Perfect Wedding Paper Goods: Ten Tips, Tricks & Inspiration Ideas

June 15, 2016

Wedding planning… woo! We are talking about some serious time, commitment and effort between venue selection, catering, photographers, DJs, bridal party choices, {the list goes on,} leaving little time to think about the small details—like paper goods! Yes, that’s right, your invitations, escort cards, menu cards…are still a very important detail of your big day that helps tie your theme together, and we are here to help! We delight in the details so you can delight in your day. Following are ten easy to implement steps to a successful paper goods plan:

One: Plan

When beginning the process of ordering your paper goods, make sure to have a plan of attack in place! A very important aspect of your paper goods plan is your budget. Many brides only plan for the actual invitation and forget about things such as RSVP cards, an additional information card, envelope liners, postage, and more when computing what they feel they can commit financially from their overall budget. When you add up all of these additional costs, it can sometimes seem overwhelming, and expensive! Hiring a designer can actually help you stay on budget. A designer will have an arsenal of cost efficient ideas and tips such as using in house printing, and wholesale accounts for paper. Typically, custom invitations can range from $3.50 up to $25.00 per piece based on the complexity of the design, printing process or garnishes.

All things sparkly and floral with a Kate Spade inspired stripe.

Planning also includes having everything necessary for your designer at the ready. For example, a guest list estimate to assist in factoring how many invitations you might need! Bare in mind that fewer invitations cost more per piece than larger quantities when dealing in custom printing. Having a guest estimate will assist in determining how much your paper goods will cost and how long the printing process might take.

Two: Set Your Deadlines

At Garnish Event Design, we believe that your wedding invitations should be sent out at least 6-8 weeks before your wedding. This means that you should be in contact with a designer at least 2 months before the mailing deadline! Because we want you to have your dream invitations—we want to ensure a stress free period of time for concept creation, your revisions and final creation approval! Also make sure to consult your calendar to select an RSVP date that allows a cushion of a few extra days for any responses that may arrive late.

Garden innocence with rose gold accents.

Three: Think About the Details

The saying goes that the devil is in the details… and before contacting a designer to begin your paper good process, there are still a few more details you need to consider! When a guest gets your wedding invitation or save the date card in the mail, it is the very first glimpse they have into your fairytale. What do you want them to see? How do you want them to feel? Whether you are preparing them for a rustic barn wedding, a glitter and glam cocktail party or a botanical garden celebration—Garnish Event Design will help you create the most perfect paper goods that bring your vision to life. To help you with this process, we suggest creating a mood board that you will be able to share with your designer. This will be the initial step in creating your “personal brand.” Remember, keep it cohesive and reflective of you as a couple. You don’t need to obsess on trends!

Printed on watercolor paper and garnished with pheasant feathers and raw velvet. Hand painted by Jason Flores of A Little Guilty.

Four: Contact a Designer

It is finally time to contact a designer! Once you have found a few you may be interested in, make sure to check out any samples they have on their website. You want to choose a designer who best suits your tastes! During your initial conversation, it is important to share all of the items and details you have already planned, such as your guest count and your mood board! Once the designer has these items, it will be much easier for them to start on the design process.

Five: The Process

Our team at Garnish Event Design want your paper goods to be a dream come true! Therefore, our designers spend a lot of time getting to know you, and your fiancé as people and as a couple before beginning your design. What do you envision your wedding day looking like? What are your favorite things? Favorite colors? The most memorable place you have traveled? Is there anything you strongly dislike or obsessively love that you REALLY want to include or not include? Answering these simple questions, along with your mood board, gives us a better idea of how to create your perfect paper goods!

View More: http://leeannmarie.pass.us/jpc

Photo by LeeAnn Marie Photography

Six: Wording, wording, wording.

Wording is a very important part of your design process, and something that you will need to discuss with your designer once they begin. Depending on the style and venue of your ceremony and reception, you will want to choose a wording style that best suits the atmosphere you are preparing to create for your wedding day celebration. For example, a backyard garden wedding may be more relaxed and casual and the invitation wording could be playful and familiar in nature, while a black tie wedding at a prestigious ballroom might call for something more formal and elegant. This wording format will appear across all your paper goods, creating your “personal brand.”

Seven: Prepare for Send Off

Once your paper goods have been designed, printed and made their way to you—it is now time to prepare your invitations for send off! At this point in the process, you have already created a guest list, but since most designers leave addressing the envelopes up to you, there are a few things you may want to do to take extra precaution! Have you made sure that each and every person on your guest list has the correct title? {Mr., Mrs., Miss…} Have you made sure that everyone is accounted for? Do you have all of your guest’s updated addresses?

Photos by Rachel Rowland Photography

Eight: Envelope Style

Guest list in pristine condition, there is just one last thing to consider, the envelope itself. Will you choose to address the envelopes with an at home printer, or will you take them to a local print shop? You could also send them to a calligrapher. If you choose this option, Laura Hooper Calligraphy and Calligraphy by Jennifer are a few of our favorite artisans! If you want to do something extra to add to your overall theme or style, custom stamps are a unique way to go. Check out online companies like Zazzle to order custom stamps complete with engagement photos or wedding monograms. Or, if your wedding is more on the vintage side, try finding antique postage stamps on Etsy. Either way, a custom stamp will add that last amazing touch as your prospective guests pull the envelope from their mailbox!