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how important are expensive invitations?

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janinegirly

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my mom has found some nice, classy traditional invitations (Cranes)--they''re great, highest quality, but the cost is kind of crazy. I know if I search online I''ll find something decent, but not Crane''s for a fraction of the price. I''m not very picky on these things so don''t notice the difference, but I''m sure others will. Is this somethign I shouldn''t be cutting corners on?
 

biblobaggins23

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i think most people end up throwing the invitations away after the wedding even if they are super expensive. i would rather splurge on something else than invites. you know? maybe more flowers or more food?
 

Jas12

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ivitations set the tone of the wedding and provide the important details--i am a details person so i would want the quality of the invite to reflect the wedding in this way....it depends on your wedding...is it really formal/fancy or casual/non-traditional etc. etc. I would persoanlly let that guide your choice, not the cost.
(just as an example--i think a really fancy, ornate and expensive looking invite would be odd for say a casual beach-side wedding--find an invite that really captures the mood of your event ;-)
 

zoebartlett

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I agree. While they are very pretty, most invitations aren''t kept for longer than needed. I''d spend more on other things.
 

cara

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I love nice paper and have lust in my heart for letterpress.

But you dont NEED expensive invites. Just well designed, well executed one that show a bit of thought. I've seen computer-printed self assembled invites on not-so-expensive paper that range from really cute, decent, to couldn't you have just spent a little bit of $ on this you tightwad (with limited artistic talent and a cheap printer)?

With searching, you can probably find the same or better quality as Crane's online for less, especially if you are willing to do a bit of legwork, such as laying out the design on your computer or assembly or something. But certain things (letterpress, engraved, really nice paper) will just cost more than what can reasonably by called inexpensive.
 

candctroll

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We are not spending a ton on invitations and are doing them ourselves. Here is a really rough draft.

1IMG_1806.jpg


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The picture is definitely not the picture we are going to use but it''s the only one I had on the computer to play with. The top portion is going to have a map and the insert is for the RSVP. We are inserting in a black envelope. Address will be put on with gold paint and we are thinking about doing pictures for stamps too.

Not the most expensive or classiest but made with lots of love (and my family loves pictures)
 

jcrow

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i think it''s about priorities. invites were HIGH - problem highest - on my list of priorities. so, i went custom & letterpress.
it''s about what YOU want and desire.
 

tanyak

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Date: 2/27/2007 11:58:56 AM
Author: jcrow

it''s about what YOU want and desire.
This is what it boils down to. As others have said, aside from a few close relatives and a packrat friend or two (like me!
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), most invites just get tossed eventually. I didn''t care enough about it to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on something that would end up in the trash - I wanted to put the money toward something else, especially since I had a smallish, tight budget.

But it''s really up to you and your budget.
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janinegirly

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wow san diego!! how''d you do that?! very impressed..
 

sarie_j

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Mine are diy from a gartner set, and then jazzed up a by moi with special papers and raffia --

I agree, think about the invitations that you have gotten and what you did with them - mine get stuck on the refrigerator for a while and then thrown away and I honestly couldn''t tell you where they came from or how much they cost. I do remember if I had a good time, what a good friend it was, how happy they are, etc., so it really is a personal issue; I personally would have been sick if I had spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on invitations so instead I spent hours and hours researching diy projects and finally got my idea from a place called www.invitesite.com
You should try roaming around a little before you decide on any one thing thought, you may find out you like something a little funky or a little different better --
 

janinegirly

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i agree--i don't want to spend a fortune on invitations. i mean if i'm spending $10 per invite i'm going to start thinking along of the lines of "do I REALLY want to invite this person whomight not come"..which is getting ridiculous.

i'll try to find a middle ground..i'm not much of a diy'er, but there has to be more reasonable options espeicallly since i'm going very standard and tratitional.
 

anchor31

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Date: 2/27/2007 11:40:24 AM
Author: candctroll
We are not spending a ton on invitations and are doing them ourselves. Here is a really rough draft.

1IMG_1806.jpg


1IMG_1807.jpg


The picture is definitely not the picture we are going to use but it''s the only one I had on the computer to play with. The top portion is going to have a map and the insert is for the RSVP. We are inserting in a black envelope. Address will be put on with gold paint and we are thinking about doing pictures for stamps too.

Not the most expensive or classiest but made with lots of love (and my family loves pictures)
Sorry to highjack, janine, but can I use your those pictures to help me build mine, candctroll? They look great!

As for my opinion, we have a tiny budget, so invites are pretty low on the list. I still want them to be pretty, though! My mom and I are quite crafty, so we''ll do them ourselves.
 

candctroll

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anchor, you sure can. The hardest part is getting the measurements right the first time and cutting all the paper. We have a paper cutter though so it isn''t so bad.
 

akw94

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Janine, I agree w/others that you should do what works for you and your budget. If you can afford and truly want the more expensive invites, go for it!
My budget is pretty small so I am doing diy invites. I''ve actually found some nice ones at Michael''s and I can print them myself. I was going to buy paper separately but finding the paper that I could afford just wasn''t working. The Michael''s ones include invites, envelopes, response cards so it''s perfect for my needs. For *me*, the invites just aren''t that important when I have a little bit of money and plenty of other things that I''d rather spend it on.
 

Pandora II

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I''m using a company in Scotland for mine

www.piccolopressusa.com is their site specifically for American weddings.

Invitations are hugely important to me - I keep all the ones I go to.

Mine will be either engraved or thermographed copperplate on whitecard. Their prices are great compared with other companies who offer a similar product, although their US prices look a bit more expensive than the UK ones.
 

San Diego Bride

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i agree with others that this is about what is important to you. i also agree that the "vibe" of your wedding is important- evening ballroom event vs. daytime casual beach affair.

invitations were not high on my priority list, so i went with DIY ones from michael''s. i printed them myself and attached a pink daisy in the top/center. daisies appeared throughout our ceremony and reception. they weren''t particularly fancy, but neither was our wedding, so it worked. having said that, i do love letterpress and think it''s absolutely beautiful for invitations. i just didn''t love it enough to spend the money on it.
 

monarch64

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Janine, you could do what I did and get a guest book from Crane''s (which will run you about $100 I think), and make your invitations (or have them made) to match. My aunt made our invitations and tied them into our wedding colors (copper and ivory), and our guest book is something that was and looks expensive that we will cherish forever, and won''t get thrown away. Just a thought!
 

FireGoddess

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As I recall, ours weren''t terribly expensive. No way we were getting engraved ones..I think the thermal letterpress (or whatever it''s called with the raised ink) looks gorgeous and is a ton less money!

I keep most of the wedding invites I receive, but I don''t ogle them or anything, so even from a person who keeps them, I''d say don''t blow the bank on the invites!
 

wendybird

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Feb 24, 2007
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I don''t think people really notice. I''ve been to about 4 or 5 weddings in the last 2 years and I can''t tell you what a single invitation looks like. IMO I''d spend that money elsewhere for sure! No point if people are just going to throw it away.
 

TravelingGal

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Another vote for the who cares camp. If it''s not a priority for you, then no one else will care. As mentioned, just making sure the invite reflects your event will do.

Ours were very casual. I wanted to do an e-vite but I got universally slammed by my friends.
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wendybird

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Travelgal.... ME TOO! I wanted to just do an evite and was told how tacky that''d be. HAHAHA.

Also, if you DIY. www.paper-source.com that''s where I got mine and I can vouch for their quality.
 

ellaila

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Love love love Paper Source -- I''m lucky enough to have three relatively close to me, and I was there constantly during wedding planning!

I was a DIYer for our invites, and I loved the whole process. Picking out the paper, the fonts, the colors, the layout -- all of it! Of course it was frustrating too at times, but all in all I''m so glad we did the invitations ourselves. We know that NO ONE ELSE had our exact invitations, and I think they were just perfect for our "vibe"
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That said, I totally appreciate a gorgeous expensive invitation too
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But for us, we wanted to use the money on our honeymoon rather than on paper that most people will likely throw away right after the wedding.
 

Liquiddazi

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In my opinion, I think you can; however, I really think it has to do with the "social" group you hang out with. All of my friends and siblings have had weddings under $10,000; however, I made a comment to a co-worker (a nurse) that I had to have a wedding under $6,000 and she looked at me like I was crazy!
 

broadway

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Feb 6, 2007
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Agreed... spend what you feel comfortable spending and get a style because you like it, not because it''s the fanciest. Our friends paid for their own wedding and their invitations were hadwritten in blank thank you notes in their wedding colors. They were beautiful, thoughtful (they had to write them all, whew..) and a perfect match to their loft wedding. You might have one aunt or something who thinks you''re a weirdo for not going engraved, but who cares, it''s your day! Spend the money you save on something fun like food or the bar!!
 
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