The 6 Biggest Wedding Invitation Mistakes Not to Make
Picking out your stationery is one of the most fun wedding planning tasks you get to do. I mean look at all the pretty in this post alone by stationer Paperlust! We've joined up with wedding stationery experts Paperlust today to help you avoid costly mistakes (and check out their modern paper goods in the process!).
Your invitation gives your guests a glimpse into the festivities to come—plus all the need-to-know-info, of course. To make sure you're sending out all the right details to all the right people—and that everything's timed just right—there are several elements to pay special attention to before signing off. From the design to the logistics, here are the most common types of wedding invitation mistakes couples make—not to scare you, but to help you avoid making them.
1. Trying to Cram Every Element on One Invitation Design
While it's encouraged to give your invitation suite a personal element (like including an illustrated map of your wedding destination) less can often be more. In other words, while you may be obsessed with the floral pattern of your dress, the modern architecture of your reception venueand the idea of including your cats somehow, don't try to cram everything onto your stationery. Instead, work with your stationer to choose the right balance of one (or maybe two) you love. We love this classic gray and blush suite from Paperlust and how romantic yet modern it is. Timeless wedding stationery at it's best!
2. Not Catching Typos
This includes your Engagement Announcements too! Ask your grammatically inclined friends to look over the invitation proof with a fine-tooth comb. You'd be surprised what you, your partner and even your stationer could miss. I spelled a road name wrong on the map part of our wedding invitations, and no one noticed until the invites were printed and mailed. Is it the end of the world? Of course not. But is it avoidable and worth the triple-check? Definitely. Take a note from copy editors and read from right to left so you don't accidentally gloss over a mistake.
3. Going Overboard on Color
We're all about making invites pop with color, whether they're bold and bright or soft and pastel—but as with mistake number one, don't get too carried away. Always balance bright colors with something more muted, and make sure the text is visible (that's the most important part). Love the above gold foiling as a detail! Keep your palette to three to five colors, with one or two being neutral, such as ivory, white, gold or tan.
4. Addressing the Envelopes Yourselves
DIY wedding projects can be great—but only in the right circumstances. Addressing envelopes takes time and careful attention. If you decide to do this yourself (again, you've been warned) don't do it all in one sitting. Give yourself plenty of time to avoid making any mistakes (and going crazy!). You can find a full list of stationers who address envelopes in our Vendor Guide.
5. Forgetting to Put Stamps on the Reply Envelope
Major face palm! It's an obvious detail, but it's often overlooked. Trust us when we say it's nearly impossible to steam open an envelope once it's been sealed. Make sure you're paying attention and super-careful while stuffing.
6. Waiting Too Long to Hire a Stationer
With sites like Paperlust, there's so much choice it may take a while to choose your final design. They offer an array of luxury print options, including letterpress, white ink, raised foil, print on wood, real foil, digital print, photo cards and vellum so that you can completely customise your event.
If you do need to choose late in the game, don't stress too much - Paperlust express ship within 2-4 days of dispatch and offer free express shipping for orders over $300 USD. Result!
So, we hope you've heeded some advice ready to get started on your invitations! Paperlust are on the brink of launching a brand new vellum range - something we LOVE! Other new ranges launching soon include: Jewish, Indian and Greek wedding invites as well as Tiffany blue invitations. Look out for the new ‘mix n’ match’ option that is arriving soon where customers can select a range of colour stocks in their invitation suite to provide variety and express their own individuality. Last but not least, send and seal invitations are now live on the Paperlust site, where all your invitation cards are in one easy piece of card - no envelopes required!
