Merry Brides: DIY Wedding Invitations

4/30/07

DIY Wedding Invitations

By Jane Martin

The first step in DIY wedding invitations is to gather the information needed. Addresses, times, the actual event and other instructions the attendees will require. It is also helpful to know at least about how many you'

Look at the numbers of invitations you plan to create and the budget you have. This will tell you how complex you can get without spending too much time or money on the project.

It is not difficult to find ready made kits to help you. Some are essentially blank cards with wedding related clip art and some decorative borders. Others not only include cards but computer programs to aid in the creation of the invitations. While helpful they are not essential especially if you have software already on your computer (which is often better than the software in the kits) and the skills to use them.

When you start the DIY wedding invitations, the two keys to keep in mind are clarity and beauty. You want the cards to be attractive and lovely, and you don't want the card to be difficult to read. Don't be afraid to design in a publishing or word processing program, print out samples and make changes. Always print before making a decision, as no matter how hard they try, images on screen and on paper aren't the same thing. Use ordinary paper until you get the results you want, then you can go to using the actual paper you intend. Don't be afraid to experiment. You can use a paper cutter, hole punch, tape and more than one kind of paper to create impressive effects at the cost of time and effort.

The cards you create have a huge advantage over professionally made cards. They can perfectly reflect your personality and desires, instead of what someone else thinks is appropriate. If the number of cards isn't too high, it is possible to add a color picture of the couple. Even if the guest list is too large for the ink required, the guests with parts in the wedding can get such personal attention.

For some, there is a tendency to think that printing is the end of the process, except for putting the cards into an envelope. Don't be afraid to sign the cards, if there aren't too many, or to use attachments like colored card stock shaped like a heart or butterfly, or a ribbon.

Once you have the design finalized, create one. Test your plan to see if it really looks like you desire before you start a large print batch. Depending on the design chosen and the printer, this process can take some time, so plan around any need to keep feeding cards into the printer or keep any eye on the printing.

Once you have created your DIY wedding invitations, check them against the guest list, collate them into envelopes and send them out, with one less task for you to worry about.

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