Once the realm of the phenomenally artsy or excruciatingly thrifty, more people are producing wedding invitations at home by these days. Thanks to the proliferance of personal home computers, the crispness of laser printing and the help of several paper outlets, it is possible to print your own wedding invitations that will not only look tasteful, but also will be unique and also save the couple-to-be a lot of money.
The beauty of printing your own invitations, besides the savings, is that the couple can use their own designs, fonts and sayings to convey their intent for their special day.
Even discount office suppliers are getting into the act of retailing blank wedding invitations. On a recent trip to Staples, I found pre-perforated cards on 38-pound stock with beautiful designs of bells and ivy embossed on the border. A pack of sixteen envelopes and invitations was only $5.99. Staples also sells pearlized papers, vellum and parchment. While some of these items are listed in their web site (www.staples.com), you may find a better selection at your local Staples store.
In my mind, the godfather of all paper products has to be PaperDirect®. Based in Colorado Springs, PaperDirect® not only sells a mountain of business related paper products (such as pre-printed letterhead, envelopes, business cards and awards), it also has quite an impressive blank wedding invitations selection. All that is necessary is to run them through your printer, using standard Word formats. They also provide software (PaperTemplatesTM) for some of the more intricate invitations. These templates provide preset margins, tabs, text boxes and borders, which make designing your invitation a no-brainer.
PaperDirect® also has a full stock of invitation seals, response sets, invitation ribbons and charms, save-the-date cards, and outer envelopes. PaperDirect® will send out samples of their paper for you to try. You can find more information on their web site at www.paperdirect.com.
Another web site that sells blank wedding papers is Invitation Papers (www.invitationpaper.com). Invitation Paper will also send out free samples so that you can test their paper products on your inkjet or laser printer. They have a small selection, but their items vary from those offered by PaperDirect®. It’s also a bit less costly. You can purchase an invitation kit of 50 invitations, envelopes and outer envelopes for only $25.50, although the prices go up from there. I personally found some of the embossed designs to be rather old-fashioned. They also offer a satin invitation package, starting at around $60 for 50 invitations.
My Expression, LLC (www.myexpression.com) sells blank wedding invitations that have a distinctly young feel. If you’re looking for a departure from the formal or ordinary, this is the place to start. The whimsical “heart” theme is casual, yet cool. The “contemporary” themes are playful and fun. Many of the designs are in bold colors. Prices start at $7.95 for ten invitations and go up from there. My Expression is affiliated with Carlson Craft, and also offers other blank invitation papers, as well as scrapbook supplies.
LCI Paper (www.lcipaper.com) also carries a full array of blank wedding invitations. Many are standard 8 ½ by 11 (two-up) and feature foil borders. LCI has a huge selection of ocean-related blank invitations, with embossed shells, seahorses and Caribbean themes, which I found interesting. There is a small selection of handmade cards. Prices start at $14 for 50 traditional cards, $29 for 50 Seaside Medley, and $46 for 50 handmade cards. LCI also offers embellishments, like bows, ribbon, and envelope seals. Sample pieces are $1 each.
Ann’s Bridal Bargains (www.annsbridalbargains.com) offers full kits (50 blank wedding invitations, 50 envelopes, 50 response cards and 50 response envelopes) for $35.95. Unlike other paper suppliers, Ann’s is all-bridal, all the time. The designs are rather plain and definitely not fussy, but may be perfect if you’re on a budget. There are also some blank program papers. Check out the clearance area for deals on other wedding-related items. When I checked, there were good deals on thank you notes, ring bearer pillows, and cake accessories.
Invite Designer offers some unusual blank wedding papers, some of which feature Swarovski Crystals and ribbons. Many are sized in extraordinary shapes, and there’s a full range of color. This site also features a very nice page on proper wedding invitation wording and etiquette. (www.invitedesigner.com)
If, on the other hand, you have money to burn, there are many places where you can purchase handmade papers to use for wedding invitations. At Creative Papers Online (www.handmade-paper.us), you can find exotic acid-free papers made in India, Nepal or Thailand. My personal favorites have bits of flowers and leaves dried into the paper. Samples can be provided, but they are .75 each. Most papers cost around $3 a sheet, and do not look like they can be run through conventional printers. However, these are beautiful papers to use if you know a calligrapher.
Many of the larger retailers can have your blank wedding invitations to you within two business days. However, it is best to check with each individual retailer. Also, keep in mind when choosing a handmade paper, especially one made outside of the US; it may take longer to get huge quantities.
