Choices for the Big Day: a Primer on DIY Wedding Invitations
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A shot from one of our recent local weddings
If you’re elbow-deep in the wedding planning process, then you probably understand firsthand the barrage of various pressing questions and important decisions that you’re going to be facing leading up to your nuptials. For instance, will you be planning on wearing a white dress on your wedding day? Heck, will you be wearing a dress at all, or will you be rocking a chic plunging pantsuit on your big day? Are you hiring a wedding florist, or will you purchase wholesale wedding flowers for a more wallet-friendly DIY wedding experience?
Even more importantly, what kind of cake will you be serving? (Hint: chocolate. Always chocolate.) But one major consideration that you’re going to have to make is one that is often surprisingly overlooked: how are you going to actually notify your guests that they’re invited to the festivities?
Enter the Humble Wedding Invitation…
This modest sheath of paper speaks volumes. It tells the potential guests that not only are they a valuable and worthy person in your life -- and that their presence at your wedding would be an honor -- it also gives them vital information they need, such as directions on how to get to the venue and the start time of the ceremony. You certainly don’t want to skip out on invitations, nor do you want to cut corners on this task. However, trying to print out invitations through a third party can quickly get costly, no matter the scale of the project.
More and more couples are choosing to go the DIY route when it comes to their wedding invitations. Not only can you allow your creative side to come out to play, you can also trim a few dollars off of your bottom line when it comes time to print them. Whether you’re wanting to invite a few close family members to your ceremony and reception, or everyone and their cousin is invited, here are four tips for the amateur papercraft artist for going the DIY route for their wedding invitations.
Know Your Paper
There are so many different types of paper you could use for your invitations. Some people prefer a glossy texture. Others prefer a basic matte. Many people find that cotton cardstock strikes that perfect balance between elegant and affordable, whereas others prefer to spring for a linen wedding invitation for a modern and timeless invitation. No matter which you choose, though, you’ll want to make sure it matches not only your personality, but also your budget. Finding that balance between classy and affordable is up to you, and no matter what you decide, the invite will be unique and awesome, just like yourself.
Know your paper
Recommendation: cotton cardstock strikes that perfect balance between elegant and affordable…
Plan Your Words
What do you want your wedding invitation to say? There are so many ways you can communicate to your guests that not only would you love their company on your big day, but to also shed a little bit of light on your personality, too. If you’re wanting to give your guests a little insight about yourself and your betrothed, why not share a little bit of your backstory on your invitation? Your guests will appreciate this romantic history while they take note of your venue and reception menu offerings (because you know that’s what they’re going to be looking for first!).
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread
Oh gosh, the need for proofreading could not be stressed enough! Small typos can be downright embarrassing. What if you misspelled your future spouse’s name on the invite? You’ll never hear the end of it from your in-laws! Or what if you encouraged guests to witness you exchange your wedding vowels? Other typos can be devastating, such as getting the time or the date of the ceremony incorrect, or transposing numbers for the address of the venue. This could sadly lead to guests missing the wedding altogether. To be safe, after you’re done proofing it yourself, enlist a friend to look over it. After all, you really can’t be too careful when it comes to your invitations.
Choose Your Printer
Finally, you want to make sure you select the right printer to do the job. You may think it’s fine to run down to the nearest print shop to print out your invitations, but do you want some big-box print shop employee possibly messing up them up? Also, every print shop has a different machine, and if they use a cheap toner, it can make the colors look totally wonky. You want to make sure to get a test print first, no matter what!
That said, if you spring for a more boutique mom-and-pop print shop, then you may be looking at a higher out-of-pocket expense for printing. Then again, you may decide to print it at home, on your own laser printer. Sure, that can save you some cash, but do you feel confident that your invitations will come out looking professional? The decision is ultimately yours, but do be aware that each option comes with its own share of risks.
Don’t Let the Stress Get to You!
Getting married can be an amazing union between two people in love. And by making your wedding invitations yourself, you can help ensure that all of your closest friends and family members can make it to celebrate alongside you. By taking the time to know what you want to say, and actually double-checking to avoid any typos blemishing it, you can ensure that your wedding does go off with a hitch. And if you do make a mistake? No biggie – it’ll be another quirk of your wedding day that made it perfectly yours, and it’ll give you something to laugh about twenty years on down the road.
Are you hosting a DIY wedding in Charlottesville, VA? We love helping you prep for your big day affordably. There’s no reason to spend tens of thousands of dollars and deal with the extra stress of a financial burden when you’re supposed to be celebrating a loving future. Contact Fiori Floral Studio for premium, hand-selected flowers for your Cville DIY wedding, today!