Pulp Papery: Wedding Invitations, Custom Stationery, and More!

Although some find this process a little overwhelming or just plain boring, your wedding invitations are more than just a piece of paper requesting the presence of your guests. They are an introduction to the day's events, and should make a statement about the bride and groom. They convey to the invitees the general character of the wedding whether it is formal, intimate, whimsical, spectacular, or low-key. Their most important function however is delivering information about the day's proceedings. You should be clear in both language and meaning about times, locations, attire, activities, or anything else that may or may not be involved in your special day.

That said, before you begin the process of buying your wedding invitations you should determine your needs by breaking down your wedding day. Use your wedding style, however formal or casual, as well as time and budget to guide you through the boundless options. It's helpful to establish a thread a common theme -- with color, typestyle, or motif -- and apply it to each piece. For efficiency and cost effectiveness, strive to order all your stationery needs from the same place and, ideally, at the same time.

There can be several components to your wedding stationery: save the date card, wedding invitation, response card, reception card, directions/informational card, wedding programs, menu cards, place cards, and thank you cards. Whether you have all of these printed or you just need the basics, be sure to create a realistic budget for all of your paper needs. The most common mistake couples make when planning for this piece of the wedding pie is to budget to little. Many think, "It is just paper. How expensive can it be?"

In addition to the different printing styles, different types of paper, embellishments (such as ribbon) and the amount of pieces that you will need for your wedding will impact the bottom line. The vast number of options that can impact the cost of your invitations is also why you may find it difficult to have a stationer give you a ballpark figure of how much invitations are over the phone.

If you want to save money - print and assemble your invitations at home. Remember, when you go through your local stationer, whether they go through one of their albums or they print in-house, part of the cost of your invitations is paying for someone's time, creativity, and labor.

When choosing your wedding invitations you should consider what type of printing you and your partner would like to have. There are a variety of factors that will go into this decision - your budget being the primary one. Your stationer should take the time to walk you through the different printing processes and the cost of each. However, the more you know before you start to shop the less overwhelming all of the choices can be!

Thermography:
Probably the most popular print method (it's less expensive than engraving.) A heat-based process fuses ink and resinous powder to create raised lettering. It's virtually indistinguishable from engraving work. The subtle differences: thermographed text is slightly shiny and the back of the invitation remains smooth (no impression).

Lithography, Offset Printing:
This type of printing is probably what you're probably most familiar with where an inked impression is made to a plate or a rubber cylinder and transferred to paper. Ink colors are mixed in cans from Pantone or RGB colors for exact matches. The printing appears as a flat image.

Laser/Ink Jet:
Laser printing is the least expensive form of printing. The appearance is similar to that of lithography. This is a cost-effective option for couples. There are many "do it yourself" invitation kits you can buy, allowing you customize and print your own wedding invitations. Laser printing is also provided at professional print shops.

It has become more popular among couples to send save-the-date cards to their wedding guests to inform them of the wedding date and locale so they can plan ahead. Save the date cards are helpful for out-of-town guests, if the wedding will happen over a holiday weekend or in a locale where guests will need to book travel accommodations in advance. In addition to the card, couples should also include information on area hotels, especially if the couple has blocked rooms in a specific hotel for the occasion.

Save the date cards can be on the more casual side. However, you should consider using the same color, typestyle, or motif on these cards as on your wedding invitations so to have a continuing theme throughout your stationery. If you haven't decided on those things when ordering your save the date, try to incorporate a theme derived from the wedding location or the holiday that your wedding may fall on. For example, if you know that your wedding will be at a winery on a specific date, but haven't had a chance to go much farther than that, consider including a wine grapes motif on your card.

Couples should order these cards as soon as you know your wedding date. Couples should send these out at least six months before your wedding (longer if the wedding is a destination wedding or over a holiday weekend).

Waste Not Paper offers a variety of cardstock and envelopes in many shapes & sizes and in a variety of fresh new colors.

Hello! Lucky is a letterpress print and design studio based in san francisco, california. the company is run by eunice and sabrina moyle, two sisters whose whimsical style and humor have culminated in a retro inspired collection of social stationery.

The Happy Envelope is a stationery design company that specializes in beautifully designed paper products. From our Holiday photo cards to our exquisite Wedding invitation suites, we insist on excellence in both design and production. All of our product lines feature unique color palettes, contemporary layouts, and a "happy" aesthetic. We print each of our designs offset on a bright white, ultra-smooth paper stock, which creates a rich sea of flat ink on each piece.

In a day where e-mails, faxes, and cell phones are the common modes of communication, why not send something surprising to a special person today? Whether it's one of our funky Birth Announcements, a colorful note of Personal Stationery, or a superb Wedding Invitation, the receiver is certain to be delighted!

What historical sporting event would you like to witness?
If you could have any view from your back porch, what would it be?
What's the perfect age?
Which other culture would you choose to be born into?

TableTopics is the nervous host's best friend. Intriguing, funny, and enlightening, this set of questions is guaranteed to entertain in even the most awkward situations, and will get your dinner table conversation flowing. Each clever card poses a different question, from the super fun to the never-thought-about-that-before serious. Appropriate for all ages, although especially created for adults to enjoy with friends over a glass of wine or to enjoy dinner parties.

At yellow bird paper greetings a chi-chi concoction of vintage imagery, girlish glamour and witty sayings culminate in a stationery collection high on style and serious sass.

Inspired by her travels, children and childhood, stationery designer Charmaine Carlson uses both the past and present as her muse. Reaching into the past, she unearths nostalgic images, colours, fonts and styles which she then magically reinterprets in refreshingly modern ways.

Whether it's reflecting the feel of small-town country fairs and big-top circuses or the days of bouffant hairdo's and martini mixers, yellow bird paper greetings delightfully reintroduce us to bygone eras while tickling our funny bones.

The line's quality is equally alluring. European linen card stock is used for every card, gift enclosure and placecard, and hand-applied Swarovski crystals are added to many designs for that extra element of va va voom!