Making your own wedding invitations can be one of the most fun parts of planning your big day. When I got married, my wedding stationery was top of my list of priorities (yes, even above dress shopping!)
But with so many things to consider, and so many potential pitfalls, it's important to get it right. A handmade wedding invitation can be a beautiful, thoughtful and meaningful way to set the tone for your big day, so you want to make sure it is of the highest quality before you send anything to your nearest and dearest.
Here are our top tips for making your own wedding stationery.
1- Paper Choices
It can be really tricky to know where to start with paper. You obviously want something that matches your colour scheme, but there are other things to consider.
Paper weight- the lower the gsm, the thinner the paper. 80gsm is like standard copy paper, it's ok, but it probably isn't the look you're aiming for with making your wedding invitations. 120gsm is probably the best weight of paper for wedding invites. When it comes to card- the higher the number, the thicker the card. Our cards, for example, are 300gsm. If you're cutting your cards on a Cricut (or similar), you probably want something thinner than 300gsm. If you're printing on your cards, check the maximum weight your printer can handle before you order. If you're drawing, sticking or decorating some other way, anything from 300-400gsm is about right.
Printing issues- Make sure the paper you buy is suitable for printing on with your printer type. If you have an inkjet printer, be wary of metallic or pearlescent papers as most need digital or laser printing.
Size- Choose an invitation size that works for you. A6 is a great size for wedding invitations, but only if you don't have a small essay's worth of content to write inside! If you have lots of text, it's worth considering a slightly larger size.
Suppliers- Our favourite paper and card supplier for small order quantities is PDA Card and Craft. You could also try your local craft shops.
2- Make a Mock-Up Before You Make Them All. It's a sensible plan. Don't risk hand making 127 invites to discover there's a typo, or the colours you've chosen don't go well together. Spend the time getting one perfect before you start working on the rest.
3- Wording - Plan what you need to say and make sure you cover all bases. As a rough guide, you need to include:
4- Fonts Matter- Choose a beautiful font to set the tone of your wedding. Make sure it's not so swirly that no one can read it, but also, don't choose something that was designed for children in a classroom (Comic Sans, I'm looking at you!). There are websites that will allow you to download free fonts so you can select something a bit different. I am a big fan of Font Squirrel.
5- Use a Scalpel Blade, Metal Ruler and Cutting Mat if you want straight edges! Don't be tempted to use scissors to cut straight lines, it will affect the quality of your work- trust us on this one!
6- Don't be afraid to buy artwork for your wedding stationery. If you have a cutting machine at home, such as a Cricut, and want to cut your own wedding invites, we just so happen to have an Etsy shop full of cutting files for you. Check it out here!
7- Leave Plenty of Time. This is so important! Do not be a last minute Larry, not when it comes to something as important as your wedding stationery. If you are making your own wedding stationery, allow extra time as it always takes longer than you think.
8- Order Extra Card and Paper- Allowing for waste, mistakes, coffee-spillages and paper mills going out of business (yes, this HAS happened to us). Order extra. Always.
9- Hold a craft night and get your gal pals involved! Wine, nibbles, your girl gang and crafting- is this the most perfect evening? We think so! Get a little conveyor belt situation going on and get extra hands involved to get your wedding stationery made in a fraction of the time.
