Wedding Invitations

About 2 months ago, one of my co-workers approached me about making her wedding invitations. She knew that I liked to make greeting cards, etc. and figured I could handle an order for invitations.

I was flattered but a bit intimidated. I mean wedding invitations are pretty special, and I didn’t know quite what she was expecting, but I did develop a couple of templates for her to look at. And the good news was that the bride loved them.

She asked for more time to think things over and discuss it with her fiancée, and so I waited to hear back. Finally about 10 weeks out from the March wedding, she called and said that they had decided to have a very small wedding and weren’t going to need wedding invitations, but they were considering having announcements made up for later this spring. So the pressure was off, and I didn’t have a deadline hanging over my head.

Well, last week at just under 8 weeks out, the bride came to see me and said that she and her fiancée had changed their minds. They were going to have a larger wedding after all, and she was going to need 100 invitations. I gulped. I mean, I’m not a full resource printer here. I don’t have equipment to mass produce something very quickly, and so I knew I was going to be running tight on time. So I explained that we might be a bit pressed for time, but she still wanted me to make her invitations.

However, she kept changing her mind about everything. One day, she’d want one thing, and then later that afternoon, she’d have a completely different plan. The next day, she would have another suggestion for me to look into. Could we use a cheaper cardstock? What about a different ribbon color? Could I also make an RSVP card as well? By the end of last week (at 7 weeks out this past Saturday), I still didn’t have anything finalized. Time was running out, and then there was also the fact that I wasn’t sure I could find enough of the paper in time to make them once she did finalize it, and there was no time to order more directly. Not to mention the pricing—she thought my prices were high. I thought my prices were low. I was giving her a huge break and was basically just covering the costs of the supplies, but still she thought it was pricy.

Then finally over the weekend, she called with her decision. Of course, it just so happened that this past weekend was one of my busiest, and I didn’t have a moment to even think about working on the invitations, but at last I knew what she wanted. But I came into work on Monday, and she had left me another message and was changing the type of paper and going with a completely different invitation. At least I hadn’t started them yet or bought any of the supplies, and so it wasn’t really too late to change things around one more time, but it was still hard to keep my attitude in check.

Last night I purchased the supplies and got everything ready to start a home assembly line in my apartment, and so that is my plan for this evening and the rest of my free moments for the week—I’ll be home mass-producing 100 homemade wedding invitations. I’m hoping to get them to the bride on Friday. Fingers crossed!! I’m excited about it, and I’m hoping that the results will meet the bride’s expectations. But as thrilling as it is to work on something new, this has also been a big learning experience.

Notes to self:

1. Charge a creative fee to develop templates for the couples to choose from and work with as templates. If they don’t like what you’ve come up with, at least you are being paid for the time you’ve already put into it.
2. At the time the order is placed, collect 25% to 50% of the fees for the invitations up front. You need to have money to buy the supplies for the cards before you make them.
3. Consider having a contract that both parties sign to guarantee both my work and their payments. It’s smart to follow the CYA principle. Be prepared.
4. Have the invitation details finalized from the bride and groom at least 4 weeks before the invitations need to be mailed (traditionally at 6 weeks from the big day). No matter what excuse the bride has, she needs to know that if she can’t get you the information you need in time, you can’t make her deadline.
5. Institute a RUSH fee for last minute invitations. Also consider an add-on charge for additional changes after the invitation template has been finalized. It’s only fair. Deadlines are needed for a reason!