Let’s talk about wedding invitations!
If you’re planning a wedding and working on budget details, you’ve probably already realized that weddings are crazy expensive. After booking the venue, the photographer, the florist, and more, you might start thinking about what can be cut from your budget or components that you can do a cheaper way. With that being said, formal invitations are often the first thing that gets cut from the budget.
To save money, some couples consider sending out electronic invitations or ordering a cheap printable invitation, but as a wedding planner who has worked with couples on their invitations this is why I feel it’s a bad idea. Professionally designed, printed, and beautiful wedding invitations are actually quite important – a visually stunning representation of your style.
Your invitation sets the tone for your event
The wedding invitation should always set the tone for the big day. It will tell your guests the style and formality of
your wedding day as well provides information that your guests will need. For example, an extravagant celebration should have an extravagant invitation. Picture this – if you were to receive an engraved invitation suite on fancy stock, tied up with a ribbon, you would know to arrive in formal attire and expect the best at the wedding. This means that the wedding invitation has perfectly set the tone.
The invitation creates excitement
Receiving a beautiful invitation in the mail will make your guests excited for the wedding. If your are planning a weekend filled with activities, brunches, or parties with your guests, this should be included in the invitation. The invitation should also give your guests information to book travel, pack accordingly for the activities, and get them pumped up for a fun weekend!
The invitation reflects you, the couple
This is one of the most important reasons for a proper invitation. The wedding invitation should reflect who you 
are as a couple. In my opinion, electronic invitations are tacky, and printable DIY wedding invitations sometimes don’t often work out as planned. The best way to go is with a reputable company that specializes in stationery and has a design team that can craft a design that is unique to you. They are called pros for a reason and have a gift for designing, choosing colors and styles, have an understanding of printing, and even assemble the invitations for you. They also don’t have to break the bank to have a beautifully crafted invitation!
Your invitation becomes a keepsake
Often times many of your guests will throw away the invitation, but for some, your close friends and family will probably keep them. The wedding day is very special to parents and grandparents, and they will keep and 
cherish your wedding invitations. Would you throw away family photos? Probably not. A wedding invitation often has a similar value, and many people will treasure your wedding invitation and keep it for years to come. Guests may very well throw away cheap invitations that show that there was no thought or effort put into them. No one expects a guest to keep something that the bride and groom don’t really care about. Invitations are an essential part of planning a wedding because they set the tone of what guests are to expect on the wedding day and at the same time help them prepare for your event.
Your family history is an important part of the invitation
Wedding invitations can carry a piece of family history in many ways. Just by listing your parents’ names or including a custom illustration of the venue or church, you are including a piece of history. A great example is an invitation below, which has a custom illustration of the venue where you are going to have your wedding. The style you choose for your wedding invitations, whether you go bright and colorful, or soft and elegant, mirror who you are as a person and as a couple.
