You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.
And pretty stationery. Lots of pretty stationery.
HOW DOES THE CUSTOM INVITATION PROCESS WORK?
After you submit your inquiry form, I’ll be in touch within about 24 hours with a proposal for the items you requested. You’ll review the proposal and have a chance to ask questions and make changes. Once we’re all good with the plan, I’ll send over your contract, invoice, and instructions for paying your deposit.
About 5-6 months before your wedding, I’ll schedule a time for us to chat via Zoom or on the phone so I can learn more about what you have in mind for your invitations! I’ll also send over a few questionnaires to learn more about your wedding stationery style (this is where all those Pinterest pins come in handy!) and gather the info you’d like to include on your invites.
~5 months out: You’ll get a mockup with 2 initial styles to choose from. You’ll select your favorite and make some initial change requests and I’ll get started on your first proof.
~4.5 months out: You’ll get your first proof and have the chance to make any additional tweaks.
~4 months out: You’ll get your final proof! Once you give this proof the A-Ok, I’ll start on production – bringing those gorgeous invites to life!
~2.5 months out: Your invites are ready! I’ll collect the remaining balance and your invites will be delivered to you to send out, or I can send them for you (for an additional fee)!
Check out our Wedding Stationery Timeline, which comes with a downloadable timeline and the option to sign up for free email reminders to keep you on track with your wedding stationery!
WHAT IS THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE?
For invitations, I collect my design fee as a retainer to hold your spot in my stationery schedule. The remaining balance will be due before your invitations are delivered.
For day-of items, I collect 50% of the total as a retainer and collect the remaining balance before your items are delivered (about 2 weeks before your wedding date, depending on items).
HOW MANY PROOFS DO I GET?
Both my Complete Package and “Invitation Only” clients receive unlimited rounds of proofs. For my Semi-Custom invitations, I offer 2 rounds of revisions or proofs. Additional rounds of revisions can be purchased for $25 each. (But honestly, if it’s just small change and you ask nicely, I’ll probably do it for free :)).
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE EITHER OF THE TWO INITIAL SKETCHES?
If neither of the initial styles I send are what you had in mind, you may request additional sketches for $50 each. I’ve actually never had a couple request extra designs – between our meeting and all of the questionnaires my couples fill out, I’m able to gather all of the information I need to ensure that my designs are capturing your vision!
HOW LONG DO CUSTOM INVITATIONS TAKE?
Custom invitations can take anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks, depending on the scope of the project and how many pieces you’re including (and, um, how quick you respond to proofs *wink wink*). Items like custom artwork, specialty paper & printing, and calligraphy all look absolutely stunning, but take time – and rightfully so! Keep in mind you’ll want to send your invites out 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding, which means we’ll want to get the ball rolling about 5 months before the Big Day.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE THAT MUCH TIME BEFORE MY WEDDING?
No problem! You’ve got options! If you’re looking for custom invites and are 2-3 months out, it’s possible I can add you to my stationery schedule, but may need to apply a rush fee if I’m already booked out. You can also shop our Semi-Custom Collection! These pieces are pre-designed so they have about a 2 week turnaround.
WHAT IS A SEMI-CUSTOM COLLECTION?
Our Semi-Custom Collection is a set of pre-designed invitation suites that come with plenty of coordinating pieces, such as table numbers, menus cards, save-the-dates, and more! The main design of each suite is already done (saving you time and money), and we can customize your colors, fonts, wording, and layout to ensure it’s exactly what you want! I also offer plenty of fun upgrades, like wax seals, ribbons, gold corners, and tassels to personalize your semi-custom suite! This is a great option for my couples who need a quick turnaround or have chosen not to focus their wedding budget on stationery.
CAN YOU COPY “THIS” DESIGN?
I love to see what’s inspiring your wedding style! In fact, I even have a space in my Invitation Style Questionnaire for you to upload all those photos you’ve been pinning! But, just like in school, copying isn’t cool.
First off, it’s illegal (feel free to Google copyright laws if you’re curious, or having trouble sleeping…). Secondly, each designer has their own style that comes through in their work. Trying to copy a design that isn’t mine would be like Rachel Green getting dressed in Phoebe Buffay’s closet. Just not quite right. And who wants a “not quite right” invitation? I certainly don’t want to make one!
If you truly love another designers work and want that EXACT design for your own invitations, please hire them! If you love my style and trust my expertise, we can break down what you like and dislike about your inspiration pieces and I can create something truly original that captures YOUR personal love story (instead of someone else’s)!
WILL WE GET TO SEE A PHYSICAL COPY OF OUR INVITATION BEFORE IT GOES TO PRINT?
I will never print anything without you giving it the A-Ok first! That being said, it’s typically not cost effective to create one physical invitation suite for proofing purposes. Instead, I’ll provide you with digital copies of each piece in your suite, as well as a digital mockup. The mockup will allow you to see all the pieces styled together and give you a sense of what your suite will look like in person. I’m also happy to send along paper samples or sample invitation suites if you’d like!
WHAT IS LETTERPRESS AND FOIL PRINTING (AND WHY IS IT SO EXPENSIVE)?
Letterpress and foil printing are two different printing processes that I offer as optional upgrades to your suite. I could go on all day about these processes, but we’ll stuff it in a nutshell here. Letterpress involves creating a plastic plate with your design, rolling ink over it, and pressing the design into some beautiful, thick paper, one sheet at a time. Foil is similar in that we’re creating a custom plate with your design, but the plate is metal and gets heated up, then pressed against the foil onto your paper to make it stick.
The added cost comes from the additional design work on my end (setting up files for these processes takes more time), purchasing the custom plates (they’re pricey), and the process itself (which is also time consuming and required a great deal of equipment & expertise). I use skilled vendors who love what they do for these processes and the outcome is SO, SO beautiful (and WELL worth the upgrade)!
I’M NOT SURE ABOUT [INSERT WEDDING GOODIE OR UPGRADE HERE], CAN I ADD IT IN LATER?
Sure! The retainer fee you’ll pay up front guarantees your spot on my schedule. Once you’re there, we can adjust your invoice as necessary throughout the process. Please note that there are a handful of items and upgrades (like hand calligraphy or letterpress) that do require additional time and are tricky to add on last minute. We’ll chat more about those in our initial meeting to get an idea of how much time I should set aside for your projects.
WHAT IF MY GUEST COUNT CHANGES BEFORE THE WEDDING?
No problem! We can add or subtract items and adjust your invoice and contract as necessary. I anticipate you’ll be +/- about 10 guests from your original estimate, but do appreciate knowing any major swings in guest count as soon as possible so I can schedule your projects accordingly.
WHAT IF I HAVE TO POSTPONE/CANCEL MY WEDDING DUE TO COVID?
First of all, I’m giving you a huge virtual hug for having to plan a wedding during a pandemic. Second, please rest assured that I will do everything I can to accommodate your wedding needs, even if they change.
If you need to postpone, please let me know as soon as possible and you will have priority on my stationery schedule for your new date.
If you decide to cancel your wedding before any design work has begun or supplies have been ordered, you will receive a full refund of your retainer fee. If we have begun the design process or I have ordered your supplies, I will unfortunately not be able to refund your retainer fee, but will obviously not collect your remaining balance.
I am also happy to divert your retainer fee to another use. For example, we can turn your invite designs into personal stationery, thank you cards, or elopement announcements. Or we can turn the materials for your place cards into gifts or your welcome sign into a piece of wall decor for your home!