"It’s only an invitation," you say to yourself. "What could possibly go wrong?" Famous last words, indeed! What may possibly go wrong? A lot more than you might imagine. Below are a few items to think about when preparing your wedding invitations.

Wording

Oh, dear. How do you word the invite if you have a very complex family? Messy divorce cases, step-parents, birth parents, in-laws . . . family might be anything but easy to figure out. The crucial principle to follow is that the person (or people) listed on the invitation should be the host (or hosts) of the wedding reception. If separated parents are co-hosting the big event, they might both still be listed, though preferably on individual lines.

Take extreme care in not giving credit wherever credit is due. In one recent wedding, the groom’s parents footed the bill for the whole lavish affair, yet it was the bride’s parents whose names were on the invites. At the wedding reception, many guests heartily thanked and complimented the bride’s parents on what a wonderful wedding and wedding reception they had sponsored, and the callous couple blithely took credit for everything. Of course, the groom’s parents felt unhappy and unappreciated! In cases where the groom’s mother and father are paying, you may decide to put the names of both sets of parents on the invites.

And what if you’re hosting your wedding reception? Well, feel free to put your own names on the invite!

Typos and Misspellings

"Really, are you kidding?" you may say. "Who does not check for typos?" Nevertheless, every year there are a great number of invites which appear with problems in spelling and grammar. Often, these invites are of the do-it-yourself variety. If you are planning to produce your own wedding invitations, be sure to have somebody else check the wording, preferably someone who is great at English!

An additional detail to be painstaking about is the spelling of names. Let’s say you are not positive how to spell your old college roommate’s wife’s name. You might think, "Oh, potato, poTAHto, what’s in a name?" When the invitation turns up addressed to "Dan and Carrie" as opposed to "Dan and Keri," the couple might be less than delighted. A name is a lot more than just a name; it’s part of your identity. Take the time to telephone your guests when you are in doubt; this personal touch shows that you really care and may motivate them to attend your special occasion.

It’s in the Post

Various other common problems center round the mailing of wedding invitations. Above all, make sure you allow enough Response time for attendees to respond. A great guideline is to post your invitations eight weeks ahead of the wedding ceremony. This typically provides invitees sufficient time to make travel plans and also to secure vacation days if needed. This grace period should also give you time to respond in the event that any of your wedding invitations are returned to you as undeliverable. However don’t let that happen to start with! As with the spelling of names, double check the addresses of your friends and family to make sure they're current and properly written.

Now WHERE am I going?!

One of the worst wedding invitation problems you would like to avoid is including faulty directions or unreadable maps to your wedding ceremony or reception. Directions aren’t much of a problem in a small town, however in an unknown city, finding your way around might be frustrating and even alarming to some people. Be cautious of printing out directions word for word from the most recent mapping website. Such internet sites don’t always give the most direct or logical routes, as many people have unhappily discovered firsthand. Unless you’re a superstar with directions and are totally sure that the directions are precise, you might give some thought to traveling each of the routes outlined yourself (from the north, south, east, and west, as needed). You may discover unexpectedly closed roads, construction, or just simple incorrect directions. Oh, and it might be a nice idea to include a contact number on the invite of a directionally-gifted friend with a cellphone who would be willing to guide travelers to each venue on the day of the event.

Don’t let these kind of invite problems happen to YOU! With a little luck, and plenty of preparation, your invites can go off without a hitch.