Congratulations, you’re planning a wedding! I’m willing to bet that on your journey through the wonderful world of photographers, peonies and paper goods you’ve wondered whether you could just…do some of it yourself! Well of course you could, but that doesn’t always mean you should. Having worked in the wedding stationery business for a number of years now, I’m here with 5 myth-busting reasons NOT to try and DIY your invitations! 

1. It’s Not Necessarily Cheaper

One of the main reasons couples choose to set up the craft station at the kitchen table during their wedding planning is to save money, but creating DIY wedding stationery doesn’t always work out as the most cost-effective option!

Here’s why…

You’ll have to buy all your materials, from the card you’ll use to the ink you’ll print with, at full price. Let me tell you, your ink costs mount up FAST! Your printer at home isn’t designed for the volume of colour printing you’ll be doing, so you’ll go through colour cartridges faster than we’ll go through coffee & cake at our consultation. You’re also likely to misjudge the volume of supplies you will need and how many times you’ll need to re-print to get great quality, which can push your costs up further. 

If you want to cut to the chase and find out what hiring a professional stationery designer will actually cost you, click here to read about my pricing! 

2. It Almost Certainly Won’t Save You Time

You’ve probably already clocked that the hours will mount up when you choose to DIY your wedding stationery. Besides the length of time it’ll take to actually make each one, whether that’s by hand or by individually personalising and printing them, you’ll likely make some mistakes along the way. Mistakes cost you time! 

How do I know?

Because I’ve made them all too, which is why I am now well placed to create your perfect wedding stationery suite in a much shorter space of time than the hours or days it may take you!

Planning a wedding can take up to 250 hours – bonkers, I know! By hiring a professional stationery designer you’ll save yourself some of those hours, which can be used for more exciting endeavours such as cake tasting!

3. The Quality Won’t Be The Same

Your wedding is one day of your life that I strongly recommend not skimping on quality! As handy as you are with the crimping shears and the hot glue, if you choose to DIY your wedding stationery the quality just won’t be the same. 

Going back to that pesky home printer you have, it can only hold a certain weight of paper which automatically means your invitations won’t be as lusciously thick as they could be. There are also limitations with printing right to the edge for a seamless design, which can be a big giveaway that they haven’t been done professionally! 

Going back to that pesky home printer you have, it can only hold a certain weight of paper which automatically means your invitations won’t be as lusciously thick as they could be. There are also limitations with printing right to the edge for a seamless design, which can be a big giveaway that they haven’t been done professionally! 

More than this, I’ve spent years developing my skills as an art-lover and professional stationery designer, meaning I now know how to create, choose and place the perfect fonts, colours and elements to create something magical. My work is a loved-up marriage between a passion for illustration, creation and graphic design. Which leads me onto…

4. Experience!

Hiring a professional stationery designer for your wedding means you’ll have experience on your side. It might seem obvious to tell you that I love stationery, but honestly I’m a total nerd for it! There is nothing so satisfying as a luxe finish on a wax seal or a hot foil illustration catching the light…the point is, I’ve done this before oh-so many times – what you’re paying for is a combination of experience, knowledge and talent as well as the end product. 

I also have access to my little black book full of the best suppliers for your stationery, from professional printers to wonderful wax seals and luxury envelopes! This has been developed through experience and connections within the industry, carefully curated to make sure your wedding stationery experience is the best it can be.

Even the simplest of designs can be elevated and transformed using layouts, font choices and text placement in the hands of a professional! Click here to see 5 techniques I love to take your wedding stationery suite to pure paper perfection!

5. It’s Going To Be Stressful

Let’s be straight; wedding planning is stressful. You have enough to worry about without the demands of trying to make your own stationery – if you want a seamless, stress-free process, DIY isn’t the way to go.

From booking to completion, you’ll feel completely taken care of throughout my process which you can read about here. Every little detail is seamlessly looked after from our initial consultation, and the design process is fun and personal! You’ll receive a link to your design board where I’ll share designs, information and progress on your stationery, and you can view and request changes to designs to refine them to perfection! 

Once printed, I’ll work my magic on the finishing touches to ensure everything is picture perfect when it reaches your guests. All you need to do is sit back, relax and celebrate this first big step in your wedding planning journey!

If your thoughts of doing it yourself with your wedding stationery are floating away like confetti and you’d like to chat about my polished, personal and professional service – click here. I love to work with loved-up, laid-back couples looking for bespoke, elegant designs. I can’t wait to hear from you!

All images by Denise Leacock.