The wedding date and time has been set, the location for the special event has been finalized, and the decision for the wedding theme – traditional and formal or fun and casual – has been made. Now it’s time to take the next step and create wedding invitations that reflect the celebration you’ve planned and provide the information needed for friends and family to have a pleasant experience as wedding guests.

Wedding invitations are the first place your guests will actually get a sense of the wedding you’ve planned. Whether your budget allows for custom made invitations ranging from sophisticated to artistic or do-it-yourself creations, there are plenty of options to provide memorable wedding invitations.

An exquisite array of invitations is available for those planning a formal or traditional wedding. Before you begin visually scanning all the possibilities, familiarize yourself with the language of printers and invitation designers. Understanding the various folds, tri-fold, z-fold, and French-fold, as well as terms such as embossing, thermography, deckle edge and die-cutting can save you time and money.

For the adventurous, a variety of unique wedding invitations can be explored from the homespun feel of a custom portrait boxed with rose petals to CD/DVD presentations for the tech-savvy couple.

Once you’ve selected the design for your wedding invitations, you’ll want to find creative wording to convey the sentiment of your relationship and wedding. Examining wedding invitation etiquette is a good place to begin for the appropriate wording of your invitations.

Regardless of whether your wedding invitations are traditional or casual, you will want to include an RSVP/response card, and a reception card. Other options are also available to include in the mailing as a way to give your guests all the information needed to join in your special celebration.