july/august 2012 17 aisle file The ABCs of invitation styles, from paperless to letterpress invites your way BY ERIKA HUENEKE • PHOTOS BY CARRIE GARCIA L etterpress or digital printing? Plantable or framable? Technicolor or simple black-and- white? These days, there are a million different options for wedding invitations, the first impression your guests will get of your wedding away. To save you time, we got the skinny on eight different invitation styles (from least expensive to most costly) and high- lighted the latest trends so you can make a beeline for the one that’s right for you.
Transcript
july/august 2012 17
aisle file
The ABCs of invitation styles, from paperless to letterpressinvites your way
By erika hueneke • photos By carrie garcia
L etterpress or digital printing? Plantable or framable? Technicolor or simple black-and-white? These days, there are a million different options for wedding invitations, the
first impression your guests will get of your wedding away. To save you time, we got the skinny on eight different invitation styles (from least expensive to most costly) and high-
lighted the latest trends so you can make a beeline for the one that’s right for you.
18 destination weddings & honeymoons
aisle file
Paperless $What it is Interactive online stationery that simulates the experience of paper, complete with digital envelopes. The best companies go way be-yond simple evites, focusing on elegant, personal-ized presentations. Who it’s for Those with a short planning period and/or a younger or more tech-savvy guest list. “We’re seeing a really big shift toward users opting for a paperless save-the-date because of the im-mediacy and efficiency, even if they’re sending paper invitations,” says James Hirschfeld of Paperless Post, the industry leader.Process Paperless Post offers hundreds of pre-formatted cards that allow couples to simply drop in their names and details. A design tool allows you to choose from 65 different fonts. time frame As little as minutes.inserts “Hosts can add up to six additional cards in each envelope, including maps, photo inserts, and travel and accommodation options, along with any additional information they might want to include.” Price Each card typically costs less than $1 per guest, and often less than 50 cents each.
Eco-Friendly $$What it is A 100 percent biodegradable invitation made entirely of recycled material. “Our plantable invitations are as eco-friendly as it gets — they reproduce life, which is really unique,” says Tim Heredia of ForeverFiances.Who it’s for The environmentally conscious cou-ple who wants something with a natural aesthetic. “We have a variety of designers and designs, many of which feature trees, flowers and nature scenes. But that doesn’t account for everybody’s tastes, so we do accept the couple’s original design as well.”Process “Couples select an invitation online; they provide their text; and we provide them with a proof via email. Brides can then receive free samples of the design they like by liking us on Facebook.” time frame Generally an eight- to 10-day turn-around for the entire process.inserts “We offer menus, place cards and other enclosures. My favorite way of showing that off is with the all-in-one invitation that’s very long and folds up into a self-mailer with four panels, a flap and a detachable RSVP card.” Price From $1.69 to $6.99 per invitation.
Printing Book $$$What it is Print consultants at businesses like Sam Flax provide a book of invitation samples from stationers such as Crane and William Arthur. “These days, there is no hard and fast rule as far as types of invitations offered; most stationers carry everything from traditional ecru stock with engraving to funky, modern digital printing,” says Sophia Bowman-Albirt, paperie manager at Sam Flax in Atlanta.Who it’s for Those who prefer face-to-face interaction and the chance to see and feel paper sizes and textures in person.Process Couples set an appointment and come prepared with information such as hotel websites and event times, as well as any ideas regarding color and layout. The print consultant advises on options and etiquette and shows couples appropri-ate suites, paper colors and fonts. time frame Expect two to four weeks from when the order is placed to when it’s ready for pickup.inserts “The sky is the limit.” Price Between $6 and $25 per suite with multiple inserts and a pocket enclosure.
Bilingual $$$$What it is A layout that accommodates wording in more than one language. “Some couples opt for both languages on one card; others have separate cards printed in each language,” says Trish Jackson of Invitations by Ajalon.Who it’s for Multicultural couples or ones with bilingual guests.Process “The typical process begins with an in-person or phone consultation to develop a rough design direction and concept. Once the pricing and contract are finalized, we prepare proofs. After the proofs are approved, we move to production.”time frame “At a minimum, allow four to six weeks from your initial consultation for your order to be designed, produced and shipped. We generally recommend that couples order their invitations four or five months before their wedding date.”inserts “We love designing invitation sets for bi-lingual and destination celebrations. Hand-drawn maps, accommodations cards and unique accents really get guests excited about a wedding away.” Price $1,147 per 100 for a single-color set including invitation, RSVP card and printed envelopes.
Print-at-Home $What it is A DIY kit that comes with a printable invitation, invitation envelope, response card and response-card envelope. “Ribbons, embellishments and invitation pockets are also included in many of our kits,” says Jenny Kunz of Gartner Studios. Plus, at-home kits aren’t just plain white cards anymore. “We offer more than 100 styles, including bold trend-forward colors and patterns.”Who it’s for Couples on a budget and/or who enjoy being hands-on.Process “Purchase your invitation kit at a variety of retail stores nationwide or at gartnerstudios.com, find your invitation template on our website, enter your copy and print with your home computer.”time frame A few hours.inserts “Many of our deluxe kits come with an extra all-purpose card that can be used for recep-tion information, directions, maps or other impor-tant details. We also carry additional packages of all-purpose cards, as well as ceremony programs, place cards, table-number cards, decor, favor boxes and thank-you cards, within our wedding line.” Price $29.99 to $39.99 per 25- to 50-count kit.
Digital $$What it is A ready-to-order invitation with a set design whose type style, photos, and ink and design colors can be customized using online tools. Who it’s for The couple more focused on plan-ning experiences and activities for their guests and less on invitation decisions. Process “Our ordering process is very visual," says Allison De Meulder of Invitation Consultants. ”Our website allows for an instant preview of the invitation to be seen as the user is personalizing. Couples can see the wording and colors change as they build their suite piece by piece.”time frame The length of time varies based on the printing methods used, but many items can be com-pleted and shipped in just two to four business days.inserts “We offer a variety of insert cards on our site to allow for more details, directions and maps. We recommend that destination couples include an insert detailing the accommodations and any other activities planned for the trip.”Price The most popular invitations, from the Red Leaf Papers collection, range from $1 to $3 each (when ordering 100).
for info on the invitation designs featured in this story, see the 411 on Page 119.
Custom Letterpress $$$$What it is A printing method that creates a tac-tile impression on paper. “We’re known for custom letterpress-printed envelope liners and pocket folds, specialty die-cut shapes and embellishments,” says Valerie Carlson of Spark Letterpress.
Who it’s for Paper and design enthusiasts. “We love to meet with people in person because often clients are inclined to simply look at the in-vitations. We encourage clients to touch our prod-ucts because letterpress is about the feel of the impression, the softness of the papers.”
Process “Visit letterpresslove.com or a local Spark dealer to find a design style you like. A con-sultant will help you through the ordering process by discussing your event details, artwork, colors, papers, quantity and price. Once your order is placed, we email a PDF design proof.”
time frame Six to eight weeks from start to finish, plus extra time for custom artwork. “The more time you allow, the better you’ll feel — it’s never fun to be rushed. Stationery for destina-tion weddings should be planned well in advance, as guests need time to make their reservations. Most of the destination save-the-dates we print are mailed at least six to 12 months in advance.”
inserts “We often create a wedding-weekend details card for destination weddings, including the schedule of events, travel information and sug-gested activities while guests are there.”
Price $1,400 per 100 for a four-piece one-color letterpress invitation set with pocket fold.
Illustrated $$$$What it is An invitation that incorporates any sort of hand-drawn artwork — pen and ink, watercolor, graphite pencil — or digital illustration. “Everything we create is done from an original sketch,” says Courtney Jentzen of Swiss Cottage Designs. “We never use clip art.”
Who it’s for Couples looking for a very per-sonalized, custom feel without being too crafty or DIY. “The great thing about an illustrated invite is that it lends itself to different clients and not just one type of couple. You can make the illustration feel formal or retro, rustic or whimsical — there are many options.”
Process “We like to get to know everything we can about the couple before we proceed with any sort of design work. Every little detail helps us con-ceptualize the couple’s design. Once we go back and forth, we come up with a solid design concept to move forward with. The couple is very involved in the creative process from the beginning.”
time frame Roughly six to eight weeks from the first consultation for design and production.
inserts “Because we like to be as green as possible, we find clever ways to incorporate multiple cards into one piece so the guest isn’t overwhelmed with inserts. Our custom maps have been a huge hit, and a lot of clients like to include a weekend schedule of events so their guests are in the know.”
Price $1,700 per 100 for a three-piece custom suite (no map). ■
maPs“We’ve been using vintage maps on
save-the-dates or as invite backers or envelope liners.” — Valerie Carlson
BaCk to BasICs“A big trend is classic invitations with
just text or simple borders.” — Trish Jackson
EmPHasIs on LoCaLE“People are playing up their destina-tion versus playing up themselves.”
— Courtney Jentzen
BranDIng“Couples are branding their weddings by using the same motif on all paper
pieces used.” — Sophia Bowman-Albirt
CrEatIvE tyPEFaCEs“We’re noticing that our users are hav-ing a lot of fun with artful typography.”
— James Hirschfeld
watErCoLor“One of our designers has been inte-grating watercolor more, and it’s been received really warmly.” — Tim Heredia
