What to write, and when to send it
The two questions that come up before anybody thinks about design. These are written out in full, with the actual lines, because half-answers are what send you back to searching.
Nearly every invitation problem arrives in this order: what do we write, when does it go out, and only then what should it look like. The first two are where people get stuck, and they get stuck because most of what is written about invitation etiquette answers in generalities.
So these are specific. The wording guides print the lines as they would sit on the card, including the difficult situations nobody wants to ask about out loud. The timing guides work backwards from the event, because the date an invitation has to be sent is not the date the work starts.
What to write
Wedding invitation wording
Every host situation, written out in full, including the awkward ones.
Graduation announcement wording
Announcement, invitation, or both at once, which is where it goes wrong.
Bridal shower invitation wording
Including the registry line, which is the one place it belongs.
Birthday invitation wording
Children's parties, adult parties and the milestone ones, which are different.
Rehearsal dinner invitation wording
Who hosts, who is invited, and how it should sound against the wedding.
Diaper raffle wording
The insert card, worded so it reads as a game rather than a levy.
Christmas party invitation wording
Home, office and neighbourhood, which need three different registers.
Retirement party invitation wording
Office, family and surprise, and how to name the years without it stinging.
RSVP wording
One route, one date, one plain instruction. Most cards get all three wrong.
Baptism and christening invitation wording
Church service, reception, and godparents, in the order guests need them.
Housewarming invitation wording
Open house or sit-down, and the gift question people always ask.
Engagement party invitation wording
Who hosts, whether it is a surprise, and the guest list rule.
First birthday invitation wording
Written to the adults, timed around a nap, and short.
Potluck invitation wording
Assign by category, never by dish. That one line is the whole guide.
Open house invitation wording
The drop-in has to be unmistakable or everyone blocks out the whole window.
Gender reveal invitation wording
Including who knows, who does not, and how the reveal actually happens.
Funeral program wording
The order of service, the obituary, and what the family has to decide.
Memorial service invitation wording
A gathering held later, on the family's own terms.
Sip and see invitation wording
After the birth, and the visiting rules have to be on the card.
When to send
When to send wedding invitations
The whole paper timeline, from save the date to thank you card.
When to send save the dates
Six to eight months, and the three conditions that have to be true first.
When to send graduation announcements
Two to three weeks before, or two weeks after. Not three months later.
When to send bridal shower invitations
Four to six weeks out, and where the shower sits against the wedding.
How far in advance to send birthday invitations
Three weeks for children, four to six for adults, and why.
Wording comes with the design
You do not have to arrive with the words already sorted. Tell me who is hosting and anything awkward about it, and setting the wording is part of the job, not an extra.
$45
One real concept for your event, in your colours, before you commit to anything.