Your One-of-a-Kind Invitation
The Yakima Bindery specializes in one-of-a-kind wedding invitations from masterful to whimsical. We can take your ideas and turn them into a thing of beauty.
Choosing a Style
Wedding invitations are available in a wide variety of styles. The traditional form is a folded card in an envelope.
This is the simplest type of invitation. You can find almost any design you can imagine of this invitation at the Yakima Bindery. There are variations on this theme, too. For example, some of our invitations expand on this look to make a 3-fold card.
These are still a classic design, but with a twist.
We have many, many offerings for you to choose from. Come in and take a look!
Creating your own invitation
What if you are looking for something a little out-of the ordinary? Something that reflects who you are? Here's where we can really shine! We make complete custom invitations, exclusively for you! These can take almost any form you can dream up. For example, the "layered" look is quite popular. This is where we take a series of printed or translucent layers to build "depth" to your invitation. A photo of the bride and groom is often included. These layers are usually tied together with a ribbon or string.
These can be as simple as the 2-layer one you see here, or you can have 4 or more layers.
Of course, you probably have to live within a budget, too. We can help! We can guide you to a design and size of invitation that is economical to produce, yet looks the way you want it to.
Common Pitfalls
We print a lot of invitations, so we've seen many different kinds problems. Some are fairly simple to fix, others create a HUGE amount of work for you (or others). Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
- Find an envelope that you like FIRST. This defines the colors you will use and, more importantly, the SIZE of the invitation. There are standard envelope sizes (bet you didn't know that!) and if you use one of them, you will have a wide selection of papers and colors to choose from. You can make the most beautiful invitations in the world, but if you can't find an envelope to mail it in, they won't do you any good! It's very easy to design your invitation to fit a known envelope. It's MUCH harder to find an envelope in the right color that fits a non-standard invitation size.
- Square invitations. These are hot right now, but they have problems. First, the envelopes are impossible to find (see above). If you buy a "kit" with square invitations, make sure you can buy just extra envelopes or invitations (and check the price!) when you need them. If you ruin a few envelopes while addressing them, you will need to get replacements. Also note that the Postal Service charges extra postage for square envelopes. You don't want your beautiful invitations arriving postage due or coming back to you for more postage. How embarrassing! Also, square paper is very difficult to print. Many printers jam or misfeed frequently on them. For this reason, we can't print on most square invitations. The solution: We can print on standard-size paper and cut it down to the size you want.
- Black envelopes. A popular color with some handicaps. First off, they can't be printed on and white address labels look tacky. You'll have to hand-address every one in a silver or gold ink. We have these pens, but make sure you have someone with good penmanship and plenty of stamina lined up to address them for you. Don't forget that they'll have to write your return address on them, too! The solution: Light-colored envelopes can be printed in many inkjet printers or you can print the addresses on clear labels and apply them.
- Oversize invitations. A 6" x 9" folded card will be just about double the cost of a similar-sized 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" card. Why? The 6" x 9" card has to be printed on larger paper stock and cut to size. The 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" card is a standard-size sheet of paper folded in half. Both the paper and the printing are much less expensive. The Solution: Use a size that can be printed on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. You will have a much broader rage of paper stocks to choose from and you'll also find a wider variety of envelopes.
If you have any questions about making your own invitations, please stop by the store or give us a call at 453-7115. We're here to help!