Wedding Invitation Suites (and what needs to be included in your wedding invitation)

A Bride On A Budget received these items for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB.

Wedding invitations are not like other invitations. If you have another party, you just hand write an invitation, leave your phone number as the RSVP, and wait for the calls to come in (or not, if you wrote "regrets only"). As long as you have the date, time, and include the "why" part of the invitation, you're good.

But with wedding invitations, the actual invitation is just one component.

I got a chance to check out a few pre-printed invitation suites from Paper Source. These are not actual weddings that are happening, so don't pack your bags and try to crash the wedding of Deborah and Brandon because, well, you won't get there (partially because these are probably fictitious people but mostly because the Riviera Palm Springs isn't even at the location on the invitation -- thank you Google).

When looking at invitations, guests aren't just looking at the main piece of paper. They also have to look at all the "accessories" (like the RSVP cards and envelopes). Together, the full line is called a "suite" not a "set" (you can throw that around in your circle to feel special).

Wedding Invitation Suites (and what needs to be included in your wedding invitation)

Let's start with the actual invitation. What do you need to say on it?

Wedding invitation text checklist:

• Bride's and groom's name
• Wedding date
• Location of ceremony and/or reception (name and address)
• Time (of ceremony and/or reception)
• Parents names (if they are helping to pay for/host the wedding)

Wedding RSVP text checklist:

• Literally, the letters RSVP
• The RSVP date (traditionally one month before your wedding)
• A line for guests to write their names (it often begins with M)
• A place to circle/check yes or no
• A place to write number attending

It is proper etiquette to address the RSVP envelope to yourself and add proper postage (most RSVP cards will require one standard stamp, but if you have a very small RSVP card, it will need to be hand sorted and will require extra postage).

I had no desire to hand write our return address on the RSVP cards, so I ordered return address labels with our names and address to just stick on the front of RSVP envelope. If you search a bit, you can find return address labels that look more like stickers. Get those because they're bigger and will take up more real estate on the envelopes. Regular address labels are a bit too small to fit in the middle of the card.

If you are inviting out of town guests, you want to set aside a block of rooms at a local hotel (most hotels will give you a discounted room rate and will not hold you responsible for unblocked rooms, especially since a month or so prior to the wedding, they will release any unblocked rooms to the public). If you have rooms blocked, include the hotel information (name, address, contact info, any group codes) in the invitation.

If you are only blocking rooms at one hotel, you could also include directions from the hotel to the venue. Remember, though, the more papers you add into your invitation, the heavier it will be. Save yourself a little postage and stick the directions in the wedding welcome bags.

Wedding invitation component checklist:

• Wedding invitation
• RSVP card
• Self-addressed stamped envelope (to fit RSVP card)
• Directions or map (optional)
• Hotel information sheet from the hotel (optional)
• Rehearsal dinner invitation (optional and only if you are inviting the entire guest list to the rehearsal dinner)

What not to include:

• Registry information

Be aware of how much your postage will be. We've addressed this previously, but in case you missed that post, envelopes that are either oversized, undersized, or heavy will change your postage price. Plus, keep in mind that traditional-size envelopes will be sent through a sorter. And that sorter doesn't care if you have a very pretty bow on the front of the invitation that might rip through the envelope. Nope. It will just sort the mail and your guests may receive something that looks like it was used as a bullet proof vest.

Personally, I've received way too many invitations where the bow/jewel/bead, etc. punctured the envelope. This is (generally) the first indication I'm getting of how your wedding will be ... and unless it's in some rough neighborhood, a bullet hole isn't the introduction I want. My suggestion? Keep the BeDazzler back in the early 90's and go with a flat invitation.

My other suggestion is don't hand write your return address on your actual invitations. One of the best things we did was invest in an address stamp. You can get them in ink or as an embosser. The embosser is more expensive, but you don't need to purchase ink. Depending on how often you plan on using this, you might want to pay more now and save later.

We used our address stamp for our save the dates, our bridal shower thank you cards, our invitations. our wedding thank you cards, and two sets of Christmas cards (then we moved). When I created ours, I made sure to only use our first names so that we would be able to keep and use it for as long as we lived in the apartment.

We've gotten so much use out of ours that I've decided from now on, an address stamp will be my gift at engagement parties. Best. Investment. Ever. If you don't believe me, you can check out my post: 5 Times You'll Wish You Had A Stamp During Wedding Planning.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you include everything in your wedding invitation suite?

DIY Wedding Sunscreen Bar

A Bride On A Budget received some of these items for review. Additional items and all thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB. 

It's almost summer, which means that there's a chance your wedding weather is going to be a bit warmer than if you got married a few months ago (and warmer than it will be in a few months).

Summer weddings mean you need to take a little more into consideration when planning, like if your venue has a working air conditioning unit. There's also a good chance that your guests who want a quiet place to talk will step outside into the sun and heat. You don't want to send them home burnt, so you should definitely watch out for them ... and set up a wedding sunscreen bar.

DIY Wedding Sunscreen Bar

What You'll Need:

• Plastic basket
• Basket filler (we used Easter grass)
• Sunscreen
• Card stock (in two colors)
• Corner rounder
• Paper trimmer

What You'll Do:

• Put the filler in the basket. 

• Arrange the sunscreens in the basket.

• Print the words "protect yourself from the sun" on a piece of white card stock. Using a paper trimmer, cut the words out. Then, use the corner rounder to round the corners.

• Using the paper trimmer, cut a colored piece of card stock larger than the white piece. Use the corner rounder to round its corners.

• Glue the white paper to the colored one. Stick it in the basket and place the sunscreen bar somewhere your guests can find it. We put ours next to the flip flop basket.

This was actually my dad's pre-wedding creation and I think he did a great job.

We had a couple baskets to choose from when we were making it. We found a cute purple wicker basket, but it was too deep for the sunscreens. A few of the sunscreen we used -- like the Coppertone ClearlySheer Beach & Pool Mini-Spray -- are short, so they just fell and got lost in the basket. And if everything falls and rolls around in the bottom, guests who walk by would just see an empty basket and not use what you had set out for them.

Then, we thought about using a larger basket, and my dad suggested cutting round holes in Styrofoam, sticking the sunscreen bottles in the holes, and covering it. That would have worked for the initial presentation, but you would need to rely on your guests to use the sunscreen, then stick it back in the appropriate hidden hole. Instead, we anticipated that our guests would just lay it on top and this pretty presentation would be ruined.

So instead, we decided on a small basket and filled it with leftover Easter grass. The grass was really forgiving. We had six bottles total, all of various SPF's and types. Usually, when I'm spending the afternoon at the beach, I tend to purchase lotion. I put it on before we run out the door, and I'm protected at the beach. But for weddings, it doesn't exactly work that way. You have guests in gowns and suits, previously sprayed with perfumes or lathered with body lotion. Most women's faces are adorned with makeup. The last thing they want to do is ruin that with a suntan lotion. So sprays are great. Guests can just close their eyes, spray it on clear, and enjoy the outside.

At the end of the night, we were left with only one little mini spray. Our guests had taken the rest home with them (which meant a  few guests left with an additional favor, so they were overjoyed since most of our guests were spending the days after our wedding at the beach). I actually went out with some remaining guests a few days later and everyone was using the Coppertone Sport spray on a walk downtown. It was nice to see that our wedding sunscreen bar wasn't just decoration, but it was something that guests actually used the day of our wedding -- and after. BRIDAL BABBLE: Is this DIY wedding sunscreen bar something you would do at your summer wedding?

Famous Couples Bridal Shower Game (Free Printable)

I love bridal shower games. They're absolutely my favorite part of any shower. I think they're really good ice breakers too. So many of your guests don't know each other, but they're forced to sit together and make conversation over finger sandwiches and cookies.

So games are great. When you run out of things to say ("How do you know the bride?" and "Nice weather we've been having, huh?" don't get too far), games help. One of my favorite games is the famous couples bridal shower game.

I actually put together a free printable of the game for you below. Just right click to save it to your computer, then print it on 8.5x11 paper.

Instructions for the bridal shower famous couples game is on the top of the sheet, and they're pretty self-explanatory.

On the sheet are the names of eleven "halves" of famous couples. Women are on the left, men are on the right. Have your guests fill in the names of the other half of the couple. Whoever completes the form correctly first wins a prize (you can give additional prizes, if you want).

Just in case you need it, the answer key for my bridal shower famous couples game is:
Cinderella and Prince Charming
Kate Middleton (or the Duchess of Cambridge) and Prince William
Wilma Flintstone and Fred Flintstone
Beyonce and Jay-Z
Barbie and Ken
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy
Marge Simpson and Homer Simpson
Jenny Curran and Forrest Gump
Michelle Obama and Barack Obama
Victoria "Posh" Beckham and David Beckham
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos

If you are throwing a bridal shower, be sure to check out our free bridal bingo game and the bridal shower purse game too.

 We have a few other bridal shower printables available for free, too. They're listed below:

• Famous Couples Bridal Shower Game
• Bridal Bingo
• Bridal Shower Purse Game

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of the famous couples is your favorite?

"He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop Engagement Party Favor

When we got engaged, I thought about incorporating Ring Pops into the favors somehow because a giant candy diamond ring just made sense. But I couldn't figure out a way to do it,

Fast forward three years later and we were at an event that gave our Ring Pops. Pete and I each took one, but I wouldn't let us eat one until I came up with a great project for them.

Three months later, we can finally enjoy them. I made these super cute "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop engagement party favor.

"He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" DIY Ring Pop Engagement Party Favor

This is completely a play off Beyonce's Single Ladies ... which has been stuck in my head ever since I started making these. And, probably, Pete's head too because I've been singing it all around the house, all day, every day.

"If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it ...
"Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
"Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oooooooh"

All day long, people. All. Day. Long.

What You'll Need:

• Ring Pops
• Tape
• Paper Trimmer
• "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" printable (it's below)

What You'll Do:

Cut the "He Liked It So He Put A Ring On It" into individual rectangles. You can eyeball this, but if you're like me and it has to be exact, you want to cut them 2 1/4 x1 7/16.

Stick a piece of tape on the back and affix it to the Ring Pop.

That's it. You're done. You have a tasty engagement party favor that can be completed in a matter of seconds.

Now, about that printable:

It's formatted to fit a standard printer 8.5x11 piece of paper so you can print at home. Just right click that image, save it to your computer, and you can print it at any time.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make these DIY Ring Pop engagement party favor?

Wedding Thank You Gift Idea (For under $5)

I get asked a lot of wedding questions and a lot of them are really unique and specific to a person's wedding (things like "Can you recommend a non-traditional venue in Southern Alabama?" to "Would you mind critiquing our Save The Date cards before I print them?").

As far as general wedding questions, the one I get asked more than anything is: Who do I get thank you gifts for?

My answer: Everyone you can afford to get one for.

As a general rule, you should get them for (in this order): your maid of honor and best man, the rest of your bridal party (including the ring bearer and flower girl), your parents, your ceremony helpers (readers, Eucharistic Assistants, ushers), and your favorite wedding blogger (okay ... kidding about that last part. Just wanted to see who was actually reading).

Thank you gifts, though, they don't have to be expensive, just a token to say you appreciate them. And they don't have to be overly complicated either.

This wedding thank you gift idea is really simple. It took me no more than two minutes to put them together. Plus, they were really inexpensive.

Wedding Thank You Gift Idea

What You'll Need:

• Coffee mugs (I got mine from CafePress)
• Chocolate (I went with foil-wrapped chocolate hearts)
• Starbucks gift card ($5 works)

What You'll Do:

• Since I had two colors of chocolates, I mixed them together. It gives you a better look in the mug.
• Scoop the chocolates into the mug, stick a Starbucks gift card in the chocolate, done. I told you it was easy.

Now, about the Starbucks gift card. Personally, I got our gift cards for free because I used Tango cards from Media Insiders (a mobile app that gives you free gift cards for having it on your phone); the chocolate was actually leftovers I had (if you're doing a candy buffet, just grab a bit of the extras); and the mugs were $32.99 for four.

But CafePress has flash discounts basically every day. I purchased these when there was a 40% flash discount, so they were actually only $19.79 for four -- or $4.94 each. So yes, this entire thank you gift, which includes a $5 Starbucks gift card, only cost me $4.94. Can't beat that (well, unless you go to the dollar store and buy dollar store coffee mugs but I love that you can personalize items at CafePress. And these mugs say Wilmington on them, which is where we got married so they're special).

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you made this wedding thank you gift, what would you fill the mugs with?

Does The Man Expect A Certain Reaction To A Proposal?

This post is written by Pete. For all his posts, check out this link.

Okay fellas, let's have a kinda little serious chat for a minute. If you've actually gotten to the point where you're getting down on one knee to ask your girl for her hand in marriage, I assume you've known her long enough to know how she is gonna react when you "pop the question."

Her reaction will match her personality. For example, does your significant other cry over every-freaking-thing on TV? Like when there's a commercial where there's a family doing anything even remotely happy, does your significant other say "Awwwww" as her eyes well up with tears? The commercial can be for auto insurance or cereal. It doesn't matter. Get the tissues ready. Oh and holy crap, if any part of the commercial is in slow motion? Better put on a life jacket and have a kayak handy.

Conversely, is your significant other someone who would say something like "Seriously? Me and Tiffany are going to get spray tans that day!" when you tell them your mom just died and the funeral is in two days? If so, I'm pretty sure she would probably be annoyed when you propose because it's not at a time that's convenient for her.

With that being said, I think ideally every guy hopes that his significant other will display some form of happiness when he proposes to her. How could we not have that hope, that expectation when the image of a woman crying in joy, the man on one knee as he hoists a ring up to her hand, is what we're conditioned to believe is the way a wedding proposal is destined to unfold?

Advertising makes it as if every human being reacts to things the same way. Expecting that your significant other will weep with joy and mutter the words "Oh my god yes darling YES!!!" through sobs and tears may set you up for disappointment and perceived failure.

That's why, fellas, you need to know your significant other. Happiness and joy can be expressed in a great number of ways.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What was your (or your significant other's) reaction to the proposal?

Are you getting ready to propose?
Check out Pete's post:  What Asking A Woman's Father For Her Hand In Marriage Is Really Like.

The Perks Of Digital Wedding Invitations #spon

This post is sponsored by Inviter. All thoughts and opinions belong to A Bride On A Budget.

My mom has a scrapbook where she saves wedding invitations paired with wedding photos. The first time I saw the book (at least, the first time I remember seeing it) was a couple years ago. I just loved seeing the old invitations.

But I wonder how much longer her book will last, though, because cutting out invitations is one of the way couples are saving money. With invitations averaging about $5 each, I get it. It took me so long to decide on wedding invitations because I wanted ours to be perfect. And they were. They were more than I ever could have imagined.

But, honestly, who still has one? I do, and I bet my mom does in that book of hers, but everyone else probably kept it on their fridge until my wedding day, stuck it in their bag to grab the address off the GPS, and then probably threw it in the hotel room garbage that night. It kinda breaks my heart to think that's what happened with something I spent hours and weeks agonizing over, but that's the reality of it.

That's why saving on your stationery is so important. The how of it is tricky, though, because you can't just not have invitations. You can't just expect people to show up at your wedding if you don't tell them when it is. But you can still creatively save with a very modern concept: digital wedding invitations.

Hear me out for a minute.

So much of our lives are spent in the digital world. Realistically, I spend more of my day talking to my friends on Facebook than I do talking to them in real life. And as I type this, I'm scrolling through Instagram and liking photos. But, if you want a real example of how integrated we are: My 94-year-old grandma makes dubsmash videos and posts them on her Instagram.

Me and my funny daughter having fun. #video #dubsmash #dubsmashgrandma #myjapanesegrandma #myfunnygrandma #funnyvideo #laugh #stayinalive #beegees #dancing #family #life #music #song #familytime #familyfun

A video posted by @myfunnygrandma on Jan 15, 2016 at 4:51pm PST

We live in a time when our photos live on our phones not in photo books; our documents are in the cloud instead of file cabinets; and our music is in files not albums. So why not update your wedding invitations too?

Inviter is a website where you can craft video invitations. It's pretty easy -- and inexpensive. You can create an event with 100 invites for only $14.99. That's a mere 15 cents per invitation. Much more budget-friendly than $5 a piece.

So, how do you do it?

Sign up for an account and create your event, adding in your venue, time, etc.. You will need to have a video ready in order to continue, so keep that in mind. Personally, I didn't have a video of me and Pete on my phone. Weird, right? The only video I had handy was one of my cat, Totes McGotes, trying to break into a room I was hiding in. This is my life, people.

If you don't have a video either, that's okay. There are free apps that will use your pictures to create a slideshow.

After you get the video uploaded, you can edit the layout of your invitation template and your guest page. You can customize them to incorporate your wedding colors, which is fun. You can then share via social media or by adding your guests' email addresses.

Which means you would have to get their emails. Yes, a slight bother, perhaps, but the perks of digital wedding invitations far outweigh the bothers.

The Perks Of Digital Wedding Invitations

Eco-Friendly

Paper invitations can be a lot of paper. There are invitations and envelopes, RSVP cards and envelopes, then additional inserts (like directions, maps, hotel information, and more). That ends up in the trash (unless it's me throwing it away; then it ends up in the recycle bin). Still, though, intangible invitations means no garbage.

Easy Access

Have you ever been on your way to a wedding and then realized you left the invitation at home? You have to text or call someone to get the name of the venue and the time of the reception. What a pain. If you sent digital invitations, your guests would just pull up the email on their phone and all your wedding invitation would be at their fingerprints.

Posterity

If you send a paper invitation and someone throws it out, it's gone. But if they save the link to your wedding invitation, they can look at it whenever they want. Sure, that sounds unnecessary now but in a couple years when you're feeling nostalgic, it'll be nice to have.

Easy RSVP's
It's really a bit of a pain to keep track of the RSVP's. We made a spreadsheet and I updated it all the time, but then we ended up calling and texting people to track them down after the deadline. With digital invitations come digital RSVP's. You can track them in the site and then send your friends a little reminder when the RSVP date rolls around.

Savings

A big part of why digital wedding invitations are so alluring is the cost factor. If you remember my math from above, 100 digital invitations will cost you $14.99 at Inviter while an average of $5 an invitation means $500 for 100. So you're saving $485. There are so many other things you can spend that $485 on: wedding favors, your cake, shoes, wedding welcome bags ... 

Speaking of savings, you're in luck. Inviter is giving A Bride On A Budget readers 20% off with the code IVTNSUPR. The code is valid until June 31, 2016. Be sure to check out all the pricing here. And, you can see an example of an Inviter invitation here.

And, if you're curious, you can see my invitation to our imaginary wedding part two (and the video of Totes) here.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What other perks of digital wedding invitations can you think of?