Imagine there are eight to 12 months until your wedding. It’s time to create invitations. With endless options, where will you start? I’ll tell you: a custom invitation design company!        

Celeste Simpson from Impress Me Designs has been creating custom invitations for over 20 years. She knows that “it can be overwhelming for couples to go online and browse wedding invitation templates. You can spend hours before finding one you like. Then, become frustrated when you cannot edit it to your liking and guest needs.” Hiring a professional to design your custom invitation can ease a lot of stress. “When you come to someone who does only custom work,” Celeste says, “you’re paying for more than just design services. We walk you through every step of the way.” The collaborative process guides you through the brainstorming phase, helps narrow down design decisions, and gives insight into logistics, leaving you with a beautifully unique wedding invitation specifically tailored to you and your guests.              

Getting the wheels turning 

To begin, think about the big picture: the invitation panel. Celeste says this is key: “We don’t make decisions about every component of their invitation suite at once.” Instead, it’s important to start broad; to understand the big picture. To do this, Celeste questions couples: “How did you meet? Do you have similar interests and past times? What’s your favorite color? What do you envision when you dream about your wedding?” The conversation style interview helps couples imagine what their invitation could look like.

“This is where Pinterest is a helpful tool,” Celeste says. It’s a great place for couples to start defining their style. “You can see a pattern of what they’re drawn to based on what they’ve pinned,” she continues. It also helps ensure that the graphic designer and the couple are imagining similar designs; the pictures confirm that what’s being described matches what’s in everyone’s mind. 

Narrowing it down

The next step, nailing down details like fonts or borders, can be intimidating. Celeste has tips that make it easier. She “tries to give couples tunnel vision because the options are so vast.” She does this by creating designs based on the information previously discussed. “Most people are visual; to believe it is to see it,” she says. It’s beneficial for couples to have “invitation samples that show them different print methods and different assembly and packaging options.” After seeing stunning invitations that match what they had described, refining the design becomes less daunting. From there, Celeste says, “We collaborate and narrow it down until landing exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

The logistics

The message in an invitation suite is as important as its appearance. Celeste likes to think of the package “as a guest experience.” Guests want to easily acquire key information regarding the wedding’s location, time, and any other important directions. The details should be concise, and the invitation suite should be manageable. Celeste recommends including no more than three inserts in your suite. She encourages “couples to utilize a wedding website to elaborate on more specific details, like dress code and activities.” 

After reaching a final design, couples must determine the number of invitations they need. Celeste says that “the biggest mistake couples make is ordering too many. The venue requires a headcount. The wedding planner requires a headcount. Most everything is driven by headcount. However, the invitations are driven by the number of households or unique addresses.” Celeste reminds couples that not every guest needs an individual invitation.

Your invitations will serve a purpose long after introducing your wedding, though. Celeste explains that they will be “keepsakes from an important event in your life. It’s a part of your family’s history that you can share with future generations.” Consider simplifying the creative process and enhancing the final product with a custom invitation design company.

K. Engel Photography

K. Engel Photography

K. Engel Photography