Weddingbee

Choosing a wedding stationer is a little bit like choosing between Manolos and Louboutins. Or maybe between Haagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry. There are so many fabulous options and it can be difficult to distinguish among all the incredible talent. Here are my tips for narrowing the field and finding the right wedding stationer for you:

(1) Determine a price point: Before you begin your search, it’s key to figure out your price point. You don’t want to unnecessarily tempt yourself with stationery that turns out to be out of your budget. Additionally, you may find that you want to expand or limit your budget depending on how important stationery is to you and how many different pieces you want to order.

(2) Pre-Designed or Custom: There are two basic choices in wedding stationery: pre-designed invitations or custom invitations, which are created especially for your event. As a general rule, custom invitations tend to be more expensive than pre-designed ones. But different factors such as printing method and amount of pieces ordered can affect the price and make one a more cost-effective option than the other.

(3) Number of Pieces: Do you want invitation sets or a full suite of stationery including save the date cards, programs, menu cards, place cards? It’s important to consider what pieces you would like: if you want invitations alone, you may be able to splurge on higher-end designs and create your own programs and placecards to your liking. Alternatively, if you are busy or diy-challenged, you may wish to order an entire suite to ensure that all the pieces evoke a unified look.

(4) Printing Method: Among the main printing methods are flat printing, engraving, thermography, letterpress, and gocco. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Flat printing has the most versatility and is also the most cost-effective. Engraving is a luxurious and traditional option, but it can be pricey. Letterpress is completely charming and lovely– it’s my personal favorite. However, it has some printing limitations and it can be expensive. Thermography is a modern favorite– it gives the appearance of engraving without the ouch-inducing pricetag. Oh and how could I forget gocco: a cost-effective option that produces beautiful results using screen-printing.

(5) Location: This may or may not be important depending on your needs and comfort level. If you’re a computer savvy, email-friendly person, you may want to consider stationers outside your local area. If you do go this route, I strongly encourage you to request samples of the stationer’s work. Internet images are no substitute for holding the invitation in your hand and examing paper choice, printing/color quality, and style. Also, make sure the stationer is easily reached via email and/or phone. However, if the tactile experience is very important to you and you want the option of looking over an entire portfolio, you may want to consider choosing someone in your neck of the woods.

(6) Style: So important! I’m a firm believer in the importance of stationery: it really sets the tone for your event and so much can be conveyed about the level of formality, theme, couple itself through the choice of invitation. It’s important to find a stationer who shares and understands your style. This is particularly important if you’re working with a stationer to create custom stationery. Look through portfolios to see how many designs really speak to you and if you feel confident that the stationer can bring your ideas to fruition.

(7) Check references: Before you sign a contract, be sure to google the potential stationer for reviews and check references and Better Business Bureau records. Wedding stationery is an important and emotional investment — you want to be sure you’re working with someone trustworthy, honest, and reputable.

So after all my research, what stationer did I end up choosing? Stay tuned for a future post and a glimpse of my save-the-dates!

Who is your stationer? What factors did you consider in choosing him or her?

images (from the top): mr. boddington, ceci new york, saima says design, alia designs, bird and banner, paper girl, palindrome press, bella figura, papel vivo, dauphine press, hammerpress, two paperdolls

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