Okay, consider this a public service announcement from Hip Ink:  Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. ;)

Courtesy of Emily Wilbur Design

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on the importance of proofreading, as it seems to be something that couples often give little thought to.

I’ve had a few clients tell me it’s because they don’t really know *how* to proofread; so, I whipped up this handy guide to help you avoid any glaring errors (like asking guests for the “honour of their presents”).

Feel free to use it to help YOU avoid any proofing issues that may end up costing you time and money!

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How to Proof

In order to avoid confusion and social faux-pas (perish the thought!), it is critical that you proofread your invitations several times until you are confident that all of the information is correct.  Proofing your event information to ensure that it is complete and contains no errors will help to avoid guest confusion and additional costs caused by missing or inaccurate information.

Here are some tips to help you proof your invitation suite. Make sure you proof not only your invitation, but also your RSVP, additional enclosures, etc.:

TIP:  Proof from a printed source
If you have received a full physical sample of your invite, you should always proof from your printed invitation. If you received only a digital proof, it’s best to print your invitation and accessories and proofread a hard copy rather than relying on the on-screen version.

Read your invitation aloud
Proofread all parts of your invitation suite by reading it out loud. If possible, have another person listen and read along while you read it. This method is a good way to catch missing words or doubled words, as well as general grammar issues.

Read everything backwards
Read everything backwards, focusing on the words themselves. It may sound strange, but this is a powerful tool for finding spelling errors, as sometimes, your mind will subconsciously fix errors, making it appear as though everything is correct when it really isn’t. In this case, familiarity breeds mistakes, so taking time to concentrate on each word out of context will make your proofing that much more effective.

Check names
Check the spelling of all names on the invitation (including parents, children, etc.). You would be surprised at the errors you might find!

Check addresses, dates and numbers
Check all dates and numbers carefully. This includes things like making sure dates are correct, day and date match, addresses are complete and correct (especially street numbers, if included) and also checking telephone numbers, etc. Having guests arrive on the wrong day or at the wrong location is an unfortunate consequence of these types of errors, and it happened to me at my own bridal shower!

Check response methods and additional information
Check to ensure your RSVP information is correct, along with information like website addresses, etc. Make sure to proofread any cards with additional information, as well (accommodation cards, itinerary cards, etc.).

Check the overall invitation layout, graphics, etc.
It’s important that you make sure the details of your invitation are accurate, but it is also very important to proof the entire invitation for errors in color, spacing, fonts, etc.

Find a proofreading partner (or two or three)!
Once you have proofread the invitation a few times, have someone else proofread it, as well. It is easy to overlook a mistake on your invitation when you know what the invitation should say. Have a few people who aren’t familiar with all the details (co-workers, neighbors, friends) go over your invite for an unbiased review.

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As a designer, I think one of the main issues is that clients can often forget that we don’t know the details of their event as intimately as they do, and unfortunately, proofreading isn’t part of the service. I can’t say that I don’t “read” your invite, but I don’t know how to spell your father’s first name correctly or what time you’ve decided to start cocktail hour, so that means the responsibility of proofing has to rest completely with *you*.

Don’t be a statistic. You know, I’m only telling you this because I care. Friends don’t let friends make errors on their invitations. ;)

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Had experience with proofreading gone wrong (or not at all?). Share your story with us! Have a topic you’d like us to cover in a future post? We’d love to hear from you!