When I am first introduced to new clients, the first questions many ask is “what books do you work out of?” and “how do you work?” I understand where the first question comes from: many people don’t think that custom invitations are an option, perhaps because of a preconceived notion that custom invitations are always expensive.

That is not necessarily the case.

In fact, when you work with me, you get more than just invitations. Here are a few reasons why hiring the Invitation Maven will be one of the best decisions you can make.

Since your event starts the moment your guests receive the invitation, I aim to create a unique experience for you and your guests that starts the minute they open their envelopes. Whether your invitation is ornate or elegant, multi-layered or a single-layer card, adorned with ribbons, rhinestones or is more simple with clean lines and an elegant grace, I work to create the exact invitation you want that conveys your theme and reflects your personality.

Whether you have a specific idea in mind or have no idea where to start, I will work with you to create your perfect invitation.

And I can help you with all the aspects of your event from the invitations to matching response cards, escort/seating cards, menus, programs, thank you notes and other printed work. I also have a list of preferred vendors that I work with and trust, and who have always performed well for me and those I’ve referred them to.

The best way to get an idea of what I do is for us to meet. If you live in the Los Angeles area, I am happy to come to you. If you don’t live near me, we can talk on the phone.

I do not work out of a book, but rather bring samples of invitations I’ve made that you can look at, touch and feel. I also bring paper samples so you can see the variety of materials you can use. If you live some distance away, I email files and send samples in the mail. I do not charge a fee for our first meeting. It’s my way of introducing myself to you.

I don’t have price sheets as everything I do is custom and depends on the materials and styles you choose. Once we design your perfect invitation, I will provide you with a detailed quote that specifies the scope of each piece of your order, including the papers and materials you’ve chosen.

I do charge a design fee, which is $80, but you won’t incur any fees until you decide to work with me and I start making your prototype. I then apply half of the design fee toward your final invoice if you end up ordering invitations from me.

Included in my design fee is an actual prototype of your finished invitation package, complete with the exact papers and materials of your invitation. In fact, it is your exact invitation, the same one your guests will receive! I also include the design of a monogram which I provide as a jpeg file. We can incorporate this monogram into your invitation design, create a custom postage stamp, and incorporate it elsewhere in your event, such as in your centerpieces or gobo design. (A gobo is a device which produces patterns of light and shadow, and is used to throw a pattern of light on the wall or ceiling of an event venue.)

Another service I offer is that I can also print the names of your guests on your envelopes, help you purchase and affix postage, as well stuff and mail your invitations for you. That will free you up to tend to other details of your event.

I look forward to meeting you. And again, congratulations on your upcoming celebration!

Fonts are more than just words on a page. Every font conveys a different mood or feeling. They add personality to the invitation, and they make a subconscious impression and create an emotional connection to the event.

Because the party starts when the invitation arrives, I tell my clients to make that first impression a good one. By using fonts creatively and finding the perfect font for each invitation, I aim to create anticipation and excitement for each client’s event.

There are thousands upon thousands of fonts. So when I design a new custom invitation, how do I find the best fonts for my client? The most important thing to determine is how the couple or guest of honor wants to portray him or herself to the guests.

Are the bride and groom proper, conventional and traditional? Is the bat mitzvah girl friendly, easygoing and carefree? When choosing fonts for an invitation, understanding the couple’s or guest of honor’s personality is more important than knowing where the event will take place or what kind of attire the guests will be wearing.

Once I get a sense for the personalities of the guest(s) of honor, I then find out the type of event my client is planning. Is it a daytime event or an evening affair? Is it at a country club or in a hotel ballroom? Is the attire casual or formal? The answers to these questions, coupled with an understanding of the feeling I’m trying to convey, will guide my font selection.

A stylish script font that I’m using on a wedding invitation I’m currently designing is called “BeautifulES.” The bride wanted a “simple but elegant” invitation to convey her personality and the feel of her wedding. The invitation is being printed on a warm white linen panel card in a simple centered design, but this font transforms the invitation from simple and basic to simple and elegant.

Another font I use frequently is Papyrus (see blue sample below). It is a perfect font for bar and bat mitzvah and Jewish wedding invitations because it gives a feeling of tradition. It looks like it’s been written on thousand-year-old parchment paper, similar to that of the Torah, the centerpiece of the Jewish religion. 

The font sets the tone for the invitation and the event itself. It subconsciously tells the recipient a little about the bride and groom, bar or bat mitzvah child, or guest of honor.

So whether you are a modern lady or traditional gentleman, a fun and flirty party girl or a high rolling businessman, a woman with uncanny elegance and grace, or a down-to-earth country guy, I can design the perfect invitation to fit your event with the perfect fonts to portray your personality.

In my next post, I’ll show you some of my favorite fonts and how to combine them to add visual interest. I’ll also show you the difference between serif and sans serif fonts. Stay tuned!

When I design custom invitations, I offer to design custom postage for my clients to complete the look of their invitation package. The party starts when the guests open their invitations, so setting the tone of the party with the invitation is important. But even before the envelope is opened, the first impression the guest has of the invitation is what’s on the outside.

The use of a custom stamp completes the look of the invitation package, and is a fun and inexpensive way to let the recipient know that every detail counts. The guest will think “If the invitation packing is this beautiful, I can only imagine how beautiful the event will be.” And that’s exactly the anticipation you want to create!

In my previous post, I discussed how to determine the correct postage for your invitation package, taking into account the size, weight and shape of the envelope. Now that you’ve figured that out, it’s time to design a custom stamp!

There are two Internet sites where you can order custom postage. One is Zazzle and the other is PhotoStamps. They both permit you to upload your artwork to the site and allow you to purchase stamps in a variety of denominations. This is important because you might need stamps in different postage denominations for your response envelopes and outer mailing envelopes, and by ordering from these sites, your stamps will match.

And you can order matching stamps for all your pre- and post-event needs, too from Save-the-Date announcements to the all-important Thank You notes.

There is one primary difference between the two sites: the sizes of the stamps and design options. I personally prefer Zazzle. It is much more flexible, offering three label sizes to choose from. But there is one limitation: they do not currently offer a $0.81 stamp which would be used for square invitations over one ounce but less than three ounces.

If you require a $0.81 stamp, PhotoStamps is fine, but for all other custom postage orders, go with Zazzle. It’s simple and easy to use…as easy as uploading your artwork and clicking a few buttons. Plus, Zazzle is less expensive overall and frequently has sales and discounts that can reduce the cost of your custom stamps even more.

I have designed many custom stamps for my clients. A few are seen here:

Notice how this stamp only has a date. The design was intended to evoke a feeling of wonder about what was inside the envelope.

This stamp was created from an original work of art painted by the groom. But it had personal significance to the bride as well because the groom was painting it when they first met.

Making a custom stamp for the couple’s wedding invitation out of this very meaningful piece not only completed the invitation package, but brought the entire courtship full circle.

The next two samples show how the same image can be made in two different denominations. The $0.95 stamp was used on the outer mailing envelope, and the $0.44 stamp was used on the response envelope and for the thank you notes.

Each of these Zazzle stamps come in a sheet of 20 high-gloss, high quality labels, and I’ve designed them to match the fonts and colors on the insides of the invitations.

Custom stamps can be created using a photograph of the couple or baby, too. The options are unlimited!

As part of my service, I design a custom jpeg image as a bonus. The image can be incorporated into the invitation design (kind of like a logo or monogram), printed on the back of the mailing envelope, or used to order custom stamps and a variety of other event-related items.

I created the next stamp by hand-lettering the bat mitzvah girl’s name, created a jpeg from my original artwork, and then uploading the jpeg into Zazzle. This same artwork was used throughout the invitation package including on the reception and response cards, on the thank you notes and as part of the return address. My client was very pleased with how everything matched.

It’s amazing how something as simple as a custom stamp can really pull together the entire invitation package. My clients have all loved their custom stamps, and I look forward to creating one for you!

When I design custom invitations, planning your invitation postage is an important part of the process, and something I can help with. As if designing an invitation package isn’t hard enough for some of my clients, many of them are stumped when it comes time to figure out the postage. There are several things you should keep in mind: the size, weight and even the shape of the envelope all have to be considered, not to mention remembering that postage has to be included on the response envelope.

Several of these items can be determined ahead of time. The U.S. Postal Service publishes its envelope guidelines on the Internet. These guidelines are determined based on what size envelopes can go through their automated machines.

Below is a screenshot from the USPS website of the dimensions the post office considers “machinable.”

Assuming your envelope fits within these dimensions and weighs one ounce or less, you only need one stamp.

But sometimes the weight of the inserts inside your invitation package will push the total weight over one ounce. Or one of the dimensions of your outer mailing envelope will exceed the machinable size. When this happens, you’ll need to add more postage. And if you use a square envelope, you’ll have to remember to add a square envelope surcharge even if the total weight is less than one ounce.

The USPS posts all of its rates and mailing parameters online. This is good resource for a quick reference or to get a basic idea of what your postage charges will be for budgeting purposes. But the best way to know for sure is to take a completed invitation package to the post office and have a postal clerk weigh and measure it. There’s nothing worse than receiving all your invitations back because they didn’t have enough postage!

But don’t worry.

One of the services I provide that can help you plan the postage for your invitation is to create a complete prototype. The prototype includes all of the papers, envelopes and inserts of your final invitation package. It’s the exact size and weight of your actual invitation because it is your actual invitation.

You or I can then take this prototype to the post office to determine the exact postage it will require. Then, once we know that, you can purchase a variety of decorative stamps available at most post office locations. Or we can design your own custom postage — another service I provide. But that’s a discussion for another post!

–Marlene Widawer,
The Invitation Maven

P.S. Here’s what I’m talking about regarding the envelope sizes. Rectangular envelopes are pretty standard. Take a look at this pink one.

Compare that one to the white 8 1/2 inch square envelope. Notice how the square shape gives a very different look. The shape we’ll use for your invitations depends on the invitation design.

It’s rewarding when a family is so happy with the invitations I’ve made for them in the past that they include me on the planning of a new, upcoming event.

I’m working with a repeat customer for her daughter’s upcoming bat mitzvah invitations. I created her son’s bar mitzvah invitations 5 years ago and I’m looking forward to working with this lovely family again. But the original estimate I worked out for her for the upcoming Bat Mitzvah is a bit out of her budget. That makes sense, though, because of the expensive papers and the intricate design she and her daughter chose, and the changes in the economy that has parents thinking more about their budget than they had in the past.

I want to work with her, though, so I’m going to see how I can rework the design to fit within her budget. Here’s what I’m thinking…

In the original design parameters, my client and her daughter asked for a cut-out star in the middle of the invitation, three layers of expensive metallic papers and matching envelopes, and a ribbon to tie it all together. One of the changes I’m going to suggest is to print the star instead. It will give a very similar appearance to cutting it out, but will save quite a bit on labor.

I’m also going to suggest a more clean design by forgoing the ribbon. And I think we should reduce the number of paper layers from three down to two, and instead bring in that third color by changing the ink color.

I think she will be happy with these suggestions…she and her daughter will still have a beautiful custom invitation, but it will be more within her budget. I’ll let you know what happens.

Invitations you order online and from invitation books are mass-produced, which is why they can sometimes cost less than custom, hand-crafted invitations. But you get what you see…there is little ability to customize them. You can’t pick and choose the elements you like from different invitations and put them together into “the perfect” design. Yes, you can personalize the details or change the fonts, but you’re stuck with the papers and design elements you see in the sample.

By comparison, when you order invitations from the Invitation Maven, you will get EXACTLY what you want. If you see a graphic element from one invitation but want to change the color scheme, I can do that. If you like the ribbon treatment from one invitation but the shape and papers from another, I can create an invitation that incorporates both elements. My job is to create “the perfect” invitation for your event.

I can work within any budget to design a unique and one-of-a-kind invitation that expresses your personality and sets the tone for your event. So “custom” does not have to be more expensive. To me it means giving my clients exactly what they want at the best price possible.

One of the things my clients struggle with is how to address the invitations we’ve so painstakingly created together. I provide an easy-to-use spreadsheet to assist in the process, but as you enter the names in whatever program you use, think about how you want the envelopes addressed. The primary question you need to answer is: Is your event formal or casual? The answer to this question will determine how you should address the invitations.

Here are some examples:

FORMAL

If married, use titles followed by husband’s first and last name:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe

If the husband is a Doctor or other official, replace the generic “Mr.” with his title:
Dr. and Mrs. John Doe
Judge and Mrs. John Doe

If the wife is a Doctor or other official, replace the “Mrs.” with her title and include her first name:
Mr. John and Dr. Jane Doe
Mr. John and Honorable Jane Doe

If two adults are living together but are not married, list their names separately, with the woman’s name first:
Ms. Jane Smith and Mr. John Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a single adult woman:
Ms. Jane Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a single adult man:
Mr. John Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a family with minor children:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe
Master Jason and Miss Melinda Doe

If a parent and an adult child are living together, they would be listed on separate lines so as not to infer they are married:
Ms. Jane Doe
Mr. Jason Doe

CASUAL

If married, use the wife’s and husband’s first names, with wife listed first, so that husband’s name is not separated from his last name:
Jane and John Doe

If two adults are living together, list names separately:
Jane Smith and John Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a single adult female:
Jane Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a single adult male:
John Doe

If you are addressing the invitation to a family with minor children:
Jane and John Doe
Jason and Melinda (it’s OK to just list first names of children)

If a parent and an adult child are living together, they would be listed on separate lines so as not to infer they are married:
Jane Doe
Jason Doe

One thing to remember is that these examples are just that: examples. What I would recommend to you if you were my client is to do what makes you most comfortable. The invitation sets the tone for the event, but part of setting the tone includes reflecting your personal style in how the invitations are addressed.

March 12, 2010

I had a meeting with a new client yesterday. We are designing her son’s bar mitzvah invitation. We spent a lot of time looking at different paper and cardstock options in a myriad of colors, as well as different fonts and invitation styles. But she kept gravitating toward two styles because, as she put it, “they are different.” And different they are! That’s what you get when you order a custom invitation from The Invitation Maven! Something different. Even if the invitation you like is based on one I’ve done before, each one is truly different because most clients change the paper and ink colors, fonts and sometimes even the graphic. But the end result is always the exact invitation my client wants. And that is always something different than what came before.

I am currently working on a custom wedding invitation for a beautiful couple in Ontario…Canada. I live in Los Angeles. One might think that making invitations for people who live on the other side of the country, not to mention in a different country, can pose some logistical issues, but with the internet and websites, those issues are minimized.

In order to demonstrate the quality of my invitations as well as the range of papers and fonts I use and the styles I design, I sent this couple samples of invitations I’ve made for other clients. We then began a dialogue via email. My client sent me photos of invitation styles they liked and described the elements they wanted to include, and I got to work designing their perfect invitation. Within a few days, I designed exactly what they wanted, and from that I could then make an actual prototype.

I am sending their prototype in the mail today! I can’t wait for them to open the package to see how their ideas have translated into the perfect wedding invitation. As soon as we finalize all the invitation details, I’ll post it in my invitation gallery.

So I was at the Showcase of the Hall event at Bell Canyon, California last Thursday. It’s a vendor showcase for people involved in all aspects of planning a party. There were decorations specialists, lots of caterers, DJs and entertainment vendors, photographers, and party planners, but I was the only custom invitation designer there. I received many compliments on my creativity, style and quality.

What was really amazing was that a few people came up to me because they noticed invitations they had received as guests. They commented on how beautiful they were. It feels good to make an impression that lasts over time. Not just for me, but more importantly for my clients. When people recall my invitation, they also usually recall a memorable event that they attended, and that’s the focus of what I do for my clients.

It’s my philosophy that the party starts when the invitation arrives in the mail. But sometimes, even more important is the impression people take with them after they leave. If the party is memorable, and I helped make that happen for my client by setting the tone up front, then I consider my job well done.