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Posts Tagged ‘Invitations’

Product Description
Spice up your bridal shower with our Bridal Shower Accessories! Damask gift set includes 25 bridal shower invitations, envelopes and blank recipe cards. The recipe cards are sent with the invitation to guests. The guest fills out the card with their favorite recipe and brings it to the shower for the bride-to-be. The box measures 6 1/8″ X 3 1/2″ X 4 5/8″.
Damask Shower Invitations & Recipe Box Gift Set

Originally posted 2010-02-08 22:41:56.

One important part of dinner party planning that often gets overlooked are the invitations. Most planners put all of their time into coming up with a menu, guest list, and style. It’s important to taking your dinner party planning one step further by ensuring your invitations are created properly.

The most important function of the invitation is to get tell you guests the who, what, when, and where of the party. They also act as an attention grabber. They are almost like your sales letter to your potential guests. If you have a stylish invitation, there’s no way they will want to say “no” to your party.

The essentials, like the who, when, what, and where, aren’t just for a dinner party. Planning the invitations for a kid’s party, holiday party, graduation party, or engagement party will include similar information.

The first piece of information you need to let your intended guests know who is having the party. I’m sure they know by the return address, but it doesn’t hurt to spell it out for them right of the bat on your invitation.

The next piece is to tell them the purpose of your party. Since this article is focusing on dinner parties, you should let them know that they are being invited to a dinner party.

Some people try to get cute with this by having their guest list guess the purpose from the design of the invitation. Don’t be one of those people. Simply state the fact that you’re having a dinner party right at the beginning of your invitation so there’s no confusion.

After that, you tell your guest list the date and time of your party. Make sure the date includes the day, month, and year, and the time includes A.M. or P.M. Now, since you’ve already specifically stated on the invitation that this is a dinner party (you did remember to state that fact, didn’t you?), P.M. is implied. However, it doesn’t hurt to state it on the invitation anyway.

Now, your invitation should tell everyone where the party is being held. More than likely it will be at your house, but don’t assume everyone will know that just because it’s a dinner party. Also, if there are some guests who may not know the location very well, include a map.

The last piece of essential information you want to make sure you include is your R.S.V.P. information. I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly receiving invitations to parties without it. Most of the time it’s from one of my friends, so it’s no big deal. Always give people a way to contact you in case they can’t come to your party.

There are some other items you can add to your invitation that aren’t necessary, but they can add to the guests understanding of what your party is all about. You can tell them how to dress. If it’s a dinner party, you can let them know how formal their attire should be. You can let them know the type of food that will be served. If you decide to throw a theme on top of your dinner party idea, let them know that.

It’s important to remember not the overlook the invitations when you are putting together your dinner party. Planning one without proper invitations almost feels like you are only going through a partial process. Making sure your invitations have the essential pieces of information mentioned in this article will tell your guests that you have your act together and that you want them to attend.

Invitation Rehearsal Dinner

Unique invitation rehearsal dinner are the best way to make sure everyone knows when and where to go for the wedding rehearsal, as well as what to expect after all of their hard work. Because of the costs associated with the rest of the wedding, you’ll want to choose wedding rehearsal invitations and Bridal Showers Invitations that are inexpensive. Here are some helpful tips and suggestions you might want to remember when preparing your rehearsal dinner wedding invitations.

Who Decides Who Gets Wedding Rehearsal Invitation

Knowing who to invite can seem like the trickiest part of getting Rehearsal Dinner Invitations ready to send. However, it’s actually one of the simplest parts of all if you know the etiquette rules. Generally, you don’t want a huge guest list to the event. The meal’s tone should be relaxed and intimate. The first people on the guest list are always going to be the wedding party because they must attend the rehearsal as practice for the big event. Usually, the parents of both the bride and the groom are also invited. When parents on one side or both sides are divorced, you should still send rehearsal cards to both sets of parents. The only reason you might reconsider is if you’re the one paying and you don’t like the idea of your former spouse and his/her new partner sitting across the table.

Other close family members, such as grandparents or siblings, can also be invited. The list should be created in advance because you’ll want to get the rehearsal dinner wedding invitations in the mail about two weeks before the event so people can make arrangements for attending. You will probably want to order these at the same time your Bridal Shower Invitations are ordered so the themes will be the same. And, don’t forget your Bachelorette Party Invitations!55 Planning Your Rehearsal Dinner

Decisions about the invitation rehearsal dinner event should be made primarily by the person paying the bill. Traditionally, the responsibility for paying for this part of the wedding has fallen on the groom’s side of the family. Whoever pays for the food also covers the costs of the rehearsal dinner invites and their mailing.

The next big question is going to be the menu. Here you do have some flexibility. Some families choose to do something more casual, such as a barbecue or cook-out but that’s not always easy if the rehearsal takes place in the afternoon. Another idea is to work with the catering company who is also handling the reception. Not only will they probably be able to do a job you’ll trust but you might even get a discount for the additional work. It never hurts to ask. If nothing else, you could also make reservations for everyone at a good restaurant or you could always invite everyone back to your home for some home cooking. The choice is yours.

Who Gives the Rehearsal Dinner Toasts?

The good news is you don’t need entertainment at your meal. Everyone will be so exhausted from the rehearsal and anxious about the upcoming wedding that a band, DJ, or other performer would just be a nuisance. However, the bride and groom usually do give a short toast during the dinner. It’s a good idea to give them the head’s up about this responsibility so they can be ready to say a few words. If they haven’t had time to prepare, the invitation rehearsal dinner may be overshadowed by pre-wedding embarrassment.

Rehearsal dinner invitations invite family, friends, and out-of-town guests to the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner is hosted after the wedding rehearsal, usually the night before the wedding ceremony. It’s a time for a close-knit group of people, usually just the bride, groom, and their immediate families to kick back and have a good time. However, if friends and out-of-town guests are coming to, it’s appropriate to send out rehearsal dinner invitations. These needn’t be elaborate or spectacular. Whimsical, succinct, clear messages are best in this situation.

The invitations needn’t be long or wordy. No more than 50 words are really needed for the message itself. It’s more appropriate to think of the message as a verse or short poetic stanza. Even a haiku will do. A typical invitation is composed of the following elements: the hosting party’s names (usually the parents of the groom), the bride and groom’s names, i.e., for such and such rehearsal dinner, and the day, date, time, and location. Sometimes, the message comes in an envelope, but, oftentimes, the card – colorful, illustrated, and festive – carries the message all by itself. It resembles a post card in that respect – except the message is on the side with the picture, and not on the backside. Online stores allow you to customize the card before you purchase. A simple pull-down menu will let you select the font style, font color, and background pattern or image. You can even input the text you want for each line of the message. It’s completely customizable. These are perfect if you can’t find the right card at the local bridal store, and you’re in a pinch for time.

Rehearsal dinner invitations often feature images of a cake, a plate with a knife and fork, a feast, a champagne bottle, or any common dinner setting. It rarely features a picture of the bride and groom because the dinner is the main focus of the rehearsal dinner. It’s a time of camaraderie and companionship prior to the big day. The key with rehearsal dinner invitations is simplicity. It just doesn’t do to have an envelope, ribbon, or return note. Stay simple with a single card, and make sure that’s it colorful and festive so it stands out in the mail. The rehearsal dinner should be about fun, not formality. In fact, its whole purpose is to contrast the formality of the rehearsal just prior to it and the wedding that follows.

Rehearsal dinner invitations are usually necessary when the dinner is going to have more than 24 guests. Typical dinners usually consist of about a dozen members of the bride’s family and a dozen members of the groom’s family. Simply letting people know is sufficient. However, more guests than that require personalized, fun invitations.

Rehearsal dinner invitations can be sent alongside the wedding invitations to save money, but they really do deserve their own mailing because rehearsal dinners are separate, special events.

What is a rehearsal dinner?

The rehearsal dinner is a time to relax, kick back, and engage the guests at the wedding. It’s an informal, casual meal that takes place after a wedding rehearsal. This meal is usually the night before the wedding. Since the rigors of the wedding the day after are going to take up a lot of energy, this is kind of a time to catch up, take a breather, and relax with old friends. Sometimes, the wedding party may be unfamiliar with each other, and the rehearsal dinner takes care of that. The bride and groom also get to give thanks, acknowledgements, and speeches to, and about, the guests, family members, and other people that have volunteered and contributed to the wedding preparations.

Do I have to host a rehearsal dinner?

It’s not a mandatory event, but there are few hindrances to doing so effectively. You have to eat on the night before the wedding so it’s advantageous to eat with friends anyway.

Who takes on the bill for the rehearsal dinner?

Usually, the groom’s parents pay for the rehearsal dinner. Sometimes, couples integrate the cost into their wedding planning budget. Other times, both sets of parents pay for it. Since it’s such an informal event, there are no set rules pertaining to it, per se.

Who plans the rehearsal dinner? Who sends out the rehearsal dinner invitations?

Historically, traditionally, and most often, the groom’s mother handles all the preparations. It gives the mother-in-law a chance to flaunt her tastes and preferences, and it gives her a big hand in the wedding that she may have been aching for all along. It’s up to you, the couple, really. Couples should make this decision with some allowance for creative control to the person they cede the preparations to.

What happens at a rehearsal dinner?

There are toasts, speeches, expressions of thanks, and other games and trivialities to entertain the guests. Everything is informal and even jokes are in good taste. Sometimes, the couple gets royally roasted. That’s always fun!

How do I invite the guests?

Rehearsal dinner invitations should be sent a few days after the wedding invitations go out. They don’t need to be anything fancy.

Rehearsal dinners should be a lot of fun so don’t put too much extra work into the rehearsal dinner invitations.