Once you’ve settled on a designer for your wedding invitations, you may be forgiven for thinking it’s all plain sailing from there, and, well, it is, so long as you get all the important bits straightened out from the start. Here’s our guide of what to ask when you meet up.
1. Are the designs you supply custom, or are they a selection from other designers?
Some graphic designers/wedding invitation designers use stock designs and illustrations, and others design everything from scratch. This will generally reflect in the price, so it’s good to know what you’re paying for.
2. Do you have a speciality?
If you’ve got your heart set on traditional calligraphy or trendy watercolour, it definitely helps to choose a designer who specialises in the style you have in mind – the process will certainly be a lot smoother.
3. Do you have a portfolio?
Whether you have a clear idea of what you want in mind or not, it’s always good to gain inspiration from invitations and wedding stationery the designer has worked on in the past – after all, it might reveal something you’d never considered!
4. What other items do you offer?
Apart from invitations, it’s good to be aware of other wedding items the designer offers. If you’d like save-the-dates, table names etc, this will ensure you have a cohesive look, and it could also give you some ideas!
5. Do you have offers for wedding stationery packages?
Some designers offer special prices when you order more than one item – matching invitations and place cards for example – so it’s good to be aware of these at the outset, so as to avoid missing out on them if you decide to add items later on.
6. Do you do calligraphy/work with someone who does?
After all the effort of getting beautiful invitations designed, you might want to finish things off in style by getting a calligrapher to address them – if your designer doesn’t offer this service, they may know someone who does.
7. How long in advance will I need to order?
This is important for your wedding timeline. With so much to take care of, you want to make sure your wedding stationery is ordered and ready to go in good time, to avoid any mad dashes when the time comes!
8. Will I see a proof before the invitations are printed?
It’s not that you don’t trust the designer, but it’s always good to be able to give the design a once-over before the lot is printed – just think of how you’ll kick yourself if you pass on the opportunity to spot that annoying typo!