Wedding Invites: Driving Directions, A Must Or Not?

When it comes to wedding invitations, it's important to provide guests with all the information they need for your big day. While most people use GPS nowadays, it's still a nice gesture to include driving directions in your wedding invitations. This is especially helpful for guests who are coming from out of town or who are not familiar with the area. By including directions, you can ensure that your guests arrive at the venue easily and on time, without the stress of getting lost or having to look up directions themselves.

Including a map card

The Benefits of a Map Card

What to Include on the Map Card

On your map card, be sure to include the full address of both the wedding ceremony venue and the reception site, if they are separate locations. You can also add other relevant details, such as nearby landmarks, parking information, or any ongoing road works that may impact your guests' journey. Consider including a link to your wedding website on the map card, where guests can find additional information and directions.

Design and Style

When designing your map card, aim to complement the style of your invitation suite. Choose a design that matches your colour palette, theme, and tone. You can opt for a simple map with clear directions or get creative with a hand-drawn or watercolour illustration. You can even personalise the map with a monogram or a wedding logo. If you're feeling crafty, you can design and create the map card yourself, or you can explore various online platforms and stationery stores that offer customisable map card designs.

Additional Tips

If you're concerned about providing clear directions, you can include additional insert or enclosure cards with written directions. These cards can guide your guests step by step and ensure they don't rely solely on their navigation systems, which may sometimes provide incorrect routes. You can also provide these direction cards at the hotel front desk for guests who are travelling from out of town.

Adding a wedding website card

Including a wedding website card is a convenient way to share essential information with your guests. It eliminates the need for multiple enclosure cards and allows guests to access all the details in one place. This is especially useful for sharing accommodation information, travel recommendations, and registry details. Additionally, it can be a great way to collect RSVPs online, saving you the cost of response cards and postage.

Keep the content of the wedding website card concise and straightforward. Share the URL of your wedding website, along with a brief phrase inviting guests to visit for more details. If your website has a password, be sure to include that as well. You can also include a QR code on the card, making it even easier for guests to access the website.

Design and Formatting:

The wedding website card should complement the overall design and theme of your invitation suite. Consider matching the colour palette, font style, and tone to maintain a cohesive look. The standard size for a wedding website card is a business card size of 2" x 3.5". You can include your wedding website card as part of your invitation suite or attach it to the back of your invitation.

When to Send:

It is recommended to send out your wedding invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding. This timeline gives guests enough time to make travel arrangements if needed. You can also include your wedding website URL on your save-the-date cards, which are typically sent out 4-6 months in advance.

Combining with Other Details Cards:

If you want to save on postage and stationery costs, you can combine the wedding website card with other details cards. For example, you can include accommodation information or travel details on the same card, as long as it doesn't make the card appear cluttered.

Benefits of a Wedding Website Card:

A wedding website card provides a central hub for all the wedding-related information your guests need. It ensures that guests can easily access details such as accommodation options, travel recommendations, and the wedding registry. Additionally, it simplifies the RSVP process, allowing guests to respond online and helping you keep track of your guest list and headcount.

Providing accommodation card

What to Include in Accommodation Cards:

• Hotel Recommendations: Include a list of recommended hotels close to the wedding venue. If you have partnered with any hotels to offer special rates for your guests, mention the discounted prices and the booking procedure.
• Contact Information: Provide the web address, phone number, and physical address of the recommended hotels. This makes it convenient for your guests to make reservations.
• Special Wedding Rates: If you have negotiated special rates with hotels for your guests, mention the hotels and the applicable rates. Inform guests about the booking procedure and any deadlines to secure these rates.
• Tourism Information: If relevant, you can include information about local tourism offices or websites where guests can find additional accommodation options and area information.

Creating Accommodation Cards:

• Design: Choose a design that complements your wedding invitation suite. You can opt for a simple card with essential details or include decorative elements such as illustrations or borders.
• Wording and Etiquette: When mentioning special rates, it is polite to express gratitude towards your guests for their attendance. You can also include a sentence or two about the hotel, such as its proximity to the venue or any unique features.
• Combination Cards: Consider combining your accommodation card with other enclosure cards, such as direction cards, to provide a comprehensive guide for your guests. This helps create a cohesive and elegant invitation suite.
• Digital Options: In addition to physical cards, you can also provide digital accommodation cards or include the information on your wedding website. This ensures that your guests have easy access to the details, and it may be more environmentally friendly.

Directions from each region

Directions are often considered an important part of a wedding invitation. Although most guests have smartphones and can easily search for locations, providing directions on paper is a nice gesture and can make guests feel more confident about finding the venue.

North

Start by taking the highway towards [venue city/town]. Once you reach the city limits, exit onto [relevant road] and follow the signs towards the city centre. The venue will be on your right, just past the [landmark].

South

From the southern region, guests can take the coastal road, which offers a scenic drive towards [venue city/town]. They should exit at [relevant junction] and follow the signs towards [neighbourhood or area of the venue]. The venue will be on their left, just before the [landmark].

East

For guests travelling from the east, it is recommended to take the interstate until they reach [relevant town]. From there, they can take the scenic route through [name of scenic route] towards [venue city/town]. The venue will be on their right after they pass [landmark].

West

Guests coming from the west can take the highway until they reach [relevant town]. Then, they should take the local road towards [venue city/town]. The venue will be well signposted from there, and it will be on their left after [landmark].

Airports

For guests flying in, the closest airport is [airport name]. From there, they can rent a car and follow directions based on their arrival terminal. For example, guests arriving at the north terminal can take [road name] towards [venue city/town], whereas guests from the south terminal can take a shuttle to the rental car location and then follow directions as if coming from the south.

It is worth noting that while providing directions from each region is helpful, it may not be necessary to include directions from every single direction, especially if the venue is easily accessible from a highway or main road. A map or link to a wedding website with directions can also be useful additions to the invitation.

Using a separate reception card

If your wedding ceremony and reception are at different venues, it is a good idea to include a separate reception card with your invitation. This card should include the time, venue name, and address of the reception. This keeps your invitation neat and uncluttered.

You can also include parking instructions and transportation details for getting to the reception. For example, if you are providing shuttle services from the ceremony to the reception, you can include this information on the reception card.

If you are including driving directions on a separate reception card, be sure to provide a set of instructions for each direction, so guests coming from different areas can easily follow the directions.

You can also consider including a map card, although this is not necessary if you are already providing written directions. A map can be especially helpful if you have multiple wedding events at different locations, allowing guests to visualise where they are headed.

Finally, don't forget to include the full address of both the wedding ceremony and reception venues on the reception card. This will ensure your guests can easily find both locations, even if they are unfamiliar with the area.

Frequently asked questions