When you’re shopping around for your wedding stationery, you’ll want to meet with a few stationers. It’s a good idea to talk to them about their process and how to go about choosing your invitations.  Start with these four questions to ask your wedding invitations designer, and be fully informed about who you are about to work with.

The first question to ask your designer

“When do we need to start and what are your timelines?”

With each part of your wedding stationery, there is likely a design phase, a processing phase, and a delivery phase.  With custom and hand-crafted stationery, it’s not as simple as ordering something and then having it shipped to you.  For invitations, you also need to add on the time in transit to your guests.  For on-the-day stationery, you want to balance that fine line between having enough time to get RSVPs and the menu sorted, and then leaving enough time to have the items created. 

Ask your stationer about how long their processes take, and when they recommend getting started.  If you’re having save the date cards, you may need to choose a designer more than 14 months out from the wedding (you can read more about save the date timing here).  I know some designers who won’t accept clients when they are less than 6 months out from their wedding, to avoid a time crunch.  So get on to choosing a couple of designers that you like, and ask them this question first!

The next question to ask your designer

“How many revisions do you offer?”

There is a range of options with designs, from set designs where you only change the names and event details, through to full custom designs.  When you choose the route you’d like, ask them what the process is for making changes.  You might have no opportunity to change a set design once your names and details are entered.  You might get unlimited revisions with a full custom design. 

Ask what the process is for revisions.  Do you explain changes in an email, or is there a system for drawing on a draft to show changes?  Both have their pros and cons.  If this part of the design process is really important to you, please make sure you ask this question.

Ask about samples

“Can we see some samples?”

Seeing samples is the bomb for really getting a feel for what your stationery will be like.  Can they send you different papers and colours, and different printing options?  Is the paper nice and thick?  If your designer is local, can you meet in person to see the options?  Are the sample packs free?  If you want a high-quality finish, seeing a sample is a really good idea. 

And the final question to ask your wedding invitations designer

“Can you take inspiration from a photo?”

There are a few things to ask here.  You might have a range of really beautiful wedding photos that is guiding your styling choices for your whole wedding, and you definitely want to show this to your stationery designer.  This way, they can take colour and style inspiration to design your invitations.  Ask them if you can send them these photos or even a Pinterest board link.

On the other hand, if you’re asking a designer to copy a design from an invitation you’ve found online, that is not something that we can do.  This is direct plagiarism, even if you want to make very minor changes.  Clients do ask this!  If you really love the design, find the original designer and ask them to make it; otherwise, you’ll need to find a designer whose work you love and choose something there.

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These four questions to ask your wedding invitations designer are a great place to start in finding out more about the process, and in getting to know your stationer.  Check out Part Two – More Questions to Ask Your Wedding Invitations Designer here!

Want to talk about your own wedding invitations?