The Write Stuff

No matter who you choose to print your invitations and stationery, always do it the right way. The first place you should look is through families and friends, ask for recommendations. This the best way to look for a good invitation printer, and of course this applies to all vendors you look for.

Always ask to see examples of the stationer's work, work that they have personally done in the past, not photos of other stationery they have downloaded off the internet and they claim that they can reproduce the design.

Even though I do invitations myself, I would suggest that you visit at least 3 stationery retailers so that you can have a better idea of the prices, styles and personalized options that are available.

Also, business is business! You should ask questions right from the start and if possible, get the terms and conditions in writing. The easiest is to communicate the important things through email so that you have everything written out in black and white. Again, this applies to all vendors you deal with, always get everything down on paper!

Questions you might want to ask your stationer:
- can you see an actual sample before placing an order?
- what are the liability for printing mistakes on their part?
- does extra prints cost extra, does it count as a new order?
- do the invitations come fully assembled?
- what is the cost difference if they do the printing and you do the assembling?
- do they print your return address on the invitation and RSVP envelopes?

Always proofread all master texts BEFORE placing the order. Have a couple of family members or friends proofread it for you, they might catch a mistake you have missed! Also check your final invitations after production when you pick them up. Check it on the spot instead of waiting until you get home and when you finally find time to address the envelopes and stuff in the invitation. If the stationer made a mistake, it would be too late to do anything about it when you find out.

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