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I think it's safe to say that the trajectory of the wedding industry has vastly changed-Even more so, over recent years, with a hyper-focus on ditching the traditional approach for new age ways of planning and celebrating holy-matrimonies.
Although, we're in a day and age where digital media methods have seemingly taken precedence amongst a plethora of platforms, it is quite exciting to see that the approach to stationery mediums, particularly wedding invitations, hasn't become a lost art. Instead, we have a variety of platforms within the 'wedding stationery' industry that bring forth options, ease, convenience, and I'd even go as far to say, "instant gratification," in some instances.
As a seasoned Wedding Planner, I must say that one of the most stressful components of wedding planning for couples are wedding invitations. Therefore, I'm sharing one of the top leading online pioneers in the wedding stationery game, Basic Invite, along with my personal 101 tips on how to approach your wedding invitations, so that you can start creating your own customized wedding invitation suite today. So grab a pen and paper and get ready to jot down some important notes!
First and foremost, I want to mention a few important points about Basic Invite. Ultimately, they are one of the very few websites that provide close to an unlimited supply of color options for invitations with instant previews online! Once customers select their design, they have the option to change colors within each element of the card, and with a variety of over 180 colors to choose from, it is a no-brainer for even the most discerning couple, and essentially, what makes Basic Invite stand out from all the other online stationery retailers.
Additionally, Basic Invite is one of the few online stationery companies that makes it possible for customers to order printed samples of their actual invitations prior to placing the final order. This way customers can comprehensively see and feel paper quality, texture, and print, all to ensure that the card is designed exactly to their liking! Basic Invite also provides a variety of over 40 different colors of envelopes, allowing customers to pair their invitations with fun & unique complementary colors. Did I mention that all the envelopes are peel and seal so they can be closed quickly and securely without any of that extra fuss?! That's right...You won't need to be licking any part of the envelope to seal the deal! Pun totally intended haha!!
And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Basic Invite actually has an address capturing service, which allows their customers to share a link on their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, to request the addresses of their family and friends. These addresses are stored within the customer's account and can be selected throughout the design process. Another added bonus...Recipient addresses can be printed on all card orders at no additional cost! Talk about a win-win-win situation!
So without further ado...Since you already know whooo to use for your wedding invitations, it's time to address the initial steps you should take on howww to actually go about creating your wedding invitations.
1.) Finalize Your Wedding Date
Listen, I know I know, if you're at the point of thinking about wedding invites, it's safe to say that you already have a set wedding date in mind. But if for some reason you don't, make sure you solidify this prior to even thinking about wedding invitation styles & wording. I say this because you might think you want a specific style, font, paper and because you're in the initial stages of planning, you're not able to anticipate the idea that your preferences may change throughout the stages of wedding planning. For example, you may have had your heart set on and wanted a spring wedding and have this idea of having invitations with ornate flowers printed throughout. Then later, the date may change to a winter wedding and thus, the spring flowers would no longer align with the season and vibe of winter.
Therefore, I strongly advise solidifying your wedding date first & foremost. Once a date is set, you may want to opt to initially send out save-the-dates prior to the official wedding invitations being shipped out. I for one, am a big proponent for save-the-dates! They are a great way to inform and prep your guests on marking their calendars for your wedding date, while also buying you time to sort out all the details of the wedding and thus the specific details for the wedding invitations. Click here for some great save-the-date templates and wedding invitation ideas that can be viewed on Basic Invite.
2.) Finalize Your Guest List
Now this is a very important tip because I cannot tell you how many couples have accidentally ordered the wrong number of invites. More specifically, for example, couples may invite 200 guests and accidentally order 200 invites along with 200 stamps without even factoring in that many of the guests are actually couples & families within one household. Obviously, the pressures of wedding planning are often the catalysts for such oversights. But, whatever you do, just please make sure you do not waste your coins in making that mistake!
3.) Choosing Your Wedding Invitation Style
Couples may easily become overwhelmed at the vast variety of wedding invitation styles. My advice on how to go about selecting a specific style is to have a solid wedding theme. I've noticed that sometimes the thought of having a theme overwhelms some couples, but a wedding theme does not necessarily mean it has to be the Great Gatsby or the Kentucky Derby, however, if you have a particular color scheme in mind or perhaps your wedding style is modern, whimsical, or contemporary, you should try to choose an invitation suite that showcases this. Since narrowing down options can be rather daunting, I would try to first scale things down by filtering to certain colors & typography that you're drawn to. Once you get a hold of these two major components, it'll be easier to figure out if you want to play around with different shapes, materials, and texture, which Basic Invite does a great job of doing since they take the guesswork outta that!
4.) Wedding Invitation Details
It's safe to say that there is a standard of basic information when it comes to wedding invitations. However, you wouldn't believe how often couples miss something as important as listing the ceremony time! In order to give you a basic understanding of what wedding invitations are typically comprised of; I've listed the basic elements that are included on your average wedding invitation below:
- Names of the Couple Getting Married
- Date & Time
- Ceremony Details
- Reception Details
- Registry Details
- Hotel Accommodation Details (if applicable)
- Dress Code
- RSVP Options
5.) When To Send Out Invites
Without a shadow of a doubt, the #1 question I get from couples is when to send out their wedding invitations...Now since I pride myself on sharing all the tea with my readers, I took the liberty to provide you with my personal guideline, that I utilize as a good general rule of thumb when trying to gauge the most appropriate time for you and your significant other to send your save-the-dates and wedding invites. Please see below:
- Send your Save-The-Dates 6-12 months in advance. - Send your Save-The-Dates for a destination wedding at least 12-14 months in advance. - Send your Wedding invitations- 5-8 months in advance. - Send your Wedding invitations for a destination wedding-8-12 months in advance.
Well that's all I got for now folks! I hope these gems have provided you with great clarity as you embark on your journey to executing your wedding invitations. And make sure to take advantage of a Basic Invite's special promo offer of 15% off your invitation order with this coupon code: 15FF51
Social Media Links: @basicinvite
Stephanie Blanc is the Senior Wedding Designer & Planner for her company Mariage Blanc Designs, based in Hudson Valley, NY. Stephanie is also a blogger for her blog 'La Vie De La Fête' which focuses on all things weddings, events, & lifestyle, bringing all the tea to those who want the best advice in creating timeless & sophisticated celebratory occasions. Please be sure to share this post with your family, friends, work colleagues, or anyone who you think could benefit from these tips!