There are a lot of different routes you can take in terms of designing your wedding invitations. We are going to discuss three of the options that we see the most: Online, Etsy, and using an Invitation Designer. [Above photo by Susan Elizabeth Photography, Invitations by Art, Paper, Scissors]
Websites like Minted, The Wedding Shop by Shutterfly and The American Wedding provide online options for invitation ordering. You can order samples from these sites so that you can see how the coloring and paper quality is prior to ordering and designing your invitation. These sites often offer discount codes, typically making ordering from them affordable. They will address the envelopes for you and often allow you to make design changes.
Etsy is becoming another frequented spot for finding invitations and designers. If you are looking to keep your costs low, Etsy offers a lot of print at home options. This can be a very big undertaking though, so keep that in mind!
Finally, you can find an invitation/wedding stationary designer and work directly with them to create your custom invitation. There are a few things we love about going this route:
Budget
They can work with most budgets. If you share your budget with the designer, they can guide you to the type of invitations and extras that can fit within your budget. They know what to remove from your package to help get you within your budget without losing the look you want and how to add to your suite, making the most out of your budget.
Custom Design
Your invitation designer will work with you to figure out the exact look that you are seeking. Often, they create a few custom designs for you to choose from. They help you to pick and choose details to be able to create a completely customized, unique invitation for your wedding.
Hands on
They are experts at the process of invitations and will guide you through each step. Of course you can find helpful blog articles out there and information on websites, but working with a designer means you are getting an expert in the field who will provide valuable tips and help you save time. They often assemble the invitations for you as well, which is a huge chunk of work off of your plate.
If you are going to be working with a designer, it's never too early to start. Some local invitation designers that we recommend are Lace and Belle , Art, Paper, Scissors and The Jess Press. For more on choosing an invitation route and tips from a few of these talented designers, check out our Wedding Planning Guide article: Hiring an Invitation Designer.