Your wedding invitations offer the first sneak peek into your wedding, and it is a reflection of your taste and personality. Hence, you should make sure you choose well.
Wedding invitations involve a lot of stationery, and this can quickly add up to quite an amount of money. There are DIY kits, which allow you to customize and create your own signature style invitations. However, you may not have the time to do it all. So, here are some tips to help you get the best for the money you spend, when choosing your wedding invitations.
Start early and find great deals
As with everything related to weddings, the sooner you start, the more chances you have at finding better offers. If you do not rush your wedding invitation supplier, you are more likely to get a good deal. Also, you will have time to search around and compare vendor prices, and choose the best on offer.
Opt for thermography, instead of engraving and embossing
Engraving and embossing are traditional styles of invitation printing. They are classic, but very pricey. If you cannot afford the huge price tag accompanying them, look at thermography instead. The print looks similar to embossing, but is much cheaper. The benefits do not end here. It can also be done much faster, and the look isn’t very different from the engraved one. Both feel the same to the touch, and the difference can be felt, only when you rub the front and back of the letters at the same time. Well, do you think your guests will bother to go into such details!
Check for package deals and buy in bulk
Most vendors can print all wedding stationery. This includes wedding invitations, rehearsal dinner invites, menu cards, place cards, programs and thank-you cards. Look at vendors who do this, and ask for a discount if you order all your printing from them. Since you will anyway be investing money for all this paper, you might as well do it at one place and get a better deal.
Pay attention to postage charges
Wedding invitations go through the mail, and this means you have to pay for postal stamps. The size of your invitation will determine the postage charges. So, do your research before you choose your invitations, and stick to an envelope size that will help you stay within budget.
Skimp on the extra bits
Each piece of paper that goes into your wedding invite comes at an additional cost. So, consider what is necessary and what isn’t. Avoid inset papers and extra decoration, and choose a simple, but elegant design that conveys all the necessary information. Draft your invite so it is comprehensive but uses less space. With a little planning, you can make your invitation an impressive bombshell of information, but within minimum space.
Check out this link on Best for bride for the various invitation options we have on offer. You can find plenty of inspiration, options for customizing your wedding invitations to match the wedding theme, and also contact us for placing your orders, here.
Isn’t it interesting how your wedding day—one you looked forward to for months, and planned to the minutest detail—gets over in no time? Wedding days can seem so busy, that you later feel it passed too soon. Once it’s over, your photos and wedding video will help you recollect all that happened to a certain extent. Nevertheless, for the sentimentalists among you, a memory box is a treasure trove that will allow you to relive every special moment of your wedding.
After all, your wedding is not just about the day you got married. The excitement of the event is complete only when you consider all that went into the wedding planning, right from the very day you were engaged. Many of you reading this post will most probably will planning your wedding. So, start putting together your treasure box immediately, and you will save every detail that will help you remember your wedding day, once it’s over.
Here is a list of all that should go into your memory box; the various treasures you can hold on to and preserve your wedding memories for ever.
From your engagement
The minute you agreed to be together for ever—that magical moment has to be treasured forever. If you had an engagement shoot, add a picture of it into your treasure box. I like this idea on the Hitched website, of making a journal with the details of how you were proposed to, so you have a crystal clear reminder of how it was for the later years.
Did you host an engagement party? If so, save a sample invite and a few pictures highlighting the event. Another detail that will remind you of the beautiful moment is a picture of the place where the proposal took place. Make sure you get a snapshot of it as early as possible. You never know if it will change over time and you will lose the visual element of that special moment.
You can also hold on to any special love notes, cards or tags from the gifts your beloved gifted you during your engagement. These will bring back the wonderful memories of the time you spent as an engaged couple.
Reminders of the wedding venue
How did your search for the perfect wedding venue go? Did you settle on the first one that you saw, or did you search for days to find the appropriate one? Save a venue brochure and all those memories of finding the place you were wed at, will stay with you. Save a picture of what stands out at the venue, the unique altar design or the perfect view of the outdoors from the window, and it will be a precious keepsake. If you had an outdoor wedding; at the beach or in a garden, pick a few mementos from nature itself, and save them forever. This could be pretty pebbles, shells or pine cones, that can conjure up the images of the day.
Invitations and Save-the-date cards
This is something every bride normally does, even without any instruction. Every bride will save a copy of her wedding invitation for herself. While you do this, it will be a good idea to save any of the other stationery that you customized for your wedding day. Since you will be choosing the menu cards, wedding programs, table place cards and other details with so much effort, why not save a copy of each for your treasure trove.
Memories of your bachelorette party and bridal shower
Invites to both events, your bachelor party favors and any other physical items that will remind you of the big celebration you had. If your friends and family splurged on cake toppers, party buntings, customized napkins and more, you could borrow one of each to put into your treasure box. It will serve as wonderful reminders of the fun you had at these celebrations. Similarly, pick out a memento from your rehearsal dinner too. It could be anything like a menu card or a picture of the two of you on the day.
Food and drink
Think of the time you spent in choosing the perfect menu for your wedding reception? It certainly deserves special mention in your bridal box of memories. Drop in a copy of your wedding menu and beverage list, and also add a few pictures of the fare that was served on the day. I think it would be wonderful to add in few comments on why you chose certain dishes or small notes on what everyone especially loved. You can also save a wine bottle stopper or the champagne bottle corker to remind you of the toasts at your reception.
The special wedding dress moment
One of the most important decisions a bride makes for her wedding, is choosing her wedding dress. I’m sure it would have taken you hours of research, planning and shopping to finalize the one dress in which you were to get married. Plus, it is usually one of the most exciting and enjoyable parts of wedding shopping. Remind yourself of this over the years to come, by saving the tags from your gown into your treasure box, as well as a fabric scrap from the inside of the gown.
If you have a picture of yourself on the day you said “Yes” to the dress, this goes into your box too. Take a look at all the smiling brides who got their dress from Best for Bride. We make sure their shopping day is preserved forever with a wonderful photo keepsake from this special day. Make sure you get yours too.
Unlike the wedding dress, brides usually find use for their wedding accessories on another occasion, except perhaps the tiara and veil. If you have any accessories that you will not be using in the near future, save them into your treasure box. If you have customized your ensemble with interesting bridal accessories like shoe stickers, flowers or brooches, these can be saved as well. Another good item to store is your wedding perfume. If you chose a special new scent for your special day, how about putting it into your wedding box, and saving it for those special moments that are to come in the years.
Bouquets, boutonnieres and other floral creations
Imagine opening up a box, and the scent of potpourri wafting through your senses. Spellbinding, isn’t it? Make this possible by saving the flowers from your wedding in your treasure box. You can always have your wedding bouquet preserved professionally through freeze-drying and add it to your art work at home, and relish its beauty everyday. Read all about it on this article at Keepsake Floral.
However, if you do not want to opt for this expensive method, you can still hold on to your wedding flowers by drying them out and adding them to your memory box. Simply hang them in a dry ventilated place, till they dry completely, and then store them safely in a polythene bag. Or, you can make potpourri out of it, as detailed here.
Don’t forget to save pictures of your bouquet, the centerpieces and floral décor at the venue to remind you of the floral details that transformed your venue into a work of art. You can also press the larger blooms between the pages of a heavy book and add these to your collection.
Reminders of the ceremony
Capture the moment you got married by saving something used at the altar. Flowers used to decorate the altar, a candle that flickered beside you, the ring pillow or even your groom’s boutonniere would be a befitting addition to your wedding treasures.
Save your wedding favors
While you give your guests a keepsake from your wedding to take home and save, don’t forget to set one aside for yourself. If it is an edible favor, you cannot store it as such. In this case, save the packaging, and a picture of how the favors looked when they were given away. Non-edible favors like wine glasses, key chains, candles, photo frames or mirrors can be saved as such.
Wedding cake
The traditional practice of saving the top tier of the wedding cake, and savoring it on the first wedding anniversary is still popular. All you need to remember is to freeze it safely soon after the wedding, and make sure that the flavors you choose aren’t ones that spoil easily. However, you need your wedding cake memories to stay with you for much longer than your first anniversary. For this, save a copy of the drawing your baker created for your wedding cake. If there were non-edible items on it, like ribbons, figurines or flowers, box it.
Guest book and well-wishes
Your guest book is a valuable possession and deserves it’s rightful place in your treasure box. You can also make use of our beautiful petal wishes kit to save your well-wishers blessings for the future. This interesting novelty from Best for Bride, allows you to collect wishes from your favorite people on petals, and then snap them all together to form a beautiful flower. It makes a wonderful keepsake that you can frame or store for later, so try it out.
Wedding entertainment
The entire ambiance of your wedding reception is set by the music you chose for the evening. Create a CD of the songs that your DJ or band played at your wedding, and also save a written copy of the playlist. If you had a band playing at the wedding, don’t forget to include a picture of them performing at the event. Also, add in the details of all the important dances like your first dance, the mother-son dance and father-daughter dance.
Wedding cards, gift tags and notes
Your wedding gifts will arrive beautifully wrapped and with tags on them. Don’t just throw away them. You can create a mini-scrapbook with the tags and notes. If you used special stationery to write your thank you notes on, save a card for yourself too. Put the wedding cards you received into your memory box, and on a later day, you will have a delightful time looking through them and remembering the people who made your day so special.
From your honeymoon
The getaway after the wedding is not to be forgotten easily. This is the time you enjoy your newly wed status as husband and wife. Assuming that you go on a honeymoon to a destination away from home, make sure that you pick a few things to stuff into your wedding treasure box. Collect shells from the beach, toiletry bottles from the hotel you stayed at or a souvenir. Also add a stash of photos from the days you spent there, and it will make a beautiful finale to the great celebration that was your wedding.
Once your wedding is over, you will be surprised at how much time you seem to have, all of a sudden.. After all that hectic wedding planning, this may seem a welcome respite. Use this time to linger over the beautiful days that led up to your wedding. Pull out your wedding memory box, sit back and run through the various treasures you’ve so lovingly put inside. Sort through it, enjoy it and relive the precious moments associated with each keepsake, it will make you smile with all your heart.
Make sure you make a list of all that you intend to save from your wedding, so you do not miss collecting them when the time comes. Delegate the responsibility of taking charge of things at the venue to a trusted friend, so you get it all even if you are too occupied on the day to collect it yourself. Add it to your bridesmaids list of duties, so it isn’t forgotten.
For more wedding planning tips, advice and all your wedding related needs, continue visiting us on Best for Bride. We have every aspect of your wedding covered.
Your choice of stationery, size of invitations and method of printing are what determine the total cost for your invitations. When printing your wedding invitations, you have several techniques to choose from. Being aware of these different printing options will allow you to not only choose a method that fits your budget, but also to achieve the desired look and effect. So, let us find out what our options are.
Engraving
This is the traditional style of printing that has been used for ages. It is an expensive method, as the letters are etched on the cardstock in thick and good quality ink, using copper plates. After the ink is applied to the plates and pressed on the paper, the card is subjected to high pressure so the letters are pressed down into it. Engraved text is sharp and raised on the right side, and there are depressions on the other side of the page. It looks sophisticated and classic, but comes at a considerable price. Having your invitations engraved will take at least four to six weeks. So, if you choose it, place your order early.
Letterpress
This is a handcrafting method, where the ink is manually pushed into the paper using a metal plate on which the text is prepared. The result is similar to engraving, but not as refined. Your invitation cards have to be bulky and soft, for letterpress to work. Although it is expensive, it is cheaper than engraving. So, if you want a textured and sophisticated invitation, consider letterpress. The complexity of the design you choose is what determines the turnaround time. A set of invitations can be completed in as little as two weeks, or may take as much as two months.
Thermography
Another formal style of printing, thermography uses heated ink with resin powder to create lettering. The print is very similar to engraving, and has a raised surface. However, it is not as fine. This technique is affordable and takes less time to complete. You may however, have limited options to customize your invitation with colors.
Offset printing
This is the standard flat-printing that we are all familiar with. It is a low-budget choice, but looks very good when done well. Here, the ink lies flat against the surface of the paper, and you can choose to print in any color, format or design. Offset printing can be done quickly.
Digital printing
The results are similar to offset printing, but digital printing is done on thinner paper. It uses a printer, instead of a press. The method is suitable for casual wedding themes and it is possible to do almost any design or use any color, with this technique. This is the cheapest and quickest option, and you can have your invitation cards ready in a matter of days.
The style of printing you choose should reflect the formality of your wedding. After all, your invitations set the tone for your wedding. Although there are no hard and fast rules here, it is better to go for engraved, letterpress or thermographic printing styles if your wedding is a black-tie event. For a casual or semi-formal event, you can choose offset or digital prints.
To check out our collection of wedding invitation styles, as well as for all your other wedding needs, visit us on Best for Bride.
The gifts have begun arriving, and aren’t you a Happy Girl!
While receiving gifts is fun, do not forget the associated task of sending a thank you note for the thoughtful gifts you receive.
Your wedding can really drain you of all energy, and by the time you are settled into your newly married status, you may just have had enough of wedding-chores. It may seem a practical solution to get your thank you notes printed at a commercial service, and mail them to your wedding guests, but that doesn’t sound so thoughtful, does it?
There is an old-fashioned pleasure to sending a thank-you note, and the receiver will also appreciate your gesture. It isn’t impossible to do, and also conveys that you value your relationship with the person. So, make it a point to personally write your thank you notes and here are some tips to help you with it.
Send your thank you notes on time
Thank you notes have to be sent out soon after the gifts arrive, and you should make sure you do so within at least a month after your wedding. So, don’t postpone writing your notes, as it is easier to get through the list if you do so soon after you receive the gift. Make a list of who sent you what, and sit down to write your note soon after. You can either mail them all after the wedding, or send them out a few days after they arrive. If you are making use of stationery with your married name on it, make sure you do so only after you are married.
Use good quality stationery
Rather than getting the entire thank you message printed by a commercial vendor, have your fold-over notes printed with a monogram with your initials. Choose good quality paper in white or ivory, or heavy card stock and send your notes in style. You can even match the color to your wedding invitation or wedding color palette, so it forms a befitting conclusion to the rituals related to your wedding.Write with a good fountain pen or felt-tip pen, so it looks neat. Make sure you write the message yourself, and the receiver will be pleased you did so.
Keep it personal
Don’t rush through writing your notes, or use the same impersonal wordings for all. Find inspiration from samples on the internet, but make sure you make yours unique. Make it a ceremony, and do just a couple at a time. Write them when you are free and in a good mood, and make each one out separately.
Acknowledge the gift you received from the person, and convey your gratitude with a few simple words. This will help you remember the gift you received in the years to come, and also tell the sender that you genuinely appreciate their gesture. If you received cash, mention what you intend to use it for. Sign your name, stick the stamp and send it out.
For more wedding tips and advice, and all your wedding shopping needs, visit us at Best for Bride.
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