It’s just like English class—invitations need to tell your guests who, what, when, where, why, and how.
- Who are the players? Besides the host, is there a special guest? (If it’s a birthday party, make sure the guest of honor is okay with the announcement of their age.)
- What are you planning? A meal, drinks, a movie screening, costumes, spin the bottle, you name it. Letting your guests know what to look forward to also helps them figure out what to wear and how to prepare.
- When should they show up? If you have something time-specific planned, say so. For instance, if you’re serving dinner, you can say something like “7:00 p.m. (dinner at 8:00).” Party time doesn’t have to be open-ended either. You can mention an end time too, like a cocktail hour from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Where to go? If there’s even a smidge of doubt that your guests will know where to go, include a map and directions.
- Why are you getting people together? Don’t be shy about this! It’ll get people in the right mindset. So, you’re rallying a few friends to help assuage a bruised heart? Say so (in a non-self-pitying way) and they’ll know to come with an empathetic ear, tissues, and chocolate.
- How? Any special instructions? Note things like dress requests and BYO (sunblock, beer, tolerance for bad puns) explicitly. Add an RSVP request and contact information.
Fill in the blank.
Remember those fill-in-the-blank cards, with prompts for the key details? There’s no shame in those, thank you—and some are downright stylish. Soolip, for instance, has some sophisticated picks. Greener Grass Design has a few just-mod-enough designs.
Printer’s alley.
Printed invitations can be much easier than you think—and they’re especially handy if your handwriting is more chicken scratch than calligraphy. If you’ve got an ink-jet or laser printer, you can DIY.
Hit a good stationery store and look for card stock. Flat cards come in dozens of colors; the basic sizes are four by six or five by seven inches. Keep your printed text in mind when choosing colors. That azure blue might be gorgeous, but will your design show up? Good online card stock sources include Paper Source and Kate’s Paperie, which lets you sort by price.
Don’t forget envelopes and postage. Pick up matching envelopes and check to see if they fall within the USPS standards for regular first-class postage rates. Springing for those funky square envelopes will jack up the mailing costs.
You could also go the gatefold way. This is a good trick to spruce up eight and a half by eleven inch paper. Fold two flaps inward to meet in the middle, then seal with a sticker. (Or even a wax seal if you’re feeling crafty … or pyro.)
Want to turn the printing over to the pros? Laser printed custom invites are the most reasonably priced option. At Web sites like VistaPrint you can upload your own design and see a PDF proof of your card before printing.
Carefully proofread your info before starting to print—better yet, get someone else to proofread it for you. A second pair of eyes can catch something you might have glossed over.
She’s crafty!
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