Wedding Planning Tips: Choosing your stationery!
Hello beautiful bride-to-be!
You said to the man of your dreams and now that you have told the world about your engagement and celebrated with your family and friends, its time to plan your DREAM WEDDING DAY! Planning a wedding can be a very stressful time, but it really shouldn’t be! The secret is to get informed and keep organized when it comes to creating and executing the plan! And you don’t have to do this alone! Besides counting on your family and friends, there are so many wonderful wedding vendors available in our area that you can count on! First things first… Have you found your stationary Designer yet?
The first vendor I recommend is a talented stationery designer Elisa Hardy with Designed with Amore! Elisa is so kind and has the brightest smile around! She is sharing with us today some great information to help you when it comes to creating those beautiful invitations you will send your guests. Below are her thoughts on some very common questions Brides to be might have. The images are also all of her work! so BEAUTIFUL!!!!
1. How far in advance should couples contact a stationery designer?
We recommend to start the process anything from 12 months to 9 months before the wedding. Save the date cards should be sent to guests 6 to 9 months before the wedding (the further the wedding, the earlier the save the dates should be sent out) and we like to think about the save the dates as a coherent part of the stationery suite, so having a good idea of what the couples would like for their invitation suite, helps creating the save the dates. Always keep in mind that details such as calligraphy, custom venue illustration, and specialty printing will require more time
2. What type of services do you offer/include in your packages?
We like to think that we offer a little bit for every couple, we have affordable semi-custom stationery suites that are very cost-effective, and we offer a more high-end couture service for those couples that would like to have a more involved experience in the design process. Choosing a semi custom design is a great way to have a designer suite, without paying the custom cost.
3. What are some important things to consider when meeting with a designer?
Always have a clear idea of your budget, and what you need in terms of package. A designer will be able to guide you through the mental process to find what truly inspire you and what you are envisioning for your stationery. When I meet face to face with my clients, one of the things I hear the most is "I have no idea what I want, there is so much out there!" and that is true, there is a whole world of ideas for stationery (pinterest can be a double edge sword!) but a good designer should be able, by asking the right questions, to understand the couple's vision and put that on paper.
4. . How is the creation process and how involved are the couples in it?
The level of "involvement" of the couple usually depends a lot on the level of stress of the couple; sometime both are very busy and are working hard to prepare for the wedding, in that case I would recommend choosing one of our semi custom designs. Other couples are very involved and value stationery as a very important part of their wedding, and this is where we have the most fun! There is nothing more satisfying and heart filling than the reaction we get the moment we show couples their first custom suite sketches, most of the times they would have no idea that THAT is what they really wanted.
5. How far in advance should save the date and invitations be send out?
Ah ok I guess I ruined this cause I already answered, but I would say as a general line, save the dates should be mailed 6 to 8 months before (pushing it to 9 to 12 months before for destination weddings) and invitations should be mailed out 8 weeks before the wedding (12 weeks before the wedding for destinations).
6. . What tips could you give to newly engaged couples who are starting the wedding planning process?
Enjoy! Don't be afraid to be bold and make bold choices. Don't feel that you need to have a boho wedding because Pinterest tells you so. Your wedding is a celebration of your love, a celebration of your story, and should reflect you. Did I mention my wedding colors were Royal blue and Hot pink?
A little bit about Designed with Amore
Designed with Amore was born in 2011, after she planned her own wedding. Elisa lived in Italy most of her life, up until she met her now husband (on Twitter...long story...) and moved to the US. With 2 degrees in Architecture and design, her future career was not very clear after she moved half way around the world, but it all changed after starting her very own wedding planning business. Elisa realized that she truly enjoyed everything that involved designing and planning this special day. From then on she knew she wanted to be in the wedding industry. Choosing stationery came natural after that to Elisa, the market was truly in need of custom and personalized, as Etsy was starting to really flourish, giving Designed with Amore a great launch platform. Since 2011 Elisa has worked with over 7000 couples and have won multiple prestigious awards in the industry.
