Wedding Invitations – Buy or DIY?

You are still quite a few months out from the wedding, but it is time to start thinking about your invitations.

Wedding invitations should be sent at least 6 weeks prior to the date, so once you factor in the time it takes to source your invitations or make them yourself, it is never too early to get started on them.

There is a lot of decision making surrounding the wedding invitations, such as theme, colours and how much information to include, but the first thing you need to decide is: will you buy or DIY?

DIY is the pinnacle of personalisation. The first real personal touch from the bride and groom to the guests they wish to be at their wedding day. Made from the heart, a DIY invite can create excitement amongst the guests. However, DIY invitations sometimes may not have the same sophistication or elegance that a bought invitation can have.

For some people, DIY isn’t even an option. For starters, you might hate arts and craft and know you can’t do a good job on them. Or perhaps you value time over money and think it is definitely worth every penny to have your invites taken care of for you.

Or like the majority of brides, you might not be sure either way and are currently weighing up the pros and cons of both options. To help you, we have listed some things you should consider when making this big decision.

Money

One of the main purposes behind DIY invitations is the fact that they should save you money – a rare occurrence when planning a wedding! After all, you are not paying for someone else’s design and you are printing and assembling the invitations yourself. This means you are cutting out the middleman and the professionals, therefore saving you money.

However, if you don’t have all the right tools that a professional would have – such as cutting, gluing and embossing tools – then you will need to factor in the purchase of these in your overall costs.

Also factor in the cost of printing. Often, a professional wedding invitation company will have a good deal with a printer due to the amount of business they give them, and an individual usually cannot compete.

Make sure you work out your DIY costs and then get a quote from a company to see how much you really are saving.

DIY Wedding Invitations?

Time

Another huge factor to consider is time. If you are planning to DIY, make sure you factor in time to create a design you like (you will probably need to experiment with this a bit before settling on the final design), do a test print and assembly and then of course time to do the real print and assembly. This should all be done so you can have the invites in the mail at least 6 weeks prior to the wedding.

Personal Design and Theme

Another big reason for having handmade invitations is that you can create your own personal theme and style. If you have something specific in mind for your wedding, you may find it hard to come across a ready-made invitation that suits you.

If you DIY, you can then use this same theme and design throughout the whole wedding. Place cards, order of service books, menus etc can all be made from the same materials and with the same font for an overall matching theme. Of course, this would mean those things all need to be handmade as well, so factor that into your timeline!

Finally, you need to remember that DIY is just not for everyone. You need to have time, patience and be able to put fiddly things together neatly enough to send out.

You might have a fantastic idea, but can you really create what you have in mind? It might not be something you’d like to admit, but it does need to be considered that perhaps you can’t do the job as well as you’d like it done. In these cases, it is best to leave it to the professionals so you end up with the perfect invitation.

Hopefully some of these points have helped you to decide on whether to make or buy your invitations!

North of Sydney, New South Wales has some amazing places for brides and grooms looking for a special waterfront wedding.

Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are among those places and both offer some breath-taking areas that will help make your wedding day even more perfect than you imagined.

Newcastle is the second largest city in New South Wales so it’s no surprise that there are so many gorgeous places for you to choose from when searching for that right wedding venue.

Once known as primarily an industrial area, Newcastle has grown into a city of art and culture. The local artists, and there are many, have plenty of places to draw inspiration from. Surrounded by eye-catching surf beaches and dense bushwalking tracks, Newcastle can be a visual delight. A wedding on one of these beaches is very romantic and always impresses bridal parties and guests on the day.

Lake Macquarie offers a different type of waterfront. As the lake spans over 170kms, there is plenty of space along the foreshore to find the perfect location for your day. If you don’t want to hold your ceremony at the same place as your reception, you can find ample amounts of parkland and scenic areas along the waters edge to have a wedding with unparalleled views of the water. The photo opportunities are endless.

As they are both by the water, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are perfect locations for a wedding with sparkling views. So if it is waterfront you desire for your wedding, then you should check out Waterfront Venues Newcastle.

Waterfront Venues Newcastle is a collection of some of the best wedding venues Newcastle has to offer. All of the venues can host not only the reception but the ceremony too. As they have more than 30-years experience in the restaurant, banquet and catering business, you can relax knowing your wedding is in good hands.

No matter which place you choose, you will have a coordinator dedicated to that venue that will help you. With assistance on the food and wine selection, as well as flowers, lighting and music, you will be able to just relax and enjoy the moment!

Choose from one of three gorgeous locations and venues:

Dixon Park Surf Lifesaving Club

Dixon Park Beach is the perfect place for a beachfront ceremony, followed shortly after by a reception that is just a stone’s throw away. Dixon Park Surf Lifesaving Club is the ultimate waterfront destination in Newcastle with its uninterrupted views of the sand and the surf. Treat your guests to a spectacular view up the coastline to Port Stephens and down south to Redhead Beach on the large verandah. Inside, there is room for dinner and drinks and of course space to dance the night away.

Dixon Park Surf Lifesaving Club

Awaba House

If you are looking for a wedding venue that is nothing but pure class and elegance, then look no further than Awaba House. This amazing venue is set amongst 15 acres of parkland that is right on the waterfront of Lake Macquarie. No two weddings at Awaba House are the same as you get to choose where to hold the ceremony from several locations on the grounds. The reception will be held in the Awaba House function room where there is a glass conservatory with a silk lined ceiling, giving it a stunning and romantic marquee feel. Even your arrival will be impressive if you choose to make use of the deep-water jetty and arrive by boat.

Awaba House

Caves Beachside

Just 30 minutes south of Newcastle, the new Caves Beachside Resort is positioned to look over the unspoiled shoreline of Caves Beach in Lake Macquarie. With three function areas within the resort, Caves Beachside can accommodate large weddings, or more intimate ones. Wedding guests can stay in the same location as the wedding meaning you will get an entire weekend of quality time with your guests instead of trying to see them all just on the wedding night. With the amazing view and the new facilities, your wedding will be the talk of the town for months after the event.

Caves Beachside