Are custom wedding invitations worth it?

Should you order custom or semi- custom wedding invitations from a stationery designer? Are custom wedding invitations worth the price? It’s true you can find cheaper invitations elsewhere and there are SO many options for wedding stationery these days it’s nearly overwhelming.

You can order from a big online printing company like Shutterfly, you can create your own on Canva, order a downloadable file from Etsy, or find a friend who has Photoshop on their computer (I hear designers all over the world shrieking cries of horror at just the thought of this one!).

But you have to be getting something more for the higher price that comes with a stationer, right? Absolutely. Let me explain:

Not all wedding invitation providers are created equal.

So many people are opting for these bigger companies or downloadable files just to save a little money, but is it really worth the unseen costs? We may be biased, but sometimes it truly can be more expensive to order from one of these other companies when you consider all of the costs. Here’s why working with an independent stationer is still worth it:

You Save Time

Your time is precious, especially now with the long to-do list that comes with wedding planning. You don’t have the time to look through hundreds or thousands of invitations only to get more confused than when you started. You don’t have the time to look up how to word an invitation or how to edit a downloadable file from Etsy. You don’t have the time to learn all of the design principles it takes to make an invitation look good on one of those online invitation builders.

We know invitations, paper, and printing processes. All of our brides receive free stationery wording guides to help with what is one of the most challenging parts of invitations, and we are here to walk you through every step. We know design and typography, and we go over every detail dozens of times to make sure it’s perfect.

When you work with an independent stationer, all you have to do is tell us what you have in mind and then say “Yes that’s it!” when we show you the final proof. Your time is the only thing you can’t get more of. Let us take this off your to-do list so you can get back to what matters to you.

You Don’t Have to Deal with Printers

Sure you can go to Etsy or Canva and get a cheap invitation to print yourself, but you’ll end up with much more stress and headache than it’s worth, trust us. Printing can be a beast – they’ll ask for specific file formats, if you want 100lb. bright white or 160lb. classic white paper, or the colors will print differently from how they look on the screen. If you don’t have a bleed and crop marks in your pdf they won’t cut it right and there will be an ugly white line on the edge of your full-color invitations. You can try printing at home, but you’ll likely end up spending hours cutting out invitations that end up with crooked edges.

We know exactly how to set up files to print so that they’ll turn out perfectly. The printers we work with are the highest quality, not like the employees at Staples that just learned how to use a printer last week. You won’t have to even think about the print specifications or cutting out 200 invitations – you’ll just get your invitations in the mail with everything complete and printed to perfection!

You Get a Safeguard Against Mistakes

We know where the most common mistakes are made and how to safeguard against them. You won’t end up forgetting the time of your ceremony, misspelling a word, or ordering the wrong size envelopes.

So many brides end up having to re-print their invitations because of one mistake that could have easily been avoided. That’s unnecessary extra time, money, and stress – and no bride should have that on top of everything else going on while planning a wedding.

You Have More Control with Custom Wedding Invitations

You don’t have to settle for a “coral pink” when your wedding colors are “dusty rose.” Most online providers pigeonhole you into a color scheme, fonts or layout that you may want to change. With a stationer, we will create a completely custom wedding invitation or adapt a semi-custom invitation to your liking. We want your invitations to represent YOU, not the masses.

If you really love an invitation but don’t like the border around it, it’s gone. Want to add a monogram to the top of an invitation? You’ve got it! We can even perfectly match the color of your invitations to your own color scheme. You have the ultimate say when you work with a real, live stationer, and we make sure you love every aspect of your invitations before we print.

You Make a Real Person Smile

Seriously, you make our day when you book us. Like literal happy dances every. single. time. we hear from a bride (and I don’t usually dance). But it doesn’t stop there!

We also work with local printers and they benefit from your orders, too! Any pretty details come from artisans, like specialty handmade paper and hand-dyed silk ribbons. You literally make dreams come true for MULTIPLE people every time you work with a small, local stationer. You go, girl!

Sorry if I got a little too honest there, I get pretty passionate about this because I truly believe you are so much better taken care of when you work with an individual rather than a large conglomerate. When it comes to wedding planning, opting to go with a stationer can free you from stress and regain your time, plus you’ll get invitations that you and your guests will love.

If you’re on a tight budget or love a DIY project, maybe one of those printable or low-cost invitations is perfect for you. No judgment or shame here, I honestly want you to do what is best for you.

If you, however, want a fun and stress-free stationery experience that ends with invitations uniquely yours, then a small stationer may be the perfect fit for you. Whether you choose Lively Letter Co. (I hope so!) or another independent stationer for custom wedding invitations, you (and your community) will be better off for it.