Invitation Maven

Fun with Postage – Dress up your envelopes with vintage stamps

Picture of envelope showing selection of vintage stamps

One of my favorite ways to complete an invitation suite is with a custom postage stamp. It tells guests that there is something special inside the envelope and gets them excited to see what it is. Unfortunately, the United States Postal Service will be discontinuing its personalized postage program. According to a May 7, 2020 … Read more

Planning or Rescheduling Your Event Because of the Covid-19 Coronavirus Shutdown

March 18, 2020 These are trying times. I’m writing this from my studio in Los Angeles, California, and while we don’t currently have an official shelter-in-place order in effect where I live, many communities in my state do. In Los Angeles, we are into the third day of a 16-day city-wide shut down of restaurants … Read more

Party Planning Stress and Drama: Full Time Invitation Designer, Part Time Therapist

I have been designing custom invitations professionally for more than 20 years. It takes time to create the perfect invitation suites, signage and décor for my clients’ events. Because I spend so much time with clients, I’m not just an invitation designer, I’m also a trusted confidant. Over that time, I’ve worked with clients who … Read more

Script Fonts on Invitations: Yes or No?

Invitation with floral design and sample bride and groom named Emily and Michael

A few weeks ago, I asked for some assistance in identifying a particular script font that a client wanted to use. And it got me thinking: Should I use script fonts on invitations? Will my clients even be able to read them? The reason why I asked myself this question is because the Common Core … Read more

Ordering Custom Invitations – How Much Lead Time Do I Need?

Custom Invitations

I am often asked “How much lead time do you need to create a custom wedding invitation?” Well, the short answer is “It depends.” That may not sound very helpful, but every invitation design is unique, and because there is an almost endless choice of styles and printing techniques, the TYPE of invitation we’re creating largely dictates the amount of lead time we need.

However, here are some general guidelines to help you figure out your timeline for ordering custom invitations for your wedding or event. You’ll need to account for design and production time, as well as your mailing window. We’ll start with design and production. 

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Use Custom Postage to Complete the Bat Mitzvah Invitation Design

One of my favorite aspects of invitation design is bringing the design “full circle.” What I mean by this is making sure that each element of the suite complements every other element in of the suite. As a designer, my favorite designs are the ones where the pieces aren’t all “matchy-matchy,” meaning where every piece is exactly the same design except for the details. Those are always nice, too, but what’s the most fun is when some of the pieces are a little different, and when put together into the full suite, all complement each other.

Not only is it important for the inside pieces to have cohesiveness, but it’s also important for the OUTSIDE of the invitation to reflect what’s inside the envelope. The best way to do that is with a custom postage stamp. I prefer Zazzle stamps over some of the other companies. Zazzle offers the widest variety of sizes, and their product is superior to others I’ve seen. They print their custom postage on glossy adhesive paper, which emphasizes any design and makes the printing *POP*. 

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