Designing Invitations That Sell Your Event

Do what's appropriate for the occasion.

Guest Post by: Bill Post of 123 Print

Peeking out from among junk mailers and bills, a pastel linen package catches your eye. Your name appears elegantly swirled across the front. An embossed foil seal beckons you to open the envelope. It’s an invitation. A wedding, perhaps, or party? A christening? Or a fundraiser? Maybe a shower for an engagement or an expected birth? No matter the occasion, that invitation provides your first impression for an impending event, and it’s evident the host took great care to ensure you feel welcome.

We’ve all felt that surge of excitement over discovering an invitation, so when planning an event, we want guests to experience the same special thrill over receiving a beautifully crafted invite; we also want them to show up. So what makes an invitation irresistible? From the materials to the message, here are 10 tips for designing invitations that will have friends and family replying “yes.”

1. Take the best route. Determine the ideal method for sending your request: print or electronic. If the event falls into the casual category, an email will probably suffice, but if it’s classier in nature, a more formal invitation may be called for. Don’t feel like you’re cheating guests with the former – opening a creatively crafted email can be just as satisfying as tearing into an envelope.
2. Be fashionably on time. Allow plenty of time to select a design, place the order, review any needed proofs (leaving wiggle room to make changes saves time and money), and get invitations out. You’ll want to give guests appropriate notice, typically six to eight weeks prior to a proper affair and two to three before a relaxed get-together. Experts also suggest mailing “Save the Date” cards a few weeks in advance for events on holidays or other in-demand days.
3. Have the correct address. The way you address invites should correspond to the event and your familiarity with the recipient. For dressier occasions, dress up your addresses with proper titles and surnames; for laid-back festivities among a comfortable crowd, feel free to be more conversational.
4. Arrive in style. Whether it arrives in the mail or email box, your invitation has just a few seconds to grab guests’ attention. Be concise yet clear with an email subject line so the recipient can quickly garner its contents. And with printed pieces, don’t limit yourself to the plain white jacket. The market offers an endless array of eye-catching envelopes to match your event’s character.
5. Get the look. In today’s visual society, high-quality graphic design is a must. But don’t go overboard – simple layouts often get the best responses. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t play around with unique shapes, interesting folds, various paper stocks, and creative finishes such as embossing, foil stamping, or varnish. Or think outside the cardstock box and develop an invitation from a 3-D object. If your invitation includes several components, such as a map, hotel information, menu, or response cards, the components should all coordinate.
6. Keep it short and sweet. An invitation’s primary duty is to get guests to show up, so don’t make them work too hard to get there. Be concise and serve up just the important details: date, time, location, and any other necessary information, like availability of food/beverages and specific dress code. Also remember that too many words on one line can look cluttered, so break up text across multiple lines with smartly placed spaces.
7. Be careful how you say it. Adopt a voice appropriate to the situation as well as the guest. Invitations that use an overly casual tone may be ignored, while those that are too grandiose and elaborate could be hard to follow.
8. Find your personality type. Fonts provide a simple way to play up the character of your event, whether it’s elegant, relaxed, or themed. Just keep in mind that guests should be able to easily read the type. It does no good to announce your good news if invitees can’t make out the time or place of the celebration. Experts suggest limiting yourself to two typefaces for any one invitation; in fact, one typeface, when displaying in varying weights, may be quite enough.
9. Get a positive response. Do you want a reliable head count or just a ballpark? If you need to know exact numbers, steer clear of “Regrets Only” and ask guests to RSVP by a particular date. (Phone any holdouts a few days before the event.) If you’re willing to wing it, the “Regrets” route could save you from fielding an overwhelming number of yay and nay calls. No matter what, be sure to include clear contact information.
10. Add the finishing touch. To make sure your invitation creation has look and finish you desire, from colors to materials, partner with an experienced printer who has demonstrated quality work. Be sure to seek out store samples and trusted recommendations so that you know what to expect.

Bill Post, Small Business Research Analyst, provides research on issues of concern to small businesses for 123Print.com Custom Business Cards. Prior to his involvement with 123Print, Bill was a small business owner himself, providing marketing and branding services to other small businesses in the Washington, DC metro area. Before working with 123Print on Business Cards, Bill also spent several years after receiving his degree in the fast-paced corporate world. It was there that Bill not only honed the skills he uses to help small businesses get ahead, but where he realized that he’d rather help the little guy prosper than make huge corporations money.