DIY is one of the biggest trends in wedding invitations, but who should be doing DIY?
Last week a call came into the office from a groom who wanted to buy, print, assemble and send out his DIY wedding invitations in less then a week. As I quickly explained that I wouldn’t recommend DIY invitations for such a short time frame, I realized that there are a lot of things that people don’t know about DIY invitations, so I thought I would try to help.
First, let me explain how MDC Designs got into the DIY business. We began years ago doing only custom and personalized handmade wedding invitations. Yet, every year we would see several brides who would come to us after trying to make their own invitations. So, we set out to make DIY products that would help those brides right from the start. Still, we believe DIY is a great idea for some, but not for others.
Here are some factors to consider:
1) Crafty-ness: Do you love crafting or scrapbooking? Want to be hands on in the invitation process? DIY may be for you. Experience with glues, equipment and paper is definitely a plus when creating invitations. Working with paper isn’t always easy. I always think of a Project Runway episode where one designer asked “who knew it would be so difficult to work with paper”?
2) Cost: This is the number 1 reason that people decide to DIY their wedding invitations, but is it really true that DIY costs less?
The truth is that DIY invitations can cost less then fully assembled invitations, but this is not always the case. DIYers need to incorporate the not only the cost of the paper and embellishments, but the glue, tools and shipping. Plus there is the biggest hidden cost, the cost of mistakes and trial and error. Always account for extras in your costs.
3) Vision: Are you a person who knows what they like when they see it? Often, the brides that I would see after a DIY attempt knew what they wanted, but not how to get there. If this describes you, consider complete kits (including all embellishments and instructions) like our Prestige DIY line.
4) Time: Like the groom who called, this is the main factor that people fail to consider. It takes much more time then most people think to create a beautiful invitation.
So is DIY for you? Check out our great DIY options. Or you may want to consider using a professional stationer (like MDC Designs!). This can save you precious time and stress during your wedding planning. We can often work within a set budget to make your vision a reality. Plus we have beautiful papers, specialized adhesives and equipment Most of all we have the experience to create the perfect invitation for you.
