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We made our own invitations so I’m not too keen on the world of fancy invites. And by not too keen, I don’t mean I didn’t spend hours drooling over fancy invites online because I’m keen on that - stalking stuff online. Having decided early on to go the semi-DIY route, most of my actual (non-window-shopping) research focused on finding the best possible deal for each small part. (Exhibits 1 and 2)
Excuse the crappy photo; full invitation post to follow.
So you can imagine my surprise this morning when I read Dochelle Custom Creation’s “consultation fee”:
Can I view your designs in person?
Yes, you can schedule a consultation to meet with a designer and a sales manager at our offices located at 330 Madison Avenue, New York, New York. To schedule a consultation please call 646-495-5086. There is a $200.00 consultation fee which can be applied towards an order.*Consultations will not be held between the months of May and September. Telephone consultations are available in the interim.* Special situations can be accommodated.Hello, what? These must be some damn fantastic invitations! Seriously, the paper is made from scratch by virgin fairies and bound together using glue made from unicorn horns.
$68
$35
Okay so I spent the better part of an hour enjoying these delights and I have to admit, they are mighty fine. Let’s say these beauties were in your budget, would you have a problem with the consultation fee?
Absolutely I would have a problem with it! That is ridiculous! $200 for the “priviledge” of talking with them? Wow.
my budget for invitations is $8/piece, so i think this invitations a pretty expensive (my fiance already thinks i’m crazy b/c of how much i’m spending on paper).
however, the consultation fee doesn’t seem unreasonable. my (letterpress) printer charges a $250 design fee if you don’t provide print-ready images. besides the fee is applied toward your order. the catch, of course, is that if you don’t like what they come up w/ for you, you still pay $200.
umm…I could only afford this if I having like 10 people at my wedding. That first one would cost me about $10K!!!
I would have a problem with the fee unless I was absolutely set on using them for invitations already.
I love the Japanese paper on the second invitation picture, but can’t help thinking “I could totally make that for cheaper.” Ah, famous last words of the DIY bride… 
Um, yes I would have a problem with that. Unless, like Tanya said, you had already known you wanted to use them.
But still… I printed my own invitations and only spent $55 for 100, plus my own ink, and postage. I can’t see paying so much for them!
Major problemo. If they won’t talk to me without payment, I don’t want to deal with them, no matter how much I’m willing to spend on invitations. If it is indeed applied to my order, I’d already have to be dead set on using them.
Those invites are definitely drool-worthy, though.
As a designer, I appreciate the hard work that goes into making these fine invitations, and I can’t make assumptions about the prices per set not knowing what truly went into them, but the $200 consultation fee seems pretty presumptuous! It’s like saying “we’re good enough that we don’t have to work to get you to want us to design your invitations, so pay up a huge chunk of change for the 30 minute consultation where I should actually be catering to you.” It’s putting yourself at their mercy, when it should be the other way around! You shouldn’t be obligated to pay a vendor just in order to get information from them.
Joy — I sympathize more with your letterpress printer, because they have to put a lot of pre-production work and time into readying your files for print, and charging the extra fee is a standard practice. That is paying for a final product, whereas these invitation consultations are not.
How many people actually keep all the invitations they get? I think I’ll take my local custom stationery shop that prints high quality invites for $3.00 per set (which includes everything but the reception card).
Sarah — excellent comment 
haha, Sarah!
Even though there is a big puddle of drool on my desk right now, I couldn’t even fathom paying $65 for 1 invitation, regardless of the consultation fee.
Wow. Really? Someone would spent $65 per invite? Madness, I tell ya. There’s no way in hell I’d pay $200 just to talk to someone!
Hi Mrs. Spider,
Love your invites. May I ask how you created the Chinese inserts, ie. printing the Chinese characters. Did you use a program or an outside source? I really want DIY my invites, but the Chinese part is the problem.
Thanks!
WOW! Mrs.Spider your invitation was beautiful.
I can’t believe how much those other ones cost, my jaw seriously dropped. If those were in my budget, then I guess I wouldn’t mind the consultation fee, after all, ‘what would another $200 be?’ :::smirking:::
To play devil’s advocate, its possible as they got very popular, they had problems with setting up lots of consults for dreamers and looky-lou’s.
With the prices of those invites, people who can really afford them probably don’t think $200 is a big deal.
But I have to say that I would not be comfortable without getting a sample invite to see/feel before ordering.
200$ only if they had all sample printed out and ready to go with our info on it! then… maybe.
They’re beautiful though!
I’d be okay with the $200 fee as long as it was later deducted against my order cost once I committed to working with them. As cs points out, they may have started having problems with stealth DIYers just wanting a good look at how they put together their gorgeous invites. Beautiful work, Miss Spider!
MDBride: my dad typed out the chinese for me and I downloaded a generic chinese font. i am having my wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon but i will try to post my entry about my invitations including the chinese insert tonight. if anything i can email you my chinese template and you can replace the names, place and date.
umm, yea, i’d have a problem with that. esp when i do everything i can for my clients to not have them spend unnecessarily. i’d have looked at their website, picked one out and tried to do it myself… it’s still pricey from the rhinestone or silk flower… but actually simple designs.
yours looks really great!
My mom and stepdad kind of spent a lot on their handmade wedding invitations (maybe $7-9/per, which is a whole lot in the area). They were beautiful and they got a lot of compliments on them.
Two years later, one of my mom’s friends confessed she stlll had it pinned to her board at home b/c it was so pretty!
She got one framed and surrounded by the pressed flowers from the wedding and plans to pass it down like her grandmother did.
So, it was a good investment and important to them.
Personally, while those invitations are lovely I think rhinestones and flowers can be a bit much (and hard to mail!)…I’d rather spend money on things that would make my guests happy or more comfortable.
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Mrs. Spider, New York Age and Occupation: 27, Paralegal Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Advisor Research Engagement Date: December 30, 2005 Wedding Date: October 2006 Venue: Jericho Terrace - Long Island, NY About Me: My favorite parts of wedding planning are DIY projects and figuring out ways to incorporate old traditions into a modern affair.
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