When it comes to the bridal shower and rehearsal dinner, the wedding stationary style does not apply except in ultra formal weddings—and even then it is not a strict rule. These two events are hosted by someone other than the couple, and they have the choice of invitations and how to issue them. In this topic we outline all the do’s and don’ts.
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One way to perpetuate the theme or formality of your wedding is to have all your stationary in the same style. This includes all the various invitations throughout your wedding process, which includes the bridal shower and rehearsal dinner—but this is not a hard and fast rule. The invitations to these two events should be sent out three to six weeks in advance.
Both of these events are traditionally hosted by someone else—the Maid of Honour is responsible for the bridal shower and the groom’s family is responsible for the rehearsal dinner. If you want to have these two events reflect the wedding stationary choices you have made, you must let these people know what you have chosen. Because they are paying the costs of these events, they have the choice in what kind of stationary to use. Usually they will follow your choice, if you let them know early enough in the planning process, but the final decision is theirs to make.
Bridal shower invitations can have gift registry information inserted into the invitation, as well as information about the colours for the household. Sometimes, in the case of a theme bridal shower, different stationary is used instead of the wedding stationary style. For example, if it is a kitchen shower, a honeymoon shower or any other theme, it is appropriate to have the bridal shower stationary reflect the shower theme.
The rehearsal dinner stationary is usually reserved for formal or ultra formal weddings only. Usually the rehearsal dinner is a casual affair and invitations can be hand-written, telephoned, or hand-written on fill-in cards that can be purchased anywhere. If you have out-of-town guests who are included in the rehearsal dinner, you will want to send a written invitation so they have the details of when and where. Sometimes a family member will choose to host the out-of-town guests at their home for the evening so the rehearsal dinner is strictly the parents, bridal party, and the couple.