How many invitations should I order?

One of the most important details when ordering an invitation is to ensure that you order enough at the start.  How can you be sure you order enough?  That’s easy…

Whether it’s an Anniversary Party or a Rehearsal dinner, a baby shower or a bridal shower, before you order, we strongly encourage that you prepare an exact guest list. Ordering the correct number of invitations initially (plus a few extras just in case) makes good sense for many reasons.  It will add extra cost and time if you have to reorder a small number later on.

Determining the number of invitations you need for a party is easy but there are a few details that deserve a reminder.  Remember not to order the same number of invitations as the number of guests on your guest list.  Married couples get just one invitation.  Families with young children that are also invited also just get one invitation.  Young adults aged 18 or older (even if they are still living at home) get their own invitation.  And all single adults (or adults with a guest) just get one invitation.

Be sure to order some extra invitations as many people find that they remember additional last minutes guests.  Also, sometimes envelopes are incorrectly addressed and there is a need for a new one.  And it’s a nice touch to frame an invitation when it’s for an important event or to place it into a memory book.

Once the invitations are addressed and ready to mail, take your completed invitations to a U.S. post office so they can weigh and measure the stuffed invitations to ensure proper postage.  Some over-sized invitations or square invitations may require additional charges.  While you are there, select an attractive coordinating stamp.  If it’s a holiday party you may want a Christmas stamp.  If it’s a rehearsal dinner you may want a love stamp.

Finally, remember to check and double-check the details to be printed on your invitations before ordering.  Carefully review the spelling of the venue, the party day/date, the address, the time, the spelling of all host’s names,  the Rsvp phone number and/or email address and any other critical elements.  These details all must be absolutely correct when ordering!  Once the invitations are mailed, keep careful track of the replies and start finalizing party details such as placecards, printed napkins, favor bags and bar accessories, to name a few.