Wedding Kit - Guest Invitations
Who can resist browsing through the stationary shoppe for beautiful wedding invitations, brushing a finger against each sample, feeling the texture and design? Not me... I'm a sucker for heavy ecru paper with embossed ribbons and flowers. I love buying new paper and pens and letter-books, and so choosing my wedding invitations and thank you cards was one of the highlights of creating a "dream come true" wedding.
While there's something to be said for the convenience and cost-effectiveness of simply calling everyone on the phone to invite them to a wedding, the best way to announce and invite a guest is by using a written invitation. Politeness notwithstanding, unless you are having a formal or semi-formal wedding, there are no real "rules" on the style of the invitations you choose.
There are quite a few ways to get what you need and want, should you decide to include written invitations for your wedding:
Stationary, Specialty, or Party Stores
Tips for using this avenue for selection:
Tips for using this avenue for selection:
Tips for using this avenue for selection:
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Most paper or card stores have a ledge or a table featuring a few hundred thick albums with invitations, napkins, and notepaper styles to choose from. The order is usually placed in this way: you and whoever is with you flick through the albums, and pick out a couple of selections you like. Finally a few are narrowed down, and from there the one is chosen. This might take a few hours so be sure to schedule in a nap. After copying out the item number, finding the pricing chart, and choosing the font and colors you want, you still have to track down a knowledgeable employee who can help you out and make sure that you did everything right (filled out all entries, used the right pricing chart, can tell you how long it will take to get the items in).
~ Always triple-check your spelling and information (ie. address numbers, dates, times, names).
~ Two or more companies usually have the same invitations you want, so check all the books and see if the one who offers it the cheapest also carries a guarantee and reasonable ordering time-frame.
~ Get a copy of all orders you place.
~ Consider copying down what you want and going home to sleep on it. Don't make rash decisions if you can help it.
~ If you can't find someone in the store who can answer your questions, and they don't have anyone on staff who can at a later date... run, don't walk, from that disaster waiting to happen.
Mail Order
This is the most convenient, and easiest way to order invitations (and caketops, and floor runners, and wishing wells...) if you are selecting the stationary with a bit of time before the event. Pick up any bridal magazine and you find at least 5 different companies willing to send you not only their free catalogues, but samples of their invitations, ink, and napkins. Their catalogues allow you the luxury of sitting at home and making your decision, and also shlepping the thing around to your friends to get their opinions. They'll even send you free samples of the ones you've selected and want to see up close... sometimes a really beautiful catalogue selection looks horrendous once you're holding it. It's also a great way to get all of your ordering done at once... most catalogues offer more than stationary and matching thank-yous, they have decorations and at-home cards and caketops. Most likely you can either call a toll-free number to place your order, or use a fax to send it in, which also comes in handy if you have any questions filling out the form because you are talking to a representative of the company.
~ Call each company, and request samples from their catalogues. Ask about their return policy, and guarantees.
~ While on the phone with them, make notes: Do they sound knowledgeable? Do they return phone messages? Do they treat you politely, as the potential customer that you are? Do they speak the same language you do?
~ I actually received a catalogue from a company with an address label that spelled my name wrong from the card I had sent in. Needless to say, those 3 m's in a row cost them my business. I threw out the catalogue promptly, and should you find a company is giving you ridiculousness such as that, you should too. Now is not the time to be foolishly trustworthy.
~ Some companies are listed online, and you can order their catalogues through a website.
Home-made (computer or hand-painted, embellished, etc.)
For the creative daredevils among you, making your own invitations is a rewarding but possibly scary alternative - there's no guarantee what you'll turn out is perfection. You still have to shop for the basics like paper, and probably things like ink and watercolours and ribbon, depending on what you want to create. There are lots of templates and stock-papers available for home-made computer printed invitations, plus the font you choose is limited only to your imagination. The best part about home-made invitations is not only the control you have over what is said and how they look but they each include a little bit "more" of the engaged couple than standard ordered invitations.
~ Make sure you allow yourself extra time (in case of power failure, empty ink cartridges, drying time, re-ordering supplies emergencies).
~ Shop for home computer programs for making wedding invitations, and font galleries.
~ This is not the time to try something new... if you aren't an expert watercolorist, trying to get it right on 100 wedding invitations is a waste of money and time. At the very worst, find a friend who can help you out and answer questions, or buy a book for tips on your chosen artform.
~ If you or your fiance[e] isn't creative but you want something unique, have a friend or relative create a logo or picture for you to use and copy it onto each invitation. Make sure the copy looks fantastic.
~ Don't use things like pastels that can smear and ruin the invitation.
~ Creating a little something from your heart is not only endearing (because you made it), it's more likely to match your style and wedding. I can only imagine what beauty a Gothic wedding's hand-made invitations would contain.
~ Don't let anyone else's style or opinions sway what your creative eye tells you, and don't be afraid to take risks.
~ Remember that each invitation is a work of art, and should be treated as such.
Do you have a suggestion for a great way to get unique invitations to add to the ones I've created here? Get in touch and I'll add it. Let me know if you have any questions or found these pages helpful!