Q+A: Should You Mail Your Vendors a Wedding Invitation?
Welcome to our wedding Q+A series. From wedding etiquette and vendor needs to guest experience and design advice, we’re here to teach you more about the wedding planning process and inform you of best practices.
Q: “Do I need to send an invitation to my vendors?”
A: This is a common question we hear from couples in the final months of planning, as they’re getting ready to mail out invitations. The short answer is no, you don’t need to send formal invites to your vendors. You've hired your vendor team to work your wedding — they are paid to show up and do their job, but they aren’t attending as guests.
If you were thinking of sending an invite to communicate your wedding date and location, this won’t be necessary. First and foremost, professional vendors should have these critical details (including the date, time, and location) put directly into their contract with you. Furthermore, it’s part of your wedding planner’s job to reconfirm those details with your vendor team! When we share your wedding day timeline, we always reiterate the venue and location, day and date, and the time of your ceremony — so don’t worry, they’ll be showing up at the correct time and location!
That said, there are a couple of exceptions to sending invitations to vendors:
If you are planning a ceremony at your place of worship and the officiant (priest/pastor/rabbi/minister/etc) is someone you know well, you might consider inviting them to the reception as a guest. In that case, they will often be the person to share a prayer or blessing before dinner.
Additionally, you might choose to send an invitation to vendors you have a more personal relationship with, like your wedding planner and photographer. Your invitations are sentimental to us and become a fun way to remember each couple we’ve worked with and celebrated. Do we expect to receive an invitation? No, we don’t, but we truly love when couples share them with us!
Ultimately, you can skip the formal invitations for your vendors unless you’d like to share an invite as a thoughtful gesture to certain people.
PS: Even though you won’t be sending a formal invite to your vendors, you do still need to know how many total vendors are attending that will require a meal! Check out this Q+A about which vendors receive a meal.
HappiLily Events plans crazy-fun weddings for couples in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We specialize in making each wedding day as unique as it is memorable with thoughtful details and personal touches.
Whether you dream of getting married in a modern downtown venue, a romantic barn, or celebrating in your backyard, HappiLily Events is here to support you through the entire planning process.
Marit Williams
