Hip Ink Custom Invitations

One of our Friendors, Sarah of Hip Ink has recently launched an Etsy store. If you're a Bride planning your wedding and you don't know what Etsy is, I suggest you check it out. The website is like an online flea market and you can visit a bunch of different suppliers of almost any product! Many Brides and Planners turn to this site for favours, wedding party gifts, unique jewelery and stationery.

Sarah is known for her Couture line of custom invites. She designs each one with the clients requests in mind and creates unique one-of-a-kind invitations and stationery for their special day. Having a specially made invite can get expensive, so to accommodate and continue to share her love of design, Sarah launched the Etsy store.

There are a variety of pre-designed invitations available on her storefront that you can choose from and then edit to display all of your details. We especially like these two:

Check out all the other designs she offers here. And, if you want to meet with Sarah to design your very own stationery line for your special day, visit her website and drop her a line or email.

Your invitations are what sets the tone, mood and theme for your wedding, so be sure that they are personalized, unique and display your personalities.

Wedding Details: Invitations

"It's all in the details."

This is so true when it comes to weddings - or any major event for that matter. It's the small things that count; from the consistency of the colour scheme, the placement, size and height of the centrepieces, to the font on the invitations....weddings are all about the details.

Over the next few posts, we'll cover a few aspects of weddings that we think you can't skimp on the details.

Invitations:

They are the first thing your guests see regarding your wedding. The invite sets the tone, feel and look of your wedding. Some Brides want to make their own invitations, usually to save money, but that's not always the case with DYI. Factor in the materials, tools and time and you are pretty much riding even with what it would cost to outsource. We suggest that you hire a professional for your invites....let them take care of the details.

When putting together the information for your invites you need to think about the follow details:

Colour of paper(s)
Weight (thickness) of paper(s) - remember, the heavier the paper, the sturdier, but more expensive to mail.
Texture of paper(s)
Font type & colour
Style of invite - pocket fold, gate fold, tri-fold, etc
Size of invite - 4x6, 5x7

Then there's the details of wording. You need to give your guests all the information they need, like:

The basics - who, when, what, where and why
Time - of ceremony & reception
RSVP - phone, email or card
Directions
Menu choice (optional)
Attire requirements (optional)

Once you've made your decision on all those details, then it's time to put it all together. Working with an Invitation Specialist can make this wedding detail less daunting. Once the invites are completed, you will see, it's all about the little things....

 * Invitations by:

www.hipink.com

CopyKate #02

Invitations are the first thing your guests see for your wedding, unless you are having a Save the Date. You need to set the tone for your wedding through your invite - it helps guests decide if they are able to attend, what to wear, and what is expected of them (travel, costs, etc).

CopyKate #02: The Royal Wedding Invitation

I emailed my friend Sarah from Hip Ink to inquire about William & Kate's Royal Wedding invites, and how couples would be able to get the same look and feel of their invites for a whole lot less.


Here's what she had to say:

From photos I’ve seen, my guess would be that William and Kate’s invitation was likely printed on a 100% cotton, double-thick card, around 6×8 (which is oversize for standard invitations). I’m quite sure that the details were engraved, the royal crest stamped in gold foil and the edges of the card were gilded with actual gold. The invitation would have most certainly arrived in a double envelope.


$16-$20 per invite, plus optional personalization
The Royal Invite was an approx. 6x8 thick cotton card, engraved, with gilded edges and a foil stamped crest. You would probably expect to pay around $800-1000 for 50 invitations that were similar. The engraving - the most expensive printing method for invitations - and gilded edges are what really drive the cost up.

What was interesting about the Royal Wedding invites, at least to us in North America, was the lines where the guests names were written in (in this case it would have been the Royal Calligrapher who wrote them all). This is standard practice (personalizing invitations with guest names) in the UK and Australia, and adds a nice personal touch.

This is definitely something that you could incorporate if you're working with a custom designer. For example, I offer personalization on invitations or RSVP cards for around $.75-$1.00 each.

$9-$10 per invite
A mid-range but very similar invite that would look almost identical could be created using the same cardstock (a 100% cotton double-thick card), letterpress printing (still very chic and high-end) and a foil stamped gold crest (but skipping the gilded edging) for around $450-500 for 50 invitations.

$4-$6 per invite
The standout of this invite is the gold foil crest – keep that element and you’ve got the look. Combine a nice (but not super-thick) cardstock and digital printing, and you've got a more affordable item.

Did you notice that the RSVP information is printed in the lower left hand corner, asking guests to reply to the Lord Chamberlin’s office? As is traditional, and most formal, the reply is to be provided in writing – no email or phone calls here, no little mail back cards – old-school all the way. Also, no reception info. Separate invitations were mailed out for those invited to the afternoon reception held by the Queen, as well as the evening reception held by Prince Charles, and those invitations have not been made public.

So, there you have it. You can recreate Wills & Kate's invites at any price level and still get the same regal look. Contact Sarah for info on your wedding invites, or if you're working with us for Full Wedding Planning we will be able to refer you to vendors like Sarah that offer discounts to our clients.

Cheerio!