Wedding Invitation

A wedding invitation is a letter sent to a person, asking the recipient to attend a wedding. They are typically mailed out 6 weeks before the wedding date. Wedding invitations can sometimes have fancy writing on them known as calligraphy. Other types of printing include Engraving, Thermography, Letterpress printing and sometimes Blind Embossing. Most of time, they are mailed in double envelopes. The inner envelope can be lined in a matching color, is not gummed and fits into the outer envelope. The outer envelope is gummed for sealing and addressing.

Along with the wedding invitation, the ensemble may also include a respond card or folder and envelope. The respond card or folder is traditionally used for gathering totals for the caterer and getting a general number of guests attending. The recipient is asked to mail back the respond card or folder roughly two weeks before the wedding or by the date indicated. The envelope is pre-addressed and pre-stamped by the wedding party for ease.

Other pieces often included in the ensemble are the reception card or folder, map or direction card, and accommodation information. The reception card simply lists the addresses and times of any post-wedding events, such as a cocktail hour, dinner or dance. Map or direction cards provide details about the location of the wedding and reception. The accommodation information gives helpful tips about airfare, transportation or hotel arrangements for out-of-town guests. Local attractions may be featured as well. Often times the accommodation information is sent in advance with the save the dates.

A save the date is similar to an invitation and is mailed up to one year before the wedding date. Save the dates simply announce that the wedding date has been set and encourages recipients to plan for the event. It is not used as a a substitute for the wedding invitation and typically mentions that an invitation will follow.

Religious aspects of marriage

In virtually all religions, marriage is a long-term union between two people and is established with ceremonies and rituals. The two people are most commonly a man and a woman, though many societies have permitted polygamous marriages, and same-sex marriage is now acknowledged in some places.

Many religions have extensive teachings regarding marriage. Most Christian churches give some form of blessing to a marriage; the wedding ceremony typically includes some sort of pledge by the community to support the couple's relationship. In the Catholic Church, marriage is one of the seven sacraments. In the Eastern Orthodox church, it is one of the Mysteries, and is seen as an ordination and a martyrdom. In marriage, Christians see a picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church. In Judaism, marriage is so important that remaining unmarried is deemed unnatural. Islam also recommends marriage highly; among other things, it helps in the pursuit of spiritual perfection. Hinduism sees marriage as a sacred duty that entails both religious and social obligations. By contrast, Buddhism does not encourage or discourage marriage, although it does teach how one might live a happily married life and emphasizes that married vows are not to be taken slightly

It is also worth noting that different religions have different beliefs as regards the breakup of marriage. For example, the Roman Catholic Church believes it is morally wrong to divorce, and divorcées cannot remarry in a church marriage, though they can do in the eyes of the law. In the area of nullity, religions and the state often apply different rules, meaning that a couple, for example, could have their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church but still be married in the eyes of the law because the state disagrees with the church over whether an annulment could be granted in a particular case. This produces the phenomenon of Catholics getting church annulments simultaneously with state divorces, allowing the ex-partners to marry other people in the eyes of both the church and the state.

In the Christian faith, marriage is viewed as a lifelong union of a man and a woman before God. One commonly used text is from the Gospel of Matthew (which is itself a quote from the book of Genesis).

"...For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew 19: 5-6 (quoting from Genesis 2:24)

Virtually all Christian denominations frown on divorce, although some more harshly than others.

Christian marriage is seen by Saint Paul (especially Ephasians chapter 5) as paralleling the relationship between Christ and the Church, a theological view which is a development of the Old Testament view that saw a parallel between marriage and the relationship between God and Israel.

All major Christian groups take marriage to be a good thing. In 1 Timothy, Chapter 4, St. Paul talks of heretics who, among other things, "forbid marriage" and he describes their views as "doctrines of demons". At the same time, even though marriage is believed to be a good thing, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy traditionally see an even greater value in celibacy when that celibacy is undertaken for the sake of a more singleminded devotion to God, but do not believe that everyone is called by God to this.

Wedding Anniversary

Married persons who regard their marriage as important may mark the anniversary of their wedding in some special way.

Broader groups in society, especially the families, and even more especially the children of such a couple, may help to celebrate such occasions.

Wedding Anniversaries

25th anniversary: silver
30th anniversary: pearl
35th anniversary: coral
40th anniversary: ruby
45th anniversary: sapphire
50th anniversary: gold
55th anniversary: emerald
60th anniversary: diamond

A sample of a slightly more ambitious (but less-widely recognised) list, exhibits the practicality of certain cheap but frequent gifts in the early years of marriage, combined with the ratchetting up of value:

1 paper
2 cotton
3 leather
4 linen
5 wood
6 iron
7 wool
8 bronze
9 pottery
10 tin
11 steel
12 silk
13 lace
14 ivory
15 crystal
20 chinaware
25 silver
30 pearl
35 coral
40 ruby
45 sapphire
50 gold
55 emerald
60 diamond
65 blue sapphire
70 platinum

Wedding Planning

Depending on your personal preferences and the preferences of your husband or wife-to-be, a wedding can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 years to plan. If one step in the planning process is missed, the whole wedding could be ruined. To prevent this from happening, we have created a wedding checklist in order to ensure everything goes according to plan on your big day.

7-12 Months Prior

Announce Engagement and have your engagement party
Decide on the wedding style and create a guest list
Choose who you both want in the wedding party
Set the date and time of the wedding
Book your wedding officiant>br />Book your Wedding Venue
Choose your wedding song
Decide on "extras" (cake, flowers, dj, photographers etc)
Purchase your wedding dress and bridal accessories
Purchase bridesmaids dresses and accessories (maid of honor as well)
Start planning your honeymoon
Buy (or make) your wedding favors
Purchase your wedding invitations
Plan your rehearsal ceremony and dinner

2-6 Months Prior

Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests
Finalize the dinner menu
Book your limo (or other form of transportation)
Book the rehearsal dinner site
Book your honeymoon
Purchase your wedding rings
Purchase your gifts for the wedding party
Rent the tuxedos for groom and groomsmen (including bestman)
Schedule a dress fitting (bride)
Book hair and makeup appointment (bride)
Have your bridal shower
Send out the invitations to your guests
Plan the wedding program

1 Month Prior

Get your marriage license (and blood tests if needed)
Final dress fitting (bride)
Arrange seating for your guests
Have your stag and doe party

1-2 Weeks Prior

Pick up the wedding dress
Have your bachelor and bachelorette parties

The Day Before

Give the wedding party their gifts
Pick up the tuxedo(s)
Decorate the wedding site
Have your rehearsal dinner and greet out-of-town guests

Follow these steps in the first step towards a lifetime of marital bliss!