Tips from the wedding experts: Everything you need to know about wedding invitations

Plan your wedding cards and invitations

Karolina, who is a project manager by trade, loves weddings and began working as a wedding coordinator in 2008. She set up sweetprintery.se when she realised there was a gap in the market. Sweetprintery.se offers matching card sets for weddings and christenings in high-quality Swedish designs, printed in Sweden on eco-labelled paper. The focus is on quality, customer service and caring for the environment.

PHOTO// LINDA-PAULINE

What’s the most important thing to bear in mind when planning your wedding cards?

To think through right from the start which printed items you want, so that the supplier you choose has all the cards you’ve envisaged and that you have room for them in your budget. Should you send out a ‘save the date’ card? Will you need an extra sheet for your invitation card? Wedding ceremony programme, reception programme, seating plan, table numbers, place cards, menu cards and thank-you cards.

How should you word a wedding invitation?

In Sweden, the wording is generally quite relaxed yet dignified, with the bride and groom themselves listed as the senders. We have several different examples on our website that you can use as a starting point when you begin drafting your own.

How much do wedding invitations cost?

It depends, of course, on what you’re looking for. Our wedding invitations, including envelopes, start from 18 kr each. The easiest way is to add all the items to your basket and see what the total comes to. With some suppliers, it’s quite difficult to work out the prices – printed materials involve many different factors – so to avoid any costly surprises, it’s a good idea to do your research before making a decision.

But to give an example – a wedding with 80 guests, including invitation cards, a ceremony programme, a reception programme, a seating plan, table numbers, place cards and thank-you cards, costs from around 5,500 kr.

Budget tips for wedding invitations

01. The best tip is not to buy too many cards; buy exactly as many as you need, plus one extra for yourselves to keep.

02. Another tip is to hand out a wedding ceremony programme to each couple at the ceremony. You can then buy roughly the same number of ceremony programmes as you bought invitation cards. However, it may be a good idea to have a few extra ceremony programmes for people who are only attending the ceremony and not the reception.

03. If you want high-quality printing but are on a tight budget, you can opt for a smaller, standard format. For example, a double-folded A6 card with an envelope is cheaper than one measuring 15x15cm. We also offer ‘save the date’ cards in postcard format, which work out cheaper as they don’t require an envelope.

04. Another really good budget tip is to buy the cover for the reception programme so that it matches the rest of the printed materials, but create the insert yourself. We have a template for reception programme inserts that you can print out yourself at home.

05. Another thing you can do is consider whether you want to and are able to make any parts yourself, such as place cards. If you want them to match the other printed materials, you’ll need to spend a bit of time finding a font that resembles the one used on the other cards.

When making your own wedding invitations, how should you go about it?

Before you start, I think you should consider the cost and time involved. Work out how much paper and envelopes you’ll need and the cost, as well as any equipment you’ll need to buy – such as a printer, paper cutter or special adhesive rolls – or whether you already have these to hand.

Make a test card and see if it meets the quality standards you’re looking for. Before you start, you can also work out how many minutes it takes to make each card and whether you have the time and energy to spare. If you’re making 60 invitation cards and each one takes 15 minutes, that’s 15 hours just on the invitations. If you want a professional look but aren’t very experienced, it’ll take time to get it looking good.

One tip is to choose two different typefaces to work with. If you have a look at Google Fonts, you’ll see how different typefaces are usually paired by typographers, which is a handy trick if you don’t have that kind of eye yourself. You can also buy an illustration to use throughout. When it comes to printing the cards, you can choose a heavier paper with matching envelopes for a luxurious feel. Cut the cards using a cutting machine or a craft knife – it looks more professional.

In this age of social media – can you send wedding invitations online?

It’s a matter of personal preference, but I definitely think you can. Sending a digital invitation is environmentally friendly. We can convert all our cards into digital versions and send them as MMS messages or by email. You’ll just have to ask yourself what feels right. For many couples and guests, wedding invitations and printed materials are something to be treasured and received with joy.

Do you have any fun wedding memories?

So many! Every wedding is unique and offers its own memories, but I immediately think of some friends who got married in Budapest. Destination weddings are special because they bring the guests closer together; you often spend several days socialising. It was over 40 degrees, we were dripping with sweat, and as we sat in the church we kept our fingers crossed that no one would faint or suffer from heatstroke. The wedding reception was held at a hotel high up with a view over the whole of Budapest. It was all magical!

What are your top wedding tips?

In this day and age of over-the-top dream weddings, it’s easy to think that everyone gets married like that. It’s easy to lose sight of yourselves. Start with yourselves, your dreams and your budget. Don’t compare yourselves to others – just do what you want and do it together!

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