Do It Yourself Wedding Invitation
From LoveToKnow Weddings
Making a do it yourself wedding invitation is a project that may save couples money, but often makes up for it in the amount of time that is needed to make them. Planning is an essential key for having homemade invitations pay off in the end.
Save on Homemade Invitations
Invitations often end up being a larger part of the wedding budget than many brides anticipate. To save on invitations, brides may choose to do it themselves. Even brides who end up ordering the basic invitation and envelope often will make their own inserts for reception directions, RSVP cards, and hotel information.
Unnecessary Expenses
Couples only need an invite and an envelope, right? Wrong. Many sales persons try to get brides to buy the following add-ons:
- RSVP cards and envelopes
- Directions or maps
- Inner envelopes
- Tissue to separate inserts
- Save the date magnets, cards, or other inserts for hanging on calendars or refrigerators
- Special fonts/calligraphy
- Pop-up or embossed features
- Metallic ink or engraving
By ignoring all of the extras and going the do it yourself route, couples can save a significant amount of money within their stationary budget.
Money Saving Tips
To save money on invitations, it is important to know prices and comparison shop. Buying the first set of supplies could end up being costly in the long run. First of all, the date, time, and place should be 100 percent certain. Making the invites too early in the process could be even costlier than ordering them, if a second set needs to be made because of changes.
Secondly, take the time to shop around. A sale at one store might still result in higher prices than a regular priced item in another. Take advantage of special event and clearance sales to pick up additional ribbons, accents, and stickers.
Thirdly, keep in mind that while invitations do reflect the overall tone of the wedding, spending extravagant amounts on supplies defeats the money saving aspect of doing it yourself. While the hand-pressed linen paper may be ideal, remember that it will likely get thrown into the trash once the wedding has been marked into a calendar. Instead, buy a nice bulk set of stationary for a significant savings.
Do It Yourself Wedding Invitations Take Time
Couples may be enticed by the much cheaper invitation price tag on ones they do themselves, but often forget the area that they will make up the savings in: time. Planning a wedding is stressful and time-consuming. A bride and groom who choose to make many of their own accessories will often face a time crunch if they did not plan well in advance.
Labor intensive invitations, such as scrapbook wedding invites or those with handwritten calligraphy can take months for some people to do. These types of invites may be more appropriate for weddings of 50 or less, or for couples who have lots of help and time on their hands to complete them.
Computer aided invites are often the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to make do it yourself wedding invites. Couples can purchase a software package specifically for weddings, or use their own graphics, wedding clipart, and editing programs. Good quality paper and having reserve supplies of ink is imperative for making computer-aided invites. Do not leave printers unattended, as a jam could end up ruining a large number of invites or wasting ink.
Creativity Rules Modern Wedding Invitations
Couples who choose to make their own invites often have a large advantage over other couplesin terms of personalization — the sky is the limit on their creativity. Doing the invites means any color combination, any invitation wording, and any graphics can be used.
Making invites themselves can also help couples create a truly unique invitation. The invites can made in conjunction with a theme, such as motorcycling or butterflies, or even use other mediums, such as canvas or fabrics. Crafty modern couples often choose to do invites themselves as a way to showcase their own talents, like painting or photography, and incorporate them into the invitation design.
Couples who are artsy and good with their hands may find a do it yourself wedding invitation project a fun stress reliever in the whole scheme of wedding planning. But for others, it may simply be a way to save money. Instead of stressing over the amount spent, they may find that they feel less than inspired when it comes to ideas. These do it yourselfers may find solace in using a resource like The Artful Bride: Wedding Invitations or Easy Invitations.
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This page has been accessed 10,937 times. This page was last modified 17:29, 29 January 2008.
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