Wedding Invitations|Cheap Wedding Invitations|Wedding Invitation

Making your own wedding invitations is a great idea - that is if you have the time to spend poring over every detail for 200 invitations. But if you have only 50 guests, the idea is feasible. But there are lovely ready-made invitations of all designs, sizes, and colors that can change your mind about making your own invitations. So what should you do now?

The DIY Option

Bridal couples who worked on their own elegant wedding invitations deserve awards for their industriousness and perseverance. Why? Preparing the invitations or working on each card lovingly takes time and there are a hundred things to do apart from slaving over these invitations. There is the shopping for bridal dress, the groom's and his best men's tuxedos, the bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride/groom dresses, and choosing the venue, menu and music to do.

If you are bent on making your own invitations is popular way to save money. You can save as much as $100 for 200 invitations. There are online step-by-step tutorials that can show how to do beautiful handmade wedding invitations using rubber stamps or DIY invitation kits. To solve the time issue, use desktop publishing and le the local copy shop make several copies, and cut and fold the invitations.

But before anything else, go over designs you want copied or create your own personalized wedding invitations. You can use different materials for your invitation or even take your own snapshots and convert this into a nice invitation with the elegant printing at the back of the picture. For more ideas for your invitation, check out wedding sites online BUT if you can't come up with an idea or if you have no time at all, choose from the countless designs for wedding invitations to suit your wedding theme.

The Ready-Made Option

You cannot expect to have unique invitations if you buy these from bridal shops YET you can personalize the invitation to make it truly your own. Bridal shops have a stock of ideas for personalized wedding invitations for the discerning taste and offer a complete range of exquisite cards and envelopes. This gives you the flexibility to mix and match or get a coordinated look for your invitations.

With an assortment of invitations available, it is convenient to select one that conveys your thoughts, and tastes as well as the wedding style. All information - wedding couple, wedding host, wedding date and time and location of the ceremony and a brief note about the wedding reception are indicated in the invitation. You work it out with the bridal shop to get the right information down to pat and you can ask for a sample copy before finalizing the printing of the set.

The envelope is another detail. The invitations have two envelopes. The inner envelope is a sort of protective cover. This is enhanced with colored lines to reinforce your wedding color. The outer envelope is the mailing envelope. This contains the return address just in case there are undeliverable addresses. When you order these invitations, these are delivered after a week and after you have approved of everything and checked that spelling of names and other information are correct.

Your Choice

DIY or shop-bought wedding invitations? That's your choice. Both have its pros and cons but if you want more time to do other wedding preparations, the smart choice is ordering your invitations.

So you are now engaged and have the ring on your finger. The date is set and all that is left is the enormous task of planning the wedding. If you are on a tight budget and need to save money for your married life ahead then you have an extra difficult task ahead of you. At least you can have some hope knowing that many others have gotten married and had beautiful weddings very inexpensively. However, instead of being able to pay the professionals to do everything for you and merely directing the whole process you will need to get your hands dirty if you want to save the big bucks.

There is a whole area on the internet dedicated to helping you it is called the Do It Yourself wedding also referred to as DIY Wedding. So if you get stuck you can always use your online computer skills and hop over to Google or some other popular search engine and type in DIY wedding and then what you are stuck on. For example DIY wedding invitations would help you find great sources of information on making your own wedding invitations.

This article looks at some of the areas that you can try to save money by doing the tasks yourself instead of paying a professional. However there are some things that are better to just pay for so read carefully some of the ideas that you could do on your own and be mindful of your time. The less time you have the more money you will have to spend. So you will want to start working early and get as much done ahead of time as possible.

Do It Yourself Wedding Invitations

Do it yourself wedding invitations are becoming very popular. Wedding invitations can typically run a good deal of money if you have them professionally printed. You can easily do the work yourself ahead of time and there are even a lot of resources that you can buy pre-made parts of the invitations to save some time. So start with a good idea and find the paper and materials you need and get started making your own wedding invitations.

Do It Yourself Centerpieces

Centerpieces for the wedding reception can easily be done on your own without professional help and save a good deal of money. This really depends on how elaborate your plans are. Having simple but elegant centerpieces will save you a lot of heartache, time and money. Something like beautiful glass bowls filled with water and floating candles can look wonderful and take very little time.

Do It Yourself Guestbook

Want to save money on your guestbook? Why not try putting out a photo album that you have decorated along with a Polaroid camera. Guest can take pictures of themselves and then write on the back of the picture and add the picture and message to your photo album. This will create a lasting memory and can be a lot of fun for guests also.

Do It Yourself Seating Charts, Name Tags and Organization

Why not use the computer or if you can even try your hand at some calligraphy and write out things like name tags, seating charts and even wedding programs. These can all be done pretty easily on your own or even with friends before the wedding. All of those little things can really add up and cost a lot so by making the tings yourself ahead of time you can save a great deal of money.

Hare are a few last suggestions to help speed you along the way to a complete Do It Yourself Wedding. Things are always easier and a lot more fun when done in groups of friends. So if you can have friends come over to your house a few times and help assemble wedding favors, a guestbook or decorate a seating chart. This can be a fun time to bond together and share great stories. Time is the most crucial component in a do it yourself wedding. Make sure you really plan your tasks ahead of time so you are not stuck last minute trying to put everything together.

Contact Spheres - Symbiotic Relationships

A Contact Sphere is a group of business professionals who have a symbiotic relationship. They are in compatible, non-competitive professions. For example, a lawyer, CPA, financial planner, and a banker. If you put those four people in a room for an hour they are going to do business together. Each of them is working with clients that have similar needs but require differing services. Hence, they are working that symbiotic relationship.

My favorite example of a Contact Sphere is the caterer, florist, photographer, printer, wedding planner, tuxedo rental firm, bridal dress shop, videographer, and travel agent. I call this the "wedding mafia"! If one gets a referral to a wedding - they all get a referral to the wedding. These professions, more than most, have truly learned how to work their Contact Sphere.

Examples of Contact Spheres

Here are some other examples:

Business Services: printers, graphic artists, specialty advertising, marketing consultants, web designers, PR firms.
Real Estate Services: residential and commercial agents, escrow companies, title companies, mortgage brokers, home inspectors, insurance agents, home-stagers.
Contractors: painters, carpenters, plumbers, landscapers, electricians, interior designers.
Health Care: chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, massage therapists, personal trainers.

Let's take a computer sales and service company as an example. That group can include: sales reps for telecommunications (hardware) firms and photocopier companies. Also, contractors who specialize in installing wiring may fit within this team to assist in wiring installations. Also, don't forget the computer trainers who are working with people on a daily bases with their computers and even business coaches and accountants who may have clients that need to improve their company's
technology.

Getting the Most From Your Contact Sphere

1. Identify as many professions as possible that fit within your own company's Contact Sphere. Take a look at what professions your industry tends to work with to get "repetitive" and "reciprocal" referrals. Create a list of these professions.

2. Identify specific individuals who could fit into your Contact Sphere by going to various networking groups, consulting your business card file, and database.

3. Invite these people to participate in networking groups with you so you can formalize your relationship and have a way to stay in regular contact. Maintaining the relationship is key. A good way to do that is to participate in groups that put you together on a regular basis.

4. Evaluate the professionals in your collaborative team that you are presently referring. If they are not reciprocating, you may have the wrong profession or, the wrong person. Fill the spot with someone that is willing to reciprocate.

Contact Spheres Are a Start

While effectively developing solid Contact Spheres will greatly increase your business, you must remember that it alone, is not enough. Because they consist of small groups, you're not likely to gain exposure to a large number of individuals. Hence, work on developing your overall network of contacts at the same time you are developing your Sphere.

Good luck. Contact Spheres are a great way to start and continually build your professional network.

Q. Is it necessary to include a street address for the reception site on the reception card?

A. An exact address is necessary only if the location is not well known. It can also be omitted if you have included a map or other printed directions.

Q. Is it acceptable to include a blank card where guests can write a personal response? I'm afraid that not having a separate card will cut down on the number of responses, but I'd really like to receive handwritten notes to keep as mementos.

A. Yes, you can include a blank card, or perhaps one with the words "The favour of a reply is requested" at the top.

Q. Is it ever acceptable to include an e-mail address on the response card?

A. Although the medium is not as traditional and its use is not preferred, today's fast-paced world finds many of us relying on e-mail to keep in touch. Your e-mail address may be included if you feel it fits with the style of your celebration and if it will assure you of more timely responses.

Q. I have two female cousins who are roommates. How should I address their wedding invitation?

A. Each cousin should receive a separate invitation. Children over the age of 18 who do not live at home should always receive their own personal invitations.

Q. If the deadline for replies has passed, is it acceptable to telephone guests to obtain a response?

A. Yes, it is perfectly proper for the bride and groom (or their mothers) to place a very polite call to guests who have been delinquent in responding.

Q. I plan to have four honorary bridesmaids at my wedding. How should I arrange for their special seating at the ceremony?

A. Send pew cards along with their invitations. These simply designed cards will signify which specific pew they should sit in. Remind your honorary bridesmaids to present the pew cards to their ushers as they are about to be seated at the ceremony and make sure your wedding director has alerted the groomsmen and ushers to any special seating arrangements.

Advice At A Glance

Q. Is there a particular type of postage stamp that I should use for my wedding invitations?

A. No, but you will find that the post office offers a variety of images, so choosing a romantic stamp or a scene that fits the season should be a simple task.

Q. What information should be included on a reception card?

A. Typically four lines long, the reception card lists the type of event on the first line, using the word "reception" unless you are planning a breakfast or brunch. The second line lists a specific time or the phrase "immediately following the ceremony" and the third line indicates the reception site. The last line lists the city and state where the reception will take place.

Q. Is it acceptable to respond to a wedding invitation via telephone or fax?

A. Telephone and fax responses should be saved for business replies and are not considered formal options for wedding responses.

Q. We are planning a seated dinner for our wedding reception. Do I need to include that on the reception cards?

A. You may simply use the phrase "dinner reception" on the first line of the reception card if you want your guests to know they can expect a meal at the reception. It is not necessary to distinguish between a seated dinner and a buffet on the reception card.

Q. If we plan to include dancing at our evening reception, is it necessary to note that on the reception cards?

A. Adding the phrase "dinner and dancing" to the first line of the reception card is a festive way to let your guests know what to expect. That way they can dress appropriately and wear their most comfortable shoes in order to dance the night away.

Q. My fiancé and I have both been married before, and we would like to indicate on our reception cards that we would prefer cash instead of traditional wedding gifts. Is that proper?

A. No, you should never make a specific request for money in lieu of a wedding gift. If you would like to receive cash to be used for a special honeymoon trip or to purchase a special item for your new home, word of mouth is the best way to let your friends and family know. Ask your parents or other family members to help spread the word, too.

If you are planning a wedding shower brunch for a special bride-to-be, there are many little details you need to take care of - we know!

If you're holding a wedding shower brunch, here are some invitation ideas, which can also be incorporated into your wedding shower decorations. We offer these because we have seen it is a very common search term, so you must not be the only one looking for ideas. Enjoy!

• Use the actual wedding theme or color scheme to inspire the brunch invitations. For instance, perhaps the wedding itself will be held on a beach, and you can send out fun invitations wit ha beach on them and use beach umbrellas and flip-flops for your decorations.


• Of course a 'shower' means a rainshower of wonderful things, and many shower planners use the motif of an umbrella to represent the shower day. You can also incorporate showers of things - confetti, rice, bubbles, etc..


• Consider involving the season or other surroundings in your invitation. For a Fall shower, you could send out invitations with beautiful fall leaves and colors, or tiny snowflakes for a winter occasion.

If you're looking for a good source for wedding shower brunch invitations, get creative! There are more sources than just a wedding store or invitation company. Consider the following:

• Stationery store: These stores can be goldmines! You'll find a variety of colors and styles of paper and envelopes, and there will be plenty of possibilities for unique combinations that work perfectly for you. They are also usually more affordable than wedding store stationery.


• Printing company: Try a local printing or copying store. They often carry invitation books that you can look through and custom order the amount and style you need, and you may be able to negotiate a good price as well. You may need them even if you buy your invitations at a stationery store, as they can do your printing for you.


• Online: Isn't the internet wonderful? By performing a simple search, you will find many invitation templates and ideas. You can even try sites such as eBay, Craigslist and other other auction and sale sites, where people will be selling blank invitations or services.

TIP: One last consideration, if we may. Give the happy couple a great start on their financial future by helping them save money on their wedding! Get or let them know about the exclusive deals and money-saving guides found at Wedding-Planning-Makes-Perfect.com. We have helped countless brides save money on all aspects of their wedding planning, and can help your favorite bride-to-be too!

People buying a new car do not think twice about insurance. That is because they are now accustomed to the fact that as well as being legally required to have it, they accept that it is sensible and prudent in any case. On a larger scale, those buying a house also accept that household insurance is a requirement, although not necessarily a legal one at the moment. So it is a surprise that with a traditional wedding today still costing an average of 瞿15,000, albeit down from the 2010 high of 瞿20,000, many couples are still not taking out any form of wedding insurance to protect what is almost certainly their third largest financial expenditure of their lifetime.

These facts come from recently released statistics from insurers and other wedding orientated bodies. There are also a few interesting anomalies, like the fact that it is more likely to be men rather than women who take out wedding insurance. There must therefore be an underlying reason why people planning to get married are not protecting their investment. Apart from lack of media interest, there is a general perception that wedding insurance is not really necessary. People getting married are often so wrapped up in their organising that they forget that they are spending thousands of pounds without having any kind of protection if things go wrong. And things can and do go wrong. When they do, it can be a costly exercise.

The current financial climate has meant that hitherto safe businesses are now going to the wall at a frightening pace. That means that the venue that you paid your 瞿4,000 deposit to can easily go bust and you will not get a penny of it back! Similarly, those companies that offer the ancillary services, like florists, caterers and so on are all subject to the same financial risks. So doesn't it make sense to pay a relatively cheap insurance premium and be able to forget about it?

Before taking out any wedding insurance, there are a few things you should consider first. If you use your credit card to pay for anything, like the deposit on your venue for example, you may find that you already have some protection in the form of the Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. In simple terms, this covers you for anything termed a breach of contract, like the venue being double booked, and you may be able to get your money back that way.

Finally, check whether your household insurance already covers you for certain aspects of a wedding, usually a month before and after the event, but check with your insurer.

Although a credit card or home insurance may offer a certain degree of protection, neither is a real substitute for a full wedding insurance policy. With the average wedding costing a small fortune, for the sake of a premium starting from around just 瞿20.00, be sensible and protect your 'investment' with wedding insurance.

Wedding Invitations are the first formal part of any wedding and quite often the type of invitation you send will give your guests an idea of the theme and style you are going to incorporate for your wedding.

Although the invitations should form part of the wedding budget, there are many ways in which you can reduce the costs and find alternative cheap wedding invitations that still look fantastic and are of good quality where your guests will never know they were inexpensive.

An obvious way to have cheap wedding invitations and ensure that the cost of your invitations will not break your budget is to make your own. This does not have to be difficult or only achievable by someone with a flare for arts and crafts. You can create cheap wedding invitations simply and effectively with little or no experience for crafting.

One way of doing this would be to use a picture of the couple that are getting married. You can either print this yourself or have a company print it for you. Obviously printing them yourself will save on the cost of a professional company doing it and be far friendlier to your pockets. Another benefit from making your own is you can individually personalize them for each guest which will be appreciated by the recipient.

If you are getting married abroad check if the company organising your wedding will include as part the wedding costs some cheap wedding invitations.

One way to send cheap wedding invitations is to do so electronically. You may even find that there is no charge to do this through a specialist site or alternatively create the invitations yourself and email them to your friends and family.

Although sending electronic invitations will reduce the costs dramatically some people do like to keep the wedding invitation as a memento of the wedding. If you do decide that having them made is the best idea be aware that if you ask for cheap wedding invitations you may well get just that!

Always check the quality of cheap wedding invitations before you buy. Just because they are cheap to buy does not necessarily mean that the quality is poor. If you are ordering online ask for a sample of the invitations to be sent to you so you can check the quality and decide if the invitations are what you want.

Finding cheap wedding invitations maybe a compromise however you can put the money you have saved towards something more beneficial to you, such as your honeymoon or wedding dress.

When you are wedding planning there are many areas where cut backs can be made without essentially compromising the overall quality and experience of your special day.

For those brides and grooms who may be marrying in Scotland this year. If you wish a Scottish Theme to your wedding you can try and make your own wedding invitations.

The main flower of Scotland is called the Thistle. This would be a good choice to start with as an idea for your invites. As most people associate this flower with the Scottish Heritage.

A wonderful purple coloured head with a beautiful green stem. This can be an elegant flower for the front of your wedding invitation. Brides can choose to have the flower all by itself. By adding a little tartan you can give your invite a truly Scottish Theme.

If you wish to save some extra money, you can use a single sheet of card. The kits are relatively inexpensive to purchase.

You can practise drawing the flower first of all until you are happy with the results. Another option would be to take some photographs of the flower out in the countryside. This is a good idea if you change your mind and decide you don't want to draw. Both options would be great ideas for your invites. Try and keep the invite simple and let the flower do the talking.

A suggestion would be to begin by writing the words Wedding Invitation across the top of the invitation.
In the centre draw a Thistle.

Another option would be to intertwine the couples' first initials around the flower.

Brides can change the colour of the flower to suit the wedding theme or bridesmaids' dresses. The color choice is up to both of you.

Try painting some flowers in a line underneath the main thistle. You invitations will not only be unique. They will also be within budget and hand made by the bride and groom.

You can also collect and press Thistles onto the front of the wedding invitation to create a unique invitation.

Brides can choose a lilac background as their wedding invitation. A white thistle can be drawn over the top of the lilac background. This will show off the simple and elegant flower at its best.

Once you have decided on your Thistle flower. This can be used as your template and saved on your computer. Once you are happy with the results, you can purchase kits on line. You can print off as many or few invites as required.

A person should conduct a friend of the groom speech after the close family members of the groom have made their speeches. Short wedding speeches are adequate to avoid getting the guests bored or delaying them for other activities in the function. A friend of the groom speech may be inclusive of love quotes or love poems. A person should ensure that the speech only contains wonderful things concerning the groom. A person should mention when and how they met and what it is that made them friends. After the wedding vows, a friend to the MC may invite a friend to deliver a short wedding speech. A friend of the groom speech should begin by thanking the master of ceremony for inviting one to speak.

The wedding ceremony speech should include one's full names and the relation shared with the groom. A friend of the groom speech should thereafter mention the good qualities of the groom, and should direct the love quotes to the bride. One may also let the bride know that the groom was the best choice one would ever make. A friend of the groom speech should include praises towards the groom's parents as a way of recognizing their presence. The friend may also mention how wonderful and welcoming the grooms family is and may give a personal example. One may also refer to the grooms parents as one's own parents. Wedding ceremony speeches should have some humor in them to keep the guests alert as well as to maintain the mood of the ceremony.

A friend of the groom speech may be inclusive of good and funny memories that a friend to the groom may share with the guests. A person may also mention the joy that one felt on the reception of news that the groom getting married. One should also mention the time when the groom met the bride and what the groom said to the friend. A friend of the groom speech should mention the bride as a wonderful and beautiful person. A person may use a wedding speech example to make one's own. Below is an example of a friend of the groom speech.

" I would like to thank the guest of honor for giving me this opportunity to say something about my dear friend. I would also like to thank all the guests for joining me in this celebration............the groom and I met some time back when we were in high school.....we were in the same basketball team through out high school. We got into deep trouble once when the groom accidentally broke the deputy schoolteacher's window when we were playing basketball....the thing that got us into deep trouble is the fact that we had sneaked out of class and has assumed that the head teacher was not around. Guess what? .He was!

The groom's parents have been like my own parents. They have always welcomed me into their home and advised me just as they did with the groom. ........thank you for your time and I hope you are having as much fun in this ceremony as I am. Otherwise, I wish both the bride and groom long and happy lives."

Baptism is a religious ritual or sacrament whereby a person becomes a member of a Christian religion. There are differences among denominations about whether a person should be baptized as an infant or an adult. Some baptize by immersion and others by pouring water over the head.

Whatever the age or method, it is an occasion of great joy and is often celebrated with a party afterward and of course where there is a party there will be invitations.

You may be worried that you don't have the talent, never mind the time to do something like this. It is easy, inexpensive and shouldn't take more than an hour or so to complete.

Let me take you briefly through the process and you will see how fulfilling and easy it can be.

- Surf the web for free information templates preferably blank ones. If you can't find one you can create your own in MS word by setting all four margins to get a template the size of the paper or cardstock you plan to use.

- Once you have a template, decide on the graphic design you want to use. For infants or young child baptisms a picture (photo or clip art) of a Christening dress or suit is often used. A sea shell, cross, baptismal font or tank are all symbols of baptism that can be used on invitations. Many people use pictures of their babies on the invitations.

- Next you need to choose the text. It can be as simple as the who, what, when, where and why information. you can also use biblical quotes or even create your own unique wording.

- You will want to choose a font that fit's the design elements and the solemnity of the event. If there is going to be a party after the ceremony, mention that on the invitation.

- When you purchase your blank cards, get a few extra in case of a paper jam, ink smear or other mishap.

- Have extra ink cartridges on hand, you wouldn't want to run out in the middle of printing your invites.

- Before you print your project, run one copy on a plain piece of paper the size of your cards to be sure that there are no typographical errors and that everything is lined up properly.

You can make your invitations a bit whimsical but avoid outright humor sine this is a joyous but solemn occasion, an event that many people believe is vital to their eternal salvation.

I know of one family that priced high end baptism invitations and then made their own and gave the difference in cost to a church run children's home in South America.

If you don't want gifts you can request that in lieu of gifts, donations be made to the church or a children's charity. Such an invitation might read:

Please join us
as witnesses to the baptism
of our son
Bernard Joseph
on
Sunday, date
immediately following
the 11:00am mass
at St. Stephen's Church
address
and a celebration at
our home
address
In lieu o gifts - feel free
to make a donation to
St. Jude's Children's Hospital
or
Catholic Charities

If you are making invitations or an adult baptism, your designs could be a bible, sea shell, candle, cross and/or a dove.

Your friends and family will soon be asking you how to make cheap homemade baptism invitations.