Wedding Invitation Options - Do it Yourself or Hire Help
One thing I hear and see all of the time regarding money saving tips is making your own wedding invitations. While this is not necessarily a bad idea, make certain that you take all aspects into account to ultimately save yourself time and money.
Firstly, consider how many people you are planning on inviting to your wedding. If you’re in the ballpark of 15 total then have at it – let your imagination take over. If you’re talking closer to 100 or more, you need to consider actual costs involved and labor time.
As a general rule, layered invitations using various weights of paper will give you a luxurious and custom feel. Consider for backgrounds using a heavyweight paper, at least 80# cover weight. You can use printer-compatible overlays such as a sparkly paper or transparent vellum to act as your printed overlay. Check craft stores and paper stores for sales and discontinued items you might be able to utilize. As for embellishments, you can stamp, glitter, add accessories, ribbons, etc.
My recommendation to you is to shop for colors and ideas that you like and then take the time to build a “mock up” of what you will want your invitations to look like. This process can be painstakingly long – I would try to spread it out over a couple of weeks to keep yourself on track. Once you have a mockup you are happy with, purchase enough materials to make 10 or so – and time yourself in making them. Then ask yourself the following questions.
- How long did it take you?
- Would it be easier if you had help in one certain area?
- Can you create an assembly line easily?
- What is the actual cost of each invitation?
- What is the cost of your materials you have already purchased and will need more of?
(Don’t forget glue, printer ink, etc.)
If you can achieve the look you’re going for it might actually save you in costs. Make certain you have enough time to design, assemble, address and mail your new wedding invitations and help you can count on, if necessary.
If you find even after the first step that this might be too much or is more expensive than you originally thought – check out resources online or make a couple appointments with local wedding invitation specialists. With actual numbers in mind, you might find that they can save you both time and money! Check out our Idaho wedding invitation specialists here:
