There are many questions to ask when choosing your wedding stationery. Here are a few common questions and answers to help you. If you have another question to ask us, please contact us through our contact page as we would love to help.
1) How far before the big day should invitations be sent out?
At ditsy chic suggest you give your guests plenty of notice to let them know about your special day. You want to ensure all your guests can attend and with everyone having such busy lives nowadays, we suggest as a general rule you send out your invitations approx 3-4months before your wedding. This gives plenty to for your guest to keep that day free in their calender! If you are getting married abroad or at a busy time of the year -for example Christmas and holidays, your guests may need extra time to plan so take this into consideration and possibly send out your invitations earlier. A great alternative if you don't want to send out invitations so early, is to send out save the date cards! These prove to be a great way to notify your guests about your special day, without going into to much detail. These can be sent out at least a year or beyond and can be coordinated with the rest of your stationery to give the perfect little taster for your wedding.
2) What basic information should an invitation display?
Invitations are they key to informing your guests about the all important details of the day. As well as the essential information such as date, time and location, your invitations also give you the opportunity to ask about special dietary requirements for the wedding breakfast and include travel information, local accommodation and are a great way to gently point your guests in the right direction of the gift list.3) Should the invitation's design reflect the style of the day?
Yes indeed! Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your friends and family will see of your big day, so it is important to make a good first impression. You can use your stationery to pull together the entire look of your wedding and reflect the style and tone of your day through the colours and themes you have chosen. Many couples are very keen to carry the stationery throughout their wedding day and beyond with coordinating order of service, menus table plans and numbers and thank you cards. Have fun selecting styles to reflect your taste, most couples want their wedding invitations to be a special item that their guests will remember and keep as a memento so it is important to get it right.
4) What are the advantages of going bespoke?
Bespoke designs are perfect for the couple who are looking for something different or have a special idea about how they would like their day to look. They can incorporate your own personal photographs, images or any elements that you may desire and we are able to work to specific budget if required. Going the bespoke route is not as expensive as you may think, at disty chic our bespoke packages start from only £25! More and more we find in everyday life, people like to express their own style or look so why shouldn't the same should apply for your wedding day! You may spend hours searching the internet and wedding fairs for an invitation that expresses you as a couple and never totally be happy with what you find. Just think how satisfying being a part of the design process and creating a design that reflects your personalities -after all this is one of the biggest days of your life! However big or small your ideas, if you find a good wedding stationery designer they will be able to work with you directly to create a unique one off design that will WoW your guests and will be sure to be a great talking point on the day.
5) What should a bride/groom expect when approaching a stationery designer. What is the process from selecting to ordering invitations?
Whether you decide to choose a design from a range or go the bespoke route, it is advisable you contact the designer to discuss your needs. You may find that even though you have choosen a style from a range, quite often the colours or details (such as ribbons) can be changed to tie into your theme. At ditsy chic we always offer a free initial consultation which can either be in person (if you live in the Bristol area, over the telephone or via e-mail. During this process we will discuss any ideas you may have for your stationery. We love to hear your ideas including any themes and colours you may have alongside budgets, timescales, items needed and quantities. If you choose the bespoke route, the process goes that extra mile to design something unique. At ditsy chic we love design and creating new ideas, and for our bespoke customers we will provide 3 designs based on your brief. From here you may combine or make changes to the design o create your final and perfect invitation. We can then coordinating designs for R.S.V.P's, directions etc once you have chosen your final design. Once you have the final look, the designer will then produce a samples to ensure you are completely happy with the colours and design. You should find the whole process fun and friendly and enjoy the creativeness of design! Ditsy tip: We always suggest you always order more invitations than you think you'll need so you'll be prepared for the inevitable guest list creep and any mistakes made when writing them.
6) How long should a couple allow for invitations to be produced?
At ditsy chic we suggest you allow 4 - 6 weeks for the invitations to be produced. As all of our designs are totally handcrafted, there is a lot of love, care and attention taken to produce them. If you need your invitations before that time, I am positive if you ask your stationery designer they will be able to prioritise your order. If you wish to go the bespoke route, we suggest the earlier you start looking into design the better! It may take a while to finalise your look and co-ordinate your design into your chosen stationery products and many of our customers prefer to take their time and enjoy the creative process.
7) Have you noticed any trends in stationery designs? ie a request for certain designs/styles/colours.
Wedding stationery is moving further and further away from the more traditional styles with couples opting for the more design orientated and individual style. People are looking to fashion on the high streets and bringing personality into their special day! 2010 and beyond springs forth a fresh decade of new trends and ideas. Here are just a few of the latest trends we have seen coming into our studio.
Vintage Flair is a trend that we have seen this year and continues to grow strong as we enter 2010. Pretty florals, french wallpaper and vintage birdcages will help take you back to that by gone era. It offers a timeless and romantic style and can quite easily be accessorised with lace and embellishments, still offering the couple a very traditional theme. On the day try to compliment with pretty florals, birdcage centre pieces or even mis-matched crockery at your wedding breakfast!
Bright Bold Colours are mixing up a new trend for 2010. Modern couples are adding tropical sunshine into their wedding stationery! Whether getting married abroad or people who just love a splash of colour, couples are becoming more intrepid choosing vibrant shades of aqua, hot pink, lime green, bright yellow and purples. The combination of bright colours and fabulous exciting design can transform an ordinary invitation into a design that oozes personality and unique style that will Wow your guests the moment they open the envelope.
Relaxed Wording is becoming increasingly popular. Many more couples are hosting their own wedding and so the formalities of the traditional wording of the brides parents hosting the wedding are moving on. Couples are looking for more relaxed wording to describe their special day and choosing wording that will reflect them. It is important to have fun with the wording. I believe there shouldn't be any rules. As long as your invitation includes the guest's names, your names, the time, date and location you can word however you want.
Wallet Invitations have become very popular. Many of our customers love these as they hold all the important information they require for your wedding day and offer great value in a very stylish package.
Ditsy Chic Delivery Charges 2010
ORDER VALUE UNDER £20 - DELIVERY COST = £3.00
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £20 - £50 - DELIVERY COST = £8.50
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £50 - £75 - DELIVERY COST = £10.00
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £75 - £100 - DELIVERY COST = £12.50
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £100 - £150 - DELIVERY COST = £15.00
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £150 - £200 - DELIVERY COST = £17.50
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £200 - £300 - DELIVERY COST = £22.50
ORDER VALUE BETWEEN £300 - £600 - DELIVERY COST = £25.00 - £35.00
ORDER VALUE OVER £600 - DELIVERY COST = £35.00 plus
Please note: Table Plan postal prices may be extra due to the size.