Five Invitation Mistakes That Kill the Holiday Spirit

Holiday invitations are fun to design and exciting to send – so long as you don't make mistakes that squash the holiday spirit. Any time you invite the whole family into your home can be stressful, as many can attest. Making mistakes on the invitation can compound your stress and even lead to family warfare, so to keep things jovial and jolly you'll need to make sure you're not guilty of the following five mistakes when you design custom holiday invitations.

1. Forgetfulness

This is by far the most critical holiday invitation mistake you can make: forgetting to send an invitation to a family member. You might have thought you sent everyone invitations (you even included your niece's punk rocker boyfriend's name on their invitation to keep everything on the up-and-up). You might have checked your list twice, and heck – you might have actually sent your invitation out only to get lost in the mail (or be tossed out by the recipient by accident) – but if Aunt Edna feels slighted, you'll all pay. Not just this holiday, but many ... years ... to ... come. If everyone doesn't RSVP by a certain date, make a point to follow up with a phone call to ensure your holiday invitations reached their destinations.

2. Typos

Some holiday invitations list all the attendees by name, and this can play a part in an original and clever design concept. However, if you misspell someone's name you're in for it. Not only will you and the person in question be teased, you risk hurting that person's feelings as they might believe if you really cared then you would know how to spell their name.

3. Misinterpreted symbolism

So you've scored a copy of Photoshop and have tons of photos from the past few holidays, which you can use to design holiday invitations with the whole family in them. That's a great idea, but make sure you choose your photos carefully. If the photo you use of the rather rotund Uncle John depicts him at the dinner table with a sliver of turkey on his face, you might have to answer the question “What's this supposed to mean?!” Avoid any unintended symbolism by carefully scrutinizing any photos you use, and how they blend together, to keep everyone happy.

4. Incorrect directions

If you don't have directions and a map on your invitations, you run the risk of someone getting lost. And they're going to call you, on your cell phone, right when you're trying to organize something. Even worse – you might have two or more parties lost and trying to direct them all at once will have everyone in a bad mood from the start. Make sure you include directions and a map, and ask anyone who is unsure to give you a call before the party.

5. Unclear instructions

Should guests bring their own beverages or chairs? Will you be doing a gift exchange with a spend limit? Or, will your exchange be a white elephant instead of person-to-person gifting? Make sure all of these things are clear on your invitations or you risk ruffling someone's feathers. Those left out of the loop will feel embarrassed and hurt, so make sure any special instructions are clearly spelled out on your holiday invitations.