Your wedding invitations and other paper materials are an opportunity to impress your guests with your theme and designs. All the details of your engagement announcements, save the dates, wedding invitations, reply cards, enclosures, place settings, menus and thank you cards will be noticed. These tips will help you navigate the timeline and design for your wedding invitations.
Following the Timeline
As soon as you get engaged, send out your engagement announcements. When you have a wedding date and no less than six months prior to your wedding day, you should send out save-the-dates. About six months before your wedding, order the wedding invitations and enclosures. Six to eight weeks before your wedding day, you should send out the wedding invitations. It is recommended that you send out invitations to the rehearsal dinner, bridal shower and other wedding related celebrations about one month prior to the occurrence of each event. Once you have a final headcount, and not less than three weeks prior to your big day, you should complete escort cards and place cards. If you are hiring a calligrapher, you might want to allow more time for the completion.
Designing Wedding invitations
The theme will influence your wedding invitations and other materials. Choose the color palette, fonts, style and embellishments with your theme in mind. If you require a high level of customization, you might consider working with a boutique stationer. If you desire a variety of pre-designed materials, you might consider larger invitation stores. This paperless option for designing your paper allows you to design and view proofs instantly online. If you have a unique vision, you might seek the help of a graphic designer. You will have the paper, envelops, fonts, graphics and inserts to consider. Beyond the paper and font, think about the patterns of your wedding designs and incorporate the small details into your wedding invitations for a textured look. Shape and size are other thoughts to consider. Get to know the paper lingo before shopping.
The Paper Lingo
Get to know the basic wedding invitation lingo before you shop. It is easy to understand when something is referenced as handmade or natural materials, but cotton, rag or hemp can get a little confusing. If you envision a vintage theme, familiarize yourself with a deckle edge to create that irregular and torn look on handmade paper. Corrugated refers to folded stock with wrinkles and ridges. Industrial is created from chipboard or newsprint. Matte is nonreflective and opaque. Mylar is a shiny foil-like finish. Parchment is cloudy and translucent. Rice paper is thin and soft. Linen is grainier than cotton and has a textured appearance for a classic look. Jacquard is screen-printed paper that creates the illusion of layering, such as with lace. Vellum is a delicate, thin and opaque cotton blend with a matte finish. It can be layered on a card stock or used alone. Explore all your paper options before making a decision.
Printing Technique
You should also get familiar with printing techniques. Letterpress involves inking an image to produce an impression. Thermography creates raised lettering with a heat-based process that has an appearance similar to engraving. Engraving is created with a metal plate and creates textured and raised font. Embossing crimps the paper to create raised letters. Printing is a significant part of the design. Explore printing techniques and find the design you love.
The RSVP
The RSVP is important to finalize the headcount for seating charts, place cards, favors and the catering. Répondez s'il vous plaît or RSVP means to please reply. Your RSVP should have a deadline of no less than two to three weeks prior to your wedding.
Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine
Plan with Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine and invite your guests to a fairy tale. Share your vision with the professional wedding designers and planners at Crystal Ballroom in the design studio, and choose your colors, theme, linens, décor and floral arrangements. This all-inclusive wedding venue bundles the venue, furnishings, staff services and décor into an affordable wedding package to make your fairy tale possible. Walk the red carpet to a ballroom designed for your magical moments.
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