Tip No.1: Know your budget.
It may seem like this is obvious, but you would be surprised at how many times we ask couples what their budget is only to have a blank look and a shrug of the shoulders. It is too easy to become carried away with sophisticated designs with expensive accessories, only to be disappointed when you add up the total and find it’s more than you want to spend. Setting the budget is easy ” sticking to it is more difficult, but if you know what you’re aiming for it makes life a little easier, and a good Stationer will guide you to the products that suit you best.
Tip No.2: Know your numbers.
Again, this sounds obvious, but many couples come to bus stationery without knowing exactly how many invitations they will need! Calculate the number of couples and singles, and allow for a few spares in case of last minute additions to the guest list or mistakes when writing the names. Many couples end up spending more than necessary by over-estimating the number of invitations required ” remove the guesswork and write a list: one for the Day guests and one for the Evening guests if applicable.
Tip No.3: Have an open mind.
When you’re ready to choose your Wedding Invitations, you will probably have some idea of what you like ” maybe you’ve been looking in the internet for designs and styles, or browsing through Wedding magazines looking for ideas. This is great ” having a rough idea of what appeals to you is good, but try not to be too narrow-minded in your choice. Knowing you want butterflies is good ” wanting pink butterflies with a blue ribbon and white background is going to be harder to accommodate! The broader your outlook, the more likely you are to find something you like.
Tip No.4: Don’t dismiss DIY
Many people think that DIY Wedding Stationery is going to look cheap. These days this is definitely NOT the case. With so many fabulous products available, you can easily create sophisticated and stylish invitations that will by no means look €homemade’. Pocket Fold invitations are very popular nowadays, and very often these only need to have layers stuck in place to create a stunning invitation. If you are worried about the actual printing then we can certainly print the inserts for you to assemble yourself ” many Stationers will do the same I’m sure.
Tip No. 5: Allow plenty of time
As a general rule, Wedding Invitations are sent out around 6-8 weeks before the wedding. It can therefore be easy to forget just how long beforehand you need to organise your invitations. Even with the big Stationery manufacturers, turnaround times can be up to 3 weeks once proofs have been approved, and allowing for corrections and re-proofing can sometimes take a week or more. Assuming you were able to find a design you like in the first shop you visit, you can see that starting 12 weeks before the wedding can be cutting things fine. If, on the other hand, you decide you would like handmade or bespoke stationery then lead times can sometimes be months. By allowing plenty of time to order your invitations you give yourself the best possible chance of finding the perfect invites, and won’t find yourself paying costly express delivery fees when timescales get tight.
