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Paper

Traditionally your wedding invitations should be on the thickest card stock you can find. The color should be White, Ivory, or Cream. The writing should be engraved (raised lettering). This is for a traditional invitation. If you want to try something different, see the section on how to save money!

Contents of the Envelope

So what exactly goes into the envelope?

1. A Reception Card -only of the reception is not held at the same place as the ceremony

2. Ceremony Card -for those whom you wish to join you in the Temple

3. Reply Card (aka RSVP)-this should be stamped and addressed

4. Map/Direction Card

5. At Home Card-this has the couples "new" address, This is a new thing, so don't feel bad if you've never heard of it!

6. Engagement Photo-if you choose to do one

7. Tissue Paper-this should be the same size as the Photo and is meant to protect it.

Engagement Photo

This is hard, not all couples take one. There is no standard etiquette that says you must enclose a photo. Personally, I like them, I actually get upset when there isn't one in the invitation. Just because I know the Bride, doesn't mean I know the groom, but I sure am curious as to what he looks like! I say you include one, people who live far away and don't see you often will want to know what the love of your life looks like! Check the money saving tips below to learn how to do the photos for cheap.

FAQ

Who typically pays for what?

BRIDE

engagement party (if there is one)
wedding dress and trousseau
cost of wedding consultant
invitations
rental of reception hall
decorations
musician fees
transportation for the bridesmaids (i.e. how they get from the Temple to the reception hall)
entire cost of the reception
all photography (engagement photo too)
lodging for out of town brides maids
all flowers (except the ones for the Bride, Groom, Groomsmen, Parents & Grand Parents)

GROOM

brides ring
marriage license
rehearsal dinner/party/grooms dinner
wedding attire (for him)
gifts for best man and grooms men
boutonnieres for all men
bride bouquet and going away corsage
corsages for all the Mothers and Grandmothers

Money Saving Tips

You can save money by doing the engagement photo yourself. Buy a 24exp. disposable camera and find a friend with a good eye. Find a nice outdoor scene and snap all 24 shots with different poses and angels. After you get them developed and have selected the one you want; head to Wal Mart with you negative in hand. Wal Mart will duplicate you photo in a size you pick for under .30 a copy, just be sure you do this a good 2 weeks before you assemble the invitations.

Saving money on the invitations themselves can be easy, there are a lot of ways. Here is what I did, Aaron and I selected wording that we liked and typed it up on the computer in a font that we liked. We printed it out and took it to a local print shop. We selected paper, and card sizes and envelopes there. The print shop used our words and font and copied them in the color we picked onto the paper, cards and envelopes we had selected. This was MUCH less than if we had purchased "real" invitations. We ordered 200, for under $150, that included our invitation, RSVP card, ceremony card, envelopes (addressed), a reception card. Check out what our Bride Devina did to save money HERE

Wording

I could fill a page on wording, but instead I will refer you to Emily Posts Wedding Etiquette. This book can be found at your local Barnes & Noble or Borders.

A Marriage Quiz

By Brent A. Barlow, “Getting to Know You Better: A Marriage Quiz,” Ensign, Sept. 1981, 43

Some time ago I taught a priesthood lesson on marriage. At the end I said, “Wouldn't it be interesting if we all went home and did two things: (1) ask our wives how we could be better husbands, and (2) listen to what they have to say.”

After priesthood meeting I returned home and began eating a late breakfast. My wife, Susan, asked about my lesson, and between bites of cereal I indicated that as far as I could tell it went pretty well.

“What did you say?” she asked. I took another spoonful of cereal and replied, “I told them to go home and ask their wives how they could be better husbands, and then listen to their comments.” I chuckled. “I'll bet some of them are having some pretty interesting discussions right now.” I took another sip of orange juice.

Susan walked over to the kitchen counter and was rather quiet as I continued to enjoy my breakfast. After a few minutes she said, “Do you really want to know?”

“Know what?” I asked.

“How you could be a better husband,” she replied. “You do follow your own advice, don't you?”

Suddenly I lost my appetite. I put down my toast, and she began.

It was not so much what I was doing that concerned her, she said, but what I could be doing that would greatly improve our marriage. I listened.

Our discussion had lasted about an hour when the phone rang. Susan answered it and talked for a minute or two and hung up.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“It was Brother Larson,” she replied. “He said he would be a little late picking you up to go home teaching.”

Susan walked out of the kitchen and called back, “He said he and his wife were having some sort of discussion. Something to do with what you said in priesthood meeting this morning.”

As husbands and wives, how well do we know each other? Most of us knew enough about our spouse at one time to agree to marriage. But what have we learned about each other since then? People—and consequently marriages—change as the years go by.

Some husbands and wives are surprised to find that there are still things to learn about each other, even after several years of marriage. Some mistakenly believe that because they live together in the same house, they'll automatically know each other. Others assume that they each share the same perspective of their marriage—that since they are “one,” they think exactly alike, enjoy exactly the same things, and derive exactly the same satisfaction from their relationship. And some even erroneously assume that because they love each other, each will always know what the other is thinking or feeling, so there's no need to express thoughts and sentiments.

Whatever the reasons, dialogue is infrequent or missing in too many marriages.

Elder Hugh B. Brown has written: “Where there is deep and mature love, which is being nurtured and jealously guarded, the couple will confide in each other and discuss all matters of joint interest—and in marriage everything should be of interest to both—they will stand together in adversity, will lean on, support, and give strength to each other. They will find that their combined strength is more than double the strength of either one of them alone.” (You and Your Marriage, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1960, p. 30.)

To assist in marital communication, try the following exercise together. Allow yourselves sufficient time when there will be no interruptions. You might wish to divide the exercise into several sessions, considering two or three statements at each session.

First, respond individually in writing to the statements. Then exchange papers and talk about what you've written. Don't try to review your responses simultaneously. While one of you is reading or speaking, the other should listen or ask clarifying questions. Then switch roles.

Complete the following statements:

1. In our marriage, I feel loved when you …

2. In our marriage, I feel appreciated when you …

3. In our marriage, I am happiest when …

4. In our marriage, I am saddest when …

5. In our marriage, I am angriest when …

6. In our marriage, I would like more …

7. In our marriage, I would like less …

8. In our marriage, I feel awkward when …

9. In our marriage, I feel uneasy when …

10. In our marriage, I feel excited when …

11. In our marriage, I feel close to you when …