Good question.
I had my wedding invitations gold foil printed THE week that the US started to move into “Stay At Home,” and boy did I wish I hadn’t! A week later, it became clear that all weddings in 2020 were in jeopardy.
My 2020 couples were all scrambling to change their summer wedding plans, and my fall couples were crossing their fingers that everything would go back to normal soon. Our destination wedding, planned for September, seems like it has a 95% change of being postponed to June 2021.
Do I still regret having our invitations printed? Not as much as when I got them in the mail in the middle of the second week of quarantine. I opened the box of paper that my mom and I had made, and saw how beautiful they were and was so excited. But I didn’t want to mail them out. It felt too sad, given that we had no idea if our wedding was even possible.
Eventually, we did mail them out, and getting texts and calls and photos from our family and friends made the sting go away. Even though the date printed on our invitations is no longer our wedding date, I think in the future it will be a fond reminder of a time that made us closer.
So, should you order wedding invitations amidst the uncertainty of Covid-19, a second wave, or just the craziness that 2021 will entail?
Yes, if you want a keepsake. Plain and simple. If you want something to be able to touch and hold, for your dad to open and shed a tear over, an aunt to send you a text that she wants to just look at the envelope for a day before opening the invitation, to share with your children one day as they decide what to do about their invitations, you’ll want to mail out an invitation.
Yes, if you’re willing to send them out at the last minute (I wouldn’t send them out with less than 6 weeks to go) to avoid possible re-prints. I think that an electronic Save the Date + physical invitation are the pair de résistance of 2020. If there are date changes, the PDF Save the Date can be amended and emailed easily. And, you’ll still have a lovely invitation to work on and send to your loved ones.
Yes, but maybe don’t splurge. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of handmade paper, a nice envelope liner, and letterpress. Will you feel heartbroken if your date changes after you print, and you spent a lot on extras? You might. I know I had a hard time paying for the printing invoice knowing the date was likely going to change! Now might be a time to keep everything simpler. Not less beautiful or thoughtfully created, but simpler.
No, if you don’t think that you or your closest friends + family will mind not having a keepsake. If the idea of sending out physical wedding invitations during a global pandemic feels overwhelming or just plain useless… then don’t do it! We all need to take care of ourselves, and traditions shouldn’t stand in the way of that. Paperless Post is a great option for beautiful e-vites.
No, if your wedding date is really far out (like, the end of 2021 or even 2022). Don’t make a decision yet. As hard as it is to tell people to wait for a Save the Date or invitation (one of the questions I was most asked: “when am I getting your invitation?!?”), now is the time to pause and lean into procrastination. I’ve seen a lot of people recommending that you hop to and book your designer before they’ve filled up for 2021. Although I’m hoping that next year is busy, I also don’t think that we 2020 brides (& grooms) need to add anything wedding-related to our plates that we don’t absolutely need to.
Now is a time for rest, for enjoying time together, and for keeping our fingers crossed.
For couples who have had to change their plans, I’m offering 50% design for my semi-custom invitation suites, special discounts on re-prints, as well as 4 free PDF postponement announcements.
If you have any questions, or want to chat with someone who knows how to postpone a wedding in a week flat, send me a message!
The photos above are from a springtime wedding inspiration photoshoot at Woodend Sanctuary.
Based around the vibrant colors of the flowers, I designed a floral wreath to pair with a simple font in a classic centered format. Pink handmade paper + a vellum envelope liner + scroll place cards pulled the look together for a subtly spring vibe.
Photography | Rebecca Wilcher Photography | Venue | Woodend Sanctuary | Planning | Cherry Blossom Weddings and Events | Florals | Edge Floral Event Designers | Stationery | Calligraphette & Co. | Catering and Desserts | Purple Onion Catering | Rentals | Select Event Group | Hair | The Stylist Abroad | Makeup | Valerie Hammer Makeup Artistry | Dress | Modern Trousseau | Groom’s Attire | Tuxedo by Sarno | Jewelry | Quest Fine Jewelers | Submitted via Matchology
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