As many of you know, we at Greg Boulus Events/Charleston Street have an entire portion of our business dedicated to all things paper. We help customers pick out custom stationary, create invitations for baby showers, help design holiday cards, and of course, create invitation suites and other paper goods for weddings. What started out as a necessity for those looking for a paperie specialist in the Augusta area, has soon become an integral part of our wedding design process when a bride chooses to work with us on their wedding day.

Think about how the wedding process unfolds. The first thing your guests see from you as a bride is your save-the-date followed by your wedding invitation. Save-the-dates tend to be a bit more casual and a place where our brides exercise a bit of fun in the design process. Alternatively, the invitation gives guests an idea of what the wedding will look like. Formal vs. more casual, traditional vs. creative, even black ink vs. color are all ways in which guests are given a peek into the style and choices the bride has made for her wedding day.

The day of the wedding there are many different opportunities where your personal style can be injected into your wedding paper suite. This starts with the programs at the ceremony which can highlight generations of tradition, meaningful hymns and verses, or personal anecdotes from loved ones. Even there we have a variety of different design ideas, from booklets, to pamphlets, to cards, we've even had bride choose fans! These are then followed by the many paper goods that make up a reception including escort cards (displayed in some unique way and they don't have to be on paper!), menu cards for a seated dinner (these could be one per table, one per guest, or even a board with hand-calligraphy!), bar & food station menus (fun drink names in honor of your pet or alma mater), coozies (with your favorite song lyric), cocktail napkins (with your signature monogram), the list truly goes on and on.

When we are hired for full service wedding design we sit in on our clients' paperie design meetings to help them brainstorm elements of the event design that can then be translated into the paper goods. We may have a signature color that would be the perfect font color, or a large focal floral element that would be a pretty motif to utilize, or even a specific fabric that we are using for linens that would be the perfect ribbon choice for your ceremony program.

We know that planning a wedding can be overwhelming and sometimes these details can be overlooked in that planning process. However having this kind of attention to detail is crucial to creating those perfectly cohesive weddings that seamlessly flow from one element into the next. It truly is what sets one wedding a part from the rest. Those are the details we try and look for, create, and implement in each of our wedding designs to make each wedding we touch truly one-of-a-kind.

If you are interested in meeting with us to help design your paper goods (or even your wedding day!) please reach out to events@gregboulusevents.com and we can schedule your complimentary consultation.

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We love getting the opportunity to design invitations with our clients as it allows us to continue the event design across all mediums. But our clients love it because it gives them the opportunity to ask us all of those pesky etiquette questions that not everyone knows the answers to! So today we thought we would share our top 10 most frequently asked (and answered!) wedding invitation etiquette questions and tips!

1. When do we send out our invitations?

Really the first question you need to ask before you ask the above is when do you need to send out save-the-dates if you are doing so. Save-the-dates can be sent out anywhere from six to eight months in advanced. Then traditionally, the actual invitation is sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding date. If you are doing a destination wedding, then we suggest sending the invites out three months in advanced to allow for plenty of time for guests to make their travel arrangements.

2. When should our RSVP deadline be?

We recommend making the RSVP deadline date two to three weeks before the wedding date. This gives you enough time to give numbers to caterer, rental companies, etc. as well as finalize your seating chart if you plan on having a seated dinner.

3. Spell everything out!

Street addresses, names, even "post office box" should all be spelled out. Additionally, no abbreviations for states, city names, and numbers smaller than 20. However "Mr. and Mrs." can be abbreviated if you choose to do so.

4. Where do I put my registry information on the invitation?

It is actually considered to be impolite to include your registry information on your save-the-date or wedding invitation as it implies that you are asking for gifts. We recommend to our couples that they tell close friends and family where they are registered and then let them fill in the rest of your guests. Alternatively, if you have a wedding website you could include that information there.

5. Where do I include my wedding website information?

Speaking of which, where should you include your wedding website info? Having a wedding website is especially useful if you are having a destination wedding or lots of out-of-town guests. It's a quick and easy way to get information out there about hotel blocks, welcome party details, and as we mentioned above, wedding registry info! We recommend if you have a website, to include that information on your save-the-date. If you're not doing save-the-dates, you could also print that information on a small card that can be inserted into your wedding invitation suite.

6. How can we tell our guests what our dress-code will be?

First and foremost, your wedding invitation design will signal to your guests what they can expect. A traditional invitation with letterpress and calligraphy can indicate a more formal affair, whereas a more fun, colorful invitation will show guests the event will be more casual. However the easiest way to let your guests know is by indicating on the reception card, "black tie" "cocktail attire" or "casual attire."

7. Make sure to address your guests properly!

Address married couples as "Mr. and Mrs.," followed by the husband's first and last name (you can list both full names if you want). When a woman keeps her maiden name, list the names in alphabetical order. For an unmarried couple who live together, write their names on two separate lines. If the wife is a doctor, her full name comes first, "Doctor Jones and Mr. John Smith." When the husband is a doctor, the title should say "Doctor and Mrs." and if both husband and wife are doctors, the envelope should read "Drs. Sarah and John Smith." A single woman should be addressed as "Miss" if she is under 21, "Ms" if she is over.

8. Does every guest need a plus-one?

No, unless the guest is married or in a serious relationship, you do not need to give them a plus-one. Most of your guests will realize this if you address their invitation without the customary "and guest." If they still RSVP with two guests, just give them a quick phone call and explain that you are trying to keep your wedding guest list to close family and friends. However we do recommend that if most of your guests will be coupled up, it is considerate to extend your single friends a plus-one.

9. We are having a no-kids wedding, how do we tell this to our guests politely?

As we mentioned above, the most effective way to ensure your guests know who to bring is to address your invitations correctly by specifying each name. Again, if you still find some loved ones are RSVPing with more than expected, give them a call and explain the situation to them.

10. Where does the return address go on the envelope?

Traditionally the return address is placed on the back flap of the envelope, addressed to the person who is considered to be the wedding's "host." That could be either you or your parents, but whoever is hosting is typically responsible for the response cards. Friendly reminder that the RSVP card envelope should have this information printed on it as well, and don't forgot to include postage!

We hope these tips help answer some of your questions that you've always wondered but have been too afraid to ask! One final piece of advice, be prompt with your thank you notes!

Infographic Image by Lauren Carnes Photography