10 Clues You Might Want Custom Wedding Invitations

Right after the proposal, it seems like everyone has 2 questions for you: when are you getting married and where?!? Next comes deciding on a budget , hiring a slew of vendors, mailing out save the dates, and somehow a year has passed and it’s time to mail your invitations and get married.

I’m a firm believer in enjoying the process of planning a wedding as much as you can. It’s a singular experience. While marriage is indeed the most important part, the more thought and care you invest, the more rewarding the experience and end product.

When deciding whether or not you want to invest time & money into custom invitations,
here are a few things to keep in mind.

  • Do you have absolutely no vision for your wedding invitations? No idea where to start?
    Working with a professional designer is the easiest way to overcome this obstacle.
    We know what questions to ask to help guide you toward something you’ll love.

  • Do you have a really specific vision for your wedding invitations?
    If so, the generic invitations you’ll find at Paper Source or the mass-produced invitations on Minted just aren’t going to make you happy. A designer is there to help you decide which colors + papers are best, and will work with you on every tweak.

  • Are you detail-oriented?
    If so, you’ll be happier working with someone to create something specific and unique, rather than choosing a semi-custom or non-custom option that you don’t have much control over.

  • This might seem obvious, but if you love keepsakes, you want to design your own invitation. Framing an invitation whose paper you chose, with a calligraphy style that was tweaked to suit you, and colors that spoke to you + your fiancé will be so meaningful.

  • Do you love cute stationery?
    (And possibly have 10 Rifle Paper Co. notebooks stashed around your house?)
    If you’re drawn to paper and beautifully designed stationery, then custom design is for you! Take all of your favorite elements about your favorite paper goods and combine them into something fabulous and unique.

  • Similarly, if you love books, I think you’ll love working on custom invitations.
    Browsing the aisles of my local bookstore (Kramer’s in DuPont!) is one of my favorite ways to feel inspired. If you love soft paper and old letters, you’ll appreciate the quality that a designer can give you.

  • Is your wedding color palette really unique?
    If so, you might not be able to find a pre-designed invitation suite that matches.

  • Do you have an opinionated fiancé, who wants to be an equal partner in the wedding planning process? The nitty gritty of design can be a really fun way to connect with your future spouse, and to learn more about each other. My fiancé (as of June 2019) and I had been dating for 9 years when we designed our wedding invitations together and still learned new aspects of each other’s tastes!

  • This one is definitely me… Do you like to shop for things that not everyone else has?
    To have unique bits + baubles around your house, or a pair of shoes that always get compliments because they’re so unique and gorgeous? You won’t want generic invitations.

  • Last, but not least. If you’re working with a budget that allows to you spent $1,000+ on invitations without putting pressure on other items that you really care about (ie: venue, photographer, etc.), then why not! I’m a big believer in the inherent fun of the design process and lifelong keepsake value of a beautiful invitation. But, if you have a more conservative budget, you don’t need to put any pressure on yourself or the process by feeling like you “should” choose custom design. Semi-custom invitations are a great cost-saving way to have something beautiful, without opening the purse strings too widely!

If you’re interested in seeing the start of pricing for custom wedding invitations,
head on over to the pricing page to see a basic breakdown of costs.

A custom cost proposal takes less than 24 hours,
and I can even give you a basic quote over the phone!

The photos above are from a beautiful editorial photo shoot to celebrate American Grown Flower Month.

Venue - Chesapeake Bay Beach Club
Host & Floral Design - Petals by the Shore
Photography -Manda Weaver
HMUA - Infinity Artistry, Sara E Artistry
Gown - My Wony Bridal
Calligraphy - Calligraphette & Co.
Farms - Scenic Place Peonies , Rose Story Farm, Life On The Ridge , Petal Patch Flower Farm , Grateful Gardeners , Bloomia Flowers , MandM Plants , Ronald's Pampas Grass