"People just throw the invitations away"

I have been longing to write this post for sometime now but have been too busy to get to it. As we begin a new wedding season, there isn't a better time than now to post this.

So, I've been on a mission (lol). I cringe every time I hear brides say, “the invitation is just paper, people will just throw it away”. My first response to that has always been “people will only throw out trash”. Those that know me personally know that I’m not much of a salesperson; I suck at it!. But I find myself sometimes turning into one when I hear such comments, trying to explain the idea/purpose of invitations. I feel like I have a duty to change the mindset of what your wedding/event invitations are each time I hear those statements.

Your invitations set the tone for your wedding/special event! It gives your guests a foresight into what to expect at your wedding. The invitation is the first thing your guests receive about your wedding (in most cases - if you did not send out save the date cards) and it is one of the things that remain with them long after your wedding is over. Sending invitations to your guests make them feel special, honored and gets them excited about your big day. If you give people a piece of paper or some shabbily made invitations, guests do not expect anything different from the last wedding they attended.

• Why do you pay for beautiful flowers / decorations that neither you nor your guests get to take home after the event? Because of the ambience the flowers / décor create.
  
• Why pay so much for a dress you probably wear only once!? Because all eyes are on you at the wedding and you want to feel the most fabulous.

Well, your invitations are no exception. Attention should be paid to every detail of the event. So what if all your guests don’t keep them. They don’t keep the linens at the reception, nor the flowers at the church. As long as it accomplishes that which it was intended for. Which is – set the tone for your special event, provide guests with information, get guests excited about your event.

You don’t have to get the fanciest invitation or break the bank just to send out invitations. You should choose quality invitations that reflect your personal style and personality. If you're going for a simple classic style, there are a number of quality catalog invitations out there that you can select from. If you’re unable to find something in the catalogs, you can elect to have a custom invitation made for you by working with an invitation designer (like yours truly lol).

Sometimes, I find that most brides see the very fancy invitations and immediately fall in love with them. However, once they hear the price, they assume “I can’t afford beautiful invitations”. Well, the key is to set a "reasonable" budget (yes, reasonable). You can only set a reasonable budget if you know what quality invitations cost. For example, if you have a $500.00 budget for 200 invitations, then it might be unreasonable to expect to get custom Pocketfold invitations with 3 enclosures for that price. If you are creative, you could DIY your pocket invitations for that price. However, you might be able to get beautiful flat card invitations with enclosure(s) for that price. Or an invitation suite from a Catalog Album. There are quite a number of different Catalog albums out there.

All couples are different and have different budgets. What is considered "expensive" to one bride fits perfectly into another's budget. So, let your stationer know what your budget is and you would be steered in the right direction on what fits within your budget without compromising on quality.

So what have we learnt?

• Set a reasonable budget


• Be open minded about the different invitation styles


• Sending elegant, gorgoeus invitations to your guests does not mean breaking the bank


• Always remember your invitations are meant to set the tone for your big day, so don't send invitations your guests wouldn't care to keep or wouldn't feel bad throwing in the trash.

Not one to leave you without a picture, enjoy the silk folder below.


Hope you have a fabulous week!!!

Exciting Stuff!!!

Happy New Year!!! Hope you all had a nice start to the new year. The Bridal Extravaganza Show was this past weekend and it was a huge success. Our booth was bustling with exciting brides, grooms and their families as they begin or continue on this 'fun' process of planning their big day. You can view some pictures of the show on our facebook fan page.

We are excited to announce that we have added another gorgeous Catalog Invitations Company to our collection. Checkerboard is a family owned and operated designer and printer of invitations for every single one of life's special occasions: weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, relocations, birthday parties, births. The albums have a nice collection of gorgeous invitations suites. Schedule your complimentary consultation today to view some of the Checkerboard Catalog Albums in our studio. You can view some of their collection online here.











So, What is the difference between Custom Invitations and Catalog Invitations?
Difference between Custom and Catalog Invitations
Custom Invitations are invitations that are designed and handcrafted especially for you and your unique event. Throughout the custom-design process, you choose the colors and style and design options that suit your specific needs. Your stationery creation will be a direct reflection of your style and taste. The possibilities are endless with custom invitations hence it is almost impossible to maintain a printed “catalog”.


Catalog Invitations are distributed by a third party (invitation stationer like us) who helps you select your invitation and places an order on your behalf. When you shop from a catalog, you are choosing from predesigned styles and layouts, but by changing your ink color and typeface you may be able to create an invitation reflective of your event. After your order is finalized, it is printed and shipped from the catalog company and sometimes requires assembly. We are an authorized dealer of the Carlson Craft Catalog Invitations and Checkerboard Catalog. For the Carlson Craft Catalog Invitations, pricing for each invitation is available online (next to each invitation).

Special 10% Discount Offer
For a limited time, we are offering the Carlson Craft Catalog Invitations at a 10% discount. Discount applies to select Carlson Craft Catalog Invitations. Offer not valid on Cranes by Chloe Album and Monique Lhuillier Album Invitations. Offer expires on March 31, 2011. Contact us for more details. You can also order the Carlson Craft Catalog Invitations directly online by going to www.elegantcustominvitations.cceasy.com or by visiting our studio.

We also have a special discount offer on our Fabulous Custom Invitations. Contact our studio for more details at 713-408-9407 or via the website www.myelegant-invitations.com.
Visit our online gallery to see some of our past custom invitation work.

Enjoy the week!