When you’re getting married, one of the first things you’ll want to start thinking about are your wedding invitations. Leaving it until the last minute to organise them defeats the purpose of having cards, so it’s important to stay on top of them.

Besides waiting too long to send them, there are some other mistakes that many people make, such as missing typos and including irrelevant information.

This article shares 8 of the most common mistakes made, so that your wedding invitations are as perfect as your big day.

Your RSVP deadline is too generous

While it might seem polite to give your guests months to respond with “attending” or “not attending’, chances are they will end up forgetting about it. Ensure that you give guests a deadline of no more than four weeks upon receiving the card; this gives them enough time to clear their schedule whilst not forgetting to respond. It also ensures that you’ll have time to finish off your seating chart and provide your caterer with a final head count.

Cluttered design

It’s all too easy to get carried away with including every design element that you like in your wedding invitations. But try to resist the temptation, as cramming flowers in with art deco type, six different colours and calligraphy is just going to overwhelm your guests and look tacky. Simplicity is best, so ensure to select just 1-2 of your favourite elements and 2-3 colours.

Including registry details

Your wedding invitations are for your guests, not you, making including gift registry information on your cards a big no-no. Avoid being seen as impolite by saving your registry details for your close family and friends or by putting them on your marriage website.

Getting your quantities wrong

Printing too few or too many wedding invitations is a bad idea, as you don’t want to go over-budget by having to print extras later on (at an extra cost to you), or conversely spending extra on cards you don’t need. Avoid this mistake by double-checking your guest list and by sending one card per family rather than one card per person. It’s generally a good idea to order 10% extra cards to cover any late additions that you’d forgotten about, and to save some for keepsakes. And do order extra envelopes in case you make an addressing typo!

Missing typos

On that note, typos are another big problem when it comes to wedding invitations. While you might think it’s enough for you to go over them once or twice, it’s always a good idea to get at least 2-3 others to proofread them for you. It’s all too easy to miss an extra letter or a ‘to’!  Reading them right to left can also help you check for mistakes more easily.

Being careless with your envelopes

If you’re addressing and sending the wedding invitations yourself, it’s important to be mindful throughout the process. Know that addressing the cards will take quite a bit of time, and it’s possible to get your stationer to do it for you instead. So if you’re going to DIY it, give yourself plenty of time and don’t expect to do it all in one go! Also ensure that you include a stamp on each reply envelope so that your guests can respond with ease. Before sending them, make sure you weigh a sample so you know how much postage will cost you.

Creating your marriage cards can be a lot of fun as long as you give yourself plenty of time to prepare them.