When you're planning your invitations, there are some things you should definitely do and some things you should definitely not do. Here are some tips to help you avoid making mistakes.

Adult Only Ceremonies/Receptions

Don't write on your invitations “No Children Allowed” if you want an adult-only reception and/or ceremony.

Do leave the children's names off the invitations to send a message to guests. You should also let your close friends and family members know you plan not to invite children so they can help spread the word.

Don't allow some children but not others.

Do be consistent about having children at the ceremony and reception. It's not fair to pick and choose whose children get invited and whose do not.

Gift Registries & Requests

Don't include gift registry information on your wedding invitation.

Do let your close friends and family members know where you are registered so they can share that information with other guests. If you have a web site set up for the wedding (a popular trend for couples) and it includes your registry information, you can include an insert with the invitation listing the site's address.

Don't say “Cash only gifts” or “No gifts please” on your invitation.

Do encourage those in your wedding party and family to spread those messages for you. It's simply not good manners to include those details on the invitation.

Invitation Recipients

Don't forget to send invitations to those who are closest to you just because they already know about the wedding.

Do send invitations to all the members of your wedding party and to both sets of parents. Even though they don't need to send back a response, they might like to keep a copy of the invitation for sentimental reasons.

Don't send a single invitation to adult children and their parents, even if they are living at the same address.

Do send guests over the age of 18 a separate invitation (some etiquette guides say guests over the age of 16 should receive their own invitations) no matter who they live with.

Don't forget to send an invitation to your officiant and his or her partner.

Invitation Responses

Don't wait until the last minute to start contacting people who have not responded to your invitation yet. You're on a deadline to get final numbers to your vendors, and you'll have more important things to do in those last days before the ceremony.

Do set a response deadline – usually two weeks before the ceremony – then wait 2 to 3 days after the deadline to start calling everyone whose response you have not received.

Don't forget to include appropriate postage on response cards.

Do consider buying special “Love” stamps from your local post office for your response cards. These add a nice touch. Even if you use ordinary stamps, you must make sure each card is pre-addressed and stamped as a courtesy to your guests.

Don't ask people to respond via email or telephone just to save money on response cards and postage. You'll have an easier time keeping track of the responses if you opt for the cards.

Preparing Invitations for the Mail

Don't use labels.

Do hand write the addresses on all of the envelopes. Sure, labels will save you time and will prevent you from making mistakes but they also don't look as elegant or as personal. You want to show your guests you care about them.

Don't guess at the postage.

Do take a completed invitation to the post office and have it weighed so you can determine the specific postage you need.

By following the simple guidelines above, you'll minimize your risks of making serious mistakes when it comes to your wedding invitations.