The passion behind your design
“I don’t want to spend much on stationery, after all, it just goes into the bin!”
This is by far the best sentence EVER! ha!! yeah right… I hate it!
True, many invitations do end up in the bin or the recycling. But many invitations are simple designs, bought from Vista Print, Etsy or some other generic site, then printed at home on bog standard paper and popped in a store bought envelope, hand addressed and then dumped into the post box. Sure, there is a need for this cheap method of doing things. Everyone’s different, and not everyone appreciates art, stationery or fine quality craftsmanship.
But that’s not what i consider REAL stationery. Real stationery is beautifully thought out typography, gorgeous drawings, paintings or designs, constructed in a way that creates a beautiful piece, which Graphic Designers and Illustrators train for years to be able to do. It is then printed professionally onto luxury fine paper, which has been matched to the design to ensure the best possible effect. It is then paired with pieces which compliment it, and add excitement, and teamed with envelopes made from either the same paper stock or another gorgeous one, handmade in Italy, or Japan or in any other number of places which specialise in paper mills. If you go that extra mile, the envelopes are then hand addressed using calligraphy, which is another art in itself.
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If you are to receive something of this quality, of this luxury, I guarantee it doesn’t just get thrown in the bin. This is the type of stationery that is savored, enjoyed and cherished for years to come. And that’s what you should want from your wedding, or your event.
As a qualified Graphic Designer, i spent much of my early 20’s (aside from partying and travelling), exploring fonts, typefaces and the written word. I explored different painting techniques, different ideas and ways in which composition could change something from good to fantastic. Small things that the everyday person would not notice. The same as how an interior designer would notice fixtures and fittings, or a sommelier would notice different flavours in the wine. I use these years of exploration and discovery to compose all of my pieces, matching fonts to others, choosing between romantic calligraphy and modern hand lettering, deciding floral placement, etc… Its all been practiced, over and over again to create something which looks effortless, but has year and years of hard work and passion behind.
With a wedding, my feelings are that you should have exactly what you want. If you want to elope, do it. If you want a cheap beach wedding followed by a surf club with decorations your mum and auntie have done, do it too! After all, its your party.
But for me, nothing beats going that extra mile with your design (obviously, as my life revolves around design!). With your florals, your styling and your dress. Using this one event, to inject your personality, your style and your love story is something that should be explored and had fun with. And your stationery comes into it more than you imagine. It is the first part of the wedding. Its the introduction your guests have to your day. Imagine how Charlie felt opening his bar of chocolate to find that golden ticket. Willy Wonka could have just written out 7 bog standard invites, sent them out at random and boom, job done. But no… he had better ideas. He started the excitement months before the big day, with invitations in gold, hidden in chocolate bars, which I bet didn’t end up in the bin. And your wedding should be just as important. Build the excitement with your design! Go all out! You don’t have to go crazy with the budget, but picking quality, crafted pieces in the right places will make all the difference for you and your guests!