Our Article in

WEDDING PAGES MAGAZINE

Fall - 1999

By  JANET W. BUTLER

"OF ALL THE WEDDING planning, picking the wedding invitation is the most difficult thing a bride has to do," said Dave Andersen of Andersen Products in Elgin, Illinois.

 "With thousands of choices in ink, paper and font, trying to match colors, and maybe adding a special picture or sketch you want – it’s a lot to coordinate."

 No doubt you're nodding in agreement - or tearing your hair out in exasperation.

 Small wonder. Our culture no longer revolves around calling cards, formal engraved invitations and such. Unlike our great-grandmothers, many of us don't keep engraved stationery on hand for casual social use. In effect, the world of formal cards, lined envelopes and the etiquette associated with each piece is alien territory for most people.

 So how does a bride, whose idea of a party invitation is three-way calling make the quantum leap to selecting wedding invitations, announcements and other cards that cover all the social "bases" and still express her unique individuality?

 At first, it's tempting to consider the do-it-yourself approach. You may have a relative in the printing business; you may be able to get the paper wholesale... it seems like a thrifty plan. But is it?

 "Studies have shown it costs twice as much to do it yourself as to have it done professionally," said Andersen.  "Everybody wants to save money, but this isn't the way to go.  There are just too many things that can go wrong.  What if there's a typo on the cards?  What if you need 25 extra invitations at the last minute?  If you're not a pro, you could be stuck with a disaster. It's just plain easier to go to a professional."

Andersen adds that it's important to remember there are two kinds of printing - business printing and social printing.  Your neighborhood fast-printing outlet may be convenient, but its specialty is running off 10,000 brochures or a mass annual report mailing, not having a service person sit down with brides to plan a "paper trousseau."

"One thing a lot of people don't think about," Andersen explained, "is that your reception reply card needs to be worded right.  If it's not, the way people respond can inadvertently give you a false head count for the reception - and the next thing you know, you're out $200 or $300.  We show brides how to word their cards so they get an accurate count and save that money. That way, our help turns out to be a bargain!"