the DESIGN process
consultation
Interested in our work? Send us a note at emily@carinaevents.com or through the contact us page on our website and we will get back to you within 24 hours to set up a time to discuss your invitations. We will set up a time to chat on the phone or even meet in person if you live in Northeast Ohio. The purpose of this call is to understand what you are looking for in your invitations (e.g., standard versus custom design), discuss all the options (paper color and stock, font colors and style, etc.) and talk about any special add ons you might have in mind (envelope liners, hang tags, day of stationery, etc.). We will finish this call with a clear understanding of what you are looking for from your wedding stationery.
custom quote
Within two days of our consultation meeting, we will send you an email with your pricing options based on our discussion. In order to get started, we ask for 50% down and will begin work as soon as we receive the retainer. Details on how to pay the retainer will be included with the quote.
design
Once the retainer is received, you will receive a wedding invitation questionnaire from us which is a place for you to fill in all of the details you would like included on your invitations and specify any unique features. We will provide to you the first set of proofs within 3 business days of receiving the completed questionnaire. Proofs will be provided via dropbox and we will go back and forth through e-mail to tweak the proofs until they are exactly how you want them to be. Three rounds of revisions are included in my fees and I always recommend that you send the last round of revisions to a family member and/or friend to review the wording one last time for any spelling and grammar changes.
final proof & Payment
You will receive a final proof via dropbox once all revisions are complete. We will ask for your final approval of this proof and then send you the final invoice. The final invoice must be paid before the invitations will be sent to print.
PRINTING & DELIVERY
Printing typically takes about two weeks from the time the invoice is paid to shipment. We ship all invitations via USPS Priority Mail for a flat rate of $20 or can arrange to meet for delivery if you live in Northeast Ohio.
TIMING
Our current turnaround time from consultation through delivery is approximately four to six weeks. However, this is highly dependent on how quickly you provide information, revisions and approvals. We recommend that invitations are sent to the printer at least two to three weeks before you wish to receive them to allow for printing and delivery. Typically, invitations are sent to guests eight weeks before your wedding so that means we should start the invitation design process at least four months before your wedding date. If you are interested in save the dates, we recommend sending them at least six months before your wedding and reaching out to us seven to eight months before your wedding date.