Your wedding invitations will be the first official part of your guests' experience of your special day. This is your opportunity to begin creating the overall theme and motif for your wedding, which will be carried through until the day you tie the knot! When selecting your invitation designs, papers, overlays and other factors, always keep your overall wedding vision in mind. For example, a breezy "down the shore" wedding might be suited by informally worded invites in the shape of a sandal or starfish, but a more traditional New Jersey church wedding will call for elegant calligraphy and precise language.

New Jersey Wedding Invitation Inspiration

No wedding theme is more popular in New Jersey than a beach wedding, and the shore gives you many options for invitation designs. Think about an invitation motif which includes one or more of the following:

• Starfish
• Sand Dollars
• Stylized top or side-views of a conch shell, New Jersey's state seashell
• Sandals
• Sunglasses
• Beach umbrellas
• Ocean wave-inspired patterns
• Sun motifs and symbols

Of course, the options for a Jersey wedding don't stop at the beach. For those marrying inland, think about the season of your wedding. If you are marrying in the springtime, think about incorporating the meadow violet, New Jersey's state flower, or any variation on the color purple. Floral accents will fit well with a garden wedding at any one of the Garden State's many arboretums or botanical gardens. If you are marrying in autumn, oak leaf accents in red will make your invites thoroughly "Jersey," as the red oak is New Jersey's state tree. All of these invitation options can be customized to suit your wedding, regardless of how formal your event will be.

Other ideas include honey bees and blueberries, two more of the state's cherished symbols. These examples of cute, natural imagery may be better suited to an informal wedding, but they are also a nice motif that you can carry through your entire wedding. Local honey or the Pine Barren's blueberries might find a way into your catering plans, or might work as seasonal wedding favors.

Planning Your NJ Invitations

Most brides begin to think about their invitations soon after they set a date for their wedding, or even before. Whether you work with a local print shop or design your own invitations, this will ensure enough time to find exactly the right graphics, papers and wording choice for your materials.

Consider how many pieces you will have in your wedding stationery set, such as a save-the-date card, invitations for the rehearsal dinner (often sent by the groom's family), invites for the ceremony and invitations for the reception. The style of these primary materials may be the starting point for other stationery pieces like favor tags, place cards, response cards and programs. You may also want to include local maps, driving directions, a list of local lodging options, and a link to your wedding website, if applicable.

When Should I Send My Invitations?

Invites should be sent at least six weeks in advance, along with an 'RSVP by [Date]' response card, if you prefer. This will let you know how many people will be attending your rehearsal, wedding and reception so you can confirm final numbers with your caterer and wedding planner. You will want the final numbers for attendance to your rehearsal, ceremony, and reception at least 4 weeks in advance, if possible.

If you are inviting guests who will be traveling great distances, it is a good idea to send your invitations out months in advance, rather than weeks. This will leave them plenty of time to book reasonably-priced flights and to plan their schedules around your event.

Invites for Children?

If children are included on your guest list, be to make this clear on your RSVP cards. If you would rather children not attend, clearly and politely state your preference on your primary invitations. This way, your attendees will have time to plan ahead for childcare. You might consider an on-site day care service for your wedding, if there are lots of parents on your guest list.