• Initial Inquiry + Proposal

You are here! This is the phase where I get a general idea of what we will be building together (especially quantities +  pieces you want to include). I'll send you an estimate based on your wants and needs, and you'll decide whether or not you'd like to move forward with me.

• Onboarding Video/Phone Call

This is the next step in your custom journey, where I get to know you and your partner! This is the time to ask me any general questions you have, as well as sharing general design ideas, deadlines, etc. It's basically a virtual coffee date.

Sometimes this conversation changes your initial estimate, because you're so excited about what all we could possibly stuff into those beautiful envelopes, or maybe you realized you don't need as many invitation pieces as you thought. Not to worry! Your invoice can be updated at any point of the process, even after a contract has been signed if need be.

• Contract + Timeline Creation

Here's the nitty gritty. Once we've established the scope of work, I will send you a contract with an in-depth look at payment, copyright, etc. A $250 design deposit will be secured, which goes toward your total invoice. During this phase we will also construct your invitation timeline based on your engagement and wedding date.

Here is a typical timeline from Save the Dates to Day Of items. This is by no means the end-all-be-all timeline! If you only have a few months, we can make that work too.

Save the Dates are recommended to go out at least 6 months before the big day according to etiquette, and for a larger wedding or a destination wedding with out-of-town guests, 10 months to a year is recommended.

Wedding Invitations should be sent 6-8 weeks before the event, which means I aim to get these beauties in your hands by the 9 week mark, allowing room for any last minute errors or additions. Your reply by date on your RSVP card is generally 1 month before the wedding, which gives us an appropriate amount of time to create your custom Day Of items relying on your guest's information, like seating charts, escort cards, table numbers, programs, menus, etc.

We will need to discuss your Day Of items at least 1 month in advance, because these tend to get down to the wire. Together we will design a layout for each Day Of piece, and once you have the information, we will plug it in and get it ordered 2 weeks before your wedding, allowing 1 week for shipping. For this step, the earlier, the better!

The Information Phase typically takes a week or two from sending this project plan to our 30 minute phone call and creating our timeline, depending on schedules.

Here's where the real fun starts! This is a three-part phase dedicated solely to inspiration. This phase can be wrapped up in about 2 hours if you're certain of the style you're after, or maybe you'll take your time conducting this rather enjoyable research.

• Part One: Pinterest Exploration

First we will create a shared Pinterest board (you may already have a wedding board, just create a separate invitation section and invite me!). I'll then direct you to my Pinterest board where you can sift through the Wedding Inspo and Styled Shoots sections, pinning your favorite concepts to our new shared board. I share my Wedding Inspo and Styled Shoots sections so that you get a taste of my own work, as well as designs I'm inspired by, but more importantly, I want to see what you love! If you have a concept in mind that you aren't seeing on my boards, Pin, Pin, Pin!

• Part Two: Details Form

There's an in-depth questionnaire regarding the information of your big day, verbiage, RSVP and additional enclosure cards, etc. at the end of this project plan. This is where we will build the layout and information included in your custom suite. There are a lot of questions regarding the actual wedding day, some of which you might not have nailed down yet. No worries at all, you can always go back and edit this questionnaire when you have the info.

• Part Three: Initial Concept Proposal

This is the first taste of the design phase. After I've gathered an idea of the style you're after with the wording you want included, I will create an Initial Concept Proposal for your review. This will be sent as a design proof, with questions asking for your feedback before I create the first Design Pitch in Phase 3. This is our jumping off point, and we'll go from there.

As per our contract, your project includes five (5) design pitches under our agreed upon price point: The Initial Concept Proposal after the Inspiration Phase, the first Design Pitch of the Design Phase, and up to three (3) rounds of revisions before production.

If we haven't quite nailed down the design after all of that hard work, there is a $35 charge for each round of additional revisions.

Disclaimer: This is certainly not done to scare you into loving the first design or to fatten my wallet!  I'm simply keeping us intentional about your requested revisions. Take your time studying each proof, dissecting the design. Often times, the more we stare at something, the less we enjoy it. We want to keep fresh eyes on the designs.

This process typically takes 3-5 weeks, depending on revisions and communication.

This is where the magic happens. Allow 3 weeks from proof approval and payment for the printing and assembling of your suite. This includes envelope addressing, corner rounding, belly bands, custom cuts, wax seals, or whatever upgrades you've chosen.

Once your suite has been assembled, it's shipped to you in eco-friendly packaging, and you can expect it on your doorstep in 5 business days or less. Each envelope will be addressed, stuffed, and stamped, you'll simply be responsible for sealing them to ensure that you approve of what's inside. You also have the option to skip the stuff, stamp, and seal party altogether by trusting me to handle the mail outs!

Important Information Regarding Envelope Addressing

In order to maximize our production time and reduce chance of error, I ask that you gather your guest list in a specific format. I'll be sending you a formatting template for you to follow; either a Microsoft Excel, Google, or Apple Pages document will suffice, with columns A-E formatted in the following way:

Name   |   Address   |   Address Line 2   |   City, State   |   Zip

When gathering your guests' addresses, I would really appreciate if you could spell out each state and street/lane/parkway. This saves me time as well as lessens the room for error.

Example of recipient address formatting:

The Owen Family

5105 Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, California 90027

vs

Steve, Jo, Stacy, Bobby Owen

51505 sunset blvd

los angeles, CA 90027

I will follow up with you 1+ month before the wedding if we have not already begun discussing Day Of items you may want to include, such as seating charts, escort cards, programs, menus, etc. These designs are done much faster as we've already laid down a design plan to go off of. I try to get these things to you 1-2 weeks before your wedding, so communication is key during this crazy part of your engagement!

Read this!

Your RSVP card is traditionally sent back to you in order to keep track of your guests' RSVPs. In some cases, such as an online RSVP, the RSVP card will act more as a Details card that your guests will keep, like the invitation. I suggest putting your wedding website, email, phone number, hashtag, etc. on your Details card rather than RSVP since it will come back to you. If you will be receiving your RSVPs via email, website, or phone, we will take a different approach.

Postcard RSVP Postage

$0.50/postcard. Sending a postcard RSVP saves you cost on many fronts: no A1 envelope, reduces envelope addressing cost, and potentially keeps your invitation suite light enough to stay at the Standard First Class Postage rate.

Standard First Class Postage$0.66/envelope - best used for single card + envelope mailings (such as your Save the Date, Rehearsal Dinner invitation, or response card.) This will also typically cover a standard invitation suite (including: invitation, RSVP, RSVP envelope, and details card). If we include wax seals, belly bands, card pockets, etc. we may need to consider additional postage.

Two-ounce Postage Stamps

The USPS has caught on to wedding invitations' need for increased postage, and has designed a handful of stamps that allow for parcels up to 2 oz. each. If your wedding invitation includes an additional card with details for your guests (ie: accommodations card, a reception card, or wedding map), you'll need a little bit more postage beyond the standard first class stamp. I'll be taking your suite to the post office before purchasing postage to be extra sure, but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead and know what options are available to you!

In addition to enclosure cards that you may choose to add to your wedding invitations, there are a few additional instances in which your postage will increase:

Extra-Heavy Invitation Suites

If you choose to upgrade your wedding invitation to double-thick cotton cardstock for your wedding invitation (this is popular for wedding invitations printed in letterpress or gold foil), the total weight of one suite will put you above the 1 oz. limit where you'd just need a standard first class stamp. For thick cards, or invitation suites with many insert cards, or small details like a paper belly band or monogram tag, you'll likely need to upgrade your postage to the 2 oz stamp as shown above. Your postage could also increase beyond this weight, so I'll have it weighed before purchasing postage!

Wax SealsWax seals are a wonderful choice for your wedding invitations and a great way to incorporate your monogram or motif incorporated throughput your wedding day (such as a laurel of greenery, a floral crown or even your venue illustration). However, they will increase the total thickness of the parcel.  Wax seals will require an additional $0.25 of postage per envelope. The USPS creates "additional ounce" stamps for $0.25 each that are perfect for this.

Hand Cancelled Envelopes

Most mail is canceled by machines (that's what prints those lines and dates over postage stamps), but if the envelope is uneven or bulky, the machine can cause the envelope to rip and can potentially damage whatever is inside. That's where hand-canceling comes in. Essentially, each stamp on your envelope is marked (or "canceled") using a hand stamp instead of being run through the machine, preventing your envelopes from being torn before they've even left the post office. And it's just a little bit prettier, too.

Hand-canceling requires an extra cost (currently $0.25), so if your envelopes need to be hand-canceled, that amount needs to be included in the postage. For example, an envelope that is light enough to be mailed using a $0.66 first class stamp (up to 1 oz.) would require $0.91 of postage if it needs to be hand-canceled.