Custom Wedding Invitation Design: What to Expect

Planning a wedding is no small task, and it can be overwhelming to add extra bespoke details to your special day when you already have so much on your plate. But if you dream of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind letterpress wedding invitations, I’m here to make it happen. Your invitations are one of the few tangible pieces you’ll get to keep and look back on after the cake is cut and the guests have gone home.

I work with you every step of the way to make the process as simple as possible. I will make sure to capture your vision without signing you up for another intensive wedding group project!

Here is a full breakdown of what you can expect when you book custom letterpress wedding invitation suites with Betzer & Head:

1. Custom Wedding Invitation Inquiry

The first step is submitting an inquiry, and it doesn’t have to be detailed. If you have a vision and a 300-pin Pinterest board ready to go, by all means tell me exactly what you are looking for in your wedding invitation suite! If the only thing you know is you’re getting married and want people to know where and when to show up, you’re just as ready to get the conversation started. Submit that inquiry with as much or as little detail as you have.

The earlier the better, because it can take some time to design and print bespoke letterpress wedding invitations and I want you to have ample time to get them in the mail for your guests.

2. Brief Consultation Call

I will schedule a brief video call with you once I’ve received your inquiry. It usually takes about 20 minutes and is very low pressure. Here is what we’ll cover:

• I’ll review anything you shared in your inquiry to make sure I’ve got the details straight

• I’ll make sure I have the most up-to-date information on your wedding day: dates, times, locations, counts, etc. (We can fill in any gaps as the design process continues if you are still ironing out details!)

• I’ll get the scoop on your style and design preferences

• I’ll ask you about what personal touches we can include in your wedding stationery design to reflect your personalities, relationship, and wedding day vibes

3. Custom Design Proposal

It usually takes me about a week after our consultation call to put together a full proposal for you. The proposal will have:

• a full itemized quote

• a design overview and specifications (invitation counts, dimensions, colors, etc.)

• a moodboard with some initial design sketches and paper/color swatches

• a full project timeline

• my terms and conditions

You can come back to me with any questions or changes you want made, and when you’re fully happy with the proposal, you’ll sign it and return it to me. A 50% deposit will lock you in as officially booked!

4. Design

This is the part where you relax and I go into my design fugue-state.

What to expect from a B&H invitation design: 

• deep, plush letterpress printing

• classic, elegant, and romantic design style

• hand-made paper with natural deckle edges

• hand-drawn custom illustrations with a vintage vibe

• fine-art influence with custom painted envelope liners

Every invitation suite is unique to reflect the couple’s personal love story, and this can look like custom venue illustrations, favorite flowers, special symbols or locations to reflect relationship milestones, incorporating beloved pets, you name it. Whether you want to keep it simple or go super ornate, I will create something that feels like you.

5. Revisions

The design mock-up will come to you with a guided feedback form. It will help you to look at your invitations with a designer’s eye so you can identify the things you love and the things you want to adjust. It will take you through everything step by step, from design details like fonts and colors to checking details for accuracy and more.

This is the most involved part of the process, but for good reason: being thorough up front with revisions will save lots of time in the long run and ensure that you are absolutely thrilled with the final product. Every invitation order includes two rounds of revision.

Final design approval and a final payment moves us into the production stage of the process.

6. Print & Production

This is my favorite part: putting ink to paper! I’ll take all of the beautiful, hand-made materials we’re using for your suite and personally print every piece by hand on my antique letterpress.

I’ll pack the completed invitation suites up (I aim for sustainability so re-use packing materials as often as possible!) and ship them to your door. Or, if you’re local to southeast Michigan, I’m always happy to personally deliver or meet up for a handoff. Ask me about it!

If you’re interested in working with me on your dream custom letterpress wedding invitation suite, don’t hesitate to reach out!