Do-it-yourself accessories have become a minor trend in wedding preparations. This is due to the economic downturn that most of the world has been experiencing. It also adds to the fun of preparing a wedding. While wedding coordinators will do everything for you (for a price), some couples still choose to go through the rigors of preparing for their special day themselves.
Wedding paper accessories include several items, such as invitation cards and envelopes, table place markers and thank-you cards. Every couple would surely want to personalize these according to taste. How better to apply your personal touch than by making your own wedding paper accessories?
Feasibility. The first thing to ask yourself when you want to go the DIY route in making your wedding paper accessories is whether it is feasible. Making your own invitations, escort cards, and thank-you cards requires painstaking work on each and every card. This is usually ideal for settings with 50 guests or less. Otherwise, if you are having a reception for 300 people, then you might be spending too much time in personalizing your paper accessories.
Paper. Once you have set your wedding and reception venues, the next thing you need to address is the paper to use for your paper accessories. These cards often use heavy-grade paper, which adds to the style and class. Invitations are usually white or cream-colored, but if you want to be more creative, you can match your cards with the theme of your wedding and the color of the bridesmaids’ gowns, the reception décor, and the cake. Most crafts stores will have paper available for your needs. Some would even have pre-cut cards that only need to be printed on and embellished.
Wording and typeface. The next thing to work on is the wording of your invitation. Traditional invitations usually sound like a letter from the host inviting the guests to join in the celebration. It’s also important to consider who will be hosting the affair. If the hosts are the bride's parents, then the invitation’s wording should read as if the invite were coming from them. For more contemporary invitations, the bride and groom can use poetry instead.
As for the typeface, traditional wedding invitations usually use script-type fonts that mimic handwriting. Contemporary invitations can use other typefaces.
Printing. Once you have your wedding invitation worded and laid out, it’s time to work on printing. Invitations and other cards are traditionally either embossed or debossed. This does require the use of specialized machinery, though, so an option would be to print the invitation with a good quality laser printer, although an inkjet printer will also do. If you want to make the invitation look even more special, then you can have it handwritten, assuming you are good with calligraphy and you can write the wording with even spacing. For this purpose, you can use a calligraphy pen, or even a fountain pen for added effect.
Embellishments. Plain paper cards will look boring, and you would have to add some embellishments to give the card a more dramatic feel. For this, you can use satin ribbons woven on holes punched on the card. You can also use confetti or pressed flowers. These would be nice additions that an invited guest will truly appreciate upon opening your envelope or card.
Other accessories. Apart from the invitation, you also have to plan out and print thank-you cards, place cards and table numbers. But these should be easy, as the printing, wording, typeface, and embellishments should follow the general theme of the invitation.
Doing your wedding paper accessories yourself can add a flair of style to any wedding. It can also be an opportunity for fun and bonding for any couple.
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