| There is a trend in today's marketplace toward | | | | taking hours to get the spacing and design "just |
| do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. It's no surprise that | | | | right". |
| many couples are investigating the option of DIY | | | | Then you have the process of printing out your |
| wedding invitations. However, the question | | | | invitations. What if your ink cartridge runs out and |
| remains, should you tackle this area of your | | | | some wedding invitations are printed darker than |
| wedding yourself? Or should you hire a | | | | others? What if the ink does not take properly on |
| professional printer to print your invitations? | | | | some areas of your invitation due to the texture |
| Let's face it, you do not get a second chance to | | | | of the paper? What if the paper you selected |
| make a first impression. And the first impression | | | | does not want to run through your printer? What |
| your wedding guests will have of your wedding is | | | | if the ink smudges before it dries? |
| through the wedding invitations they receive. Your | | | | The final step in the DIY wedding invitation |
| wedding invitation gives your guests the first | | | | process is licking those envelopes and affixing |
| glimpse of your big day - so do not let them get | | | | proper postage. Most professional wedding |
| the wrong impression. Of course you want your | | | | invitations are standard sizes so you will only need |
| guests to say how "darling", "charming" or | | | | one stamp. What if your DIY wedding invitations |
| "beautiful" your wedding invitations are but if you | | | | are an odd size and you need more than one |
| decide to tackle the invitations yourself, the only | | | | stamp? What if you think they are the right size, |
| impression you will leave on your guests is | | | | place one stamp on them and have all of them |
| "homemade". | | | | returned to you? |
| Still not convinced the DIY route is not for you? | | | | Finally, for the budget conscious bride who may |
| Here are some other points to consider with DIY | | | | be considering do-it-yourself wedding invitations |
| wedding invitations: | | | | due to the perceived cost of professionally |
| First there is the expense of the ink cartridges, | | | | printed invitations, the price difference may |
| the stock paper, the envelopes, and the response | | | | surprise you. For example, based on one hundred |
| cards. You will have to take the time to find all | | | | invitations, the average cost of a DIY wedding |
| the matching paper components, and once you | | | | invitation is $1.00 dollar, for a total cost of $100.00. |
| do, you may have to purchase a cutter to cut | | | | Did you know you can have professionally printed |
| down your stock paper to the right size of the | | | | invitations for as low as $1.15 each? That's a |
| invitations. You may also need to purchase and | | | | difference of only $15.00! What is your time |
| download a special font for your computer, | | | | worth to you? |
| especially if the fonts you have installed are basic | | | | Your wedding day is one of the most important |
| or too drab for an invitation. | | | | events in your life, and you will want every |
| After you gathered all your supplies, you will have | | | | aspect of your wedding to be perfect. Although |
| to sit down at your computer and in either a | | | | organization and preparation play a major role in |
| word processor or in a picture editor (Paint Shop | | | | DIY wedding invitations, issues may not arise until |
| Pro or Photoshop) you will have to take the time | | | | the actual project begins. Why leave your |
| to write the proper wording, then try and fit it | | | | invitations to guesswork? Do not fall into the trap |
| within the layout of your invitation. What if the | | | | that do-it-yourself will save you money - it more |
| wording you selected is too long for the invitation | | | | than likely will only cause stress and take up much |
| paper you selected? What if it is too short? | | | | of your time. |
| Layout alone is a time consuming process - often | | | | |