How to buy Wedding Invitations Online

Buying Wedding Invitations online can be intimidating! After all they are very important, not to mention they can be very expensive. Why not just go to your local wedding invitation shop and see you invitations in person, make your selection, and have the shop owner order the wedding invitations for you? Well, there are a number of reasons, primarily of which is selection. On the web you get access to countless brands and you can compare prices in the privacy of your own home. You can find quality ranging from print-at-home to top-of-the-line letterpress wedding invitations online. Don’t let the fact that you can’t physically handle the invitations stop you. Many websites let you get a sample of the invitation at little or no cost. So now that you are convinced that you can order your wedding invitations on line lets find out how to do it!

1. Select a Style: After you determine the theme and color scheme of your wedding you are ready to select the style of your wedding invitations. Wedding invitations come in a variety of style to suite any taste, traditional, modern, destination weddings, etc. If you are thinking about the environment (which you should) there are also a variety of elegant eco-friendly wedding invitations. Do they have matching response cards, reception cards, thank you cards, etc? Scour the web, find what you want at the right price. It is never too early to start looking at wedding invitation styles, but you are still not ready to order them. Once you found what you want now make sure you are dealing with the right company.

2. Find the Right Online Vendor: there are a bunch of options out there so be careful!

Here are some factors to consider:

a. Reputation & Service: Look for the websites “Terms and Conditions” statement to see what there return policy is. Do they provide a physical address? Do they have a phone number where you can talk to a live person? How long does it take to get your order? Do they offer samples? Etc. Call them up, talk to them, ask all the questions you need to feel comfortable. Also, there are a ton of wedding blogs out there, see if anybody is talking about the vendor. If you hear some negative commentary about quality or service be careful.

b. Website Usability: Can you customize your invitation online and actually see what it’s going to look like? Many websites offer what looks like an online proof in which you customize the invitation and it is then shown on the screen as it will after it’s printed. But beware, most online invitation companies take the information you provide and then have to manually typeset the text into another system for printing. This can result in a change in the invitation’s appearance.

3. Get Some Samples: Okay, it’s not time to place your final order yet! We are getting there! First get some samples. I recommend you get samples of a few candidate wedding invitations that you like to select from. Then wait for them to come in the mail!

4. Customize your Wedding Invitations: Assuming you found the “right” wedding invitation and you have your wedding date, time, location, and venue finalized it is now time to customize your wedding invitations!

Most online vendors provide suggested wording, all you have to do is substitute your specific information for your wedding. So, take your time, check your work, then recheck your work, then re-recheck your work. Most online vendors allow you to save your work and even email it to a friend for them to review. So, save your work and sleep on it. Have your fiancé, your maid of honor, your close family members, and email it to some friends. Make sure they all confirm your information is correct! I think you get my point! You don’t want your $500 worth of wedding invitations showing up with the wrong time or address!

Also, customize your response cards (make sure the info on these are correct too!), and other wedding stationary accessories you will include with your invitations.

5. Place Your Order!: Are you ready? First, if you are wondering when is the right time to order your invitations, check out this post. Okay, it’s time to “pull the trigger!” But wait! How many should you order? Get around 25 more than you think you need. Why? You will need them as keepsakes, and just incase! Complete your order by checking out! You should get a confirmation email almost immediately. If you don’t, call the company and confirm your order was received.

6. Sit Back and Relax: …by your mailbox. In the next week or so you should be getting a wonderful package!

Frequently Asked Questions:

So, what if, after I checked, rechecked, and re-rechecked then had everybody I know confirm the information, I noticed a mistake in my wording after I hit the “Checkout” button?

Call the vendor as quickly as possible! They need to catch it before it goes to the printer! A good vendor will work with you. This is why you need to make sure they are reputable and have a good contact number.

What if I need more?

If you just placed your order, call the vendor immediately! If you have a good vendor and you can catch them before it is printed, it is typically cheaper to add invitations to an existing order than placing an entirely new order.

I’d appreciate any feedback on your online wedding invitation experiences!

This was written as part of the Daily Blog Tips tutorials group writing project.

Related posts:

1. The RSVP Blues
2. Wedding Invitations: Online Proofing
3. Wedding Invitation Tips from the US Postal Service
4. Unique Destination Wedding Invitations
5. Planning your Wedding Invitations