What goes into custom wedding stationery?
Custom wedding stationery is a special process! We try to make it as fun and easy for our clients as possible, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot of time and thought that goes into your invitation suite.
We tell our clients to expect the custom process to take anywhere from 8-12 weeks - and it could go even longer, depending on what you order. It seems like a long time, but good things come to those who wait. We build a lot of extra time into our timeline for a couple reasons. The first is that a lot of what we do is dependent on our client’s response times and availability - we don’t want you to feel stressed if you’re totally slammed one week and need to reschedule a meeting, or forget to get back to us. On the up side if you are responsive, we often wrap up faster than estimated. We never hold onto your invitations longer than we need to, just to stick to a timeline. The second reason is because we don’t often source our supplies locally, so halfway through the process we need to take a break for your supplies to actually get to us. But you’ll learn all about that below.
So what exactly goes into this?
Getting Started
After you reach out to us, the very first step is a meeting to chat about your wedding. We want to get to know you, and get a sense of your style. Since your invitations are a reflection of your event, it’s good to have as much information as possible before actually putting pen to paper (so to speak - should we say hands to computer?)
After the meeting, we’ll put together an estimate for you, based on our conversation. Pricing varies a fair amount depending on what you want, so it wouldn’t make sense to have one-size-fits-all pricing for custom invitations, and it’s another reason it’s important to get a sense of what you’re envisioning before we really get started. We try to find the best price for your budget, and often brainstorm solutions for getting you everything you want, at the best price point.
One you approve the estimate, we’re off! Our very first step in the design process is to create a style board with images that reflect the look and feel of your wedding, and invitations. This involves a lot of time spent on Pinterest (my job is so hard!) - we ask for any inspiration images you have, and use those as a springboard for finding a rough color palette, and images that we think will speak to your wedding. We also briefly outline the printing processes and materials we think should be used in your suite, and reiterate the project brief. This document works as a reference point for both us and the client. We can all be on the same page that your idea of navy blue is the same as my idea of navy blue, and you (as the client) know what to expect in terms of how your suite will be printed, and the visual direction we’re headed. The style board process can take up to a week, depending on how quickly the client approves the board.
After the style board comes the design process. It often starts with a rough pencil and paper sketch, just to get placement and ideas down. Once the sketch is complete, we start putting together any design elements that are more handmade. This means we’ll spend some time working on things like spot calligraphy, or watercolor paintings, or custom illustrations. After we complete those, we move to the computer, where we first spend time cleaning up and digitizing our art, picking out some fonts to try, and working on our rough color palette. When we have those pieces in place, the design starts to come together. Invitations go through many iterations. Something you think looks good in your head just might not translate to to the screen, and I think of it as a puzzle - you spend a lot of time moving pieces around until you find the perfect fit. Every project is unique, sometimes it comes together just as I initially envisioned it, and then I’m like that was easy! I must just be a super talented designer… but then the next time it will be such a struggle to pull everything together, until it clicks.
After I come to a draft I am happy with - which usually will take anywhere from 5-10 hours, I print it out, and walk away for a bit. I find that leaving the design for a couple days gives much needed distance, and takes it from ‘I must finish this’ to ‘how can I make this even better?’ For me at least, having enough time to mull things over throughout the process is so important. I spend a lot of time just thinking over ideas, and even if it doesn’t feel like I’m working, my best designs come when there’s plenty of time to just take a break and let it marinate. After a couple days, I sit down with the design with fresh eyes, and go over it one more time. I usually spend this time refining colors, making adjustments in spacing, or quickly testing any new ideas. Once I’m totally happy with the first draft, I move it over into our proofing document, and then it’s time to meet with the client.
The first proof meeting with our clients is an exciting time - beyond the proof we bring color swatches, envelopes, paper samples, and ribbon samples, and this is when decisions really get made! We talk over the proof, and what changes need to be made, and then we pick out final colors and finishes. The revision process can take anywhere from a couple days to two weeks, depending on how decisive the client is. Usually we do about two rounds of revisions for a client, usually on things like wording changes, and minor design changes. After the final proof is approved, it’s time to move into production.
We work with several trusted printers for your invitations. After preparing the files for printing, we send them off to the printer, and order the rest of your supplies. After that, it’s a waiting game! Our letterpress printer has about a 3 week turnaround, so we try to get everything ordered all at once, and then sit tight and wait while the stuff comes rolling in. Getting your invitations back from the printer is such an exciting moment - seeing on a screen is one thing, but when it’s all complete, it’s so fulfilling!
Now it’s time to get everything assembled and packed up - we will number your RSVP cards, stamp your envelopes, and put it all together for you. This can take a couple hours, but the assembly line feel is so meditative, and we want your invitations to look their best when they arrive to your guests, so we try to have them as ready to go as possible. Then, we either pop the finished box in the mail to you, or arrange for a pickup.
We often end up adding day of pieces after the invitations move into production, which means that the timeline is extended, but we love working with our clients long term. It’s so special to get to know someone over this very happy time in their life, and we love feeling like we know someone’s style. Once the trust is established, we often can really get creative and do some fun stuff.
Custom invitations are definitely an investment, both in time and money, but it can be such a rewarding relationship, and also final product. We guide you through all of the decisions, and take care of all of those little tasks that always end up taking way more time then you think. Sending out your invitations is the very first glimpse your guests will get of your wedding, and we want them to be just as excited as you are - a thoughtfully designed invitation is a huge help in making sure everyone is happy and prepared!
