Wedding Stationery – What Should I Do?
working on a budget
It is not unusual to start your wedding plans with the use of a budget. We all have one no matter how big or small they are. The important thing to remember is that before you set this budget you should have an idea of the prices. It’s no good setting a limit of £50 for 100 invitations, but the cheapest ones you can find are £1 each. You have immediately doubled your budget! In my experience, the average price for a handmade wedding invitation is between £4-£8. Find something for less than £1.50 and you should be wondering about the quality and buying a sample from the designer first is money well spent. See all the stationery that matches your design. It’s a good budget idea to buy more stationery from the same designer, as many will offer discounts that are reflected in your order total. You may also find designers offering free RSVP cards or some designs, like our All Together invitation and ‘Envelope’ that come with an RSVP built in.
I have found a design that I like. Now what?
Once you’ve decided what you’d like to order, contact the designer. They will help you fill out your order form and ask you any relevant questions they need to know. A deposit is usually enough, but depending on how early you want your invitations, full payment may be required. Always ask to see a sample of your invitation in your chosen color theme before committing to any order. It’s important to remember that what you think will look good may not always be the case! Always read the designer’s terms and conditions as they are there to protect them and more importantly you. Your designer will also want to know about your wording. They can help you with this, but please, and I can’t stress this enough, always ask for a hard copy to be sent to you. This is due to several reasons: the first is that not all computers have the same downloaded fonts. You can open your email attachment to find your text in a completely different font. Faxed copies are very unclear. Having it on paper allows you to closely check for any errors and see the design before it goes to print. All fonts look good in different sizes. If you have a small area to work with but lots of words, then a font that looks better when smaller would be more suitable for you. An important point to note is the question of asking for additional invitations. I would advise that if you have standard computer printed inserts, like most designers use, order no more than two additional invitations. If you are printing the names of your guests, there is no need to order any extras, as any good designer will keep their template and make additional ones if needed at their unit price and without incurring additional costs. If you have machine printed invitations, i.e. text printed on hot foil, expect to pay an additional fee if you order additional invitations at a later date. These are much more complicated and your template will not have been maintained.
What else should I consider?
Always consider your time limits. Many designers have their time booked months in advance, so it’s wise to place your order as soon as possible and a small deposit will secure it. I am frequently asked about the wording on the invitation. There are many ways to invite your guests and the first is to decide who invites. It is you or your parents. I find that many clients choose to invite guests themselves, but on occasion I have used the term “Joanne and Mary, along with their parents, would like to invite…” I actually really like this way and urge you to discuss this with your parents before deciding.
a limited budget
If you’re on a budget but would like additional stationery such as seating plans, menus, service order sheets, there are smart ways to do so without incurring additional charges. You can have your menu listed on your seating chart and your service sheet order can also include your order of the day. Add a name tag to your favorites and they instantly double as name cards. Talk to your designer – if they’re good, they’ll have plenty of ideas.
An unlimited budget
Well, the world is your oyster! There are plenty of invitations to complement any price range and we’ve designed one for the most famous customer that costs just under £10. Usher cards and bank cards are also a fantastic idea. Your guest presents a card to the usher who, in turn, shows you his or her assigned seat. A new idea that we are currently designing is a tissue bag that can be placed at each ceremonial seat, perfect for all those guests who shed a tear! Instead of having 2 or 3 menus on each table, you can give each guest their own personal menu that is placed on their plate or wrapped in a napkin. Add a wedding photo to your thank you cards or Royal Mail will make stamps for you showing your wedding photo. You can have a lot of fun with stationery and if your budget is endless, so are your options.