DIY vs. Professional Wedding Stationery

Wedding stationery is probably one of the most popular things to ‘DIY’, especially with it being so easy to find hacks on platforms like Instagram & TikTok and apps like Canva that make designing for a non-pro REALLY easy.

When you’re looking to save money, or the budget is quickly dwindling, it’s easy to see why a lot of people have a go at creating their stationery themselves.

If you have a creative flare or love to get crafty, putting together your own stationery can actually be really fun! I made my own wedding invitations way before running my own stationery business and I personally loved spending weekends with a glass of wine and a takeaway, putting everything together.

Having done that as a novice 7 years ago to now running my own wedding stationery business, I have put together a list of my top tips and things to consider if you are thinking about making your own wedding invitations......

1. Do you know how to print them?

Designing is one thing but printing is another. Do you know how to get your artwork print-ready? And do you have a good quality printer or know somewhere that can print them for you?

If you aren’t printing them yourself, there are going to be costs involved. These will often come with minimum order quantities so it’s a good idea to look into this beforehand to make sure that you will actually be saving money (if money or budget is your main concern).

2. Have you thought about cardstock?

The type of card you use can really change the entire look of your stationery so it’s important  to consider what you’d like, the cost of it and if your printer is compatible (some printers can only take up to a certain thickness card).

If you are having someone else print them, can they provide what you want?

3. Do you want to add finishing touches?

Think about the extra touches like wax stamps and metallic foiling - is this something that you want to add? If you do, it’s important to remember that some of those finishing touches will require specific tools or materials.

Those tools will often cost more than the price of paying a professional who already has them. So it’s important to bear this in mind.

4. Have you thought about 'On The Day' Stationery?

Wedding stationery doesn’t just stop at wedding invitations, you are also likely to need some ‘on the day’ stationery. Consider whether this is something that you can also design yourself and bear in mind that ‘on the day’ stationery is often more tricky to print and prepare than wedding invitations as it usually includes large signage, or lots of smaller items that you might need to tweak your printer settings for (like small place cards).

4. Do you actually have the time?

Planning a wedding is very stressful and takes up a lot of time already. Do you have the extra time and patience to design and print the stationery yourself?

The take away.....

DIY stationery can be really fun for some people and save them money. But for others, it can cause more stress and cost just as much in the long run.

If you don’t have the correct tools or knowledge, stationery may not end up looking how you’d hoped and leave you disappointed.

AND REMEMBER....

Your wedding invitation is the first glimpse of your wedding day that guests will see. They set the tone entirely.