The wedding invitations you choose to send to your potential ceremony and reception guests set the tone for your big event and introduce the theme of the day. While most brides choose to also send Save the Date cards it is the official invitation that will be looked at the most and should be chosen with care.

Set the Budget

While not the most fun part of shopping for wedding invitations, it is extremely important to have a set budget or spending limit before getting excited about or choosing an invitation. You may not want to think about the limitations of your finances but it can be heartbreaking to find what you think is your perfect invitation to find out later it is well above what you can feasibly spend.

Once you have a budget or spending limit in place you have a better idea of what kind of invitations you can order. This highly important first step can also aid in narrowing down your field of choices, which may seem overwhelmingly large and expansive when you first start browsing.

Choose Your Theme

Once you’ve have gotten to the stage where invitations are being purchased you probably have a good idea of your wedding colors and theme. At this point it becomes important to be able to verbalize your theme and know how retailers and websites present it.

For example, if you are having a beach themed wedding some invitation retailers may describe the same theme with other words like “ocean” or “tropical.” By knowing the keywords that match your theme it will be easier to browse in a number of places without missing styles and designs that suit your needs simply because the wording was different.

Paper Size and Grade

After you have your budget and theme nailed down you should have an idea of the size of the wedding invitation you are looking for as well as the kind of paper you would want it printed on.

As a general rule, the higher grade of paper the thicker and more sturdy it will be. Wedding invitations looks and feel their best when printed on a high quality, heavy paper like cardstock.

Invitations are traditionally printed on paper that measures five inches by seven inches. This size may remain the most popular and most frequently ordered wedding invitation format but there are other variations that are beginning to take hold among the modern wedding planner. One of the most popular nontraditional paper sizes is referred to as a “landscape” layout and measures between eight inches by five inches to ten inches by four inches. The size and shape of your invitation is something that is dictated by a combination of what your chosen printer can produce and the level of tradition you plan on maintaining.

Shop Around

Like with any sizable purchase it is recommended that you look at more than one source for your wedding invitations. Depending on where you live, there are anywhere from a dozen to hundreds of independent printers that operate out of a storefront, whether web-based or an actual location. More often than not, these artisan printers can provide a more artistic and one of a kind final product but at a higher cost on average. National printers and invitation retailers usually offer a lower per-invite price but it is more likely that another bride will have ordered the exact same invitations.

Your wedding invitations are one of the most visible impressions your guests will have of your wedding. While shopping for your perfect ceremony and reception invitations it is important to keep your budget, theme and tastes in mind.