Your wedding invitation is the first detail of your wedding your guests will see. If you send save-the-date cards then that will be the first detail, but your save-the-date card doesn’t have to match the rest of your stationery wardrobe. You may not have picked a theme and/or palette by the time you send your save-the-date out.I spoke with Kara Yanagawa, Custom Manager at Egg Press, for her expert wedding stationery tips to help you select your wedding invitation. Here’s what she had to say on selecting the right design and working with a stationer:
- Your invitation is an introduction to the wedding and it sets the tone for the event. Whether you choose an invitation that reflects your personal style, or the style of the event, your invitation should be something you love.
- Budget is often a factor and may dictate the process by which your invitation is printed. If you have your heart set on a particular process, your printer may be able to come up with some ideas about how to make the project fit your budget. Some compromises may be: Using a less expensive paper stock, changing the design to a 1-color design, omitting your return address printing on the envelopes, or choosing a postcard RSVP instead of a card with printed envelope.
- Know that in some cases (like ours), letterpress studios can get pretty custom and may even offer design services. These can range from swapping out fonts or colors, customizing an existing design with a personalized motif or creating an entire suite designed to your specifications.
- If you're having a designer start from scratch, make sure you’ve done your homework and go to them with colors, thoughts about paper and motifs that give the flavor of what you're hoping to achieve. If you go this route, try to choose a studio whose aesthetic matches the style you are after. Design fees in addition to the cost of printing usually apply.
- Working with a stationer can help you with wording and etiquette questions, and can also recommend alternatives and help problem solve. A stationer will place and track your order with your chosen manufacturer and deal with any issues that may arise.
- If you choose a letterpress design, be sure to give this process enough time - remember it's a handmade product whereby each and every paper element is treated individually with great care.
The “Mum” design pictured above is one of the many fantastic designs from Egg Press, and available at minted.com. From now through August 3, 2009, minted.com is offering Egg Press designs at 15% off!
Click through the Egg Press gallery to view all of their designs and remember to us the code EGG at checkout to save money on your wedding invitations. And to learn more about other stationery items by Egg Press, visit their Web site, eggpress.com.
