When preparing for a wedding, the first thing the soon-to-be-wed couple will have to pay attention to is the guest list. It will be advisable to make a comprehensive and complete guest list before planning for the reception so you will have the rough estimate how many people might show up.

After the guest list was completed, the couple should start making or composing the wedding invitation. There are dozens of wedding etiquettes that cover this particular aspect of wedding preparation.

When preparing the wedding invitation, please bear in mind that your invitations will create a first impression of the coming wedding among the guests.

Good invitations, or those that adhere to acceptable wedding etiquettes, will create the impression or idea that the couple is caring for the guests and are valuing them as to inviting them to take part in the important occasion.

Preparing the wedding invitation

Most of today's wedding invitations are prepared by professional printers. Some are part of packages offered by wedding planners.

Wedding invitations should be carefully and tastefully worded so the message would be effectively conveyed. Paying attention to even the smallest details in the invitation can make a really significant difference on how the invitation will be received by the recipients.

This particular section will focus on one aspect in wedding invitation preparation that most couples often neglect---the addressing envelope.

Envelopes

Addressing envelopes are often not paid much attention to because most couples and wedding organizers think guests will not pay particular attention to them.

It can be true. There are some guests that pay no attention or do not care about the general presentation and appearances of addressing envelopes. But there are a significant few that do care about how invitations' envelopes are addressed.

For a start, we know that for every person, the sweetest sound or word is his or her own name. Thus, it often annoys them when people misspell their names.

In adherence to traditional and practical wedding etiquette, make sure that the addressing envelope bears correctly spelled names. Titles to people should also be mentioned and addressed in the envelope. Doctors would like to be called as one, as well as engineers, architects, lawyers and priests.

Wedding etiquettes for addressing envelopes also urge that couples or wedding invitation makers should spell out everything. Even titles in envelopes should be spelled out. Thus, Doctor is written instead of Dr.; Engineer is written instead of Engr; and Attorney is written instead of Atty.

Zip codes in addresses in envelopes for wedding invitations should not be hyphenated. Of course, practically, the addresses written in the envelopes should be accurate, or else, the invitation will be returned to you.

As for children, their names are not usually written in envelopes for wedding invitations. Wedding etiquettes for addressing envelopes have it that only the parents' name are mentioned in the envelope.

For guests with no definite professional titles, do not forget to put Mr., Ms., or Mrs. before their names. This is a universal gesture that indicates respect to the person.

Inner envelopes

For aesthetic rather than practical reasons, some wedding invitations include inner envelopes. According to existing wedding etiquettes, inner envelopes are not a no, no, but they are not also required.

Wedding invitations can get away with it. However, inner envelopes certainly make for much better presentation. They may cost a little more, though.

The aim of inner envelopes is to clearly state or reiterate who exactly is invited to the wedding. Children's names are never mentioned in the address envelope, but in inner envelopes, they can be mentioned.

In accordance to wedding etiquettes, inner envelopes also may appear less formal. Names and titles can be abbreviated.

Wedding invitations herald good news

Yes, wedding invitations are the herald or bearer of the good news. In wedding etiquette books, experts say the invitation should be considered a gift coming from the soon-to-be-wed couple to their beloved guests.

Wedding invitations are tokens of appreciation by the couple to their friends, families and relatives who have played significant roles in their lives. Make every wedding invitation count for that reason.