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The Significance of Wedding Invitation

Many of our clients believe that picking their invitation will be the easiest part of their wedding preparation. Unfortunately, once they start to browse, they realize just how important an invitation is, and how difficult it is to select.  A wedding invitation will signify to your guests how formal or casual your wedding will be. It will set the tone for the entire wedding.  This does not mean that your invitation has to be highly priced. There are many beautiful invitations in all price ranges.  If you go to your invitation source with the proper information, it will make things much easier for you.   Be sure to count your guest list. This means, count each couple as one invitation.   Most manufacturers sell their invitations in increments of 25, be sure to order enough to have a few left over for those people you forgot to add to your original list.  It will be much more expensive to reorder your invitations after the manufacturer has already printed your original order.   It is also a good idea to order extra envelopes if you intend to use a professional calligrapher. Calligraphers do make errors and you should allow for a 10% error rate. You can have your envelopes addressed to match your invitation ink colour and font style.  When you make your guest list, enter it alphabetically and number each entry.  Place a number on the back of the response card that corresponds with the same number on the guest list. This way if your guest forgets to write their name on the response card you can just refer to your guest list and see who that card belongs to.

The Origin of the Wedding Gifts. (Bomboniere)

The custom of throwing rice and confetti and the giving of favours at weddings and special occasions originated with the Romans in 400 B.C. In ancient Rome, the bridegroom bade farewell to his bachelor-hood by distributing walnuts to his friends. Walnuts and hazelnuts, the forerunners of today's rice and almonds, were thrown during the wedding ceremony.

During the 15th century, at the English court, it was customary to give little boxes of precious metal filled with almonds to symbolize good wishes for the coming year. In France, from the time of Louis XIV through the Napoleonic era, friends exchanged boxes filled with almonds. During the reign of the Russian Czars, the christening of the Imperial offspring was celebrated by giving relatives and friends golden favours specially designed for the occasion filled with candies and pastries.

The custom of giving favours as a wedding souvenir to celebrate the beginning of the couple's new life together was born in Italy during the eighth century. In the beginning, this custom was practiced only by the noble families. In the wedding of Victor Emanuel of Savoy to Elena of Montenegro, gifts of solid silver were given to their 1800 guests. By the end of the 19th century the practice had gained acceptance among all social classes, and it was customary for a Peasant couple to distribute their almonds in a golden cardboard box.

Today the giving of gifts is not restricted to weddings alone, but is given to commemorate all kinds of occasions. The gift is filled with different coloured almonds to signify each occasion. Pink and blue is used for christenings, red for graduations, green for engagements, white for weddings, and silver and gold for 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries.

Tips on Giving Wedding Gifts. (Bomboniere)

The giving of wedding gifts is a tradition as old as time. It has come a long way from the first little almonds presented to guests at a wedding feast to the fancy and sometimes costly trinkets of today. Yet a gift need not be expensive to be tasteful and a wonderful expression of yourself. First and foremost consider your budget. Get a rough idea of about how many gifts you will need. Decide if you would like to give every guest a simple token of your affection or a more elaborate gift per couple or family. With so many choices available my advice is to start early. Ask yourself a few simple questions. Will you make the gifts yourself? Will you have enough time to buy the materials and execute the design? Is there a family member, friend or bridal party member who can lend a hand? Be honest with yourself before you start something you may later regret. Whether your guest list is for twenty or one hundred and twenty, creating your wedding gift is no easy feat. With so many details consuming your every waking moment a project of this magnitude can be daunting. Many brides underestimate the time, energy and patience needed to create such a project. Sadly, I've received many frantic calls from brides desperately trying to order something- anything at the last minute. Don't let this happen to you. Give yourself a generous time frame within to work. Sometimes, it's just easier, more convenient and cost efficient to let the wedding experts handle this aspect of your wedding day.

Research is the key to successful gift planning. Visit your local wedding stores, surf the web, visit the arts and crafts departments and don't forget to ask your newly married friends for a recommendation. A favourable recommendation from a trusted friend goes a long way. When you find that perfect favour, consider buying a sample before making your final choice. Ask questions and be very specific about your preferences. Leave nothing to chance. Make sure if you are having ribbons personalized that all spelling is correct. Finally, place your order at least two to three months before your wedding day. Have it shipped to arrive at least two weeks before your wedding date. This gives you ample time to inspect the shipment and notify the vendor if damages occurred while in transit. Should you decide you would like to make your own gifts again start early. Put together a sample. Experiment with colour. Try different variations on your design. Most importantly, give yourself all the time you will need to find or make your perfect dream wedding favours come to life.

This free information is brought to you by
" Exquisite Wedding Co-ordinators"
If you would like help with some or all of your wedding plans please feel free to contact us on (08) 9248 2542 or 0412 031 431 or email us.