The minute a guest receives an invitation for any event, the tone will be set for what they expect. Invitations will foreshadow what the actual event has in store for the guests. The main theme of the event (wedding, anniversary, baby shower, reunion) should begin with the invitation. Whether you choose simple, elegant, wild or classic - your invitations should portray what your theme will be.

Most people order their invitations from a stationery company, but making your own invitations is becoming more of a trend with all the resources we have available to us today. If you want to order your invitations, you can get online and request catalogs or you can go to your local print shop and they usually have a company represented there. Make sure to order in advance with enough time to send them out around 6 weeks prior to the event. When working with a stationery company, they will give you these guidelines and others to make sure you get everything done right and on time. Be sure to order extra invitations to allow for mistakes in addressing or if extra guests are added. It is also good to know that once you place the order and they are printed, there are usually no refunds. If you make a mistake in the wording and don't catch it until after the printing - then it's up to you to pay extra to reorder the new ones. Of course, if they make a mistake, then the company will need to take care of it themselves. Make sure you keep copies of everything you give the stationery company so there won't be hassles if mistakes are made. You'll know which party the blame will go to.

Making invitations is a growing trend and is the choice of many people these days. You should start by finding out what exactly you want. Whether you find a picture of one or have a picture in your head of what you want - that is the first step. Once you figure out what you want - you need to get the supplies. Many stores (craft stores and office supply stores) carry invitation packages of blank, general stationery. There are also pre-packaged stationery with certain prints already on them (hearts, doves, etc). These just need to be printed off on your computer. You can also see if a print shop will do the printing for you if you don't have a computer or good quality printer.

If you want to make your invitations from scratch you will have to get your own paper and make the proper adjustments to make them the right size to fit an invitation envelope. There are many specialty paper stores that carry everything from card stock, handmade paper, velvet paper, vellum and much more. You can go to your local craft store and buy ribbon and organza to accessorize your invitations.

When addressing your envelopes, hand addressing is usually the best choice - giving it a personal touch. If you are the one addressing them, try using a colored gel pen, like silver or gold, to add a special stamp of style. You can also hire a calligrapher to do your outer and envelopes. For an added touch, when sealing the outer envelopes, seal them with wax and a stamp of your choice (a letter or symbol).
Whatever you choose, make sure it reflects the theme and style of the event you will be having. Your guests will have something to look forward to when the invitations begin to tell the story of what's to come.

For more information on proper wording and addressing, view our section on INVITATION ETIQUETTE.