Best Wedding Invitation Designers in Chicago

Your wedding invitation is an opportunity to make an impression on your guests. When someone receives a wedding invitation, they feel excited about what's to come and honored to be included in the celebrations. That's why many people take their wedding invitation choice very seriously and book a professional to help them through the process. Before you hire someone, review the frequently asked questions about wedding invitations below. The answers to these questions can help you make an informed decision about who to hire for assistance with your invitations, what a professional can do, and how much it might cost.

A wedding invitation should include essential details about the planned nuptials, clear instructions on how guests should RSVP, and a method for guests to contact the couple with further questions. Some extravagant wedding invitations come with small gifts or in decorative boxes to kick off the celebrations.

At the very least, a wedding invitation should include the following:

• The couple’s name
• The wedding date, time, and venue

• Who's hosting the wedding (for example, parents)
• Any dress code
• Venue details
• RSVP information

A wedding invitation can include:

• The invitation and the envelope it came in
• An RSVP card with a prestamped envelope for people to respond
• A picture of the couple
• A small present (such as chocolates, candy, etc.)
• Decorations (such as flower petals, glitter, etc.)

Wedding invitations and their included cards should be stacked according to size. The invitation card is the largest, so it goes on the bottom. Tuck the RSVP card into the flap of the reply envelope on top, but don't put the card in the envelope. Reply envelopes should be addressed and stamped.

The typical guest count at a wedding is 100-200 people, with an average of 167. The size of the guest list is entirely up to you, though, and you can use your wedding budget as a guide. Another good rule is to only to invite people who really matter to you.

Ideally, the wedding invitation you choose should match or complement the style of your wedding. For example, if you’re having a rustic, country wedding, your wedding invitation should reflect that. Additionally, many people choose a wedding invitation that features the colors they've selected for their wedding.

The cost range for wedding invitations is $3 to $8. Factors that affect the cost include:

• Paper thickness and quality
• The size and orientation of the invitation
• Whether the invitation includes a photo
• Any custom or high-quality ink or detailing
• Including an RSVP card and envelope
•  Quantity

How much you pay can vary significantly depending on the factors mentioned above, but as a general guide, 100 invitations can cost between $300 and $800. For reply cards, you can expect to pay $75 to $150, while 200 stamps will cost $110. The total can range from $485 to $1,060.

You should budget between $3 and $8 per guest for your wedding invitations. If you’re not sure if you’ll be choosing affordable or expensive invitations yet, you can use a median cost of $5.50 per guest. Don’t forget to include the price of two stamps for mailing out and returning each invitation.

How you assemble your wedding invitations depends on how many cards you include. You may have invitation cards, reply cards, reply envelopes, direction cards, and FAQ cards, among others. Generally, it's best to place the largest card on the bottom. You can include tissue paper in between or use a loose wrap to bind everything.

Wedding invitations come in a wide range of sizes to suite different tastes and styles. The most common size is a 4.5-inch by 6.25-inch rectangular card, but you don’t have to choose this size. You can go bigger, smaller, and even choose a unique shape, however, larger sizes and personalized shapes may cost more.

The stamp size you’ll need for your wedding invitations largely depends on the envelope size and shape. Some, such as square or oversize invitations, don’t go through the post office’s sorting machines. These invitations need to be hand-sorted and require a more expensive stamp. Standard-size rectangular invitations take the most affordable stamp.

You should send out wedding invitations six to 12 weeks before your event date. However, if you're planning a destination wedding, you’ll want to send them three to four months beforehand. To help your guests plan ahead, you can also send out save-the-date cards six to eight months before your nuptials.

If you're not using save-the-date cards, it's wise to send out wedding invitations six months or more in advance, especially if you're getting married during the summer months when people plan their vacations. When using save-the-date cards, six to 12 weeks should allow enough time for guests to respond.

Most venues want to have a final headcount and meal choices a couple of weeks before a wedding date. To give your guests enough notice so they can book your date but still meet your venue's deadline, plan on giving people just over a month to RSVP.

Some people send out rehearsal dinner invitations along with their wedding invitations. However, some couples may not know their wedding rehearsal details that early on. If that's the case, don’t let it delay you from sending out the invitations. You can always send out rehearsal dinner information later.

Address wedding invitations based on the recipient(s):

• For families, use the family name and include each member who's invited
• For married couples, use their shared or individual surnames.
• For plus-ones, find out and include the person's name. If you can't, you can refer to them as “John's guest” or “Jane's guest.”

Traditionally, the bride's name goes first because the bride's parents typically pay for the wedding. But, if the groom's parents are paying for most of the wedding, you can choose to put his name first. If neither of these situations apply, you can put the names in alphabetical order instead.

Some people choose to handwrite the addresses on their wedding invitations. If you don’t like how your handwriting looks, you can opt for printed stickers instead. Another option is to pay a calligrapher to address your invitations.