How Will You Create Your Wedding Invitations?

There are so many ways for you to create your wedding invitations or other wedding papers such as  Save the Dates or ceremony programs.

• You can order them online and design your items there.
• You can also go to one of the many retail locations for invitations and wedding papers and have an in-house designer help you create your invitations or other items.
• If you have the DIY talent and desire, you can create these yourself from scratch.

How you go about this depends on a few variables.


If you are crafty and have the motivation and the time to make your own, this can be very satisfying and rewarding. This direction has personalization and customization written all over it. However if you run screaming when some one mentions crafting and you have nightmares about using a glue gun or a decorative paper punch, this might not be the best way for you.


Designing and ordering online has its benefits and its pitfalls. Where you go matters. Customer service, ability to customize and the number of options vary from company to company. You may have to proofread your invitation online and not get to see, touch or feel the quality of the paper in person until your full order arrives. Some online companies will send you samples or proofs via snail mail. However this method is very convenient and usually less expensive than going to a printer who specializes in wedding invitations and wedding papers. There are some really great companies online if you chose this method.

You can go to a craft store (i.e., Michael's, Joann's, Hobby Lobby) and buy the boxes of pre-made invitations and, using their templates, print your own invitations. This might be for you if you are not looking for something very unique or customized. One drawback here: your at home printer may or may not be able to "process" the paper if it has a raised border or design on it. You may want to buy one box first to be sure your printer can handle the invitation first. Otherwise this seemingly cost effective method might get expensive fast and also it is labor intensive for you to print your own.


Going to a wedding invitation designer is frequently more expensive than all of the above methods. But if you are a person who wants to actually touch the different types and thicknesses of the papers, this way might be for you. The designers I know will show you all different types of qualities of papers as well as embellishments and a huge variety of fonts and font colors. The designer will walk you through every step by your side in person. If you appreciative this in person experience, this is the best way for you.


So think about what best fits you and stay tuned for a few related posts to come.


Let me know what you think about this post in the comment area below.

3 best ideas from the creative DIY bride

One of my 2009 brides had a flair for creativity. Not only did she have great craft skills but a motivation to keep within her budget. Her ability to craft many parts of her wedding reception herself saved her money and gave her the chance to make her wedding her own. Here are a few of the great ideas she used:

Place cards – This bride found a template to create place cards with a cut out for a swatch of fabric to show through. Each of her twenty-two tables had a 14” square of unique fabric at the center of the table. The fabric in the place card matched the fabric for those guests’ table. Ingenious!! She also added a handmade table number for each table which was also printed on the place card for that table. See the link to get your template and directions for making these place cards.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/place-seating-card-templates#slide_2

The place cards were then attached with straight pins to a foam core board which was covered with fabric. As guests came and picked up their place cards, the pins were pushed into color coordinated pin cushions.

Centerpieces – Many brides will use a square beveled edge mirror for the center of each of their reception tables. So you already know this bride used the twenty-two different fabric squares for each of the guest tables. These served three purposes: 1.) Fabric squares were color coordinated with the guest place cards so each table was unique. These also echoed the wedding colors. 2.) Each served to be the base for the three potted plants that were the floral centerpieces for each table. All the plants, some flowers and some culinary herbs, were potted by the brides and friends before the wedding. The potted plants also served as an additional favor for guests to take home at the end of the night. 3.) The fabric squares were gathered up at the end of the evening and then given to an aunt of the bride. The aunt had promised to make a quilt of all the squares as a gift for the bride and groom, to be displayed in their home.

Favors – These were a square two piece glass picture frame that doubled as a coaster. This bride inserted various pictures of her and the groom into these and tied them up with a ribbon. The picture frames gave the guests a dual use. One as a framed memento of the bride and groom and two, as a coaster which could be used for protecting their own tables at home from water marks. Guests, if they chose to, could switch out the picture later and color coordinate it to their home décor. Extra frames/coasters were available if guest wanted to have a matching set.