Among the many topics covered in Antonia Swinson's The Wedding Planner is invitations. If you are having a small wedding, you could handwrite your invitations. For larger numbers, printing is more practical. If money is tight and you are good on the computer or have an artistic friend, you may be able to produce something yourself. Traditional invitations are printed in black on white or cream card.

With formal invitations, guests' names are handwritten in the top left corner or the space provided in the wording of the invitation, and full titles are used. It is traditional to send an invitation to your groom's parents and, if you are having a church wedding, to the minister (and minister's spouse, if married). If your reception includes a formal dinner and dance and you want guests to wear black tie and evening dress, 'Black Tie' should be printed in the bottom right corner. If you are having an evening party to which you are inviting extra guests, there should be a separate invitation for this.

Send invitations out two or three months before the date to be safe and certainly no later than six weeks before. Enclose maps and accommodation information if necessary. Other items of wedding stationery to consider include reply cards, order of service leaflets or cards, place cards for the reception and table plans. The Wedding Planner can also serve as a beautiful keepsake of your wedding day.