TIMING IS EVERYTHING
You want to let the WORLD know that you’re engaged, but you haven’t a CLUE what kind of flowers, ties, or colors you want. To be quite honest you have a finance and that’s all that matters right now. Don’t fear! A “Save the Date” does not necessarily need to match the rest of your invitation set. The idea is to just let the guests know the date that they need to save. So as soon as you have a permanent date, send these babies out! We just recommend they go out AT LEAST six months to a year in advance.
Invitations should typically go out about 8 weeks before your wedding, leaving enough time for them to plan accordingly for accommodations & travel. Start searching for invitations options at least 5 months ahead of time so you aren’t scrambling to send these out at the last minute!
CHOOSING A STATIONER
You may want to search online at sites like Easy or Pinterest for some examples, but being able to sit down with someone in person makes it easier to add your personal touch, even though you’re not the one making them. Research stationers online, look through local bridal publications (COUGH *COUGH*) and spend some time shopping around at different prices, look for free estimates, and ask friends who have been married what they did for their invitations! If the stationer is local, feel free to set up a time to meet over a cup of coffee, and bring some samples you like so they get a good feel for what they are creating for you!
CHOOSING YOUR DESIGN
Now I’m sure you have already created a “WEDDING INVITES I LUV” Pinterest board, but be sure to put some thought into choosing your design. The invitations are the guests’ first impression of what your wedding will be like. So, if it’s a no blue-jeans kind of event, convey that message in your invitation. Be conscious of the message that the font choice conveys on your invitation (or just let your stationer know the wedding theme).
COST OF PRINTING
Paper size, paper weight, type of paper, 2-sided printing, and printing in full color or black and white are all factors that determine the cost of printing! Basically, pump the breaks and get a quote before you decide to do gold foiling on the heaviest paper you can find!
POST OFFICE
The post office can be quite the downer when it comes to that 6 piece invite you wanted to send in the mail. If you’re going for more of a nontraditional invitation, with ribbons, extra pieces, etc. The best advice would be to print a sample invitation and bring it to the Post Office to determine how much postage would be! You may be surprised at how the tiniest bit of additional weight can increase the cost of postage!
PHOTO CREDITS – OH MY WORD LUXURY PAPERIE
