Unique and Affordable Print At Home Do-It-Yourself Wedding Invitations

by Ryan on March 9, 2010

Hello, my name is Ryan Fitzpatrick of MAN vs. GEORGE DESIGN, a graphic design firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am today’s guest blogger.

So, you have a date for the wedding and you cannot wait to tell the world. Yeah! You shopped around for invitations and came to the conclusion that using 14k gold leaf to monogram your invitations was beyond your budget and you really do not need your RSVPs printed on paper made from endangered trees and infused with petals from a flower that blooms only twice a century. You have decided or are considering using print at home wedding invitations as a way to save money or extend your honeymoon. Perhaps, though, you are worried about the quality of print at home invitations or your ability to make them look professionally made. Well, I am here to offer you some simple tips on how to purchase print at home invitations that are right for you and make them look fantastic.

First, a definition: Print at home invitations usually consist of paper that is cut to the size of the finished invitation, with a pre-printed design frame around the edges and a blank region for you to customize with your own event details. They are sold in sets (often 50 or 100 pieces per pack). Or, they may consist of a printer-ready PDF file from a graphic designer, featuring your event details integrated into the design. Either way, print at home invitations are a great choice for couples looking to economize on their wedding stationery budget.

Your invitations are the formal way that you inform family and friends that you are getting married. They communicate dates, times, locations, where to stay, and how to get there. But they also set the tone for the wedding, whether it be a small traditional affair, a large modern event, or a destination wedding where shirts and shoes are not required. Once you have decided on a tone for your wedding, search through the large selection of print at home invitations in stores and on the interweb for designs and colors that match your theme. For example, if you want something traditional, look for floral patterns and decorated borders. If you want something more fun and modern, select something unique like the wedding couple I designed (Figure 1). If you are not sure yet what colors will be used in the wedding but need to send your save the date cards, choose a simple black and white design that will match anything. In order to broaden your search, do not only focus on big box or national stores. Do multiple searches online and check out sites like etsy.com, which is full of fresh and original print at home invitations.

Figure 1

So, you have narrowed your choices down to a few print at home invitations but you are still a little bit hesitant. You are thinking, “I don’t want them to look and feel cheap.” One way to make sure that your print at home invitations look great is to buy invitations that are made with 80 lb (or heavier) cover stock. The basic weight of paper is the weight, in pounds, of 500 standard sheets (80 lb cover paper will feel similar to an index card). To add warmth and texture to the invitations, consider buying invitations made of linen (Figure 2), metallic, or speckled paper. Just make sure that your home printer can handle thick paper. If your print at home files are delivered as an electronic file, such as a PDF, search for bulk paper online. I recommend French Paper and Papers-Papers. When selecting invitation paper, keep in mind that you’ll need to select matching or coordinating envelopes in the appropriate sizes. Matching envelopes would be the same color and finish (linen, speckled, etc.) as your invitation paper. Coordinating envelopes may pick up on one of the colors in the design, for a dramatic contrast with the invitation paper.

Figure 2

Okay, so you found and purchased your invitations but now you need to choose a typeface that complements your invitations and a layout that is easy to design. For more traditional invitations, consider using a script or serif typeface. Palatino is a nice typeface and standard on most computers. For a more modern invitation, contemplate using a sans serif typeface, such as Helvetica, another standard typeface. Or you can try something a little more fun, such as a typeface like Madfontthorns (Figure 3). The websites www.dafont.com and www.1001freefonts.com have tons of free typefaces for you to download and use. Take some time browsing until you find a typeface that fits your invitation. As for the layout, write out all of the information that you want included on your save the date cards, invitations, reception cards and RSVPs. Then, for inspiration, search online for invitation layout examples with similar amounts of information. Make sure that at least a .25″ margin of blank space surrounds the text. Play around with some different typefaces and layouts before finalizing your decisions.

Figure 3

To recap: (1) Find a design that speaks to you; (2) Find great paper online; and (3) Experiment with fonts to complete the look of your invitations. With these three tips, you will be able to create print at home invitations that will help set the tone of your wedding, save you money, and look fantastic at the same time.

MAN vs. GEORGE DESIGN is a graphic design firm located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. They are obsessed with great design! On Etsy.com they offer a selection of their greeting cards for holidays, new babies, weddings, and thank-yous. You will find samples of their wedding work below, or check out their website (http://www.manvsgeorge.com) to find examples of their other design work including logos, gig posters, wedding invitations, ads, and illustrations for print and web.