How I Help My Clients Find the Perfect Wedding Invitation

Shopping for wedding invitations can feel overwhelming, to say the least. Take the endless options out there and combine them with murky etiquette rules, stationery jargon (belly bands and vellum wraps, anyone?), and conflicting advice from friends, family, and the Internet…and you’ve got a recipe for a whole lot of stress. The good news is that finding the perfect wedding invitation can be simple and even fun.

In fact, as a wedding stationery boutique, we’re firm believers that fun should be a big part of the process! Our mission is to help couples find a wedding invitation that fills them with excitement for their special day. When our lead designer, Laura, was planning her own wedding, she found plenty of designs she liked, but not many she truly loved. She didn’t think any couple should have to settle for wedding invitations that fell short of their expectations, and so Invited by LamaWorks was born!

Whether you’ve been eyeing one of our designs or you’ve just waded into the wide world of wedding stationery, you’ve come to the right place: today’s post is all about our design and printing process. From combining elements of different designs to create a semi-custom masterpiece, to the last proofread before printing your design, this is how the magic happens. Let’s get started, shall we?

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Designing a Semi-Custom Wedding Invitation: How it Works

Before a couple even books a semi-custom design project with us, we want them to understand what we’re all about. Upon inquiring, everyone receives more information about Laura and what she does, a guide to the contents of a wedding invitation suite, and a link to book a discovery call when they’re ready.

When we start working with a couple, our first objective is to understand the kind of wedding invitation they’re envisioning. We ask questions, peruse their Pinterest board, and send a few recommended suites based on the information they’ve provided. Many come in with a specific idea: maybe they love a particular suite of ours but want to change the font, or they want to add a custom crest they purchased elsewhere. We’re all about it! From the outset, we want every couple to know we’re flexible. We don’t limit the number of revisions each client gets, so we’ll merge designs and make changes until we’ve landed on their Goldilocks design. 

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Sample Kits

When there’s time, we love sending couples a physical sample kit. These include samples of their favorite designs, paper samples in single and double thickness options, several envelope colors, and any upgrades they’re considering (e.g., envelope liners, vellum wraps, wax seals, and letterpress). Sometimes, it takes seeing something like a letterpress invitation or a patterned envelope liner in person to realize that you love it! Or, conversely, to identify what you don’t like, whether that’s a particular envelope color or the printed version of a design.

Sometimes, we’ll schedule a quick call before sending the samples to discuss any questions the couple has and brainstorm any last-minute design ideas. If they want to combine two designs and it’s something we can do quickly, we’ll make a mock-up of what they’re envisioning to send with the kit. This client really liked the Gwen design, but wondered if we could make it using the flowers from Sophia. We did, and the result was gorgeous!

What to Know Before Ordering Wedding Invitations

So, let’s say you landed on the perfect invitation design for your wedding. Now what? It’s almost time to place your order and finally hold the customized design you’ve been dreaming of in your hands! But before you do, you should know the following:

• Your guest count: This can be an estimate at this stage in the process (Note: Remember that the number of invitations you need correlates with the number of households you’re mailing to, not the number of guests you’re inviting). You aren’t locked into anything until we start ordering your prints—that goes for the rest of the items on this list, too!

• Components and add-ons you want to include: A wedding invitation suite can take many forms. For example, do you want a traditional or QR code RSVP card? Do you want to include a Details card and any “extras,” like an envelope liner or belly band? Additionally, do you need invitations for any pre-wedding events, such as a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner?

• Printing method you want to use: Letterpress printing takes longer than digital printing. We want to ensure our timeline is appropriate and help you set reasonable expectations, so everyone is on the same page.

• Target date for sending your invitations: We can compare the date you have in mind with our recommended timeline to help you mail your invitations at the optimal time!

For a deeper dive into everything you should know before ordering wedding invitations, check out this post!

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What Makes Our Process Unique?

At Invited by LamaWorks, we pride ourselves on making the process of designing semi-custom wedding invitations easy and enjoyable. We aim to bring your vision to life, without the stress. Our secret sauce? We’re glad you asked:

• Unlimited rounds of revisions: We understand that many don’t know whether they love or hate a design until it’s sitting right in front of them. You might love the look of a particular font in your head, but find that the real thing doesn’t live up to your expectations. As we fine-tune the details of your suite over time, you won’t ever have to tally up the number of revisions we’ve already done and start panicking. We’ll go back to the drawing board until we get it right!

• Complimentary printed proofs: We offer this service to every couple, provided that there’s enough time (each round takes approximately two weeks). We prefer to deliver a proof before printing your order, so you can see each element of your suite up close before giving us the go-ahead.

• On-staff proofreader: Because everyone makes mistakes! Our proofreader, the Director of Communications for a major symphony orchestra, spends her days fact-checking, writing, and editing. She checks our grammar and spelling, and double-checks details like your wedding date. She’ll also verify that your QR code is working (if applicable), ensure the name and address of your venue are correct, and cross-reference the information on your invitation with your wedding website.

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Start Your Journey Toward the Perfect Wedding Invitation

When you hold one of our semi-custom wedding invitations in your hands, the time and care that went into crafting each detail is palpable—on-demand printers like Minted and Zola simply can’t replicate it! We love the process of working with a couple to find the one: the invitation that not only communicates the unique details of their story, but also provides a stunning glimpse into the celebration they’ve been planning. And we’d be honored to start that very same process with you!

Whether you’re a floral lover, a modern minimalist, or a classic bride, our collections contain a wedding invitation (or two!) to provide the perfect starting point for your one-of-a-kind, semi-custom design. Inquire today, and we’ll send you the materials needed to get started!