Your wedding invitations are your first impressions. Before you get people to your ceremony or reception, the only feel they’ll have of your wedding is what comes in that invitation envelope. Taking a little extra care in designing your invitation will ensure that you’re sending the right message to all the guests you’ve invited to share in your big day.

Make Your Guest List First

Before designing up a bunch of beautiful invitations on high-end paper create your guest list and get an idea of how many invitations you’ll need. If you have a huge guest list and a limited budget, you may not want to go with the most expensive invitations. However, if your guest list is going to be quite small and you have a little extra to spend on your invitations, you could splurge on a fancier design. Seeing who you’ll be inviting to your wedding may also have some effect on the wording or font you choose to use on your invitations as well.

What Info You Should Include

You may want your invitations to be lovely and simple, but be sure you’re including all the necessary information. If someone else is paying for the wedding, you may want to give a mention to your host in your wording. Your basic info such as who is getting married, the location of the ceremony and reception, and the time and date of each should be clear and easy to read. A map and directions could be helpful as well if you’ve chosen a difficult to find venue.

Standard and Simple or All the Bells and Whistles

Depending on your budget, you’ll need to decide what will be included with the invite. Generally you’ll have the envelope, invite, and response card. You could opt to have a separate reception card and you may even decide to get another card printed up with a map and directions. You may also want a thank you card for after the wedding to be part of your invitation package. Of course, the more you add, the more it will cost, so determine your budget before brainstorming your invitations. Pre-wedding favours can be included as well in the form of bookmarks, pictures, or some other little memento that suits your particular theme.

Adding Your Personal Touches

Deciding on your theme before designing your invitations will give you the opportunity to make your invites match your wedding. If your wedding will be casual and on the beach, inform your guests of this in the invitation so they can dress appropriately for your chosen venue. Alternatively, if you’re expecting strict formal attire, relay that info in your invitations as well.

Let your guests know when to reply by and ask for any information you’ll need, such as dinner option preference, on the response card. Proof-read your invitations before having them all printed up to avoid any costly corrections. Your invitations don’t have to break your budget to be beautiful as long as you take your time in deciding what paper, ink, and font will suit your wedding best.

Every wedding is going to come with endless decisions you’ll have to make and some will be much more important than others. One of the biggest decisions, which could affect many of the other smaller ones, will be whether to have your wedding ceremony indoors or outdoors. A few things should be considered before deciding on an outdoor wedding ceremony, so before putting any deposits down on a venue, make sure you’ve done your research on your intended location.

Weather in Your Area

If you live somewhere that has unpredictable weather patterns, an outdoor wedding could be a little risky. If you’re constantly facing the threat of rain and wind or if you risk seating your guests under a blistering sun throughout your entire ceremony, you may want to be prepared with some alternative options. An outdoor wedding can be lovely and romantic, but you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to take a chance on the weather.

Creating a Backup Plan

You may have your heart set on an outdoor wedding and live in one of those areas where the weather can be tricky. Renting some tents to block out too much sun or some light rain can be a great way to protect you and your guests from the elements. These tents may act as mini greenhouses on the exceptionally hot days so do your research on what kind of setup you’re thinking about using. Clear roofed tents can also provide a beautiful view of the day while still offering some protection.

For more severe weather possibilities, having an indoor backup plan may be your best bet. A tent may not do much to shield you from heavy winds and sideways rain. If it’s a good chance you’ll be seeing conditions like this on your wedding day, it could be a better idea to just plan for an indoor wedding right from the start.

Think About the Little Things

It can be easy to overlook some of the smaller factors that come with outdoor weddings. Keep in mind that certain locations may have a higher insect population and some spots may require you to walk through dirt and grass in your white dress. Are paths available at the spot you’ve chosen? Washrooms may be something you should be considering as well. Even if you aren’t having a long ceremony, be sure to think about the guests you’ve invited and what their needs may be. You’ll also be taking plenty of pictures that day, so think about the time of day you’ll be having your ceremony and what kind of lighting effects you can expect.

An outdoor wedding can offer an amazing variety of breathtaking backgrounds for your big day. While some factors will be beyond your control, being prepared can help you minimize any surprises during your ceremony. If your desired location requires special clothing requirements, such as a sandy beach or breezy cliff side, be sure to keep your guests informed so they can be comfortable during your ceremony and are paying attention to your vows rather than being distracted by sand in the shoes or mist in their face.

Hiring a band or DJ for your wedding can be a big decision and it could rely on more than just your personal preference. You may need to consider a few things before committing to go with the same DJ you heard at the last wedding you were at. You may have a preference set in your mind that you’re determined to see through or you may not care one way or another as long as some good music is playing in the background. Even if you aren’t fussy, you may still need to consider how your music will sound at a particular venue.

Live Band or DJ?

First you’ll need to decide if you’re going with a live band or if you’d prefer a DJ to play recorded music for you. A DJ may be cheaper and could give you and your guests more versatility in requesting songs while a live band may add to the atmosphere or possibly even give a more romantic feel to your wedding. Keep in mind that bands will need to take set breaks while the DJ can just keep your music playing. When hiring a band, you may want to schedule in speeches and toasts during their breaks.

Know Your Crowd

It’s your wedding, so play the music you want, but keep in mind that if you’re playing all hip hop and most of your guests are more of a country crowd, you’re going to have a pretty empty dance floor. With a DJ, you may want to give your guests the ability to request what they want to hear. If you already know exactly the type of music you want played, be sure your DJ or band is aware of your requests in advance and have those albums on hand or can play your songs.

Keep Venue Specifications in Mind

If you have a small guest list and your reception is in a little hall, a live band with lots of equipment could overwhelm your entire reception. If you’re set on having a live band, hiring an acoustic musician may be a better choice. Having a pianist provide ambient background music could give a very romantic effect as well. You should also check out what kind of wiring and electronic setup is available at your intended reception location as well as any noise or music restrictions in that area.

Whether you hire a band or DJ, be sure to get references and listen to some samples of any potential band you intend to hire. The music being played at your reception could set the whole mood for the night, so determine your music budget and take a little extra time when considering your entertainment options.