Save the dates are typically sent out 6-8 months before your wedding. This is usually a good balance of announcing your date not too early and not too late. Exceptions for an earlier send-out might include dates near holidays where guests may be making plans in advance (ex. Memorial Day, New Year’s, etc).
WHEN SHOULD I START THINKING ABOUT INVITATIONS DURING THE WEDDING PLANNING PROCESS ?
For custom invitations, we recommend 6 months prior to your wedding. For one of our collection invitations, we recommend 4-5 months prior to your wedding.
How long does our invitation process take from start to finish?
From the time of official booking, custom invitations typically take 6-12 weeks and collection invitations typically take 4-8 weeks. Please note that these times can vary based on response time, printing process, and production timeline.
How long does our design process take?
The design process typically takes about a 4-6 weeks. Please note that these times can vary based on response time, printing process, and production timeline.
How long does our print-production process take?
Once all elements of the design have been completed, print production approval forms have been signed, and final payment has been made, we will send all files to the printer. This begins the print production timeline, which depending on the printing process and materials involved, can take anywhere from 5-14 business days.
Do you require a deposit to get started?
Yes. Once your quote is finalized and you are ready to move forward, we require a 25% deposit to start.
Do the invitations come assembled?
Our invitations do not come assembled. We offer assembly as an a la carte option in our quoting process! We pride ourselves on itemized pricing and want our couples to be able to choose if they want it included in their suite price. This way, if assembly is something they are looking forward to doing or have the time for, they can budget that savings for something else they may want for their stationery suite! Please note, if you have an invitation that requires mounting to a pocket or mat, this will assembly is automatically included. Assembly can include stuffing, stamping, and sealing.
Do I get to see a physical proof of my invitation?
We do not include a physical proof in our process. However, we do include a complete digital mock-up of the major physical components of your stationery suite! We find this helps our clients get a proper & complete idea of how their suite, color palette, and design will flow together in real life. We can include a physical proof at your request for an additional flat fee. Plese note that a physical proof can extend the timeline.
Can I pick up my invitations or will they be shipped?
Either! You can absolutely pick up your invitations at our studio in downtown Wheaton to save on shipping or we can ship them to you to save on travel time to pick them up. Just let us know what is best for you.
Are there restrictions on the amount of edits or rounds of revisions for my stationery design?
No. We do not limit the amount design or copy revisions. We want your invitation to be perfect!
SAVE THE DATES & WEDDING INVITATIONS
Do I need to send a save the date to everyone I plan to invite?
The short answer is no. Once you send a guest a save the date, you are pretty much obliged to send them an invitation. It’s only polite, right? If you have a tentative “B List” then have a plan for how to handle and when to send.
How do I handle a “B List”?
Plan ahead! Send your invitations out earlier, roughly 11-13 weeks before your wedding. Be sure to order the full QTY of invitations for your A & B List up front to avoid additional fees and turnaround times. Order 2 variations of your RSVP card with staggered response dates. Once you begin to get responses back from your “A List” and you have decided who to invite on your “B List”, send out the invitations with the delayed response date on the RSVP card all at one time.
What is the difference between our Custom Vs Collection Suites for invitations?
Our custom stationery design is just like it sounds where we build your invitation artwork and brand completely from scratch. On the other hand, our collection suite designs allow couples to choose a base artwork design to start and then personalize with colors, verbiage and embellishments. Collections are also helpful in terms of a rushed timeline and offer a more budget-friendly baseline. Check out our custom vs collection flyerfor more info!
What information should I include in my invitation suite?
The amount and type of information that you include depends on all the details involved with your wedding, along with how much information you would like included in the invitation you will be mailing out. Check out our invitation anatomy infographicfor more information on the type of information that can be included in an invitation!
How many pieces should I include in my invitation suite?
The number of pieces included in your invitation (main invitation, details card, rsvp card, etc.) depends on the amount of information that you would like to be included. Check out our invitation anatomy infographicfor more information on the different types of pieces and the information can be included!
What printing processes do you offer?
Our primary printing process is full color digital printing. If you are looking for alternative processes like letterpress and gold foil, we have great relationships with local vendors that will print our designs in those processes. Feel free to reach out for more information.
What paper stocks do you offer?
We offer 10+ different paper stocks, all included in our pricing! These include smooth, texture, linen, and shimmer stocks.
When should the RSVP date be?
RSVP date is typically 4-5 weeks prior to your wedding day. Talk with your venue about when they require final numbers, then add 2 weeks. This gives you time to follow up with any guests who have not RSVP’d and set your table assignments with enough time to meet your venue’s deadline of final number and meals.
What are quick tips and tricks for managing our budget?
Choose one of our collection invitation suites! One-sided guest address printing. Online or postcard RSVP. Assemble yourselves. Pick-Up to save on shipping.
ENVELOPES & MAILING
When do I need to mail out my invitations?
We recommend 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding. This gives your guest just enough time to RSVP, but not too little time to make arrangements and not too much time to mail back an inaccurate response.
Do I have to print labels or hand write my guest addresses or do you offer a service to assist in this area?
We offer full digital guest address and return address envelope printing!
How do we properly format our guest addresses for digital address envelope printing?
Essentially, we just need a spreadsheet with all of your guests names and addresses. We will use a merging system to merge your guest's addresses onto your envelope proofs. The way you input your guests addresses is exactly how they will merge on to your proofs, so we ask that you make sure all your guest address information that you provide is exactly how you would like it to be printed (spelling, grammar, etc.). We will provide proofs for you to review and make changes before printing. Here is the link to our envelope anatomy infographic!
What postage will my invitations require?
The postage required for the outer envelope of your invitation suite will either be a 55 cent or 70 cent stamp (depending on the weight/size of the invitation) and then for the rsvp envelopes a 55 cent stamp will also be needed. Nevertheless, we recommend you bring one complete invitation suite into your local post office to have them weigh it and confirm this postage amount before purchasing. One other fun note, the post office often has wedding stamps at both the 55 cent and 70 cent stamp weight, so look out for that if interested.
When is the earliest I can order stamps for my invitation?
We recommend you bring one complete invitation suite into your local post office to have them weigh it to confirm this postage amount before purchasing. However, if you would like purchase custom stamps prior to your invitation being completed, we can create a “mock suite” and bring it to our local post office for a proper weight estimation. Please note, if your invitation suite is on the border of 55 cent or 70 cent stamp, we always recommend going with the 70 cent stamp to be safe. Post office weights can always vary slightly from location to location.
Do I need to flag my invitations as hand cancel only at the post office?
Once when you are ready to mail out your invitations, we recommend you go into the post office and ask them to "hand-cancel" your post. This is opposed to "machine-cancel" and will ensure they are managed and stamped by hand versus being run through a machine. It usually will be of no additional charge and is just one small step we can take to help preserve the crispness of the invitation through the mailing process!
