5 Reasons why NOT to DIY your Wedding Stationery and the benefits of asking an expert instead.

Your wedding stationery is definitely your first opportunity to hint to your guests about your wedding, yet it is often an aspect of wedding planning that gets overlooked or that couples decide to do for themselves. After all, how hard can it be?

Well, below I have shared 5 reasons why creating your own wedding stationery may not be the best idea when planning your wedding...

1. Wedding stationery takes a HUGE amount of time.

Designing, finding the paper, buying the paper, printing the invites or finding someone to print for you, assembling the invites,, addressing envelopes... the time all adds up when creating wedding stationery at a moment in your life when you're juggling lots of pre-wedding tasks.

There are so many hidden time suckers throughout the process that it can end up feeling like an endless task! Then for someone who doesn't have wedding stationery experience, each task has the potential to take even longer while you work out systems to put it all together.

By booking a stationer, you win back a lovely chunk of time that can be put to better use... actually spending quality time together in the lead up to your wedding, perhaps? Well at least time to deal with the decisions and tasks that can't be done for you such as working out which family member to sit next to Aunt Mildred!

2. Wedding stationery is stressful!

When it's your own wedding invitations that you're making and you have an emotional interest in it being perfect, every single word, font, design can end up being mulled over and doubted, making the task more of a stress than a joy.

Add to that all of the different paper types, colours, brands, weights and textures, the various on-the-day stationery options, font choices, print options and assembly, you're heading straight for a big headache!

With so many different things to consider, a wedding stationer helps you to make all of the difficult decisions. A good wedding stationer will give you guidance on the invitation wording offer amendments if asked. They'll also give you recommendations for the best paper and embellishments to use for your wedding invitations to match your wedding theme. This takes a big stress out of the planning process, leaving your head clearer for other things.

3. You might not have the right tools

It'll come as no surprise that wedding stationers have an awful lot of kit to make those beautiful wedding invitations and on-the-day wedding stationery. In order to design and make your own wedding invitations, you'll need access to design software, printers, and other tools to make them, which may be costly to buy or simply impractical for you.

Instead of spending time and money learning how to use new tools, booking a stationer may be the more sensible option, not to mention less wasteful on resources if they won’t be needed again.

4. It may still be costlier than you think

While making your own stationery is likely to be cheaper than using a wedding stationer, you may be surprised at how quickly the costs mount. This might make the DIY option less cost-effective than you first thought.

Many wedding stationers buy their card and embellishments in bulk and have a well-researched list of wedding suppliers to help them keep the costs down. When buying in smaller quantities and from mainstream retailers rather than directly from suppliers, there is always a premium added. As mentioned before, the equipment needed is also very costly and you may not gain that money back even if you trying to sell it on afterwards.

5. The quality of finish may not be as you'd hoped

DIY invitations can certainly have a rustic charm to them which may be the style you want to achieve, however it is very difficult (if not impossible) to get the same professional print quality if you're making your own invitations.

If you're looking for a beautiful high-end finish, professionally produced wedding invitations may be a better choice for you. With a range of print finishes and expertise in refining your ideas into a beautiful end product, a wedding stationer can give you exactly what you want with all of the finer details you wouldn't be able to achieve by yourself.

I am here to help you to decide what the best options are for you and your wedding.

Get in touch with me to discuss what wedding stationery options are available for your budget. It is best to get in touch no later than 6/7 months before your wedding to discuss invitations and 4 months beforehand for on-the-day stationery. Advance booking is recommended for summer weddings to avoid your date being fully booked.