I get a lot of inquiries from couples about creating custom wedding invitations, so I wanted to give you a little insight into the process (and if it’s right for your wedding) in the post below:
First of all, let’s just acknowledge that shopping for wedding invitations can be overwhelming! There are So. Many. Options. How do you find one that’s right for you? Many of my clients order directly from our collection – we have a range of invitation styles in the collection, all produced on high quality cotton stock for a beautiful finish, and customizable for your event. When etiquette, timing, and planning logistics come into play, invitations can get complicated – It’s my goal to make your wedding stationery process both stress-free and enjoyable. (Want to hear it directly from our couples? Check out our reviews on The Knot and Google.)
Okay, so now that you know about our collection, let’s look at the Custom side of things!
Is Custom Design Right for You?
A custom foil-stamped design for Melani & Steve
Custom wedding stationery design is bespoke, one-of-a-kind, unique to you as a couple. Think about designing a wedding gown from scratch – you’d be working one-on-one with the designer, to select the cut, length, sleeve style, fabric, etc.
Invitation & stationery design is a similarly design-intensive process, where we consider all aspects of your wedding stationery in detail, including different paper types like cotton, vellum or handmade; printing processes such as foil stamp or letterpress; custom artwork like detailed monograms or venue illustrations; and signage materials such as wood or acrylic.
Are you passionate about paper, design, and beautiful details? Have you been saving stationery designs on your Insta profile for months? Stalking our feed for ideas? Or perhaps you’re working with a wedding planner to execute a detailed creative vision for your day? If any of these sound familiar, custom design may be right for you.
Ideally, with our custom design clients, we’re creating every stationery piece for your wedding, from Save the Dates, to Day-of items, so that everything has a unique, cohesive look that’s personal to your event.
Two Things to Consider
Timing
Our custom invitation process is a much longer and more in-depth design process than ordering directly from our collection. If you’d like custom stationery from start to finish including Save the Dates, we recommend reaching out a year in advance of the big day. Without including Save the Dates, please contact us at least 6 to 9 months in advance to begin the design process.
Once your designs are complete, while our flat-printed collection is typically a fast production time, custom invitations can take a lot more time to produce, anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks. Leaving plenty of room on the calendar will result in much less stress for you and your loved ones.
Budget
Seems pretty obvious – Given how in-depth the custom process is, it’s a higher cost too! Our custom design clients typically spend anywhere from $2,000-$5,000 on Invitations & Save the Dates, and an additional $1,500-$3,000 on Day-of paper & signage.
With wedding budgets, it’s all about priorities! When every little detail matters, you simply can’t compare – our custom process brings a careful, curious eye to each aspect of your wedding stationery and signage design.
Looking for a more streamlined approach? Shop our invitation collection to find the perfect fit for you!
How Custom Design Works
Custom design is a 3-step process – so let’s go through each step to give you a better understanding:
1. INITIAL CONSULTATION & INSPIRATION COLLECTION
The custom design process starts with a conversation – usually via zoom or a phone call. This is where I gather information – What’s your dream wedding vision? Invitations & Save the Dates are often the very first things you guests will see – let’s create something amazing to get your guests excited about the big day!
Visual inspiration is an important piece of the puzzle – this can be inspiration from our collection or Insta feed, or perhaps you’ve created a Pinterest board, saved some favorites on social, or, if you’re working with a planner, you likely have some design boards they’ve created for you.
(No time to gather inspo? We can also create a design board for you.)
After our consultation, you’ll receive a proposal encompassing all aspects of your project with a clear idea of costs from start to finish.
2. DESIGN Exploration
Two unique stationery suite concepts are created specifically for your event, presented in digital PDF format. While the invitation suite is a primary focus, each concept shows a start-to-finish overview of your stationery pieces, from Save the Dates to Day-of details.
Design concepts take into consideration different paper stocks, embellishments and printing methods. Once you’ve had a chance to review the concepts, you’ll select a design concept (or a combination of ideas) to move forward with, and we’ll fine-tune the designs in our refinement phase.
3. Print Production
Once approved, we partner with our artisan paper suppliers and expert print production team to bring the designs to life.
Production typically happens in three phases: Save the Dates about 9 months in advance, Invitation Suites 3-4 months in advance, and Day of Items about 4-6 weeks in advance.
At the end of the custom design process, all of your wedding designs will be beautifully and timely produced, and will be completely unique to your wedding day. Something your friends and family will remember forever!
Ready to get started? Fill out our Contact form and we’ll send over the steps to get started!
