HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-02-28, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013.
Professional or home-made invitations; which is best?
MS –Calligraphy, embossing,
fonts, watermarks – these and other
terms are finely engrained in the
wedding stationery lexicon. While
traditionalists may pore over
carefully-crafted invitations and
other stationery products from
commercial printers, couples
looking to rein in wedding spending
may choose to take a more hands-on
approach to wedding invitations...
by printing the invites themselves.
Before the advent of sophisticated
home computer systems and
affordable desktop printers, brides-
and grooms-to-be had to rely on
professional printers and engravers.
The process of producing wedding
invitations likely involved printing
plates or some form of
thermography and took place in a
building replete with bulky
equipment and the pungent aroma of
ink. Though formal and often
exquisitely executed, these wedding
invitations can still prove quite
expensive.
The average cost of professionally
produced wedding invitations is
$659. This refers to invitations that
have printed envelopes, reply cards,
and printer reply card envelopes.
Changes in design or even the colour
of the text can impact prices further.
It is not unheard of to spend as much
as $2,000 for high-quality engraved
wedding invitations. Considering
the invitation is held for a short
period of time and then tossed away,
some couples cannot imagine
spending so much on invitations. In
such instances, making your own
invitations may be the most
affordable option.
As the evolution of home-based
printing has broadened the
possibilities of do-it-yourself
printing, couples who hope to design
and produce their own wedding
invitations have many options at
their disposal.
Pre-Made Kits
A visit to a stationery store or even
the local craft retailer should present
shoppers with several different
wedding invitation kits. These
packages often include blank
invitations, response cards,
envelopes and other embellishments
pertaining to the invitation design.
Some can be quite elaborate, with
the inclusion of vellum or card
inserts, as well as die-cut designs.
Couples who want control over the
wording and printing but would
rather leave the creative design to
someone else can benefit from these
invitation kits. They also tend to be
affordable in comparison to a
professional printing service.
Crafty Card-Making
Interest in scrapbooking and card-
making has spurred craft centers to
stock many different materials that
can be used to design wedding
invitations. Layering different types
of paper to create a three-
dimensional effect and using
embellishments such as rhinestones
or ribbon can help dress up the
wedding invitation.
Couples hosting a casual wedding
for a small number of guests may
enjoy the process of hand-crafting
wedding invitations and possibly
customizing them for each guest.
Intimate affairs lend themselves well
to this level of personalization, and
handmade invitations could set the
cozy tone of the celebration.
Graphic Design Work
Couples who have a creative spark
may want to draw up their own
invitation design or look for the
assistance of an artist or graphic
designer. There are many different
programs that employ the use of clip
art and stock imagery that can be put
to use with regard to invitations.
Those who have a cursory
knowledge of some design
applications can import text and
images and manipulate the size of
their templates accordingly for the
type of invitation they desire. The
finished file then can be printed at
home or brought to an office
supply center for more professional
results.
Digital Services
The internet has brought many
services right into the homes of the
average person. Discount invitation
printing vendors abound and
couples can choose and customize
everything they want on their
invitations. Due to low overhead
costs and an abundance of
customers, these online retailers are
often priced lower than other
venues. Depending on how much
control the couple desires over the
invitation, there may be ready-made
templates or the ability to pick items
“a la carte.”
The opportunities to create
wedding invitations at home enables
some budget-conscious couples to
keep costs for stationery at a
minimum. Not only does making
their own invitations save money, it
also enables couples to have more
creative control over one of the
important components of a wedding
that helps set the tone for the
occasion.
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For the
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Goderich
Columbus Centre
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kofc5420@hurontel.on.ca
Continued from page 13
secure a greater number of attendees
at your wedding.
Save-the-date announcements can
vary in many ways. They may be
postcards or magnets that can be
attached to a refrigerator door. If you
desire a cohesive theme to your
wedding stationery, select the save-
the-date cards at the same time you
choose your wedding invitations.
This way you can ensure that either
the patterns, fonts, colours, or style
of the cards will match. It will also
help convey the tone of the wedding.
Guests often take their cues
regarding the level of formality of
the wedding from the type of
stationery couples choose.
When to send out the save-the-
date announcements is important as
well. As a general rule of thumb, it is
wise to mail out the cards six months
in advance for a standard wedding.
If the wedding requires travel or
extended overnight
accommodations, you may want to
mail them out eight to 12 months in
advance to give guests the time to
investigate flight costs and hotel
arrangements. A wedding also may
necessitate planning a vacation or
personal time off from work.
Therefore, ample advanced notice is
advisable.
Be sure to make your guest list in
advance of sending out save-the-
date cards. Everyone who receives a
card should also be sent an invitation
prior to the wedding. Remember to
include any members of your
planned wedding party in the list of
recipients. Just because a person has
verbally confirmed attendance at
your wedding doesn’t mean they
should be excluded from subsequent
announcements. Guests may talk to
one another and it is best to avoid
hurt feelings and any added drama
before the wedding by treating
everyone equally.
Be sure to include the wedding
date, your names and the location of
the wedding on the save-the-date
cards. You do not need to offer
RSVP information or detailed
specifics at this time. You may want
to include a website URL on the
card so guests can check it
frequently for updates on wedding
information. Be sure to also include
that a formal invitation will follow at
a later date. You do not want to cause
confusion by having guests think
that the save-the-date card is the
actual invitation. Also, make sure
you address the save-the-date cards
correctly to show your intentions
with respect to guest invites. For
example, be clear about whether
children will be invited and whether
a boyfriend/girlfriend or another
guest can tag along.
Although save-the-date cards are
not a necessity, they have become a
popular part of wedding planning to
eliminate confusion about
invitations as well as help guests
plan time off for your wedding.
Belgrave
Community
Centre
Rentals for all occasions
Contact: Marvin Cook
519-357-4220 ~ 519-357-1461 ~ Cell 519-525-5899
Mail save-the-date cards six
months ahead of the wedding
2013 Wedding Showcase
All in the details
When sending out save-the-date cards, be sure to have all
the information your guests will need so they can be as
prepared as possible for your upcoming nuptials. Make
sure to get the cards out at least six months early. (MS photo)