Wedding Invitations – DIY, Local or National?

Getting married means, among other things, sending out scores of wedding invitations.  At the very least, your immediate family will want an invitation, and that doesn’t just mean a phone call.  The question is, do you make them yourself, get someone local or look nationally?

There are pluses and negatives on all sides:

DIY Wedding Invitations -

Creating your own wedding invitations adds a “home” touch and lets you keep your hands in – even if you have a wedding planner.  If you’re creative and love to make things, DIY wedding invitations can be hours of fun. 

The downside is the “hours” part.  Depending on how you’re doing them (printing, or creating individually) and how many you have to make, it can take far more time than you’re willing to put in.  Make sure it’s something that you won’t get bored with.

Local Wedding Invitations - 

Having a local vendor provide your wedding invitations has a lot of pluses.  One, you can talk with the vendor about exactly how you want your invitations to look.  In addition, you can see a sample before they’re sent it and make changes if necessary.  Lastly, you won’t have to wait for a delivery; you can go pick them up, if nothing else.

The downside is that you may not get the best price.  When you only look local, you’ll only be able to find the best price in your area, not necessarily the best price all around.  A penny saved here is a penny you can spend elsewhere.

National Wedding Invitations -

The big draw for looking national, mainly through online, is that you have the best chance of getting a low price on your wedding invitations.  If this is your main consideration, look online first.  However, the drawbacks are many, and need to be considered before buying:

1. Shipping costs may end up being high enough that you could have done better locally.

2. You have no chance at seeing a sample.  What shows up is what you’re stuck with.

3. The best price doesn’t necessarily mean the best quality.

Wedding invitations are considered a “must-have” for weddings, so you’ll have to set part of your budget aside for them.  However, consider the possibilities above and decide what’s best for you.