Over the years, we’ve put countless wedding invitation suites together. Whether they were for this DIY column, for a client or even for our own weddings, we’re always blown away by how different a design can look once a couple puts their own personal spin on the details. Today we’ll show you just how different one of our standard letterpress designs (our Old West Invitation) can look once we add in all of the special details that bring the suite together. Hopefully this column inspires you to think outside the box about your own invitations! Be sure to check out the bottom of the post where we share our favorite DIY resources! – Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria

Bespoke design services are certainly available and a very popular option right now. It stands to reason that couples want a suite that reflects their personal style and the special day that they are planning. While they’re a great option for some, many budgets just can’t accommodate the high prices that come along with the custom design process. It’s not the only option to get something that suits you and also your budget. DIY-ing components of your suite and putting everything together with friends and family can really help the bottom line.

Maybe you want a letterpress invitation but also a vintage postcard reply. That’s when using a rubber stamp on a portion of your wedding invitation suite can come in really handy. Want envelope liners but the high price tag of having them installed blows the budget? Find fun patterned wrapping paper or scrapbooking paper and do it yourself. It will definitely take some extra time and effort but in the end offers the same custom look. The options for customizing your suite are endless (really, they are) so we’ll show you three designs and outline what it took to achieve each look. We’ll also give you some of our go-to resources for the fun stuff so that you can find exactly what you might need!

Our first suite is a fun play on traditional western imagery. We brought in tonal shades of green with the envelopes and a cactus patterned paper. We used the letterpress wedding invitation as well as the coordinating reply card (our Old West Invitation and Old West Reply Card) to keep it simple. For this suite we splurged and used calligraphy addressing because it’s really the best way to get opaque white ink and to add more of a unique touch. Twine always looks great with western design, so we used a peach bakers twine over a belly band to tie the pieces together.

For the second design, we wanted to illustrate just how pretty and feminine western design can be. We took the same Old West Invitation but paired it with pretty vintage postcard that featured a peach colored cactus flower and rubber stamped our reply info on the back. Adding in this imagery really helped us tie in the blush envelope and the coordinating chocolate and pink western liner. Of course, tying it together with a pretty Grecian Pink ribbon doesn’t hurt either. This suite was addressed using a digital addressing service. Just because you might not be able to afford a calligrapher doesn’t mean that you must resort to those tacky clear labels. There are many options for guest addressing with style selections to choose from.  There’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find something to coordinate with your suite.

By far the most pricey and customized design of the group, this suite includes custom art and a box mailer. We still used the same Old West invitation design but brought in luxe details like the navajo patterned response card and vintage arrowheads – all enclosed in a little gift box. Thinking “out of the box” can be really fun if you have the time and budget to bring in special details like these (even if they’re actually in a box). Custom guest address labels were used on this design in lieu of calligraphy. We knew the box would need a lot of postage, especially if using vintage postage stamps, but hand lettering and calligraphy needs quite a bit of room to execute. The label is printed out with both your guest address as well as your return address and wraps onto the back of the envelope (or box). It’s especially appropriate for the box mailers since it seals one side of the box shut.

We hope that your mind is a-buzz with ideas of how to make your own wedding invitations custom and unique to you! There are many options out there and it pays off to spend a little time adding some DIY touches your your own invitations.

Resources

Designs used in the tutorial: Old West Letterpress Invitation, Old West Letterpress Reply Card, Old West Coral Patterned Paper

About Envelopes: Adding colored envelopes is always a great option. Often invitation companies will give you a credit if you elect not to use the envelope that they provide with the invitations. Our favorite envelope sources are Paper Source, Paper Presentation and Envelopes.com. Between the three, they offer a wide selection of colors and styles for your to choose from. There are many others out there too if you spend the time to search around.

About Addressing Options

Calligraphy: It’s not for every budget, but calligraphy is a great options for many couples. If you have time, you can even try to learn for yourself with our tutorials and supply kit. Otherwise, calligraphers are plentiful both online and locally. If you’d prefer to work with a local calligrapher, the best way to find a talented and reputable person is currently to go through your local calligraphy guild. Using a local calligrapher can make your life easier and can be less expensive since you can avoid shipping things back and forth. They also tend to accommodate rush jobs more easily. Some calligraphers may not have websites…don’t let this deter you, they can easily email samples to show you their skills!

Digital Addressing Services: Envelopes.com offers addressing on their huge selection of envelopes. It’s a great option for a professional look without hiring a professional calligraphy to hand letter each envelope. Etsy also has many, many sellers that offer this service as well. These vendors do not necessarily stock the envelopes so you’ll need to use the ones provided or find your own.

Guest Address Labels: Etsy is another great source for this service as well. You can also ask your designer or stationer if they offer addressing options to coordinate with the design that you choose. They might offer one or all of the options through their shop.

Our Favorite DIY Supply Resources

Pattterned papers for DIY envelope liners and bellybands: Antiquaria, Paper Source, Paper Mojo

Vintage Postage:  Our favorites source is Verde Studio Vintage Stamps, don’t hesitate to contact Virginia at Verde Studio: she is brilliant at currating a custom mix of vintage postage to suite your needs. Other resources for vintage postage include: Champion Stamp Co., Ebay – USA unused stamps 1901-now, The Paper Nickel