It's your wedding day. You want everything to go as smoothly as possible. And for that to happen, you should be courteous and thoughtful and use proper wedding invitation etiquette. We've compiled several helpful tips that can make your wedding invitation organizing and planning less stressful and more effective.

DO!

Send out your wedding invitations in a timely fashion. For national guests, send your invitations approximately 6-8 weeks in advance. For international guests, 8-10 weeks should suffice. Although this may sound very early, it gives your guests plenty of time to make accommodations for your special day. Leaving you invitations until the last minute will result in less guests before the wedding date. This will give your guests plenty of notice. Leaving the invitations too late will result in guests, who

would have loved to be there for your wedding day.

Try personalizing your 'thank you' notes by writing them yourself. Your handwritten note should me sent within four weeks of receiving a gift from your guests.

Get all of your wedding planning done months before the actual wedding date. If you start shopping around at the last minute, you'll end up feeling a lot of unnecessary stress.

If you're feeling stressed, pamper yourself about 10 days before your wedding. Enjoy a nice massage at a day spa. This will lift you back up again!

Keep your budget reasonable and realistic. You don't want to spend the next two years paying off debts from your special day.

Relax and enjoy spending time with your friends and loved ones at the reception. Try and devote time to everyone, don't sweat the small stuff. Your vendors are there to perform a function, they'll take care of

everything.

Give everyone invited a small token from your wedding. Your guests will adore a wedding favor in any shape or form.

DON'T!

Send wedding invitations to outdated addresses. Make sure that all of your guest information (including address, postal code, and city) is correct.

Do not lose your cool if something 'doesn't go according to plan.' A vendor may be late, a photographer may not be dressed appropriately. These are little things that you have little or no control over. Don't let it ruin your mood.

It's not a good idea to invite every single person you've ever met. Weddings are outrageously expensive. Stick to friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have supported the decisions you've made in life.

About the author:

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planner guide about weddings.

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