Free Advice for Wedding Invitations

Free Advice is Love Without the Calories!

Even though we've probably never met, my heart wants every part of your wedding to be all you hope it will be. Seriously, I do. I want you to look back a few years from now and find yourself thinking, "Our wedding day was so much fun!"

Now, I can't help you with picking the dress, decorating your venue, creating your guest list, arranging your flowers and so much more. Don't get me wrong - I love weddings so much that I wish I could help you with all those things. But I think it's safer for everyone if I stick to my area of expertise.

So in the generous spirit of it being almost Valentine's Day and the fact that I just found out I'm going to be a grandma again, here's some free advice for wedding invitations and things you should know about your wedding stationery.

1. Templates - don't ever order any of your invitations and such using someone else's template UNTIL you've printed and reviewed a paper copy for yourself. I don't care if you get something from Pinterest, edit something in Canva or customize a template at one of the online companies like Zazzle...print a hard copy first. Just because it looks good on your screen (where you can zoom in) doesn't mean that it will look good printed.

Ask yourself:

• Is the font so fancy that it's not legible?

• Can the font be read at that size?

• Does the contrast between the font color and the background make reading clear and simple?
  

2. Don't assume that all printing companies are created equal. Just because they have a splashy website doesn't mean their paper and printing are excellent quality, even if they're really expensive. Most reputable invitation companies will offer free samples. Take advantage of that.
   

3. Don't print the first invitation you "create." There's a reason that the vast majority of brides don't buy the first dress they try on, regardless of their level of excitement. Unless you're getting married in a month and the invitations needed to go out yesterday, slow down for the following reasons:

• Has everyone and their brother proofread it for spelling or grammatical errors?

• Do you have a better-than-rough idea of your guest list so you order the correct amount - and NOT more than you need? (Common mistake.)

• Have the most important vendors been secured already? Accurate times and locations are a must for your guests.
  

4. Stay away from dark envelopes. I know they're beautiful and add elegance but if you have to use a white, gold or silver pen to address your envelopes because black can't be seen, you run the risk of problems at the post office. Their machines are calibrated to more easily read dark ink on light paper. It doesn't have to be white, but definitely light. After all...it's only an envelope! Save all the class and elegance and special touches for the invitation that's inside.
   

5. You don't have to hand-address every envelope but stay away from labels; that's just tacky! Run each one individually through a quality printer with a simple handwritten font.
   

6. If you're mailing invitations that also include an enclosure and RSVP card or have fancy embellishments, make sure you get it weighed before you put postage on. A first class stamp will usually suffice for your average invitation suite but if your card stock is thicker than usual or you have added things like ribbons or wax seals, you don't want everything being returned due to insufficient postage.
   

7. If you're sending magnetic Save the Date cards or Invitations and you deposit a stack of those in one of the blue post office boxes on the street corner, make sure you open the deposit door a second time. Magnets can get stuck to the inside of the door. Kinda funny, but true!

Do you still have questions about your stationery suite that haven't been answered here? Then take a moment and drop me an email. I'll answer every inquiry I receive.

Maybe the information included in this post has made you cognizant of the fact that there's a lot more to invitation suites than you realized. Don't panic!

You hire a DJ because he has his own sound equipment and knows how to run it - that's HIS job!

Similarly, you hire a secretary to take all this "printing and secretarial stuff" off your plate. That's MY job.

And I'd be happy to provide you with a delicious and free, no-obligation quote. Just as good as Valentine's candy...without all the calories.

Happy Valentine's Day!