North Carolina Wedding Invitations, Calligraphy and Paper
Imagine opening your mailbox, sorting through your mail and finding an envelope with beautiful handwritten calligraphy. Forget the bills and junk mail – this is a letter you actually want to open. Once you do, you see a lovingly crafted wedding invitation and think, “If the invites are this good, I can’t wait to go to the wedding!”
This effect is why so many North Carolina couples opt for all things handwritten and sincere when it comes to their wedding invitations! Everybody wants their loved ones to be excited for the big day, and there’s something special about a custom invite that will be a memento of the wedding for years to come.
Before you inquire with a wedding stationer, make sure you’ve finalized your overall budget. In North Carolina, invitation suites can vary widely in price depending on the number of guests and what materials and vendor you choose.
Find details on wedding invitation costs, when to book your stationer, when to send invites and more in our wedding paper guide.
First, a note on the value of booking a wedding stationer. While mainstream designers or sending digital invites are an option, remember that when you order invitations that way, you won’t receive any guidance on wording or etiquette. A full-service, locally-based stationer will guide you through the entire process and provide invaluable tips on verbiage, etiquette and timelines. Plus, you’ll be working with a vendor who can give you direct communication – you don’t want to be stuck emailing customer service or chatting with a bot if anything goes wrong!
How Can I Personalize Wedding Invitations for My NC Wedding?
Wedding save-the-dates and invites are the first glimpse your guests will get of the celebrations. Make them count! No matter what vibe you’re going for – formal or casual, rustic or sophisticated, trendy or totally unique – special details will make your invitations stand out. There’s many ways to craft something unique to you.
Of course, your stationer will guide you in choosing the paper, color palette and textures for your invites. Ask your stationer how you can elevate your wedding paper with wax seals, monograms, crests or even custom illustrations. These customizable elements will take your wedding invites to the next level! Take note, however, that these details may have additional costs.
The right vendor will help guide you through all of the elements you need to consider: inner and outer envelopes, the RSVP card, the invitation itself and, if necessary, an itinerary with directions and information on accommodations.
A top stationer will be able to help you blend all these elements into a gorgeous, coordinated whole. Maximize your investment and create cohesion in your event design with artwork on both your invitations and day-of pieces.
What Is an Invitation Suite?
The traditional components of a polished invitation suite include:
Outer and Inner Envelopes
The outer envelope originally served to protect the invite from wear and tear back when a long journey through the postal system may have involved trains and saddlebags. These days, destruction is less of a concern, and an outer envelope can be used to display a functional address, while the inner envelope is used to indicate a guest is invited or where children’s names can be included.
Envelope Liner
This is the first detail guests will see when they open their invite. Use this as an opportunity to display your wedding crest, a venue illustration or a pretty pattern.
Invitation
This insert, typically 5-by-7 inches or larger, lets guests know who is hosting the wedding, who is getting married, as well as when and where the event is taking place.
Details of Insert Card
This is where you can share specifics on accommodations, the reception location (if different than the ceremony venue), transportation options, your wedding website and registry links.
RSVP Card
This is the traditional way for guests to let you know if they plan to attend your wedding. If you’re serving a plated dinner, this is where they should indicate their meal choices, too. “The response card can also include transportation needs, dietary preferences or fun prompts like ‘I’ll dance if you play …,’” says stationer, live painter and watercolor artist Ashley Triggiano. If you’re hosting multiple events throughout the wedding weekend, details for those can be included here, as can a link for digital RSVPs if you’d rather collect responses that way.
Return Envelope
Not required if you’re expecting digital RSVPs.
Belly Band
Traditionally, this material is wrapped around the suite to hold all of the elements together. Modern options are endless: ribbon, translucent or printed vellum and twine are popular.
Wax Seal
A classic finishing touch.
Consider This for North Carolina Wedding Invitations
You may also want to ask your stationer to design a response card, directions or map to the venue, ceremony programs, reception place cards and menus. Think about what other types of inclusions you want to add to the wedding invite and RSVP card, such as maps and activity lists for your guests. Wedding weekend paper needs include programs, place cards and menus. Don’t forget to tack on extra dollars for custom design elements. And, if you want to hire a calligrapher to hand-write your invitation addresses or create custom signage for your wedding, book them early.
Remember, the cost of invitations varies based on the number of guests, components included, paper quality and more. There’s lot of choices for color, paper type, ink and type styles – even the printing processes that are offered. Your stationer will be able to tell you what’s best for your budget.
What Printing Method Should I Choose for My Wedding Invitations?
There are a variety of techniques available, and each has something unique to offer!
Stationer Ashley Triggiano Photographer Fancy This Photography
Digital Printing
This is the most cost-effective option that also has the quickest turnaround, making it a clear winner if you’re working with a strict timeline! Digital printing also offers an incredibly wide color palette and endless opportunities for customization in ways that just aren’t realistic through other printing methods.
Thermography
This is the most cost-effective option that also has the quickest turnaround, making it a clear winner if you’re working with a strict timeline! Digital printing also offers an incredibly wide color palette and endless opportunities for customization in ways that just aren’t realistic through other printing methods.
Letterpress
This classic printing style is elegant and provides a luxurious, tactile experience for guests. Any color of ink can be used. “Letterpress is a completely unique look and feel,” Terry says. “It’s generally [printed on] thicker card stock. However, letterpress is also exponentially more expensive than digital designs.”
Assembly & Day-Of Paper
Once you’ve made all your paper and design choices and your invites have been printed, there’s still one big task left to do: assemble and mail each one! This is more complicated than you may think, since each invite needs to be addressed accurately and prepared with the proper amount of postage.
“A lot of stationers don’t offer assembly, since it’s pretty labor intensive,” Beau Papiere founder Terry Smedley says. “We [do in order] to provide continuity all the way through to the day of. The fact that our team are also wedding planners helps because we work to make sure we’re getting things done on time and correctly. We’re making sure everybody’s sending their RSVPs back, and that invitations didn’t get lost in the mail or returned to sender.”
What your stationer can create for you doesn’t begin and end with your invites – most will be happy to design matching menus, escort card displays, programs, welcome bag tags, place cards, bar signs and more. Retaining your stationer to design these day-of products means they can develop a cohesive overall look and feel that aligns with your wedding aesthetic and the details of your invites.
Meet North Carolina Stationer & Watercolor Artist Ashley Triggiano
Ashley Triggiano never fails to blow us away with her creative designs. Ashley creates custom invites, venue illustrations, couple portraits, favors and more that combine details from your love story and wedding theme into a cohesive design that meets the price point you’re at.
Does your venue have a gorgeous front door? Ashley can replicate the experience of opening that door as guests open your customized wedding invites. There are endless ways Ashley can incorporate her talent for watercolor painting to personalize your wedding paper. She creates venue paintings, watercolor maps, pet illustrations and so much more.
Entertain your guests with Ashley’s live painting services at cocktail hour or during the reception. Your friends and family will marvel at her talent, and you will also receive a stunning keepsake to take home and hang on your wall.
Think a signature drink sign with a painting of your pup sounds cute? She’s got you covered. Truly, whatever you envision, Ashley will create it for you. Ashley can paint the beauty of your day as it unfolds. Your wedding guests will be speechless as they watch your live wedding painting come to life.
Custom Wedding Invites by Beau Papiere
Beau Papiere founder Terry Smedley offered stationary and signage design as an add-on for couples who hired Bess + Beau Wedding and Event Design for many years. But decided to branch off and establish Beau Papiere, providing custom and semi-custom wedding invites and paper products to couples throughout North Carolina. No matter your budget or style preferences, Terry specializes in a variety of printing methods, including digital, foil stamping and letterpress.
Even More Triangle-Area Stationers
Alexis Scott Designs
Owner Kari-Ann Whitaker strives to capture treasured memories in print – on the perfect piece of paper. Alexis Scott Designs offers a thoughtful and strategic combination of typography, paper and artistic designs, resulting in a memorable product with your unique features at its heart.
Revelry + Heart
Garner, North Carolina’s Revelry + Heart specializes in bold statements for bombastic couples. Owner Kasey Kyprianou and her team take pride in carefully crafting unique, custom pieces, from wedding invites and stationery to gift and wedding branding, that they guarantee you won’t ever find by searching “wedding inspo.” Create a visual love story that feels like you.
Cute Buttons Gift and Paper Boutique
This Raleigh-based shop has been in business for more than 15 years. Owner Alison Perry loves to work closely with North Carolina couples to make all their wedding stationery dreams come true. Cute Buttons can provide all the elements of your invitation suite, from save-the-dates to special details like place cards, escort cards and menus. From foil-pressed suites to insert cards and belly bands in hundreds of styles and colors, Cute Buttons has something for everyone!
Revel NC
We’ve watched Grace Allred and her husband grow their business from the ground up to become one of the most sought after vendors in Raleigh for wedding signage. We’re so excited to see Revel NC add wedding paper to their offerings. They already create amazing signage, place cards, escort walls and other paper details, and surely will transition those skills into beautiful save-the-dates and invites. Grace’s artistic eye and innovative spirit result in the most stunning wedding paper.
Wilkinson Creative Co.
The first wedding invitations that Lauren Wilkinson Pendergrast ever designed were for her own wedding in fall 2022. With a background in graphic design, Lauren’s eye for balance, functionality and artistic flair make her a natural at producing beautiful wedding paper. Lauren decided to add wedding invitations to the services offered by her marketing and graphic design business Wilkinson Creative Co., which is based in downtown Oxford, North Carolina. Lauren loves to work with couples to find elegant, creative solutions to their wedding paper needs no matter the price point they’re at.
