I was excited to hear from Nathalie Carrigan, the designer behind custom wedding invitation studio, 120 Water Street, not just because she shared these oh so elegant custom invites in one of my favorites color palettes and featuring a lovely damask pattern, but also because she talked about something that’s on the mind of almost every bride and groom around, especially these days: budget.
When Nathalie mentioned that she created this suite for a very budget conscious bride who was having 400 guests (yikes!) at her wedding, I wanted to know how she managed to keep the invitation budget down while still creating an invitation that would wow the invitees.
One thing that Sarah, the bride, wanted was a pocket fold, a tall order for a very tight budget with as many guests as she was inviting. Nathalie found these pockets, which were slightly less costly than the traditional tri-fold pockets, but they allowed for savings in other areas, the most major of those being cutting costs.
All three cards in the suite were cut to the same size, which greatly simplified the cutting process, lowering labor costs while maximizing the content space, an added bonus because the couple needed to share a good deal of information with guests. Having everything cut to the same size also eliminated the need for adhesives, as there was no backing panel or mounting to the center of the fold.
The printing method chosen was digital, the quickest and most budget friendly option, and it also allowed for use of rich, saturated shades of navy and pink. Reply envelope costs were eliminated by the use of a detachable postcard RSVP, which also helped save postage costs.
Thanks to Nathalie for sharing a beautiful invitation suite, as well as her fantastic tips for keeping within a tight budget while still maintaining quality, a happy client, and great results!
In addition to creating lovely wedding invites, Nathalie also designs eco-friendly, personalized note cards that you can find in the 120 Water Street Etsy shop. She’s currently having a summer special, which runs through Labor Day, and she’s offered Paper Crave readers free shipping on her note cards to anywhere in the US. Mention “paper crave” when you order to receive either a shipping refund or six additional note cards, free of charge!
images from Nathalie Carrigan / 120 Water Street
