Should I Hire a Stationer for My Wedding? - Denver Wedding Planning Advice

The last few weeks I’ve been focusing on inspiration, so this week I wanted to offer up some more great wedding planning advice.

Having had several years of experience as a wedding planner in Denver, I have so many amazing stories to share (oh, and a few funny stories too)!

Some things I’ve learned work well for weddings, and some things simply don’t.

I have a keen eye for the things that you can save money on, and some sage advice for those looking to cut the budget on more important aspects of the wedding day.

Stationery (invitations, menus, place cards, and the like) is one of those checklist items in wedding planning that often comes with high expectations, but is not always considered the most important one to spend money on!

I interviewed Laney Hall, a self-professed ‘paper addict’ and the owner and designer at Platypus Papers here in Colorado, to gain some insight.

Laney is one of my favorite Stationery designers; her work is personalized, custom, and truly special.

Should I hire a stationer for my wedding

Before we chat with Laney, I wanted to offer my own personal experience as a wedding planner when it comes to ordering custom stationery from an artist (in lieu of ordering bulk paper from one of the big ‘well-known’ options).

I understand that financially, custom paper is not always a possibility (note, however, it may be more affordable than you think! Regardless of your budget ideas, you should at least inquire for a quote).

If you are looking to give your guests a truly unique look into you as a couple (perhaps before your friends and family have ever met the two of you together), custom stationery is the way to go.

If you are looking to add a luxury or personalized element to your decor (think menu cards, placeholders, even seating charts) that will be truly unique to you, hiring a professional artist will be an amazing experience.

If you, like Laney, claim to be a ‘paper addict’, and would like to see truly beautiful papers that are created using professionalism and artistry (laser cutting, stunning fonts, embellishments, and more), read on!

What is the best advice you have for couples who are shopping for a stationer for their wedding?

The best advice I could give would be to make sure that the person you are working with understands your vision.

If you feel that you are not being understood, you may need to find someone else.

If you love the stationer, but aren’t sure they can create what you have in mind, ask! You want to be sure you can communicate well with your stationer.

Why should couples hire a professional stationer?

A professional stationer is a specialist in their field.

When you hire one, you are working with someone who is going to give you personalized attention, someone who can explain the various printing types and paper options.

She or he will be able to make sure that you are getting the most value out of the choices you make for your stationery.

Think of it like going to a specialist for any other thing - if you need to have your teeth straightened, you go to the orthodontist, not the dentist or the general practitioner doctor.

If you want custom, special, unique to you stationery, you go to a stationer, not to the general stationery websites.

What other advice do you have for couples looking at options for stationery and invitations for their wedding?

Compare apples to apples.

If you are working with a custom stationer, you are going to pay more for your stationery.

Each stationer will have design fees as well as higher costs for their paper and printing. This is because they are not printing millions of pieces of stationery annually. They cannot order flats or rolls of paper in bulk and ink in 50 gallon drums.

But they can be flexible and nimble with design and can often create things that you cannot find on a giant stationery site.

Visit a site such as Minted and build [what you want] out in your cart.

If there are things such as laser cutting, ribbon wrapping, or other embellishments that you cannot add - know that it is an additional cost.

Then compare that cost to what you were quoted [from a professional stationery artist].

Is this difference worth: knowing you have a person to talk to about your choices?

Knowing that you have one person doing quality control on every single piece of your invitations?

Knowing that this design is all about you?

Knowing that the quality of the paper, the ink, the embellishments, the design is top of the line?

Knowing that it will be right, and that there is a person who really cares that it will be right?

A custom stationer is a luxury, and one I think is worth having for your wedding.

Why should a couple consider hiring Platypus Papers?

When we work with you, we are focused on you.

Who you are as a couple, what your love story is, how you think about your upcoming wedding.

We want to know everything we can to make sure that what we create for you really speaks to who you are.

We believe that your wedding stationery is the first handshake of you as a couple as a new family unit. This is your chance to make that first impression.

It is your chance to put a smile on their face when they receive the gift of your invitation in the mail.

We are also specialists. We know how to work with a wide variety of printing techniques, a wide variety of papers, and we do a lot of specialty laser work and white ink printing in house.

We absolutely love creating special wedding invitation suites for our clients out of paper, wood, acrylic, fabric, and more and it can be sent in an envelope or box.

We truly want it to be something that stands out when your guests receive it!

You can reach out to Platypus Papers (and see Laney’s gorgeous work) by clicking here.

I want to say a special thank you to Laney for the advice she had to share for couples planning weddings! I highly recommend her to all of the couples I work with.

If you have questions, need ideas, and are looking to hire a wedding planner to help you plan your dream wedding day, I’d be happy to help!

You can reach me by clicking below. I look forward to hearing from you!