Homemade Invitations For Your Wedding

Are you having a hard time figuring out your wedding invitations? Are you wondering if you can make your own homemade invitations? Perhaps you are new to party planning and simply need some invitation tips and tricks. Whatever the case may be, this list was compiled to help make the invitation process more manageable. As these invitations are the first glimpse, the guests will see what's to come; it is a great idea to make them as beautiful as you can. These personalized wedding invitation ideas will allow you to create beautiful and unique invitations for your wonderful guests.

Homemade Invitations: Logistics

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1. Always Order Extra

It is always better to be safe than sorry! You should always order twenty to thirty extra invitations in preparation for incidents such as last-minute guests, or potential invitation card misspellings and accidents. When planning an event, backups are always helpful.

2. Send Early

Sending your invites two to four months before the big day gives your guests plenty of time for any preparations that need to be made. Wedding planners suggest that the RSVP date, for the guests' response, should be about six weeks before the wedding. That way, you will have a near-exact headcount to give to your venue. In the interest of planning ahead, you may also want to take a look at our wedding budget and checklist.

3. Be Thrifty

Do you have a graphic designer friend that could help create your invitations? If not, maybe you can find a fabulous deal on invitations via the Internet. There are many ways to save money when it comes to invitations. If you decide to hire someone to help plan, they will most likely be able to help you find great deals.

4. Count It Out

Make sure that you count mailing addresses, not the number of guests you're inviting. Remember, you may be inviting 150 guests, but only need 100 invitations. However, if there is any child over the age of 18 in the household they should receive their own invitation.

5. Match the Invites

The invitation is the first indication of what your wedding is going to be like. The invite should tell your guests how to dress and what type of theme they should be expecting. It is recommended by event coordinators that you match your invitation to the overall theme and color scheme of your special day.

Making Homemade Invitations Online

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6. Cardstock Paper

If you are printing at home, make sure you print your invitations on cardstock paper. It is thicker than regular paper and will make the final invitation look more professional.

7. Catchy Verse or Poem

Search the Internet for clever verses, or lines from poems, that are related to your event. If you have a favorite quotation, you could use that to decorate your invitations. You can also select a line from "your" song or a line from a poem that has touched both of you. Be sure to make the invitations personal to you and your partner, because this day is going to be all about the two of you.

8. Template Designs

You can create your own invitations from blank invitation templates if you're feeling creative. Otherwise, you can browse sample invitations to find the basic DIY invitations.

9. Clipart and Pictures

If you want to include pictures or clip art on your invitations, you can locate websites for this by typing "free clip art" on a search engine. Simply download the ones you want to use and insert them onto your invitation. When using a background image, make sure it does not obscure the text you are including. The text is the most important part, so you will want it to be readable. Ideally, background images should already be watermarked. If not, you can make them watermarked on a word processor. An alternative to this would be to make all of the textbox backgrounds a solid color. That way, the information will be clear to read.

10. Font Text and Colors

Before finalizing your invitations, mess around with the colors and font of the text to find a combination that suits your occasion best. Most wedding invitations follow a less colorful and more sophisticated theme, but it is entirely up to the couple and the theme they would like to create. If you want a unique touch that other invitations might not have, there are hundreds of fun downloadable fonts online.

11. No Colored Ink?

If you have a printer that does not allow you to print in color, you can always make the invitation and then save it as a file on a disk or flash drive. Then you can bring that to a print shop and have your invitations printed there, their printer might be the best printer for the job. Some print shops will offer to print the invitations for you if you supply them with the wedding invitation template file and the guest list. This may cost slightly more than printing them out yourself, but it is often cheaper than buying customized invitations. Sometimes print shops will even do engraved invitations for more upscale occasions such as a wedding.

Personal Homemade Invitations

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12. Past and Present

To create customized wedding invitations, incorporate past and present memories, such as a picture of the wedding location, or family emblems. Childhood photos can also add a level of personalization, and make the recipient feel more united with the couple. You can also decorate the front of your invitations with a recent picture of the happy couple. Use the same picture for all of your invitations or select a few different photos for multiple, unique invitations.

13. "Planting an Idea"

Send a bag of seeds with your invitation to "plant" the idea of the wedding. The bride's favorite flowers, or flowers that will be in the ceremony, are both great options. This will make the invitation very memorable for the guests.

14. Use Your Setting

Decorate your invitations according to the setting of your wedding. For example, adorn the front of your invitation with a picture of a stunning ocean view for a beach wedding, or a photo of the gorgeous countryside if it is taking place outdoors. This idea works particularly well with destination weddings.

15. Draw A Picture

You don't have to be artistically talented to create a beautiful, hand-drawn invitation. Simply trace your favorite photograph onto the front of your invitations for a beautiful and personal design. This is a unique and simple idea that will make your invitations stand out!

16. Environmentally-Friendly Paper Invitations

Making paper is a very simple and enjoyable task, it also adds a bit of extra personality to the invitations. It only requires a small handful of ingredients and can have many different looks and styles. Since concern for the environment is becoming a huge part of the mainstream, these environmentally friendly invitations will be very on-brand. You can add an extra touch by using plant seeds in the paper mix so that the invitees can get plants along with the invitations. Providing them a small kit will help them get the idea as well!

Homemade Invitations: Conclusion

Although homemade invitations may seem like a daunting task, hopefully, this blog showed you that they don't have to be. With a bit of creativity and planning, your homemade and do-it-yourself invitations for your wedding can be as perfect as the wedding itself. If you wish, you can also check out our articles on wedding themed articles on edible DIY favors and wedding ideas. We even have articles on money saving tips for parties and tips for saving money on your wedding.

Written by Chelsea Jung; Contributors: Cal Fiala, June Park, Jacob Wixson, Jack Leduc, Vanessa Marscocci, Anjelica Lapi, Jessica Bundy and Caitlin Connell