Throughout planning, some elements come naturally to couples and other elements just seem more tricky or confusing. Invitation suites can feel like a lot to figure out, from choosing the design to deciding what wording to use or how formal you want the suite to be. Budget does play a part in these decisions of course, but sometimes the difficulty simply lies in not being able to visualize these pieces together.

Our post today will be highlighting the various elements of the modern invitation suites, as well as what options couples have when deciding where to go to get started. We’ll share links and resources to find all of the info you need to make a decision on the best option for you!

Custom Stationery design is a process of bringing the couple’s desired aesthetic and their personalities together to create something unique and authentic. These details can be in the paper and color choice, a custom monogram or crest, specialty envelope liners, hand painted details, wax seals, custom postage and of course the calligraphy for addressing the invitations.

What goes into a design suite, well of course that varies by preference and budget but a complete suite would include most if not all of the elements below:

The method of production, from letterpress to digital or hand-painted/calligraphy is one of the more major decisions because that dictates the cost, the type of paper, the turnaround time and the design process in general. One would argue that the invitations set the tone for the rest of the event, however I don’t believe couples should be held to that 100% of the time if that deters them from moving forward with a design that they really feel drawn to.

If you have a vision of a beautiful flat-lay image of your whole invitation suite (like those stunning photos you see on Pinterest and Instagram) this can still be achieved even if you chose a semi-custom or template from a digital design retailer and had them printed. Tip: Do be sure to mention to your photographer that this shot is important to you!

With the introduction of sites like Minted.com, Wedding Paper Divas, Etsy and many more, couples are flooded with pages upon pages of designs to choose from and this can certainly be overwhelming. You want a design that speaks to your personalities and matches with your theme or vision but you might not want something that is trending or overly popular at the moment. Even when using a pre-designed template you can find ways to personalize it by adding a band, ribbon, vellum sheet, envelope liner, embossing, calligraphy etc.

So should you choose a custom designer to ensure that you have a one of a kind invitation suite? Here is a great article from Raspberry Creative listing 5 reasons you should hire a stationery designer.

One recommendation that I make when working with couples is to find at least one to two elements they really want to throw their personality into during their wedding planning process. This could be the decor, the food menu, the ceremony or even the dance/entertainment line-up. Of course you could put your personality into all of those, but sometimes your wedding budget doesn’t give you the ability to customize every element.

In the interest of keeping this post short and sweet, we have linked to a few helpful articles and resources on each of the various topics that we find couples have the most questions about.

How much do custom invitations really cost & a breakdown of the process

Letterpress Wedding Invitations (Etiquette, Samples, Ordering Resources, F.A.Q’s & Tips)

Watercolor/ Hand Painted Wedding Invitation examples

Additional Articles/Links:
Comparing invitation costs
https://www.papelnco.com/custom-wedding-invitations
https://www.sableandgray.com/press
https://inkandpressco.com/the-semi-custom-collection
https://www.bellafigura.com/customize/calligraphy/
https://www.howdesign.com/creative-freelancer-blog/passion-projects/why-wedding-invitations-will-never-go-digital/
Envelope Liners
How to properly Mail Your Wedding Invitations