Our Timeline and Guide for Your Wedding Invites + Save the Dates

Our Timeline and Guide for Your Wedding Invites + Save the Dates

Ahhh, wedding planning… the endless to-do list. You have a checklist and it feels like you can never complete it! Or maybe you have 7 different checklists, one for each vendor… lists for days.

And if you are anything like us you have several categories of lists that are all controlled by one master list. (I may or may not have some slight OCD when it comes to list making.)

Today, we have a handy checklist all ready for you on when you ACTUALLY need to send out those save-the-dates, invitations, thank yous, and much more. We will even go into detail if you are planning a destination or a local wedding.

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First Things First

First things first, if you haven't already, let everyone know you're engaged! It is such a heart-filling moment to have all of those closest to you be so happy and excited for you on this newest adventure! 

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Start with a vision

There are many things to check off your list before it is time to meet for your wedding suite, but one thing we encourage brides to do from day one is to create a vision for your big day. If you don't already have a mood board full of ideas, now is the time to fill it up. (We are loving gomoodboard.com) If you’re not sure how to find inspiration that’s unique with items you love, don't worry! We’ve got you covered in this blog: How to Find Your Wedding Inspo.

But don't fill it with things you kind of like, instead fill it with fewer things you love.

list maker here

I would even suggest making a different board for your main priorities: venue, florals, table settings, and of course paper goods.

*If you would like some ideas, check out our Pinterest boards

Okay now let's get to your actual wedding paper timeline!

Up first, Save the Dates

Once you have your date and location locked down, its time to send these bad boys out. The range we suggest is 6-12 months before your wedding date. The earlier the better for these - especially if you're planning a destination wedding. In that case, send them even earlier!

We suggest meeting with us 4-6 weeks before you’re ready to send Save-the-Dates out. This allows for plenty of time for a consultation, any revisions and design approval, ordering of letterpress plates, and printing.

Bonus: Save-the-Dates and invitation suites only need one consultation. Its all about the big picture, and how all the pieces work together. And it’s best done if you cover all the elements at once. 

Go ahead and put it on your calendar now - we DARE you!

Round number two, Your Wedding Suite

At this point, you have all of your vendors booked, all your deadlines in hand, and a full vision of your big day. If you didn't find us until after you sent your Save-the-Sates, don't worry - we’re bummed too, but that means it’s time to schedule a consultation for your wedding suite. Yay!
 

Wedding Suite

The pieces we suggest including are: invites, reply cards, detail cards, and weekend events. The “weekend events” card might include other wedding related gatherings such as a bridal luncheon or a groomsman golf round. It all depends on what fits your wedding! 

Again, we suggest meeting with us 4-8 weeks before you’d like to send them on their postal way - ideally sending them out 1-6 months in advance. This is really where sitting down with your wedding planner (or us) will help to determine what timeline is best for your wedding. Generally, destination weddings should be sent out much earlier than most stateside weddings. 

If you're running a little behind you can send them as late as 1 month away, *IF* you're having a local wedding where most of the guests live.
 

Don't forget your thank you cards

You’re gonna have a LOT of thank you’s to write - shouldn’t they look good too? Showers and gifts are on the horizon if you haven't already received a few. Having these in hand really helps you stay on top of writing all those Thank You's before they build up!

The finale, day-of pieces

These are important items not to put off until the very last minute. Although we can get them to you quickly, you don't want to be worrying about these right before your big day.
 

These pieces include item such as:

• programs
• escort cards
• table numbers
• menus
• favor tags
• welcome bag items
• etc 

Day of pieces typically require another chat or meeting to go through the specifics, and really nail down those final pieces your guests will see. 

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We know everyone loves a good free download, so we have just that for you! A simple timeline checklist of when to schedule a meeting and send out your wedding paper goods!

6 ways to keep your letterpress suite on budget

We know. You know. Letterpress ain't cheap. But there are ways to make it more affordable. We're all about showing you how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your dream invitation suite. That's why we created this quick guide for you! (and because we get this question a lot from our brides!)

Here are 6 tips to help get cost down, without skimping on what's really important to you.

1. Skip the extras

You know how sometimes you get a wedding invitation and there are 14 pieces that fall out? Cards, bands, additional envelopes... a lot of that stuff is totally unnecessary. Sure, they're fun to look at before they get tossed in the trash, but your guests really only save the invitations. Sticking to the essentials keeps your suite pieces to a minimum and allows your few pieces be more impactful.

 

Our Essentials Are:

• Save-the-date
  THE INVITATION SUITE
• Invitation
• Reply Card
• Reception Card
• Thank you note
• Envelopes (save the date, invitation, reply card, thank you note)
• Return Address

 

But you can really get by with:

• Save-the-dates and Envelopes
• Invitations and Envelopes
• Reply Cards
• Thank Yous and Envelopes

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2. Keep it to one color

Remember, even if we just print one color,  your invitation has 2 colors - the paper color and the ink color! Adding more than one print color can be nice, but it isn't necessary, and it is one of biggest ways to reduce cost.

Each color adds a new plate and adds another run through the press. Going from one color to two doubles printing production time, so you can see how the cost can add up quickly. 

If you are sold on a two-color design but want to cut cost, keep the two colors on the invitation, but simplify to one color on the other pieces. Or try using different colored papers.

 

Your guest will never remember your reply card was one color but your invite was two!

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3. Use a rubber stamp

If your up for a little DIY, a rubber stamp is a great way to save. 

Getting a custom rubber stamp made is a great way to add your return address to all of those envelopes (because trust us - there are a lot of them).

 

save-the-dates | invitations | reply cards | thank you notes x your number of guest

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4. Choose the right stock

 

Stock is just our word for paper..

So don't let that intimidate you. So many brides worry about picking their paper, but we make that process as easy as possible.

We only use premium stocks, so even our thinnest stock (1 ply) has more texture and is thicker than your average stock. 

We offer 1 ply and 2 ply stocks for our wedding suites. Choosing 1 ply stock for your wedding suite will stretch your dollar the most. 

If you're really loving the thicker feel use it for your invitation, and then keep your details and reply cards on the thinner paper.
 

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5. Save on postage

#POSTCARDS

We are totally crushing over some beautiful postcards lately, and we think it is such a fun way to send out your reply card. Bonus it saves you money in envelopes and postage! Which makes it much more environmentally friendly.

The reply card is a great place to save some money - they're only in your guest's hands for a short period of time before they mail them back to you.

 

TIP: We don't recommend save-the-date postcards however because they get damaged in the mail, and won't look as nice on arrival to your guest!!

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6. Include your website

 

Whoever says putting your URL on your invitation is taboo is living in another century. Everyone uses wedding websites for all the info from booking rooms to buying gifts. Including your wedding website URL somewhere in your invitation suite can be a great way to streamline the info you need to print. Which may may mean you can print less cards, or smaller cards, saving you money.

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We hope you learned a few ways to make your letterpress printed wedding suite more affordable. If you found this blog helpful let us know what tips you liked most in the comments below.

5 ways to tag your invite

We love adding something a little special to every wedding invitation suite that is created in our studio. One of our favorite ways to add that "something special" is by adding a tag to an suite piece. Adding that simple element takes the whole suite to a new level of detail. 

 

5 ways we love adding tags

1. mark it with your date

A great way to remind all of your guests to mark their calendars is to attach a tag with your wedding date. It is simple and fun. 

2. add your monogram

If you are already wanting a monogram on your invitation, this may not be the way to go, but if your not, it's your lucky day. Adding your monogram can be a great way to add that extra detail.

3. hashtag it

We love couples who include this detail on their tags! It is a great way to incorporate that you want your guest to help record your day without printing in on the invite or on a details card. 

4. show your wedding location

Some weddings are a hop and skip away for their guest, and some are a bit further away. In either scenario, a tag letting your guest know where to join you is a great way to mark your invite. Our personal favorites are with coordinate degrees or by state. 

5. say something special

A quote is a great way to set the mood for your wedding. It is a sneak peek into your personalities, and a fun way to greet your guest as they dive into your suite. 

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There are so many other ways to tag your invite, but hopefully, we introduced you to a new idea and a way to add a little something special to your suite. 

We have included a little something special for all of our readers. Click the link below to download your free printable gift tags. 

Atlanta's New Custom Invitation & Stationery Studio

HERE IS OUR FIRST IMPRESSION

Hi, hello, it’s nice to cyber see you. We are The Impressionist and we just wanted to give ourselves a proper introduction. The Impressionist is a custom wedding invitation & paper studio located in Atlanta, Ga specializing in beautiful design, high-end letterpress printing & foil stamping. 

These aren’t just any kind of invitations; these are the invites that make you value a piece of paper like never before. The Impressionist curates invitations that deliver a sneak peak into what your guests should expect at your event.

Our favorite thing to do is tell your stories with our work, make them tangible memories, and have some fun on the way. We’re all about finding the perfect way to translate your story into something even more beautiful. We understand your story is unique and you need something to match.

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a quick peek into our creative process

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How does this whole thing work?

Oh! I’m so glad you asked. It’s all about the experience here. In order to curate your narrative so it’s tailored to your vision we like to start by getting to know you. We love having clients come to our letterpress studio space to sit down and get a conversation going over some bubbly or our studio’s seasonal cocktail (oh yeah, we mix up some mean cocktails over here).

We want to hear all about this special moment in your lives and how we can help you bring it to life. We value involving our clients in the creative process as much as we can because at the end of the day this is all about you.

If you don’t know where to start with your vision, don’t worry, we’ll ask you all the right questions to get the ball rolling. If you already have something specific in mind, that’s great, too! We’re here to make wedding planning easier on you and help as much as we can. Our letterpress printing studio is located right on site so we will have hundreds of samples ready to get inspired & show you our printing process along the way.

Why do we do this?

There are thousands of ways to tell a story, but there’s something mystifying about getting all of life’s twists, smiles, and triumphs all onto one piece of paper. This is what we love to do. So let’s crank up the tunes, pour some bubbly, and get started on making this special moment of yours (whether it's your wedding, arrival of a new baby, or your 50th Anniversary Party) into something tangible and timeless.

Give us a ring at 678-922-2848 to set a time to meet with us (we are by appointment only) or schedule an appointment through our website! If email is more your style (or you're not in Atlanta) you can find us at hello@theimpressionistatl.com. We're very quick to respond to emails!

Be sure to check our our letterpress studio website too to see some of our collection designs & we'd love for you to follow us on Instagram at #theimpressionistatl where you can always see what we're up to.