Never the Same Thing Twice!

I recently had a new client call me and say "I love that fiesta invitation on your website. Can you make that design for me?" Of course I can! But does it have to be identical? No way, José!

Even though this new client would have been satisfied with the EXACT same thing, I created a similar but still unique design that better fit her style. Besides, where's the fun in hand-me-downs anyway??

So, at our consultation, don't be afraid to bring me an invitation or two that you like. We can use it as a starting point for your true-to-you design :)

Adorable Baby Shower Invitation Idea

As many of you new mommies and daddies (or gift-buying friends of new mommies and daddies) know, there are sooooooo many adorable nursery bedding sets out there. If you find one you LOVE before your baby shower, why not have your baby shower invitations designed to match? Not only will your shower guests be super impressed, but you can also frame the invitation and hang it in the nursery!  :)

(Bedding set featured above is the "Brooks" Nursery Set from Pottery Barn Kids)

Beautiful, modern calligraphy!

Tumbleweed Paperie is proud to offer stunning handlettering by Natalie Grace Calligraphy Co. 

Here is a sample of her exquisite work. Just gorgeous, right??? For more photos, check out her website at { www.nataliegrace.com }

The Cost of Custom

What's more frustrating than scouring the internet to find the perfect invitation and coming up empty handed?? Asking a designer how much they charge for a custom job and getting the "well... it depends..." response.

Of course, custom work DOES depend on a LOT of things, but that doesn't really help you decide if you can afford it or not. So, here are some starting points for you (and they are surprisingly reasonable!!) -- just keep in mind that these prices will multiply like a pack of bunnies if you go crazy with extras. I hope this helps!

Typical starting prices for custom work at Tumbleweed Paperie:

• Basic Invitation ($2.00 each): single 5x7 flat card and envelopes with printed return address
• Basic Wedding Invitation ($3.25 each): 5x7 ceremony card, 3.5x5 reply card, printed outer envelope, and printed reply envelope
• Standard Wedding Invitation ($4.35 each): 5x7 ceremony card, 5x7 reception or info card, 3.5x5 reply card, printed outer envelope, and printed reply envelope 

Things that can up your price: 

• Fancy paper - textures, metallics, patterns, super heavy stock
• Extra pieces - inner envelopes, pockets, gate cards
• Embellishments - vellum, envelope liners, ribbons, backers
• Printing method - thermography, letterpress, engraving

The above starting prices are based on a quantity of 200 and include high-quality flat printing and custom design fees. These prices do not include applicable taxes and shipping. 

Wedding Paper 101

You're engaged!! Congratulations!! For most brides and grooms, the first wedding planning decisions are obvious: pick a date, pick a location, find a dress. Save-the-dates and invitations may pop into your head at some point, but where do you start? Here's a quick rundown in bullet-point fashion (because I know how crazy busy wedding planning can be):

Wedding Paper Breakdown

• Absolute bare minimum: wedding invitation suite and ceremony program
• What most people do: save-the-date card, wedding invitation suite, ceremony program, thank-you card
• Common additions: rehearsal dinner invitation, bridal or couples shower invitation, table numbers, place cards, reception menu
• Other extras: engagement announcement, bachelor/bachelorette party invitation

General Timeline

• ASAP #1: compile your guest list and get their addresses
• ASAP #2: take engagement photos (if you're doing them)
• At least 7 months before wedding: order save-the-date cards
• At least 6 months before wedding: send out save-the-date cards
• 3-4 months before wedding: order wedding invitation suite
• 6-8 weeks before wedding: send out wedding invitation suite and rehearsal dinner invitations
• 3 weeks before wedding: RSVP deadline, follow-up on missing RSVPs
• 1-2 weeks before wedding: caterer will need a final guest count

Super Helpful Tips

• Email out a Google Docs form to collect the mailing addresses for all of your guests (I'll make a blog post on how to do this soon). Most people have easy access to everyone's email address but not their mailing address, so this tip is a huge time saver.
• As painful of a process as it can be, really try to get your guest list solidified as early as possible. It will dictate what venues you can use and how much you can spend on per-guest expenses like food, transportation, and invitations (of course).
• If the printing cost of your wedding paper pieces is getting too high, forego a preprinted return address on your envelopes for a custom self-inking address stamp for as little as $15! They give your envelopes a hand-made feel without the cost of calligraphy or pain of writing it all yourself (can you say hand cramp??). 

If this is starting to overwhelm you, LET ME HELP!! Even if you're budget doesn't allow for custom invitations, I have beautiful pre-made designs available on Etsy, or I can help you pick out an amazing design from Envelopments or Carlson Craft. Just because you want to pick from a catalog doesn't mean you have to go at it alone. I can help you customize the wording, choose which pieces to include, decide on paper and ink colors, etc. Talk about a weight off your shoulders, right? :)