I got inspired by the creativity of a gorgeous baby shower invitation this afternoon. So I decide to talk about invitation choices and how invitation cards can make or break your party.
I said it before; printed invitations grab more attention than an email or a phone invitation to a party. Except for wedding and milestone wedding anniversary where printed invitations are customary, sending a printed invitation tells right away that your event will be something extraordinary. You create hype which usually increases the attendance.
Letterpress and calligraphy create stunning design cards with a personal touch. Lots of small card companies have emerged in the last couples of years to suit a wide range of tastes. The printing techniques make their charms.
Custom letterpress cards and calligraphy are expensive because it is a labor intensive job. Egg Press offers custom letterpress baby book at retail locations around the USA. The Kangaroo card is from Egg Press.
You save even more by going with a card in a collection instead of exclusive design. With personalized printed cards, you select a model from a collection for which you add your personalized text.
Digital printed cards and notes are a popular option because of the price. A high-end look can be achieved when you match it with a better-quality colorful envelop.
Girl Metro, a Chicago-based design studio, sells their cute models in 3 printing options: digital, offset and letterpress. You can get letterpress baby notes with return address printed envelops for as low as $2.10 USD a set, while digital costs $1.25 a set if you buy at least 200 cards.
Vancouver-based social stationary brand Haute-Note lets you buy its signature 3.25×8.25 inches personalized cards in set of 8 cards (9 envelops) for $24 CAD. The whole personalization process can be done online and Haute-Note will ship you the cards.
Stationary stores also sell numerous fill in invitation cards. These are good alternative if your budget is more limited or if you are in a hurry.
But what do you do if you want something more special?
One way to impress is to send the invitations attached to an object or in a box. I will give you two examples.
If you host a party with an Asian theme, you can write the invite on a rice paper, roll it up and attach it to a set of wooden chopsticks with a raffia ribbon. You can wrap everything with paper or clear cellophane. Or you can put everything in the box that came with the chopsticks, if any. Specialty stationery stores are your best bet to find nice envelops. Bring your chopsticks with you to see if they fit in.
Going back to this great baby shower invitation that inspired me to write this post. Jordan, an event planner from San Francisco made it. She posted it on her blog Oh Happy Day. This Baby shower invitation is so cute and it makes a statement.
Set like a present in a box, the printed card lay on bright yellow Lemonheads. A personalized sticker with the name of the invitee on top and a poem on the back close the box with style. Personally, I would have added a piece of light cellophane between the lemonheads and the card. This is not a cheap project but I think it worth every penny. Good work Jordan!
The final budget question is the delivery cost. To save on shipping costs, you can hand deliver the invitations. You can ask the help of a friend or two that live nearby the delivery zone. Otherwise, plan ahead how much it will cost to ship everything.
Look at the mail service requirements since both Canada Post and USPS have their own rules regarding the maximum depth for envelop. If it is too deep, it will be considered as a package. The bad news is that a package multiplies by 6 or more the shipping fees versus a letter.
There are many rules concerning minimum and maximum lengths, widths and weights. The best thing is to bring a completed sample whenever possible. One of my friends discovered last year for her wedding that her response envelops was too small. She had to pay $1.05 instead of the regular 51 cents for the stamps.
None standing all these, having an atypical invite create a Wow factor that make a lasting impression. If you can squeeze extra money on your party budget, go for it. Otherwise, rest assured that they are lots of affordable options on the market. But be certain to use your imagination to make it a little bit more fascinating.
Link: Custom letterpress printing at Egg Press – the Kangaroo card
Link: Girl Metro Baby announcement card collection
Link: Haute Note Baby New Addition collection – the Bear card
Via: Baby Shower Invitations on Oh Happy Day blog – the last picture is her design
