Tips for Online Wedding Invitations Ordering

Many couples are now choosing to do online wedding invitations shopping taking advantage of the convenience of the internet. In addition to there being benefits of buying your wedding invites online, there are helpful tips to make your shopping a smooth experience.

Wedding planning overall can be hectic so these pointers should help ease the online wedding invitation process.

• Start Early – Shop and order early to accommodate regular shipping time and avoid paying rush charges.
  
• Testimonials – Review the website for positive reviews from previous customers, the more the better.
  
• Contact Information – Make sure the retail website you are ordering from lists contact or customer service information, especially a phone number in case you have questions or concerns.
  
• Product Images – Look for the option to enlarge or zoom in on each individual wedding invitation image. This will let you see design features and coloring up close.
  
• Descriptions - Read them carefully for specific details about the paper and design colors since colors may appear differently on your computer than in reality. Also be aware of what exactly is included in the invitation price and what you may need to purchase separately. If any customer assembly is required, this should also be listed.

Read more online wedding invitations ordering tips.

Addressing Wedding Invitations for Mailing

Today, we are covering the etiquette guidelines for addressing wedding invitations for mailing. For those invitation styles that come with double envelopes, this would apply to the outer envelopes (a previous post covered addressing the inner envelopes).

Remember, it is recommended that you address your envelopes before inserting your wedding invitations. This avoids having an uneven writing surface and prevents any indentations on the invitations.

Addressing wedding invitations should be done in handwriting versus using printed or typed labels. If you have double envelopes, the handwriting on both envelopes should be by the same person and in the same ink color, either black or blue, so everything matches.

Mailing envelopes should be addressed using formal names and WITHOUT using abbreviations with the exception of non-professional titles (Mr., Mrs., Jr., Esq., etc.). Professional titles, such as Doctor, should be spelled out.

With the exception of "One," all house numbers are written in figure form and no commas are used when separating digits in house numbers. Apartment, suite, rural route numbers and zip codes are written in figure form. If you are unsure of a ZIP code, visit the U.S. Postal Service's website, www.usps.com, where you can easily look up ZIP codes.

Do not use symbols; spell out the word "and".

Write out state names as well as the words "Street," "Boulevard", "Avenue", "Trail", etc.

You are also encouraged to have a return address either handwritten or printed on the back flap of the mailing envelope so any undeliverable wedding invitations can be returned to you.

How to Go 'Green' with Your Wedding Invitations

Many of today's couples are trying to be more environmentally conscience when planning their wedding. When it comes to your wedding invitations, being more earth friendly can actually be accomplished with some simple choices. In some instances, you may even save a little money.

Possibly one of the most thought about choices is having them printed on a recycled paper. This particular design is printed on paper that is Green Seal Certified, made with 100% post-consumer fibers and created without the use of chlorine compounds.

Another simple choice is to use less paper in your wedding invitation ensemble by considering these ideas:

• Select a more traditional single-panel card style.
  
  
• Eliminate the need for including a reception card by having your reception information printed directly on your invitation (having less weight in the envelope might even save you from adding extra postage for mailing). If space allows, your dinner and reception details can be added on as extra lines aligned with the rest of your verse printing. In some cases, the style may allow the option of a corner copy for listing these details (3-4 lines that are printed in the bottom left or right corner in a smaller sized font usually for a small fee). Corner copy is not recommended for narrow or tea length designs.
  
  
• Choose an invitation style that gets mailed with only a single envelope instead of the typical double (inner and outer) envelopes. A self-mailer is a great example since it includes an envelopment that wraps around all of your pieces and seals up to become the actual mailing envelope. One envelope will also save you time when it comes to addressing. Please note that this style may require extra postage depending on the size of the invitation.
  
  
• If you will be including a response card, consider enclosing a postcard which not only eliminates the return mailing envelope but will also require less postage. A great style that actually has a response postcard attached for easy removal and mailing back by your guests is a seal n send wedding invitation. This economical all-in-one design folds up and seals into a self-mailing piece so it also eliminates the mailing envelope altogether.
  
  
• Setting up a personal wedding website can provide your guests with online maps, directions, names of hotels, registry information, etc. This will eliminate the need for extra invitation insert pieces also saving on paper.

Today it's easier than ever to make earth-friendly choices when selecting your wedding invitations without sacrificing quality and beauty. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving our planet and some of your choices might even save you money in the process.