We know invitations can be an exciting, but equally overwhelming part of the wedding planning process. There are a lot of steps and items that go into those pretty little things! We're here to give you some of the basics for starting your wedding invitations.

Read through for a few tried and true tips that we follow every time.

1. Questions about how to word things on your invitations? Maybe you want it to be a formal and traditional invitation or you want something a little bit more modern and relaxed. There are lots of online resources to help you find just the right wording, but our favorites are Minted and The Knot.

2. ALWAYS weigh your envelopes (with everything in them) before attaching postage and sending them out. We have nightmares about invitations coming back to us because we didn't include the right amount of postage. As the carpenter says, "measure twice, cut once". Make sure you double and triple check that you have them correct. Additionally, if you have any invitations that are being mailed internationally, ask the folks at your local post office how much extra postage you need for those.

3. Make your post sent-out-invitations life easier by numbering your RSVP cards to corresponding guest parties. Sometimes people don't write their name on the RSVP cards when they mail them back, and trying to figure out who sent it is definitely no fun. Nip that in the bud!

4. Even if you are not sending out formal invitations, spell everything out. For example, Apartment instead of APT, Avenue instead of Ave, and Virginia instead of VA.

5. Many people create guest lists within Excel, which is great! When it's time to start the process of actually addressing envelopes, we recommend a mail merge in Microsoft Word. It will make things easier because you will be able to fully see each name and address spelled out (with the formal addressing of your choice). Learn how to do this here!

6. We don't see this so much anymore, but if you've heard someone refer to the inner vs. outer envelope, you're not alone. Outer envelopes are used to keep the inner envelope (and the invitation suite within the inner envelope) clean from the marks it will inevitably incur in transit. The inner envelope, if utilized, is also used for common names (ex. Joshua on the outer, Josh on the inner) and children's names.

7. If ordering particularly fancy invites that have features such as embossed or engraved text with ink, splurge on those little sheets of tissue to separate the invitation from the rest of the items within the suite. It will keep the ink from transferring.

8. Finally, always order extra. Whether it's for those B-list people you've decided to invite at the last minute (sorry B-listers) or your grandmother wants an extra one for her friend from seniors group, you'll be glad you did.

We hope this guide has been helpful in quelling a bit of your stress! Scroll through for inspiration from some of our stunner invitation suites over the years!