Allow me to extend you an invitation
BY RONDA ADDY

The type of wedding invitation you choose goes a long way toward setting the overall theme and feel of your wedding. If you are having a casual wedding, you don't want invitations with a lot of frills. You do, however, want your invitations to look more professional than those for a kid's birthday party.

The number of guests you are inviting to your wedding may determine whether you make your own invitations or purchase them. If you are having a small to mediumsized wedding, creating your own invitations won't be that hard. If you are planning a large wedding, creating your own invitations will take a lot of time and effort you probably don't have. Regardless which way you go, make sure you proofread your invitations for errors and create or purchase just the right amount.

There really is no right or wrong design for wedding invitations. It is your wedding and the invitations should reflect that. If you are having a themed wedding, your invitations should illustrate that theme, of course, but ultimately, the choice is yours.

Selecting a favorite font or lettering style is one way to personalize your special day. There are various styles of invitations to choose from: accordion style, tri- or bi-fold, or a single sheet of paper. Remember, formal, lavish weddings require a formal style, while simpler, casual weddings require an informal style. There are also hundreds of styles of paper to choose from in various thicknesses.

Buying your invitations will offer you less of a selection than if you make them yourself. Do-it-yourselfers need to remember that thicker paper works better for invitations that will not be folded and mediumweight paper for invitations that will be folded. Depending upon your calligraphy skills, you could also use parchment paper for your invitations.

Along with the invitations, you will need RSVP cards and stamped return envelopes. You can make

your own

RSVPs and

envelopes

to

match your invitations or buy them from a stationery store. RSVP cards and envelopes are available for most invitations.

There is some etiquette involved in the wording and addressing of invitations. This includes:

• Spell out all dates and times. Don't use 5:00 or October 16. Instead, state "five o'clock in the evening on the sixteenth of October."

• Abbreviate Mr., Mrs. and Jr. but spell out titles like "doctor."

• Only use punctuation between the city and state and after abbreviations.

• Spell out all states on envelopes.

• Don't include an RSVP for invitations to the wedding ceremony only.

• Indicate on the inner envelope of invitations to single guests that they can bring a guest.

• Don't include "and guest" on the inner envelope of invitations to single guests who are bringing someone you know personally.

• Send only one invitation to unmarried couples who live together. List their names alphabetically and on separate lines.

• Send guests who are living together but are not a couple their own separate invitations.

• Send children over 18 their own invitation, whether they live at home or not. List children under 18 who live at home on the inner envelope; do not use the term "and family."

There is nothing set in stone that says everyone has to observe the same rules when it comes to selecting and sending their wedding invitations. It's only natural for you to want to put your own personal stamp on your wedding invitations. After all, it is your special day.