Answers
One question.
One answer.
Every page here opens with the answer, in about fifty words, before any explanation. If that is all you needed, you can leave — which is the point.
- Answer first
- No preamble
- Ten questions
01
Why these are written this way.
Most event articles bury the answer under six paragraphs of scene-setting, because a longer page used to rank better. That is a bad trade for the reader and, increasingly, a bad trade for the writer: assistants and search engines both quote passages, and a paragraph that only makes sense after five others cannot be quoted at all.
So each of these opens with the answer standing alone. The detail follows for anyone who wants it, and nobody has to read it to get what they came for.
02
The questions.
When should invitations be sent?
Six to eight weeks before, with replies due three to four weeks before. Full table by event type.
How many invitations do I need?
One per household, not per guest — which is why most people order nearly double.
What goes on an invitation?
Five things, in a fixed order — and four that belong on the details card instead.
Do I need an event website?
Yes if guests travel or anything may change. No for a simple local event.
Can every guest get a different invitation?
Yes — one file per guest, with their own name, language, table and code.
What stationery does a wedding need?
Three essential pieces, six most weddings want, and the ones you can skip.
When should RSVPs be due?
Three to four weeks before — and never later than a week before your venue's deadline.
How do I make a seating chart?
Six steps in an order that stops you doing the whole thing twice.
Digital or printed?
For most events, both — from one design. Choosing one usually costs you something real.
How do I manage 400 guests?
What breaks at scale, in the order it breaks, and what to do instead.
Not finding your question? The Guest Handbook covers guest-list and reply problems in depth, Etiquette covers the social ones, and Wording has the words themselves. If it is none of those, write to us — questions asked more than a couple of times end up on this page.