9 Essential Things to Look for When Hiring a Wedding Stationery Designer
After spending over seven years helping couples create their dream wedding invitations, I’ve learned that choosing the right stationery designer involves much more than just loving their portfolio. As both a full time artist, and former Fortune 500 marketing professional, I understand that the process of working together is just as important as the final design. Here are the crucial factors you should consider when selecting your wedding stationery designer.
1. Revision Policy
One of the most overlooked aspects of custom stationery is the revision policy. While the industry standard typically limits couples to two rounds of revisions (even for custom projects), your vision might take a few iterations to get exactly right.
I learned this time and time again in my career that truly excellent service means understanding different ways people process information and communicate. I know that for many who are new to planning a wedding and designing invitations, you might not know how to review or articulate feedback perfectly or even know something is missing until you see it. That experience shaped our current policy at Cotton & Bow – unlimited revisions for custom packages and three rounds for semi-custom designs. Because sometimes you don’t know what you want until you see what you don’t want. And I’d rather assume we’ll need an extra round or two of revisions to get things right than have my clients stressing that they only have one round of feedback to get everything right or they’ll be charge for extra time working on their suite.
When you’re evaluating proposals, no matter what kind of wedding vendor, take a look and see what changes will be allowed. The extra money spent upfront might mean major savings and less of a headache later on down the road. More experienced vendors are often worth their weight in gold.
2. Rights to Your Artwork
Here’s something many couples don’t think to ask about until it’s too late: what can you actually do with your custom artwork? The industry standard is to charge additional fees for each use of your designs – want that custom monogram on your cocktail napkins? That’ll be an extra fee. Planning to use your venue illustration on your welcome signs? Another charge.
At Cotton & Bow, we believe the artwork we create for you should be yours to use throughout your celebration. After all, I created it for you! Why shouldn’t you get to use it as much as you can?
Every package includes non-exclusive, unlimited personal use rights for your entire wedding or event. That means you can freely share your designs with other vendors and use them across all your wedding elements without additional fees.
Be careful about paying for use that don’t need, as well. If you’re thinking you may need exclusive rights in perpetuity, commercial use, or want to own the copyright of the designs and artwork, you may want to think twice. Typically those types of licensing rights are costly and not necessary for wedding projects. If you really require additional usage beyond personal rights, ask about extended licensing when talking to us and we can price out additional usage for you. But be warned that commercial use comes with a commercial price tag.
3. Level of Client Service
Your stationery designer should be more than just an artist – they should be a trusted advisor throughout your wedding planning journey. Having spent years in corporate marketing, I treat each of my clients like CEOs, providing clear communication, prompt responses, and professional guidance throughout the process.
As one of our 2024 brides, Mallory M., put it: “I wish all of my wedding vendors were like you!” This kind of feedback reflects our commitment to exceptional service at every step.
You can check out my reviews on Google and Etsy to see the hundreds of satisfied couples I’ve worked with over the years. I’m still awestruck to this day by how much praise me and my team gets specifically for our customer service, communication, and attention to detail. Not to brag too much but I love that our processes and systems that I continually hone to get just right are appreciated by so many.
4. Team Structure and Backup Systems
Speaking of my team behind the scenes, wedding planning is stressful enough without worrying about vendor reliability. While you’ll work one-on-one with me as your lead designer, we maintain a dedicated support team to ensure continuity in case of emergencies. I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve taken on over the years with couples who were mid-way through a project with another designer when they had a personal emergency and ghosted the couple. It breaks my heart and I never want to leave a client in the lurch leading up to such a big milestone moment. That’s why I make sure my team has access to every project and can keep things moving and my clients up to date in the case of an emergency.
And in the event of technological emergencies, I have you covered there too. Your projects are safely stored in encrypted cloud storage, protecting your designs from any equipment failures or unexpected issues.
Make sure you ask any potential wedding vendor about their back up systems and if they have a clear plan in place in case of personal emergencies. We all hope nothing bad ever happens to us that prevents us from delivering our work, but it’s best to have a plan B just in case!
5. Technical Expertise
The world of wedding stationery extends far beyond basic printing. Look for a designer who understands various printing methods and stays current with industry innovations. Our expertise includes:
- Original watercolor artwork
- Handmade paper
- Flat printing
- Foil stamping
- Letterpress
- Sculpted embossing
We’re constantly exploring new techniques and happy to provide samples so you can see and feel the differences yourself.
Some designers have different specialties. I know a few that really excel at die cutting, large day of installations, different artwork styles, or different materials. Pay special attention to every vendors portfolio before you hire them to make sure they have examples of similar work to the type you’re looking for.
6. Day-of Design Pricing
Here’s an industry secret: many designers charge additional design fees ($500-1,000 or more) for day-of stationery items like place cards, menus, and signage. At Cotton & Bow, your initial design fee covers all your wedding stationery needs. When you invest in a custom package with us, you won’t face surprise design charges for matching day-of items. And many of our semi-custom packages come with complementary design options for a seamless experience from save the dates to menus to thank you cards.
You’ll also want to see if they take on day of items as a lot of stationery designers shy away from those items because they’re difficult to produce and you’re usually on a shorter timeline. Or they may only have a limited number of options for what you can choose from.
Take a look at our comprehensive day of packages for yourself. We offer everything from place cards to menus to napkins, cups, matchboxes, and custom favors. And our day of concierge service that lets you check everything off your list in one place, with one contact, to create a comprehensive cohesive suite of items is a favorite among our wedding planner clients.
7. Multiple Eyes on Proofing
Wedding invitations need to be perfect – after all, how embarrassing and expensive would it be to send out a correction notice! While no one can guarantee zero mistakes, having multiple sets of eyes review your proofs significantly reduces the chance of errors. We implement a thorough proofing process that catches details you might miss when you’re deep in wedding planning mode. I even have a secret pre-print checklist and a packing checklist that I use to minimize mistakes. I’ve caught misspelled names, broken URLs, and non-working QR codes with my secret-weapon-check-list in my arsenal, all before we went to print. It’s truly a lifesaver.
This is one of the biggest reasons why you might reconsider going it alone with your stationery. If you make a mistake on your proofs, your printer isn’t likely to correct it for you for free. Working with others (even if it’s just enlisting some detail-oriented family members or friends) will save you from mistakes you might have overlooked.
8. Direct Access to Your Designer
Think of your stationery designer as part of your wedding team. You should be able to reach out with questions about wording, etiquette, or timeline concerns. Need to know if you really need place cards or how to tactfully word that no children are invited? Your designer should be available to help navigate these decisions. Ask what types of communication will be allowed and if you’ll need to stick with entering information into a portal or if you can call, text or email your designer.
Just this week, I had a bride call me to ask about the best way to flag some changes to addresses she had. That 15 minute call saved us both a lot of time back and forth over email. And I consider being available to my couples through multiple channels a luxury service they deserve.
9. Professional Guidance and Expertise
Perhaps most importantly, look for a designer who brings experience and knowledge to your project. After years in the wedding industry, I’ve helped couples navigate everything from addressing envelopes to married doctors with different last names to handling delicate family situations through thoughtful invitation wording.
Making Your Decision
When evaluating potential stationery designers, don’t hesitate to ask about these aspects of their service. The right designer will be happy to explain their policies and demonstrate their expertise.
Remember that your invitation suite sets the tone for your entire celebration. Working with a professional who offers comprehensive service, clear policies, and extensive expertise ensures you’ll receive not just beautiful designs, but a smooth, stress-free experience.
Ready to discuss your wedding stationery vision? Contact us to schedule a consultation and learn more about our custom design process.
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