When it comes to planning the most important day of your entire life, every detail needs to be perfect. Your wedding dress needs to not only make you look fabulous, but it needs to accurately capture the spirit and tone of the event. The menu has to be on point—the perfect balance between chic and mouthwatering. The color scheme has to be inviting, elegant, and contemporary all at once.
Invitations can be especially stressful items to pick out, and with good reason. They’re usually the first glimpse your guests will have into the theme, tone, and style of your wedding. They’re also likely to be the keepsake guests choose hold onto to remember the event forever. Naturally, they need to be just right. Here are a few things to consider in order to guarantee a choice that’s absolutely ideal.
1. Theme
The heartbeat of any wedding is its theme. Most brides spend a lot of time and energy choosing and planning the details of theirs. They mean to choose wedding invitations that accurately reflect this theme, only to go gaga over the first set of clever, cute, or creative wedding invitations they lay their eyes on, whether or not the set is in line with what they’ve already planned.
That said, if you still haven’t settled on a theme, color scheme, or tone for your wedding, you may want to choose your invitations sooner rather than later. You may discover something that really clicks with you and gives you the inspiration you need. If you already have your heart set on a given theme, make sure you choose invitations that complement what you’ve planned.
2. Design
When it comes to something like a wedding invitation, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A design that’s the epitome of perfection to one bride may not suit another bride at all. That said, if a wedding invitation’s theme can be said to represent the wedding itself, the design is going to reflect the personality of the couple. Keep this in mind when checking out possibilities.
For instance, an outgoing, extroverted couple may find features like metallic folds, bold fonts, and eye-catching modern details are just right for their fun, flashy wedding. A more traditional, understated couple may be much more comfortable with formal fonts and a tasteful, distinguished design. What you choose is up to you, but you should definitely make sure that your choice reflects who you and your beloved are as a couple.
3. Value
When most people plan their weddings, they plan on pulling out all the stops that they can within the confines of their budget. You most likely already know that wedding invitations can be pricey. You want excellent quality and beautiful details—invitations that your guests can treasure for years to come. However, you’ll still want to make sure that you’re getting a good value for what you buy.
Comparison shopping is just as important when it comes to wedding invitations as it is anything else. Make sure you visit enough different vendors to give you a good idea of what the invitations you want should cost you. Prioritize vendors with a willingness to give you an excellent deal on what you’re looking for. For instance, some options may offer free envelope printing with your order, while others may offer free shipping. Weigh the possibilities against one another and decide which of the available options best fits you and your budget.
4. Vendor
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to thoroughly evaluate the vendor from whom you buy, just as you would any other service provider. Do they have a solid reputation for doing excellent business? Have other brides routinely been happy with the invitations they received? Is the vendor you’re considering courteous, responsive, and focused on customer service? Pay special attention to what other brides have to say about the company, as their opinions are likely to be the most helpful.
Once you settle on a given option, contact the vendor directly and ask any questions you might have. You may also want to ask whether or not you can see a physical sample of the invitations you decide on before you finalize your purchase. Seeing a sample will allow you to evaluate whether or not something is really right for you before you place a large order.
At the end of the day, choosing just the right wedding invitations for you can be stressful, as you want everything to be just so. However, it becomes a lot easier when you have the right plan in place.
