Choosing your wedding stationery or creating your save the dates and wedding invitations by hand is one of the most fun parts of planning a wedding. Your stationery gives your guests a preview of the festivities and sets their expectations when it comes to things like your wedding theme — plus all the information they need to know about the event, of course.
While there are no hard and fast rules for designing your wedding stationery, there are still basic guidelines to follow so you can avoid making costly mistakes. After all, the last thing you want is to spend time and money on invites that lack critical details or take too long to send to your guests.
Here’s a closer look at these common wedding stationery mistakes.
- Going Overboard with Design
Again, while there are technically no rules for designing your invitations, it’s still a good idea to go by the trusted adage of “less is more.”
In other words, while you may be tempted to incorporate the intricate patterns of your wedding dress, the architecture of the reception venue, or even your pet into your stationery, it’s best to keep things simple. If you bought beautiful card blanks with envelopes that come in a beautiful finish, you don’t want your design to take away from the quality of your cardstock.
- Proofread Your Invites (Twice, for Good Measure)
When wording your invitations, save the date cards or engagement announcements, be sure to proofread your copy carefully. You’d be surprised what you, your wedding planner or stationer can miss.
Typos and misspelt words and names will be difficult to correct once your invitations have been printed en masse. Sure, it’s not the end of the world, but text issues are a problem that you can avoid if you’re careful.
It’s a good idea to let someone else proofread your wording to get a fresh pair of eyes on the job. You can also write your guests’ names by hand after your invitations have been printed to circumvent any spelling problems — simply bring out a fresh invite and start over.
- Underestimating the Work Required to Address Your Invites
Going DIY with your wedding invitations can be a fun experience, especially if you know what you’re getting yourself into. For instance, addressing your invites or save the dates may seem simple, but it can take a surprising amount of time and effort, more so if you’re having a large wedding. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to avoid any pressure to beat a deadline, which, in turn, can lead to mistakes.
- Not Getting Help
Sometimes, it just makes more sense to get a professional to create your invitations for you. For instance, if you plan on writing your invitation envelopes and things like table place cards by hand but don’t have nice handwriting, it’s worth hiring a calligrapher or a professional stationer to do this for you. Need someone to create custom designs? Get a graphic artist.
Don’t be afraid to seek the services of a professional for your wedding stationery, especially if you have other things on your plate that need your attention.
- Cheaping Out on Paper and Cardstock
You get what you pay for, as they say. Buying cheap paper and cardstock can seem like a sensible option, but you may end up with low-quality paper products that are too thin or look washed out.
Aside from paper quality issues, opting for a cheap cardstock supplier can lead to sizing problems, causing complications if you ordered envelopes from another vendor. Bottom line? Look for a trusted paper supplier specialising in wedding stationery to get the most out of your money.
Start Planning Your Wedding Stationery
A bit of planning and smart decision-making should be all it takes to avoid these mistakes. Just remember that when it comes to greeting cards, invitations and announcements, there’s a lot more to it than taking your cards to the post office.
