Stationary is abundant when you are planning a wedding; however, the most important stationary you’ll need to think about is the invitations you’ll send not only for your wedding but for all the traditional events leading up to the big day. This begins at the engagement party and progresses through hens and bucks parties, save-the-dates, kitchen teas and bridal showers, all the way to the invitation to the celebration that will mark the beginning of your life as a pair.
It can be pretty overwhelming at first, but Melbourne’s Best Functions has put together a list of the who, what and when of it all to help you get organised. Let’s go chronologically…
Engagement Party
The first event to follow your engagement will be your engagement party. Some couples decide to do this immediately, while others like to take their time and plan it longer into the future. Some couples like to keep the secret and announce their engagement on the night, while others shout it loud and proud all over their invitations.
Who gets one?
Anyone you invite to the engagement party will likely expect to be invited to the wedding so choose wisely. This is why some couples choose to wait longer before they celebrate their engagement as they need more time to run through their lists.
When should they go out?
The sooner the better with your engagement party. Give your guests enough notice to make arrangements and try to catch them in the wake of the big news.
Save The Date
While this is not a requirement, in this day and age, with parties and commitments every other weekend, it’s probably not a bad idea to warn those you want at your wedding in advance. These are particularly useful for international or domestic travellers.
Who gets one?
Only send Save The Date notifications to those you are planning on inviting to the wedding. There’s nothing worse than telling your Great, Great Aunt (Twice Removed) to keep the day free only to find that you can’t afford for her to attend. Be selective.
When should they go out?
These should go out four to six months prior to the wedding, at the least! If you are planning a destination wedding, your guests may require more time to save and book so make sure you’re sensitive to that.
