Invitation Help Please :-)

[October2008bride]

Well...I know it is early for invites, but I was thinking that since we were going to do STDs, maybe the could kind of match, or at least work together. So I started the invite hunt.

There are a lot of beautiful invites out there. That is what makes it so hard!!

We have the budget to just buy them, however, we went to see one company''s stuff and watching the lady put together a sample for us in oh....1 minute....made me question paying that much for something I can clearly do myself.

So we could go either DIY or buy from a company. I''m open to suggestions.

My biggest issue so far is that while I really love teh look of the pocket-type invitation, I''ve just seen so many of them (I''m at that age where allll my friends are getting hitched) and I''d like to do something a bit different.

Of course my parents LOVE the pocket idea, and aren''t so keen on some of the things I like!!

Okay - here are a few of the invites we like.

This one is from www.notfromabox.com. They sent us the sample and it is awesome! Raised silver ink (embossed?). My parents definitely didn''t love it - mostly because they felt it was tough to read on the black.

 

[October2008bride]

Our colours are primarily black and white with red flowers etc.

Here''s another one we like. I really like the whole booklet idea where everything is together...

 

[October2008bride]

And here''s one more that I thought was kind of unique...

 

[October2008bride]

So I think if I love the black one enough, I can have the nice ladies at notfromabox put them into a booklet or a sleeve or something...I'm just not sure though!!

Sigh...I think this is why my married sister always said she'd marry her husband all over again, she just wouldn't have a big wedding! All of these decisions are so difficult and so expensive!!

PS I think that most of these could by DIY or partial-DIY (i.e. get someone else to design and print all the parts and my FI and I put them together...

So what do you all think!?!?!

 

[sera]

I think the booklet idea is really cool and has not been overdone (yet).

The one thing about DIY... well, there are several things, but ok, the first thing... if you DIY, typically you are not going to get metallic ink or embossing (though there are stamping type of things you could do, but it would take a LOT of time).

Also, depending on the program you would use, it may be very difficult getting the right alignment and spacing, etc. The easy programs are easy to use, but they mostly have automated settings (which makes them easy to use but more difficult to make custom adjustments). Design programs like Illustrator or InDesign, etc. aren''t as easy, but they also do not have the limitations of relying on pre-set parameters.

Another consideration... sometimes DIY looks DIY. Just because you have the paper and the printer and the ribbon and the fonts, etc... well... it can sometimes miss that professional look- which isn''t necessarily bad, it''s just a different look.

They are pretty easy to do, but sometimes you run into problems that could be stressful. It''s also easy to tell someone, "This is what I want" and they do it lol. For the most part, it is easy, so you can do it, but whether you should is up to you. Maybe decide on what you want exactly and if it''s something you can do and you want to do it, go for it.

 

[sera]

OH! I LOVE that semi-transparent sleeve! I love it! I love it!

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 10/28/2007 7:10:37 PM
Author: sera
I think the booklet idea is really cool and has not been overdone (yet).

The one thing about DIY... well, there are several things, but ok, the first thing... if you DIY, typically you are not going to get metallic ink or embossing (though there are stamping type of things you could do, but it would take a LOT of time).

Also, depending on the program you would use, it may be very difficult getting the right alignment and spacing, etc. The easy programs are easy to use, but they mostly have automated settings (which makes them easy to use but more difficult to make custom adjustments). Design programs like Illustrator or InDesign, etc. aren''t as easy, but they also do not have the limitations of relying on pre-set parameters.

Another consideration... sometimes DIY looks DIY. Just because you have the paper and the printer and the ribbon and the fonts, etc... well... it can sometimes miss that professional look- which isn''t necessarily bad, it''s just a different look.

They are pretty easy to do, but sometimes you run into problems that could be stressful. It''s also easy to tell someone, ''This is what I want'' and they do it lol. For the most part, it is easy, so you can do it, but whether you should is up to you. Maybe decide on what you want exactly and if it''s something you can do and you want to do it, go for it.

Thanks Sera!

We are lucky that we have a friend who owns a printing company and has the ability to do the embossing if that is what we would like. So basically we''d design it, get the paper etc, he''d print it and we''d put it together.

I''m not super keen on this idea, but my FI is. The difference in price is significant. If the printer were to do it (actually, he quoted us to do it all - design, paper, printing) and we''d just put it together, it is 300 for 80 invites.

However, I tried to explain why I was nervous to my FI. I likened it to wanting to buy a suit. and instead of going to the custom suit guy, deciding to go to a seamstress. Sure she can sew, cut, and follow a pattern. But does she have an eye for the design of a suit? Does she know how it should sit on you/look when it is done?

He kind of understood, but he''s so confident we can get it cheaper and just as good. Uhh...

We are meeting with the woman who made the booklet and the sleeve above on Friday. I hope there is something that wows us that justifies just having someone else make it. While we don''t want to throw away money, we have a decent budget for invites and part of me wishes we could just use it so we don''t have the stress!

 

[October2008bride]

Oh and I''m not sure if it matters, but the wedding will be somewhat formal, but with a ''downtown'' flair. So I think that is why I want something that is unique, but still classy and high quality.

Hmm...