Wedding Invitations Glossary
(Courtesy stylemepretty.com)
Calligraphy
A very beautiful, ancient style of handwriting. A special type of ink pen is needed for this ancient art. Some invitation designers offer handwritten calligraphy services for very formal invitations.
Cardstock
Thick, heavy paper, usually reserved for fancier, more formal wedding invitations.
Destination wedding
A wedding which will be located in an overseas location. Popular destination weddings include Caribbean island weddings and Hawaiian beach weddings. Invitations should be sent out very early for destination weddings.
DIY invitations
Abbreviated form of Do It Yourself wedding invitations. Creative souls and thrifty couples can make their own invitations using supplies from craft stores.
Digital print
A style of invitation which involves designing graphics which will then be printed onto suitable paper or card. The focus of this style of invitation is on the actual images and graphics rather than the materials or layers used. This is usually the most affordable style of invitation and the best for rush orders.
Dress code
The fashion style appropriate for a wedding. More formal weddings are referred to as “Black Tie” events whereas beach weddings may call for Smart-Casual dress. The wedding dress code should be mentioned on the invitation.
Embossed lettering
A process of pressing down on the back of the invitation so that the lettering has a raised effect on the paper or card.
Engraved lettering
Essentially the opposite of embossed lettering. Engraving involves pressing down on the front of the invitation so that the letters are impressed into, rather than raised from, the paper or card.
Invitee
The person being invited to the wedding as a guest.
Inviter
The person hosting the wedding, who is inviting the guests.
Letterpress
A very old and formal style of invitation usually reserved for very formal black tie weddings. Letterpress invitations give the appearance of engraved lettering but the process involves pressing paper onto a moulded design, using special pressing equipment. This type of invitation is very labour-intensive and is usually quite expensive.
Multi-layered invitation
A hand-made style of invitation which incorporates multiple layers of card, paper and other fancy materials such as lace or rhinestones. Multi-layered invitations are a popular choice amongst DIYers.
Place cards
These are cards which are placed on the tables at the reception, assigning seats to your guests. Many invitation designers offer packages which include place cards with invitation printing.
Plus one
A person who is invited to accompany an invitee. Some couples allow their single guests to invite a ‘plus one’ to the wedding with them.
RSVP
Abbreviated form of the French term, Répondez S’il Vous Plaît, which means “please respond”. An RSVP date should always be included on invitations, detailing the final date that invitees can confirm whether or not they will be attending the wedding.
Response cards
A card, in a stamped, self-addressed envelope, where invitees can write whether or not they will be able to attend the wedding. Invitees then send the response cards back before the RSVP date.
Save the Date
A card which is sent out, shortly after deciding on a wedding date and venue, to inform guests of the upcoming wedding so that they can keep that date free on their calendars. An official wedding invitation is sent out later, which guests can RSVP to.
Script
Thespians do not be confused by this term! Script refers to the font or handwriting style which the invitation text is presented in.
Thank you cards
Cards which should be sent around two months after returning from your honeymoon, thanking guests for attending your wedding and for the gift that they gave you. Some invitation designers include thank you cards as part of an invitation package.
Thermography
A rare printing style where the invitations are heat processed, giving the ink a raised effect on the paper.
Wording
The style of language which is used on an invitation. A black tie wedding requires traditional, formal language whilst a beach wedding may include a more relaxed, friendly tone of language.
