Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Wedding Wednesday: An Invitation Guide

Wedding Wednesday

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

Well my goodness!
All of you were so helpful when I asked questions about invitations! I received quite a few comments so I thought I would put together a little guide in case future brides need some invitation inspiration! I was so overwhelmed with options when I first started the research process, so I want to help any future brides if possible!


Obvious tips that you have probably heard: 1) Have your invite coordinate with your theme; and 2) letterpress, ribbons, foil, envelope liners, etc. all increase the price.

Something else to think about is how many pieces of paper you want to mail as well as how many paper items you want to have on your wedding day. If you want them to match, maybe getting your escort cards/programs/place cards, etc. by your stationer could save time, money, and hassle. It also keeps everything consistent, but consistency is probably not something your guests will even notice. Want to hand write everyone's names on their escort cards? Go for it, sister! It could save you upwards of $100+!!!

In terms of actually selecting invitations, from what I've heard and researched myself, here are my top ten options when looking for invitations.
...but really, there are so many more.



First of all, if you have no idea what you want, start your search with the mother and father of all online inspiration: Etsy and Pinterest.

Seriously, a search of "wedding invitations" on Etsy will leave you with over 100,000 options from nearly as many artists selling their talent-filled designs for you. Many of my friends have used Etsy designers and loved the experience because they personally worked with the designer to create something truly unique to their style!

Overwhelmed by Etsy? So was I. I typed in "traditional wedding invitation" to try and narrow slightly and received just over 2,800 suggestions. Choices!

In terms of Pinterest, one suggestion was to check out pins recommended by Broke Ass Bride that include links to free printables {sorry for the "a" word, Mom!}. It's also another way to shop for Etsy designers and gain general inspiration. Search around and see what you find!

I had three fabulous friends comment that they used Wedding Paper Divas. If you or anyone in your Facebook Friend list is engaged then you've definitely heard of this online company. They spend a pretty penny on their online ads for sure with all of the posts I see in my feed. Overall, this site has quite a selection. I would say that a majority of their invites have a modern feel to them, full of cool fonts and colors. My sorority sister got a 40% off coupon for ordering 6 months out from Liking their Facebook page, which I think is quite a deal. Check them out!

Fan of the DIY route?
Options 4, 6, 8, and sometimes 9 are for you!
Michaels, Hobby Lobby and JoAnn Fabrics all have wedding departments, including invitation kits that are incredibly cost-efficient. All three almost always have coupon deals and sales, too!
If you have the design capabilities, VistaPrint is also an option if you want to create your own design but don't want to print them yourself. Personally, I think printing is the most stressful part (other than addressing, of course!). VistaPrint also has various designs to choose from, too, if you don't want to upload a design.

Many friends have used Minted in the past, mainly for Save the Dates and holiday cards. Their selection and quality seem top notch, especially since they offer letterpress! Here's my personal favorite!

Finally, a friend suggested Jupiter and Juno Shop. They offer whole suites, too, which I think is convenient. Their modern designs are very sleek. They also offer matching day-of paper materials, from programs to coasters and napkins. Consistency is key for this shop!

I added Smitten Boutique to my list because, well, I love this store. It's in the neighborhood and is such a sweet little business. We went in there one afternoon and sifted through hundreds of options. We were able to narrow down just what we like and all of the details. We're waiting on a quote! They can also print designs for us if we decide to DIY it on Adobe Illustrator. There's something comforting about being able to walk down the street to consult about the invites, you know?

Ann's Bridal Bargains and Exclusively Weddings have invitation options, too, but I have not heard any reviews about their quality or selection.

We'll see what we end up choosing, but I'm excited!
Next up, practicing calligraphy!!!

Any other places to add? Please let me know in the comments!

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@marysue20 is the name, #WeddingWednesday is the game.

9 comments:

Meghan at Champagne & Suburbs said...

This is definitely a great guide. I used Wedding Paper Divas for inspiration for my rehearsal dinner!

champagneandsuburbs.blogspot.com

Kristyn said...

This guide is awesome. So many options out there for invites.

We found inspiration on Etsy through Pinterest (I am on there all the time) and we are printing them ourselves. Woot!

Stephanie said...

lord who knew so much went into it all!! So many options! Are you going to calligraphy them all yourself?

Meg Taylor said...

As soon as I got engaged, I made the mistake of typing "wedding invitations" into Etsy. I think that's where my fear of wedding invites comes from. We used Minted for Save the Dates, and got them today, and LOVE them. They are SO great to work with and are personalizing so much stuff for us (design and color) and there's no extra charge!

Raewyn @ Be A Warrior Queen said...

Omgosh Mary this guide is wonderful!!! I just pinned it so hopefully some more people can read it! I ordered my invitations off of Vistaprint - but designed them myself. I had a Vistaprint Groupon so it was pretty cheap. The RSVP cards are being printed at Kinko's though because that is cheaper for me :)

Katie Elizabeth said...

I used Wedding Paper Divas for my Save the Dates and invites and I couldn't have been more impressed with them, especially their prices! There are sooo many amazing options on Etsy, too. Choosing invites was hard because I thought everyone I looked at was adorable!

Saxon @ Lets Drink Coffee, Darling said...

Great post, girl! It would have been so nice to read a post with all the options listed the way you have! I ended up totally DIYing (even printing) our invitations. I really love how they turned out, but in the end it definitely didn't save me any time or money like I thought it would! haha

Janelle {Undomestic Bliss} said...

This guide is awesome! I wish I had something like this when we were looking for invites!

CWY said...

We used Wedding Paper Divas for our wedding invitation and Minted for our rehearsal dinner invitation. I will say, the Minted invites just seems to be a little higher quality, but they're also more expensive, which is why we used them for a lower quantity. Wedding Paper Divas was so easy to work with, we made tons of changes to our invite. So many people commented on how much they liked noth of our invitations!