower invitations or birthday party invitations. After all, on some level a party is a party and the basic rules for invitations are mostly the same.

It's a good idea to send out the bridal shower invitations at least two weeks in advance. If more than one bridesmaid is throwing the shower, list their names in alphabetical order. Only include one phone number where people can R.S.V.P., of course. Preferably the number should belong to whomever is hosting the shower.

Questions often arise about how to fill out the date on a bridal shower invitation. The rule is to always spell out the month--don't abbreviate it. And unless you're throwing a bridal shower on New Year's Eve, there's no need to include the year. For the time of the shower, spell it out if it is going to be a fancy brunch or more formal affair. For instance, write "ten o'clock in the morning" rather than "10:00 a.m."

Including an end time on the invitation is more than okay--it's actually helpful for most guests. Nighttime parties might go into the wee hours of the night, but bridal showers are usually daytime affairs. People often have other things planned for the afternoon or evening and appreciate knowing how long the shower will last.

The following are some fun bridal shower invitation ideas for people who like to get creative when planning a party. All of the types of invitations mentioned can be found at a convenient online stationery store such as InvitationBox.com. Buying your bridal shower invitations over the Internet can save you valuable time during the hectic days leading up to your friend's shower.

One cute idea for a bridal shower theme is the "around-the-clock" party. This is a party where the hostess or hostesses designate a time on the clock on each invitation, and the guest buys the bride a gift relating to that time of day. So for instance, an "around-the-clock" invitation with seven o'clock circled might call for some flatware, china, or a dessert platter.

An example of an adorable bridal shower invitation in this theme is the Around the Clock style by SanLori Designs. It has a clock face included in the design, so instead of writing out the time, the hostess can simply circle it on the clock. This is a lot easier than writing it out on each separate invitation and will save the hostess a lot of time.

Many other excellent bridal shower invitation ideas are available at InvitationBox.com, including the "around the house" theme and the "stock the kitchen" theme. Inviting Company makes a stylish card called the Room to Room, with pictures of each room in the house and a line for letting each guest know "bring a gift for the____" room. As with all of the bridal shower cards at InvititionBox.com, the Room to Room design by Inviting Company comes with custom printing.

Whether it be high school or college, graduation is a wonderful accomplishment. It is well worth sending out announcements about a graduation, and indeed many people choose to have a party in the graduate's honor. It is okay to send out one announcement for both the ceremony and a graduation party, just be sure to follow a few guidelines on graduation announcement etiquette.

First of all, go ahead and send out graduation announcements to everyone with whom you would like to share the joyful news. An announcement is not a request for a gift, so don't be shy about whom you include on your list of addressees. Just be sure that if anyone does send something, you write him or her a personal thank you note as soon as possible after receiving their gift.

Because most schools hand out a limited number of tickets for each student to use at the graduation ceremony, many people throw graduation parties to include the close family and friends who can't be invited to the ceremony. At InvitationBox.com there are a number of fun graduation cards that function as both announcements and party invitations. They range in style from formal to festive, so finding a design that fits the graduate's personality will not be difficult.

For graduation announcements that are not doubling as party invitations, using high-quality stationery stock is best. You can order these types of announcement cards from InvitationBox.com and have all the pertinent information custom printed on the cards. It is best to use formal invitation etiquette for the printing, meaning no abbreviations of any kind. Also, don't use a.m. and p.m. to indicate the time of the graduation ceremony, but spell it out like so: "nine o'clock in the morning."

Throwing a holiday party is a terrific way to share the spirit of the season with as many people as possible. Although it would be nice to be able to afford gifts for all your friends, extended family, and co-workers, for most people this just isn't realistic. But by hosting a party you can give the gift of togetherness to everyone you know. For some dazzling holiday party invitations, check out a quality online stationery store such as InvitationBox.com.

Plan to send out your holiday party invitations as early as possible--no less than two weeks before the party. The postal system is slower during the holidays so it's better to err on the side of sending them out too early, rather than risk getting them out too late. The holiday season is full of parties, and people often find themselves with more than one invitation on the same night, so don't procrastinate when it comes to mailing your invitations!

InvitationBox.com has holiday party invitations of all kinds, including those for Christmas, Hanukkah, formal galas, open houses, and more. Every style is available with custom printing so that you can save time writing the date, time, and address of the party on the invitations. If your holiday party is a formal affair, don't use any abbreviations when filling out the invitations.

Of course, many of your guests will bring gifts. You will want to send out thank you cards as soon as possible after your party. Include a brief but personal note about the gift as well as how much you appreciated their presence at your party. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness and the time you took to write the card.

Writing thank you notes is a lost art for many people, although it should be at the very top of the list of things well-mannered folks do. If you would like to show appreciation for a gift or a party you attended but are unsure about thank you note etiquette, you may find the following tips very helpful. And when you feel like you've learned all you need to know about how to write a thank you note, you can purchase some lovely stationery for just this purpose at InvitationBox.com.

First of all, don't get hung up on thinking you have to include a long letter in every thank you note. It is enough to say something short and funny or sweet like, "Thanks for the lovely teapot. It makes a handsome companion to our favorite dessert tray. I'm afraid we've started a fattening afternoon ritual." Anything that shows you are actually using the gift is better than just saying, "We really love it!"

To thank someone for a party you were invited to, try to mention a flattering detail about the event that will make the host or hostess feel good. Again, short and to the point is okay; a few well-chosen words can create positive feelings that last a lot longer than a rambling note. It's always nice to talk about any specially prepared foods that you really loved, such as the hostess' famous quiche Loraine or the host's killer martinis.

Send out thank you notes sooner rather than later if at all possible, but remember it's never too late. People generally understand when new parents take a little longer to send out thank you notes for baby shower gifts. But if you're thanking someone for a party, it's better to get the note out before they throw their next bash.

When it comes to invitation addressing etiquette, there are plenty of conflicting views. Some say pre-printed labels are okay, some say handwritten only. If you want to know what the etiquette experts say, read on for some helpful advice. And if you want to find a huge assortment of invitations for everything from baby showers to birthday parties to weddings, then visit a quality online stationery store such as InvitationBox.com.

For weddings, there really is no acceptable way to address the invitations other than by hand. It makes sense when you think about it, because you're inviting guests to a very personal ceremony between two people. And since most people who are invited to a wedding will bring or send a gift, the least you can do is personalize their invitation by handwriting their address on the envelope.

For things like showers and birthday parties the etiquette still says hand write the addresses on the envelopes, but it is not a cardinal sin to print them out. Stay away from address labels if at all possible and use a decorative computer font if you must print the envelopes. This would be okay for something like a large birthday party, but for a bridal shower or baby shower it is better to address the invitations by hand.

Of course, if you're writing thank you notes, there is no question that you should hand write the envelopes. Everybody knows that thank you notes are a time consuming chore, but we write them to show appreciation for the time and effort the giver put into our gift. To cheat on the envelopes would be simply tacky and ungrateful.

If you are having a baby or throwing a baby shower and want to give friends some help with newborn baby gift ideas, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Invitation etiquette indicates that it is perfectly fine to include baby gift registries on a baby shower invitation. But it is in poor taste to do so on a birth announcement. If recipients of your baby's birth announcement call you and ask where you are registered, then it is okay to address the issue.

For those who have been invited to a shower and need to find a gift, InvitationBox.com is a terrific online source for unique and affordable gifts for newborns. They carry all the traditional fare such as baby clothes, blankets, and stuffed animals, but they also offer some distinctive newborn baby gift ideas as well. Brag books, hooded towels, and bath puppets are among the adorable and affordable gifts for sale at InvitationBox.com.

Most newborn baby gifts are suitable for both boys and girls, but if you know the sex of the baby and want to go ahead and purchase a gender-specific toy, that will make a nice impression at the baby shower. Speaking of baby showers: if you're throwing one and you need invitations, InvitationBox.com can help with that too. Ordering them online can save you time and effort, since you will have the option of having them custom printed to show the date, time, and address of the shower.

After the shower, mom will want to send out thank you notes to all who attended. One helpful baby shower gift is a wardrobe of lovely stationery. The mother-to-be can use it for everything from thank you notes to calling cards to birth announcement cards. She will surely appreciate your thoughtfulness in giving such a versatile gift.

Although some of the same rules apply for every type of invitation, there are differences between what's appropriate etiquette for a birthday party invitation vs. a bridal shower invitation vs. a baby shower invitation, and so on. Read on to learn about the correct etiquette for your particular party invitation, and don't worry if you've made an invitation faux pas in the past. It's just a party, after all, and etiquette rules are there to make your life easier, not harder.

For a bridal shower, for instance, the etiquette says to include the names of the hostesses in alphabetical order. If one bridesmaid is hosting the shower in her home, her name should go at the top of the list. This makes it easier for the guests in a lot of ways, such as knowing whom to call if they get lost. Bridal shower invitations should also include the names of the stores at which the bride is registered.

Baby shower invitation etiquette is very similar to that of a bridal shower. One main difference is that baby shower invitations are for two people: the mother and the soon-to-be-born baby. If the sex of the child is already known, then it is a good idea to send out shower invitations that reflect whether it's a boy or a girl.

Birth announcements are a little different, in that you should not include any mention of gift registries. People will often send gifts anyway after they receive an announcement, but it is impolite to imply that they should. And please, whatever type of invitation or announcement you send out, always write thank you notes to everyone from whom you receive a gift or congratulatory card--just as soon as you possibly can.

Although writing thank you notes should be considered mandatory by anyone with good manners, many people avoid the chore simply out of fear. They don't know the proper thank you note etiquette and are afraid that they will have to write long, tedious notes in each card. The result is that they procrastinate or nix the idea all together. What follows are some helpful tips on thank you note etiquette designed to help you get over the fear and procrastination and get into writing the cards!

First of all, the idea that you have to write a lengthy, detailed letter about the gift you received and how it's changed your whole life is a myth. People are usually just thrilled that you took the time to write a thank you note at all (it's a dying art). So all you really need to include in the note is a line or two about the gift and how much you enjoy it.

Say for example that you received a toaster oven as a wedding gift. You might write a thank you note as follows: "Dear Aunt Helen, thank you so much for the lovely toaster oven. It fits perfectly on our kitchen counter and Chad says his morning bagels have never tasted better!" And that's it: be simple, gracious, and to the point.

The last part is the envelope, which should be addressed by hand if at all possible. Remember, the addressee took the time and effort to purchase, wrap, and bring or mail you a gift, so the least you can do is take an extra moment to personally address the thank you card. When all is said and done, you will have the good feeling of knowing you have brightened somebody's day.

So you're getting married and you're about to send out the invitations: where and how do you begin? All sorts of questions arise when it comes to wedding invitation etiquette, from who to invite to when to send them out to how to address the envelopes. If you could use some help in this department, read on for a few helpful tips.

One of the most important aspects of a wedding is the guest list. Unless you're a Rockefeller, deciding who gets an invitation and who has to be cut from the list can be pretty harrowing. Many experts agree that it is better to cut back in other areas rather than leave out people who are dear to you. So if changing the menu from filet mignon to chicken parmesan will allow you to invite more loved ones, go ahead and do it.

Sending out save the date cards is becoming more and more of a necessity in today's busy world. If you purchase wedding stationery from a convenient online store such as InvitationBox.com, you should go ahead and order stationery that includes these handy cards. Send them out as early as six months before your wedding, so that friends and family members can be sure to attend.

Now the part we all dread: how to address the envelopes. Wedding invitation etiquette says that they must be done by hand, no exceptions. This doesn't mean that the bride and groom are the only ones who can do the handwriting, just that you should never use pre-printed labels. So go ahead and ask for help with this time consuming task, and then get your invitations out a good month or more in advance.