How to Select Invitations for a Bachelor Party

A bachelor party is one of the most memorable nights of the groom's life, so he'll want all of his closest friends and family there with him to join in the fun. Though many bachelor parties have been planned strictly through word of mouth, sending out invitations is the best way to make sure that all the appropriate people are invited with plenty of notice. Just like all the other details of the night, you'll want to make sure you select just the right invitations for the bachelor party to create the perfect atmosphere for the upcoming celebration.

Instructions

1. Select invitations that accurately reflect the theme of the evening to avoid sending the wrong impression to attendees. Sending out semi-formal invitations to a casual event could lead to guests showing up for a raunchy backyard BBQ in polos and chinos. Likewise, printing your own invitations on regular paper may not send the message that your sit-down party at a nice restaurant requires guests to don sport coats and ties.

2. Select invitations that have other accessories to add to the fun of the night. For example, Zazzle offers a bachelor party invitation with optional matching buttons and tee shirts (see Resources below). Opting to use invitations like this will create a consistent theme for your whole party.

3. Order your invitations about 3 months in advance so they will be delivered in plenty of time to send them out to invitees. For out-of-town bachelor parties, you should mail out the invitations no less than 6 to 8 weeks before the event. For in-town parties you'll want to mail them at least 3 to 4 weeks before the festivities.

4. Consider alternative invitations. For bachelor parties with large guest lists and short warning, you may want to use an electronic invitation service like Evite (see Resources below). Creative invitations, like messages delivered with a beer can or announcements from a scroll, can be hand-delivered for smaller parties.

5. Order extra invitations. You may make a mistake while filling out the invitations, your dog may knock over your coffee on a few or the groom may call with some last-minute additions to the guest list. Having a few extra invitations on hand will help avoid any panic.