Silk and Ink Designs is a wedding invitation and stationery studio based in Norwich, Norfolk. They are in their 11th year, having worked with hundreds of couples over the years. A brilliant local, small business!!!
PART 1 (Check back in a few weeks for PART 2)
WHO?
I’m going to start off with WHO is going to design and make your wedding invitations? While I would always encourage you to choose a small independent business (preferable local!), I do understand that this does not always suit everybody, but these points are still applicable to the larger companies too and they should still be accountable for your special stationery. When choosing your stationery designer, consider:
Can you see recent examples of their work and order samples? Its very hard to judge print and card stock quality on screen. It can be manipulated with software. Samples are often charged, but its worth the investment.
Are there recent testimonials, reviews or comments that you can read of past or current customers? Nothing tells you are onto a winner that glowing recommendations from other couples or suppliers.
Are you interested in a bespoke design or house collections? Think about the fees involved in ordering a bespoke design – ask what this fee covers. A pre-designed invitation will often not have extra costs and will also be a quicker option if you are in a rush.
Does the company offer everything you need? For example, once your invitations are completed and you decide you would like matching ‘on the day’ stationery, will you need to source another company? Most will be able to offer you matching stationery.
Fees for upgrades If you are looking for a particular look, and want to achieve this with coloured stock, different materials such as vellum or finishes or print effects such as foil, can your designer offer you these and what will it cost you?
Proofs This will be covered in more details later but in the first instant, ALL designers and companies should be providing you with a proof of your design before printing ANYTHING. Alarm bells should be ringing if you can’t see a proof before. 95% of companies will provide this to you in electronic format to check. Some will offer 2/3 rounds of amends included in price, others are unlimited – be sure to check so not to be stung with unnecessary costs.
WHEN?
This is probably my most asked question, and no couple has the same answer, no wedding is the same. Everybody has different factors that effect their send out timings:
Here is my Sooner / Later sort of calculator!
Have you sent Save the Dates?
Yes, you can send LATER
No, send invites EARLIER
Does your wedding fall on a bank holiday or in a main holiday period, Easter, Summer, Half Term?
Yes, send invites EARLIER
No, you can send LATER
Do the majority of your guests need to travel? (They will need to book accommodation)
Yes, send invites EARLIER
No, you can send LATER
Is your wedding day a weekday?
Yes, send invites EARLIER
No, you can send LATER
I do recommend Save the Dates. They buy you so much time and do save you a headache later in the planning process, especially if you are waiting for menu tastings or find yourself in the middle of a house move or busy at work and just can’t get your invites out the month you had expected.
These can go out typically 12-14 months before, but I find many of my customers want to do this as soon as their venue is booked.
Invitations – With the sooner or later calculator as a guide, typical time lines are
With a Save the Date – 3-4 months before wedding
Without a Save the Date – 5-6 months before wedding
It is just a guide and we always advise each individual customer based on their requirements.
Please AVOID December. People are consumed with Christmas and are not thinking about your fabulous wedding. Hold off until January and give your guests something to fill their empty shelves after the decorations come down. If you must go before, stick to November.
Be sure to factor in your chosen designers lead time into your timescale. If they need 2 months to design, produce and deliver your invites, make sure you add it on. Bespoke work often needs booking in advance.
RSVP Date – Be sure not to give your guests too long to RSVP, 6-8 weeks is plenty. Leave it too long and they will not prioritise and forget and you will find yourself having to chase, you don’t need to be adding to the wedding list ‘to do’!
WHAT ELSE?
Number of invites
Every other supplier will ask you ‘how many guests’ you are having. When planning your invites, you will not need this many! Work on 1 invite per household, kids go on their parents invite unless they are over 18. Be sure order some spares! Allow for lost in post, keepsake, forgotten guests, bump ups from evening list etc.
Postage
Really consider your postage when picking your invites! A standard 1st class stamp is 76p (65p for 2nd) as long as it fits through the 5mm slot. Add bells and whistles to your invite and make it THICKER and you are going to need a large Letter stamp running to £1.15p for first, 88p for second. Make sure you get your invites checked and weighed at the post office. Incorrect postage will require your guest to collect their invite from the sorting office with a £1.50 fee!
Proofing
I can’t stress enough how important it is to check your proofs. Check, check and check again! You do get wedding blindness, so it is worth putting your final proof in front of someone who has not seen it before – fresh eyes will spot the silly mistakes you have been missing.
Check back in a few weeks for tips on DIY invites and quick money saving tips for your stationery!
01603 948670
@silkandinkdesigns
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