Lucky little Ruby Rabbit has been invited to be a guest contributor on EA Life, a website designed for the team at Page Personnel (part of PageGroup, one of the world’s largest and most successful recruitment consultancies).  I will share with you each blog I have contributed over the upcoming months.

First impressions last forever. The perfect invitation is always a memorable one and sets the scene for your event. Here are 10 tips for creating that perfect invitation.

1. Style of event.  Beautiful and romantic, casual and fun, modern and punchy or serious and formal –  the invitation should reflect and communicate the style of the event at first glance.

2. Plan ahead.  Invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks prior to the event date, and at least 12 weeks for overseas guests. No time? Then send a ‘save the date’ by email to be followed by the invitation. Selecting a suitable design, paper stock, proofing and printing will all take some time too.

3. Guest numbers.  When you compile your guest list increase the number of invitations by 20% as it’s always a good idea to have some spares for extra guests and errors.

4. Perfect wording.  The copy (or wording) needs to be clear, concise and informative. Always include these basics:

• Who is invited – guests included?
• What the event is.
• Date and time of the event.
• Location of the event.
• Dress code – often forgotten, but always enquired about.
• RSVP date and how – a must to confirm seating and catering numbers prior.
• Any other relevant information eg. car parking, what to bring, sponsors.

5. The perfect size.  Invitations come in all shapes and sizes. The more intricate the design the more costly it may become to produce and have delivered. Standard sizes for mailing are A6, A5 and DL, however an invitation can be designed to any size. Envelopes are easily found in standard sizes or can be custom made for unusual designs.

6. Paper stock.  There are thousands of beautiful paper stock options to print invitations on. Consider textures, metallics, colours and shimmers. Thickness also varies within paper, card or board. See samples first if possible.

7. Printing styles and calligraphy.  Embossing, spot UV varnishing, foiling, die cutting, letterpress printing and offset printing are all professional printing styles to choose from. Mix and match these for an impressive finish. Traditional calligraphy is also a beautiful touch for more formal or romantic style invitations. Again, see samples first if possible.

8. The finishing touch.  Envelopes should be selected to perfectly match or complement the invitation size, shape, colour and paper stock used. Some unusual invitation designs may require special packaging or a presentation box. Remember this is the very first thing your guest will see.

9. Design and images.  Most invitations include a design, background pattern, or image. Consider using the most suitable option to your invitation style. Most recently the trend has been to choose and order ‘printable’ invitations online and receive an emailed version to be printed at home – this is cost effective and fast.

10. Matching event décor.  Beautiful invitations don’t end here. It’s always such a nice touch to continue your style through the event. This could be with menus, place cards, table numbers, seating plans and decorations large and small.

IMAGE SOURCES FROM L-R: Watercolour invitation, thelane.com via Pinterest. Letterpress invitation with gloss foil bamboo pattern on reverse, Alex Miles. Elegant conference invitation, Milongas Mias via Flickr.com.