The final part in this Take Note series on Custom Wedding Invitation Design is to help couples come to the table with realistic expectations.  I’ve covered what to know about a designers process and what you are actually paying for in custom work.  Today, it’s all about the real-life (and slightly boring, but need to know) details.

1. Have a rough idea of a how much you want to spend.
But…be open to being educated on the actual costs associated with design and printing.  While the wedding budget worksheets that so many magazines make available are helpful in getting started, they also do a disservice in the minuscule amount allotted for stationery.  If your overall budget is $10,000, most budget worksheets allow 10% ($1,000) for invitations and day of paper items.  In order to make this budget happen, you’d  1) have to have a very small guest list, 2) choose from a designers pre-designed invitations and 3) likely use digital flat printing with few, if any, fancy embellishments.

Along with knowing how much you want (or have) to spend it is important to let your stationer know how high on the scale of importance your invitations rank to you.  For most designers, we are very passionate about the importance of your invitation.  It is the very first impression your guests will have and it sets the tone for your entire celebration.  Knowing how much – or how little – importance your invitations have to you will help your designer make printing and paper suggestions that fit you.  It is possible to have a beautiful invitation suite that excites your guests even when the invitations only rank 4 out of 10 on your number scale.

2. Have a pretty good idea of how many suites you’ll be needing.
It’s very difficult to give an accurate cost estimate when a couple has no idea how many guests they will be inviting.  It’s that simple.

3. Understand, or ask your designer to explain, the various print methods.
This is important because it has a tremendous affect on the end cost.  (I’ll be writing about the various print methods and associated costs next week.)  For example, cutting back on the number of invitations printed will not change the price much on letter pressed items, since the bulk of the cost is in setting up the plate, which is required even if you are printing only one item.

4. Have an idea of any extras you may want.
It’s important for both you and your designer to know what extras you would like in your suite.  By extras I mean things like: pocket fold enclosures, belly bands, wax seals, envelope liners, envelope addressing, etc.  There are so many options available when it comes to wedding invitations that it can be overwhelming for the couple.  If you have done a little research and have some thoughts about what you might like, it helps the designer guide you to stick within your budget while still getting the most for your money.

(Sidenote: By giving your designer a budget and the extras you would like, they will be able to help the two things work together in your best interest.  A good designer will not automatically hit your budget ceiling if the extras you are wanting don’t come to that much.  You shouldn’t treat your budget as something that your designer will exhaust given the chance.  It should be treated as a tool that helps guide the design process.)

5. Understand timelines, deposits and contracts.  And PROOF READ!
It’s important to understand that a designer will not start custom work without a non-refundable deposit.  Because of this, it’s necessary to explore the designers work and make sure you like their style.  Once you’ve paid their deposit, your designer begins sketching and working on your suite.  If you change your mind, decide to do your invitations yourself, or call off the wedding, your designer has still spent time working on your project and should be compensated for the time they have spent working for you.  This is why the deposits are non-refundable.

Design takes time.  It’s helpful for all parties if it’s understood that good design may not happen overnight.  Sometimes it does, but more often it takes a good couple of weeks to work through sketches.  Ask your designer what their preferred method of communication is.  Everyone is different.  If your designer prefers email and you prefer phone calls, make sure to clearly let them know so that you both have appropriate expectations.

Lastly, I cannot overstate the importance of proof reading!  Every designer puts this responsibility on the shoulders of their clients.  We do our best to go letter by letter and make sure each name, date and time is accurate.  However, you are much more familiar with the names and details than we are so triple check every word before giving your final approval.  It helps to have a couple of outsiders who haven’t seen the invitation to take a look at it, too.  Often small typo’s are caught by an eye that hasn’t been looking at it for weeks.  The brain will often self-correct, so even when a simple word is spelled wrong, the brain fixes it so the eye misses it.

I hope this series has been helpful to you as you delve into the world of custom invitation design.  Let me know if I missed anything in the comments.  A good discussion helps everyone out!

Last week I talked about what you are actually getting when you hire a professional designer to design your wedding invitations (or any project, really).  This week, I’m going to give a few points to keep in mind when working with a designer so that your expectations equal real life.

The first thing to note is that before you even reach out to a designer that you’d like to work with is to know what it is you want.  Sounds simple,  yes, but you’d be surprised at how often people don’t know this.  You need to be able to discuss what it is you are looking for.  This doesn’t mean that you need to have your idea all planned out (afterall, isn’t that the reason to hire a designer?)  It does mean that you’ll be much more successful (as in: able to make decisions and give feedback) if you know what your end goal is.

The next couple of points seem a little harsh when I list them out, but they are worth noting.  1. Designers have more than one client at a time.   2. We also don’t work 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  It’s most difficult to remember these things when you’ve given your designer a rush job or have had other obstacles yourself.  Even when it’s a rush project, you will want your designer to get some fresh air, sleep and food.  Keep in mind that when you’ve requested a modification that you know/think/they’ve told you takes 20 minutes, but takes them 3 hours to respond with, that it is quite possible that six other clients had a similar request that day, too.

That being said, I feel very confident in saying every designer thinks about your project a lot more than you think they do.  In fact, it’s highly likely that they think about you every single day.  Their best ideas probably come while they are out walking their dog or watering their garden.  Because…they think about you all the time.

And last, but not least, no matter how super stylish and trendsetting you are, trust us.  Listen and trust.  We’ve been doing this for a while and know what is going to work and what isn’t.  You may have a great eye, but getting from point A to point B requires more than knowing when something looks good.  Hire a designer whose aesthetic fits yours, throw ideas out there, share images, talk (a lot) and then get out of their way and let them go to town.

When it’s your turn to give feedback, be specific about what you like and don’t like, offering as much detail as possible.  When left at, “I don’t like the feel of this invitation” we have nowhere to go.  Be specific.  Is it the font, the colors, the style of the graphics?  In contrast, if you say, “I like the individual tribal motifs, but overall the design is too busy for me,” it is much easier to rework the design and come up with something you love.  On the flip side, if you are on the fence about something and your designer tells you to trust them that it will be amazing, then trust them.  It will be amazing.

(I feel it goes without saying, but is worth noting that it’s not okay to bring someone else’s work to your designer and ask them to copy it.  A professional won’t copy someone else’s work.  They can use it as inspiration, sure.  But, if you love a design so much that you just want to copy it, the best thing to do is to find the original designer and ask them to customize it for you.)

In the end, our goals are the same; we both want you to love the design that we create for you.  We also want to be proud of our work.  Like most things in life, if there is trust, communication and respect, everyone wins.

photography by True Atelier, see more of this shoot here.

I’ve been a designer for a long time.  I’m not one of those girls who “designed her own wedding invitation” and then “fell in love with the process” and “decided to start her own invitation business.”  I actually hired a professional designer to do my invitations.  And, guess what?  They are the one thing from my wedding that I still love.  The only thing.  Besides my husband, of course, he’s even more fabulous today than he was way back then.

My point, though, is that even though I was a budding designer and had a good eye for what worked, I knew a seasoned professional would turn out a better end result – with less headache – than I could.  Sure, it costs more to hire a designer, but the benefit for me was far greater than the cost.

So, what exactly are you paying for when you hire a professional designer?

Experience
First and foremost you get experience and expertise.  A good designer knows what is current and fresh and they understand solid design principles that will stand the test of time plus they know how to combine the two.  They will help guide your ideas and turn them into a beautiful piece that is both current and timeless.

Expertise and experience are things gained over time and through patient practice.  When you hire a professional, you are paying for the time they’ve spent acquiring their expertise.  Perhaps they can come up with the perfect design for you in a matter of minutes, which leaves you wondering why you paid them so much for so little time.  The reason they were able to whip out a perfect design so quickly is because they are seasoned professionals.  You’re paying for their knowledge and abilities perhaps even more than you are paying for their time.

Professional Fonts
A professional will have a library of professional grade fonts.  Designers generally don’t use free fonts in their professional work.  There is a significant difference between free fonts and for sale fonts; differences that the average person will not be able to distinguish, other than, for some reason, one font will just look and feel a whole lot better.  A designer knows and understands these differences and they are able to put them to use.

Often designers have a handful of fonts that they use more than others because they are well designed, function well and appeal to the designer’s aesthetic.   This, too, is a skill that has been developed over years of education and practice.

Smooth Waters
Designers have relationships with printers, suppliers, calligraphists, illustrators and other designers that they have spent years cultivating.  They have the ability to handle special circumstances (like get free rush services) and correct mistakes without you even being aware there was ever a problem.  They have the ability to make things feel seamless to you when, in reality, there was a lot more going on under the water, so to speak.

Let’s say you decided to design your invitations yourself and you found the perfect envelope (it happens) and designed your entire suite around that envelope.  However, when you went to actually order the envelopes, they were out of stock.  Now you’re stuck because that envelope was the crux of your suite.  You now either have to start over, change your colors or pick a lesser quality substitute.  When this happens to a professional, they have many resources to call on.  Because of their professional relationships they have access to a much deeper pool of products than the average consumer and can likely track down your envelopes.

Better Quality
Along those same lines, a professional often has access to higher quality products (paper, envelopes, etc.) than a non-professional.  Plus (and this is a big one) a pro knows how these products react together and which ones relate well.  Why spend the money on luxurious paper only to send it off in a wafer thin envelope?  A designer knows their brands and the texture of every piece they recommend and, therefore, can make suggestions to you based on their experience.  Ultimately, of course, it comes down to the client’s choice, but as the client, wouldn’t you rather know what you are getting rather than being surprised at the last minute?

Stress-free Time for Yourself
The final thing you are paying for by hiring a professional is more time for yourself.  By not having to worry about the little things, like: escort cards, place cards, menus, programs, favor tags, welcome bags, table numbers, thank you cards (and the rest of the list) you are able to give attention to your fiancé and your family and yourself.  You can spend time reading or running or getting your nails done because all the behind the scenes work is being done for you.

Designers also work closely with your wedding planner.  They talk back and forth and figure out the appropriate sizing of your day of items, ensuring that every detail is tended to.  They coordinate delivery and set up schedules so you can just show up and enjoy your pretty day.

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So, those are my top 5 benefits of hiring a professional designer.  Worth it?  I think so.  Stay tuned for next week’s topic of what you should know before hiring a designer.

Photography by Sami Jo Photography  |  Florals by Merit and Vine  |  Invite and styling by me  |  See the full shoot here

Good morning!  Today marks the first day in an educational series, Take Note, that I’ve been thinking about for a long time.  Now that wedding season is calming down a bit, I have time to write more in-depth posts.  Most of my clients contract me for custom work.  I have a mix of engaged couples who hire me to design their wedding invitations and small businesses that hire me for logo and branding work.  I love what I do and, like so many others, feel very blessed to be doing it.  (Not to mention that my husband’s a musician, so the fact that we both get to pursue creative endeavors and actually feed our kids is pretty awesome.)

This series is geared towards wedding clients, though it will be beneficial to anyone looking for insight into what goes into custom work and things to take note of.  I’m going to go into the details of what my creative process is when working on wedding invitations and break down what you are paying for.  I’ll also talk about different printing processes and why the same ink color can look so different plus tips on how to best pull your paper look together.  I hope you’ll join me for part 01 in my series beginning next Wednesday.  There is bound to be some kind of giveaway….