Do-It-Yourself Wedding Invitations

We are using a computer to make our wedding invitations and could really use some pointers. For example, what size of type do you use? Any ideas would be helpful. --iVillager squanngh

our experts say:

Dear Squanngh:

Making your own wedding invitations is not only a great way to save money but also a perfect way to personalize your wedding from beginning to end. Wedding invitations have three purposes: to tell guests the occasion, time and place of the event; to let guests know who's hosting; and to give guests a sense of how formal your celebration will be and clue them in to any themes.

Wording 101: The wording of your invitation will certainly take care of the first two factors. Start by thinking about what style of invitation best reflects the kind of party you're planning. If you're having a formal wedding, you'll probably choose traditional wording. If your wedding is more casual or themed, chances are you plan to get creative with your words. Wedding planning and etiquette books are filled with ideas on how to word your wedding invitation to match your family situation, to explain who's hosting and to indicate the formality of the affair. Or visit your local stationer and ask to look through sample invitation books.

Look and Feel:Of course, words aren't the only way to clue in guests about the wedding to come. The way your invitation looks can help, too. Your paper choice will play a big role in this. A formal invitation might best be printed on a rectangular white or cream-colored card. A semiformal or casual invitation, however, allows for more creativity. You may wish to print your invitation on vellum that you lay over a colorful card, then attach the two sheets using a hole punch and some ribbon. Visit copy shops, paper stores, office supply shops and stationers to investigate your options and see what's available. Also check out the many paper catalogs that you can order from (many will send you samples for free); doing an online search or looking in the back of bridal magazines is the easiest way to find them. Paying per sheet (as opposed to per ream) can make printing your own invitations an expensive proposition, so try to buy in bulk.

Next, think about what typeface to use. You can choose from the standard fonts your computer offers or head to the computer store to check out what additional font packages are for sale. The software tends to be fairly inexpensive (under $50), and loading it onto your computer is a simple process.

Typically, you'll want to use 10-point type or higher (we recommend staying below 16-point). It's often wise to center the type on the page, paying special attention so that the lines break in logical places. Use line spaces to separate ideas (one between the announcement of the wedding and the location where it will take place is common). For examples of how this works best, check a stationer's sample books. Avoid boldface type and underlining, which can make an invitation difficult to read. Using a serif type (one that has "feet" on the ends of each character) can also help with readability.

Also, consider whether you'd like images to appear on your invite -- images taken from clip art or downloaded from the Web, or scanned photographs or drawings. There's an endless array of special touches you can use when you are your own designer.

Tech Talk:If you're a PC user whose computer runs on a Microsoft platform, check to see whether Microsoft Publisher is included in your Microsoft Office suite. This application offers a number of templates you can use to create your invitation, as well as a wide selection of clip art to choose from. Mac (and PC) users will find programs such as Pagemaker, QuarkXpress, Illustrator and Photoshop all extremely helpful.

Last but not least, consider the printer you're using. A laser printer will guarantee smudge-proof invitations and, probably, faster printing time. But if you want your invitation to be printed in two colors or more, a high-quality color inkjet is the way to go. Be sure the paper works with the type of printer you plan to use. Otherwise, you may end up with smudged ink or a paper jam. By the way, if you think you can print out one beautiful copy and copy it on a copier and get the same results as printing the whole batch, think again: The finished product won't look as nice, unless you take your original to a professional copy shop.

Hope this helps,
The Wedding Women

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