Free Wedding Invitation Templates

For casual ceremonies, the sky is really the limit as to style.
But most weddings follow a certain set of formalities in their
invitations. Here is a template for a normal wedding invitation:

         Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
   request the honour of your presence
    at the marriage of their daughter
              Kathryn Marie
                   and
          Mr. James Henry Smith
     on Saturday, the tenth of July
         two thousand and five
            at seven o’clock
          First Baptist Church
            222 Ellerbe Road
              Paris, Texas

As for a formal wedding template, there are some rules of wording
that are appropriate:

1.  Spell out every word, even the date and year. Street, not St.
Road, not Rd.
2.  Use Roman numerals in titles, such as David Kenneth Williams
III. Do not use "3rd" or "third".
3.  For weddings in a church, say "request the honour of your
presence". For non-religious weddings, say "request the pleasure
of your company".
4.  Write out full names. Do not use initials.

You can copy and paste this template onto your word processor for
easy guidance:

       (the name of bride’s parents/parent)
        request the honour of your presence
         at the marriage of their daughter
               (the name of bride)
                      to
               (the name of groom)
                on (weekday name),
    the (day of month, spelled out) of (month)
           at (time, spelled out) o’clock
          (name of church or building)
          (address of church/building)
           (city, state of ceremony)

Optional:
        Reception Immediately Following
                      At
             (name of location)

Directions to the reception hall can be given at the wedding or
on a separate card in the invitation envelope.

Choosing The Best Invitation For Your Wedding

He popped the question; you said yes. Now, the two of you have set the wedding date and things are starting to come together for the day of your dreams. With the myriad of details that need attending, the first order of business - ordering wedding invitations - may seem like an overwhelming task for a new bride-to-be. Whether you plan an intimate gathering of close friends and family, or a gala black tie event, you will want your wedding invitations to be just right.

For many couples, the wedding invitation becomes part of your family album; a piece of history to be shared with loved ones in the years to come. Your wedding day will be as unique as your love, and your wedding invitations should reflect this. The wedding invitations you chose will set the tone for your event.

When selecting invitations, you should take into account your personal style, wedding location, time of day, season, and your cultural and religious beliefs. You should also consider the style or theme of your wedding and your bridal colors. These aspects combined make your invitations personal and special.

Traditional wedding invitations, sometimes called formal wedding invitations, typically are one-sided white or ecru colored card stock, with black print on the front, and carry a very specifically worded invitation. While many couples still opt for these classic invitations, today’s choices are much broader.

Ink colors abound in every shade of the rainbow, and inner envelopes can include matching foil linings. Cover designs include embossed brides and grooms, flowers, birds, churches, wedding bells, entwined rings, and a host of other romantic symbols. You can even have your invitations created with a photograph of you and your husband- to-be, or another image that is special to the two of you. To further personalize your invitations, you can choose from a wide variety of sayings and verses for the cover, or write one yourself.

Traditional paper colors are available alongside more modern options, from light violet to deep red and even black. You will also find that there are many options for the type of paper on which your invitations will be printed. Parchment, translucent paper, vellum, blended fibers, even recycled papers are available through most major companies. Borders and accessories like ribbons are available in just about every color. You can even choose how the edges of your invitation will look – crisp and clean, scalloped, or softly torn.

Thanks to the Internet, busy brides-to-be can also enjoy the convenience of selecting wedding invitations on-line. You can browse through catalogs and compare selections at any time that fits into your schedule. Many invitation companies will happily provide free samples of their products so that you can make a decision in the comfort of your home. So relax, browse through our large selection of wedding invitations, and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.

Carefully Plan Your Wedding Checklist

The time leading up to your wedding is usually one of the most stressful times of your life. It is stressful in a good way but stressful nonetheless. Because there are so many items that have to be remembered in the midst of all the stress, it is a good idea to create a wedding checklist so as not to forget or overlook anything. And these days, couples have an especially great advantage in that there are many websites which provide a wedding checklist for you.

It all depends on your budget but there are even consultants who can help you plan your wedding and create your customized wedding checklist. But if you hire a wedding consultant, be prepared to pay a significant fee as these professionals do not come cheap. One source reported a wedding consultant making $1,900 to $2,850 USD per wedding. Part of that consultant’s job is to make a checklist so you might save some money by doing your own wedding checklist.

Wedding Checklist – The Really Important Items

Of course everyone will have an opinion as to what is important and what is not important on a wedding checklist but there are some major items that most agree are critical. These are items that are potential showstoppers if overlooked. One item that most do not think about but it is very critical is the wedding budget. If you and your spouse-to-be do not sit down and get a rough idea of what you can spend then you risk running out of money before everything has been ordered and arranged. If you, as a bride, are fortunate enough to have your parents pay the bill, then it would be most thoughtful of you to sit down with them and try to budget the expenses. Your parents will greatly appreciate you for it.

Once you have budget planning as your first item on your wedding checklist, then you can prioritize the other major items that you cannot forget. At the top of the list should be the bridal gown and the groom’s attire. Then next should be the attire for the members of the bridal party. And even before planning the attire of the wedding party should be just deciding who you want to be in your wedding party. Deciding the members of your wedding party is a topic itself because it can get very complicated. The attire portion of your checklist is really important because you are going to have to arrange things like fittings for rentals or if attire is being custom made.

Other really important items on your wedding checklist include the place of the wedding and reception. These need to be at the top of the list as well because you will probably have to reserve the venues in advance. Next on your list are things like food that will be served at the reception, who you want to perform the wedding ceremony, and what entertainment needs to be arranged for at the reception.

Conclusion: The Overlooked Items

Then there are the items that can be easily forgotten if left off of the wedding checklist. These are items such as the rings, the guest book, the invitations, the flowers, the honeymoon reservations, the attire for the honeymoon, the thank you cards, a photographer, keepsakes for the guests, and music for the reception. The list can just go on and on. One advantage couples have today that may not have been available to their parents is the internet where they can find many sample checklists that can serve as great starting points in building their own customized list. Making a wedding checklist is very important and it is one item you must not overlook.