The Wedding Papers: Announcements, Reception Cards, Thank Yous and More

When getting married, it's only natural to want to announce your wedding and to extend invites to family and friends to come and share in your special day. Choosing the way you want to do this, however, is an important part of your wedding planning process. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep some traditional and standard etiquette in mind as you make your plans.

Selecting a Wedding Announcement

The first step you will need to take in the process is to choose your wedding announcement, invitation and reception cards. Invitations offer you great opportunities for personalization and can be either professionally printed or home printed. Some people even choose to hand make their invitations.

Whichever type of invitation you choose, be sure to order enough invitations. If you don't order enough, it may be difficult to get or make more invitations that are exactly the same if you need to get more. You should also try to order your envelopes at the same time as the actual cards. That way, you can e certain to get a nice fit and to have invitations and envelopes that match. You will need an inner envelope for the invitation to go in, which will bear just the addressees name, and then another envelope for that to go in, which will be the postage envelope.

Sending Out Reception Cards

For those people who will not be at the ceremony, but who you would like to invite to your reception, you will need reception cards. Often re-married couples that only wish to have their relatives present at the reception and want to go without sending formal invites use reception cards as well.

RSVP Cards, Programs, Thank You Notes and Guest Books

Your wedding RSVP cards, programs and thank you notes should all coordinate with your chosen wedding stationery. If you send out RSVP cards, do so with an addressed, pre-paid envelope.

Wedding programs are printed on standard paper folded in half to make a booklet. These programs detail the members of the wedding party and are handed out at the ceremony by the ushers who escort the guests to their seats.

Finally, after all the excitement of the ceremony and honeymoon, thank you cards should be sent out. Ideally, they should be personalized and hand written. Any guest who received an announcement should also receive a thank you card within 4-6 weeks of the wedding date.

Once your special day is over, you can then sit down and relive the precious memories through your guest book. Traditionally, the book is presented by young ladies of the wedding party and guests are invited to write a personal message, note, poem or quote as a treasured keepsake for the bride and groom.