Great Ideas for Homemade Wedding Invitations

More and more couples are choosing to make their own wedding invitations today. One reason for this is the rising cost of just about everything associated with a wedding. Another factor is the desire of the bride and groom to create a more personal wedding invitation.

It’s not hard to come up with ideas for homemade wedding invitations that are less expensive and more personal. Most of these focus on personally made and designed invitation cards. It’s a great way to give your guests a quick look at the meaning of your relationship as a couple and how you plan to celebrate your special event.

When you use a theme, your invitations will have more punch, and give your guests an idea of what to expect at the celebration itself. Try basing it on your wedding’s theme or colors. You can carry this look forward into your wedding favors, decorations and all the other things that make up your wedding. There’s a wide range of choices when it comes to wedding themes. You can use color or images to present your theme, whatever relates to the wedding you’re planning.

It’s not at all difficult to print up your own invitations. All you really need is a computer and a good quality printer. When you print your own invitations, your costs are likely to be much less. But don’t forget about the cost of replacing the ink in your printer. This can add up considerably if you have a lot of color in your invitations.

Once the invitations are printed, many people like to add some sort of final touch to them as well. Ribbons, scrapbooking stickers, dried flowers and other meaningful objects add a personal look. Another popular addition is to include a photo of the wedding couple. You can choose a professional studio photo, a favorite snapshot or make up a collage. You can even have the invitation framed so it serves as a keepsake of your special day.

Something else to keep in mind is the wording of your wedding invitations. When you order your invitations at a printer, they will have recommendations regarding wording. However, if you’re making your invitations yourself, you need to research how to word them correctly. Even with homemade invitations, you still need to use the proper etiquette for wedding invitations.

Hopefully these suggestions will inspire your imagination. Once you’re into the process, you’ll think of all sorts of unique ideas to express your personality. Really, there are almost no limitations when designing homemade wedding invitations. Just remember to be tasteful.

Ten Cost-Saving Ideas for Your Wedding

With the tough economic times we are experiencing, many brides find it necessary to reevaluate their wedding budgets.  The list below will assist you in reigning in your wedding budget and stretching your hard-earned dollar.

1). Purchase flowers that are local and in-season.  Incorporating orchids into a winter wedding is going to cost you a pretty penny.  Instead, visit your local flower market and select seasonal white Calla Lilies or deep red roses to form your bridal bouquets or table centerpieces.

2). Have your wedding favors double as your place cards or guest escort cards.  Indicate the guest’s name and table assignment on a label or hang tag and attach it to the favor box or bag.  Place the wedding favors / place cards on a central table at the entrance of the reception room.  Guests will learn of their assigned seats as they pick up their unique wedding favors.

3). Avoid couture bridesmaids’ dresses and instead peruse through the clothing racks of popular national clothing retailers.  By choosing a style and color that your gals can wear again, you increase the longevity of their dresses while stretching their hard-earned dollars.  Best yet, your bridesmaids can shop at their convenience at their local retailer.

4). Consider a Friday evening or Sunday day wedding.  This alone can save you tons of money.

5). Craft the wedding invitations yourself.  Many discount stores now offer stylish wedding invitations, thank-you cards, and wedding ceremony programs that you can print yourself in the comfort of your own home.  Shopping for reasonably priced embossed wedding invitations are now as easy as shopping for pencils and printer paper.

6). Have several family and friends arrange your bridal bouquet, bridal party bouquets and boutonnieres as well as table centerpieces.  Beware:  arrange flowers no later than the night before or else the flowers will wilt.  If you have an eager and willing group of people who you trust and who understand your style, you can easily save hundreds of dollars by delegating these tasks.

7). If you know someone who is just starting out as a photographer or videographer, they may be willing to cover your wedding for free in an effort to build their portfolio and gain some experience.

8). Using an irregular-shaped invitation increases your postage so try and use standard-sized inviations.

9). Apply your makeup yourself, and style your own hair.

10). Limit the size of your bridal party to family members and best of friends.  Involve the others in other important tasks like passing out wedding ceremony programs or ushering guests to their seats at the ceremony.