What do I need? There are alot of parts to them like inner envelopes, response cards, reception cards, thank you cards and on and on. What do I really need to include with my standard invitation. Also when do I order them? I know that I should send them out 6-8 weeks sometimes 12 week early. Thanks for any advice.

Well, in order to save some money on reception cards, my fiance and I got tri-fold wedding invitations with our names on the front, the standard wedding information in the middle fold, then the reception information on the 3rd fold. I would definitely do that...it saved us a lot of money because we didn't have to buy those reception cards. You could also add "Reception to follow at..." at the end of your invitations. I've seen people do that and it looked fine.
In regards to what you will need: A mailing envelope with your return address printed on it, an inner envelope, invitation, response card, a self-addressed stamped envelope for guests to return response cards and reception cards...you might want to include directions to the church and reception, as well as hotel information for guests that are coming from out of town.
In regards as to when to order them it all depends on who is doing your invitations. Once you have decided on the invitations you want, then you need to select a vendor and find out what their average time of delivery is. I would probably order them about one month before they are supposed to go out. This way it will give you time to address them, etc...
Good luck!

There are a lot of parts, that is true.

The invitation: Obviously you need this part, lol.

The envelopes: for a formal wedding, you would have an inner envelope with only the guests name on it, and then it would be put inside an outer envelope which would be addressed and stamped. The idea is so that the inner envelope doesn't get damaged in shipping. Most brides skip the inner envelope all together as most are just thrown away anyway and it makes for more garbage. Not very green.

Response Cards: If you need to know how many are actually attending, then you include these but there are other options. For example, you can ask them to RSVP by phone or email - and there are also online services that let your guests respond online instead of by mail. Again - much better for the environment to and it saves you money for the cards and the cost of the stamps so they can be sent back.

Reception Cards: These are used if you are only inviting some people to the reception. IF everyone is invited to both, you can include these details on the invitation itself instead.

Thank you cards: You need these but they don't have to be expensive. It is important to make sure each gift giver gets a personal thank you for their gift.

When to order: First, find out how long they will take to reach you, then make sure you give yourself a few weeks breathing room between arrival and the day they need to be mailed.

Go to theknot.com - they can give you lots of wedding advice and have checklists for this kind of stuff.

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I used the wedding invitation kits from Wal-Mart to make my own invites. The packs come with everything you need...you just have to send them through your printer, then address the envelopes, and you are done!