Designing Your Diy Wedding Invitations
If you enjoy art, graphic design or calligraphy, then you might want to take it a step beyond the template and design your own wedding invitations.
First things first: The words are the most important part, so make sure you get a second pair of eyes to proofread!
Then, to create the basic layout of your invitation, you can use a free trial of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator a free online program like Canva or PicMonkey or a word-processing tool like Word or Pages.
Important design elements to consider include fonts, line spacing, alignment, colors and theme.
Yates, for example, added an image of a golden snitch to allude to her Harry Potter-themed engagement, while Nathey went rustic to match her cabin wedding.
When it comes to fonts, you can download them for free at DaFont. Or, you can buy them The Budget Savvy Bride has suggested font pairings for DIY invites.
As a rule of thumb, you shouldnt mix more than three fonts and should stay consistent throughout the invitation suite .
Best Paper Weight For Wedding Invitations
You might not think that cardstock weight for wedding invitations matters all that much, but it has a surprising impact on the perception of your invitation. Its also an important consideration for DIY invitations, as this will change whether you can print your invitation at home or whether you need a printer.
When we talk about wedding invitation weight, were actually talking about wedding invitation thickness, i.e. the thickness of the paper.
The most important weight consideration for DIY invitations is the paper weight capabilities of your home printer. Most people use lightweight printer paper at home and so dont know the maximum weight capacity of their printer.
Most at-home consumer printers can handle a paper weight up to 80 lbs, or possibly 100 lbs, but not all can, so its important to double-check your printer. If the paper is too thick, your printer wont be able to run the paper .
As to which paper is heavier, that depends on the scale used to determine weight and density. The simplest approach is to use the European Metric Scale of GSM to determine weightthe higher the number, the thicker the paper . Learn more about which cardstock weight is best for you here.
Printing Your Diy Wedding Invitations
Whether youre using a DIY wedding invitation template or designing the whole thing yourself, youre going to need to print it somehow.
The most penny-hoarding option? Print your invitations at home. As long as you have a decent printer and use nice paper this will probably work fine.
Both inkjet and laser printers are up to the job just be sure to select the highest-quality print setting.
To save money, use black ink only if you want a splash of color, use colored paper.
When it comes to cutting out your invitations, try to get the most out of each sheet. If youre using 12-by-12-inch paper to print 5-by-7-inch invitations, heres one brides strategy:
Alternatively, you can get your invitations printed at a local copy shop or office-supply store. Itll be more expensive, but it might be worth it for the time youll save, as they can also cut the invitations for you.
Lauren Lanker, for example, got 200 invitations printed and cut at Kinkos for $32, which seems like a pretty good deal. Just be sure to do a test run, so you dont end up with smudgy invitations like she did!
Read Also: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Wedding Invitation Paper Types
First things first, we need to discuss how wedding invitation designers, mills, and invitation printers identify paper. You may think there are only a couple different types of invitation paper, but it turns out there are thousands and thousands . When I am ordering things from my printer, I have to identify the exact paper I want in 6 different steps.
How To Choose The Best Wedding Stationery Paper
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In this article I will show you how to choose the best wedding stationery paper for your PDF wedding printable like the one seen below.
Creating wedding invitations is becoming more popular with brides as a way to keep costs down. High quality PDF designs can be uploaded and printed online for a significant savings compared to buying expensive wedding stationery suites. Unless you are a paper aficionado, the tricky part is transforming your PDF from digital design to physical paper product. Thats where the following guide can help!
When it comes time to print your wedding invitations you have two choices:
Either way, one of your main tasks will be to choose an appropriate paper type based on paper weight and thickness. Below is a guide to choose the best paper weight and thickness for wedding invitations along with the best type for your project.
First, let me clarify one confusing aspect about paper weight along with the terminology that the industry likes to use.
Read Also: When Do You Send Wedding Invitations And Save The Dates
Choosing Paper For Your Wedding Invitations
There are a ton of paper options out there for you to choose from when it comes to printing your wedding invitations. Standard cover stock, cotton, and handmade are the three paper types that pop up time and time againbut what do they actually mean? Well, Im going to tell you! Choosing paper for your invitations shouldnt be difficult and there is a lot to swim through. If youre like me, you want to know what all of these paper types are and how they relate to your wedding invitations, and thats great! Knowledge is power, right? I am going to keep this as basic as possible since there are variables. I want to give you a place to start so that when you sit down with your stationer, youll have a working knowledge of what theyre talking about. preceding a term. Fear not!, this just means that I have additional information about this subject at the bottom of my post.)
A Few General Guidelines
- Put a little extra investment into your paper you dont want to end up with invitations that look cheap.
- Order some paper samples this will allow you to evaluate paper weight, color and texture.
- Keep in mind that if you have too many pages of thick paper, you may end up paying more for postage .
*You can purchase wedding invitations featured in this post in our SHOP.
Also Check: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Do I Need Tissue Inserts In My Invitations
In these situations, we recommend using protective invitation tissue or vellum inserts:
- Ink jet printing* Ink jet printed cards are more likely to smudge in the mail over cards printed with lasers and conventional methods.
- Lots of cards The more cards that are in your envelope, the more likely they are to rub up against each other and smudge/scratch. An insert provides a layer of protection.
- Embellishments Crystals, string, ribbon, embellishments anything you use to jazz up your cards may also damage neighboring cards if no protective layer is between them.
- Pocket invitations Folded up on itself, each card on top of the next, pocket invitations are at higher risk for smudging, scratching and the like without inserts.
*Important note about tissue and smudging: If your main incentive for using inserts is ink smudging, we recommend tissue inserts over vellum inserts. Where vellum works to prevent damage from embellishments, scratching and rubbing, it does not work well for ink absorption and smudge prevention. In fact, due to its hardened, almost plastic-like feel, it may make smudging worse.
Check Your Computer And Printer
If youre printing at home, its important to make sure all of your equipment is working properly. Your computer screen may not give you a great depiction of how the design will actually print,” says Weber. Home printers tend to be a shade or two darker, while cost-effective web or local printers are usually a bit lighter.
Spend time printing tests and adjusting the settings on your printer to get the colors you want, and invest in a sample or two if youre having your print shop do the heavy lifting so you can get the color balance to come through perfectly. Once you’re all set, it’s time to hit the print button.
Also Check: How To Use A Wedding Hashtag
Qr Code Wedding Website
So many couples opt for a wedding website as a place to list the full logistics of their big day. Instead of writing out the long website URL on your invitation or details insert, just create a QR code .
It makes the website accessible immediately and your guests dont have to type in your full website link. Not only is it super easy, but dare I say fun? When I see a QR code on something, theres a little bit of a surprise as to what Im getting when I scan. This is a great way to make sure people actually visit your website: pure curiosity.
Printing At A Local Print Shop
A local print shop like Kinkos or FedEx Office can provide professional quality prints at a fraction of the cost of boutique printing.
But there are a few drawbacks.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a local printer:
Tips for printing at a local print shop:
Recommended Reading: How To Make Your Own Wedding Bouquet With Fake Flowers
The Average Cost Of Invitations
At The Stationery Bar, the typical entry-level budget for custom invitations with only the essential pieces starts at $700 for flat digital printing on nice card stock and increases to $1,000 and up for special printing effects as typical as raised thermography. My average Long Island bride spends about $1,800 for a set of 100 invitations with RSVPs and corresponding envelopes, plus a detail card, such as reception or accommodation information, Montgomery shares. However, there is no standard price point because every invitation set has so many variables, from how many pieces they want to include in the invitation package to embellishments, glitter, layers, and pocket folds to services, such as addressing and mailing and thats all in addition to design and printing costs.
To keep your printed wedding invitation costs low, opt for a smaller invitation suite with limited embellishments and materials.
That said, the most popular printing styles at her studio today include flat printing and thermography on 5×7-inch card or cover stockthat is to say, premium, heavyweight paper listed at over 100 pounds per 500 sheetspaper with metallic or pearlized finishes. However, if youve started your search, you already know thats only the tip of the iceberg!
Three Things To Consider
In the suite as a whole, youre carefully selecting paper choices that compliment each other and function well. Keep in mind paper choice often depends on what the manufacturer makes in certain colors or textures or weights. With that in mind, here are 3 important things to consider:
Image: How will your design look on the paper when its printed? If printing with digital printers, smooth papers work best for crisp photography and large areas filled with ink. For letterpress, thicker, textured papers are best .
Durability: Pick the right weight for the job. For example, cover weight for a postcard. Ask yourself how the piece will be handled, and what it might need to survive.
Functionality: What does the paper need to do? How does it need to work? You need to select the features of the paper based on the way that you need to use them so they work well. Some thicker papers wont fold at all, while others will fold but they wont lay flat when folded. You can also combine different papers into a layered card to get the desired look or function.
Image, Durability, and Functionality based on Weight, Texture, and Color: Theres a lot going on with paper, and weve only begun to *ahem* cover it. Thats why we recommend partnering with a professional so that your invitations paper makes the perfect first impression.
Also Check: How Much To Insure A Wedding Ring
How To Arrange Invitations With Tissue
What order do wedding invitations go in and where does that tissue go, you ask? As mentioned, tissue is placed over the main invitation wording and if necessary, over each card for protection.
With tissue inserts on top of each, stack your invitation ensemble from largest to smallest. Typically this means the invitation card is on the bottom and the reply card and envelope is on the top.
Plan For Easy Assembly
The quickest way to get clean cuts for your invitations at home is to use a paper cutter with a new, sharp blade. This is a great job to delegate to a bridesmaid who is offering to help, says Griffith. Assembling layers or adding envelope liners? Griffith suggests glue dots or double-stick tape instead of glueand she suggests the same to seal envelopes too.
Also Check: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Wedding Invitation Paper Options
With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know which wedding invitation paper is best. Learn about the differences from our experts today.
Unless youre particularly crafty, you probably arent aware of the different wedding invitation paper options available to you. Like the design of your paper suite, the actual paper stationery its printed on can add to the look and feel of your wedding. When going through your wedding invitation checklist, one of the first decisions that youll have to make is the type of paper youll use. Make a lasting impression with wedding stationery that elevates what youre mailing outfrom save the dates to invitations and enclosures. Read on for eight types of wedding invitation paper and how they can be best used. Then, order right here at Zola.
