Stationery, Simplified

How to keep invitation costs down – without sacrificing style

By Danielle Robinson
CTW Features

Image courtesy Wiley Valentine

With the plethora of do-it-yourself wedding resources now available, brides are getting craftier than ever when it comes to cutting cost while still maximizing style. Invites are no exception.

A letterpress invite may seem like the pinnacle of design, but brides have plenty of ways to cut corners and maximize their budget while achieving a look they love.

DIY bridal expert Kathryn Storke, creator of wedding inspiration blog Snippet and Ink, suggests cutting out the hassle of printing entirely by using rubber stamps to create your cards. “They create a look that is both low-key and whimsical,” she says, which makes them best suited to a casual event.

Storke then suggests taking your design a step further. “You can use that same rubber stamp to continue your motif throughout the wedding, on cocktail napkins, thank you notes—you name it,” she says.

In doing this, brides can effortlessly achieve a wedding that feels designed from top toe, according to Ara Farnam, founder and creative director of Rock Paper Scissors Events in New York. “One of the keys to a beautiful event is simplicity of message, or the cohesiveness of all of your design elements,” she says. With a single stamp, your entire wedding design can feel more complete.

If going DIY feels too ambitious, however, there are other ways to save dough.

“Some companies offer a lower price on invitations when you assemble them yourself,” Farnam says. “So if the invitation suite you choose has a bow that has to be hand tied on each one, if you order them untied and do it yourself at home, you can save a bundle in labor charges.”

An even less labor-intensive option that couples may want to consider is theromographic printing.

Freshly printed invites are placed in a thermography unit and covered in a plastic powder that sticks to wet ink, explains Rochelle Brodski, vice president of Parkland Printing and Graphics, Inc., Coral Springs, Fla. After excess powder is brushed off, the cards are placed in an oven at 1300 degrees F, which melts the plastic onto the ink, creating that letterpress look for at a much lower price point.

Whether going it alone or through a professional service, brides on a budget have a wide range options to get top design for dimes on the dollar.

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