Wedding Stationery - DIY or Buy?

Let's face it many of us are on a budget at the moment, especially given the current economic climate. In a bid to try and keep costs down, many brides are faced with the question 'do we save money and make our own wedding stationery, or do we buy it from a reliable company'?


There is nothing more satisfying than creating your own wedding invitations. After all it is your day, you have created the look so far, so why not do your invitations too? The truth is, for a quality finish across all your wedding stationery, you do need to have some creative flair. What people often don't realise is, that many of the UKs best wedding stationers are Graphic Designers, with a huge amount of experience in the design industry.


Hand making your items will require a huge amount of patience and you need to have a fine eye for detail, to create something stunning. You need to be realistic with timescales, do you have the time to create your invitations and all your final items? We are often contacted by panic-stricken brides, with only weeks to go before their wedding. Having already handmade their invitations, they under estimate the time and skill required, in making their final items.


Many craft shops sell DIY wedding stationery sets, so there are so many products to tempt the bride down the DIY route. The prices may seem reasonable at first, but by the time you have bought the card blanks, envelopes, embellishments and ribbon, the cost soon mounts up. Before you know it, the cost per card is almost the same as if you had ordered them from a wedding stationery supplier.


OK, so you have read through this article, and have decided you do want to design your own wedding stationery and get creative! My advice is to do your research first. Don't buy all your supplies from one place, shop around to get the best price. Also allow plenty of time to develop the design and think through all your other items, get as organised as possible. If you have any doubts, leave it to the professionals!


For those that have decided to buy their wedding stationery, choosing the right wedding stationery company can be a bit of a minefield. Where to start? Well as experienced wedding stationery professionals, we at Cupid Cards recommend you follow these simple steps, to ensure you order from a quality supplier:


• Always order an invitation sample first, with ribbon swatches if possible.

• Take a look at their website, does it look professional and well designed? If not, they are probably not design professionals.

• Testimonials - do they have a testimonials page on their website, with customer feedback? Take confidence from the comments they have, it will give a good feel for the service you will receive.

• Are the prices published on their website? if not, enquire about prices before ordering any samples.

• Cost - do the prices seem reasonable?. We believe in competitive prices, are you getting value for money from your chosen supplier?

• Lastly, try not to leave it to the last minute! The best companies tend to have a longer turnaround times are often fully booked weeks in advance.

Author: Sarah Jacobs, Senior Graphic Designer, Cupid Cards www.cupidcards.co.uk