My former life as a graphic designer – pre STG – was awash with Pantone references, fonts, typefaces and paper stock. A love you can’t take out of the girl it seems. So when it comes to wedding invitations, I’m the first in line to coo over a sassy design, a bold choice of colour, thoughtful monogramming, the texture of the invite and the weight of an envelope. And believe me attention, individuality and quality never go unnoticed.
It’s important to set the tone for your big day and nothing builds anticipation better than the invitation. It’s the movie trailer, the pre-promote and the amuse bouche to tantalise your guests.
Just as e-commerce for luxury fashion goods has developed over the last decade – think Net a Porter – so too have online destinations for luxury, customised, wedding stationery.
And Basic Invite is one of the best I’ve seen.
Every paper product you could possibly need
It’s an elegant, online hub for all things printed and wedding – save the date, invitations, RSVP cards, menus, programs, and thank you cards. And I love that it covers the whole gamut because it’s so important to pull all the threads of your wedding together and coordinate your paper products into one look – it is your brand after all. But it’s also an incredibly efficient way of organising such an important aspect of the big day, without compromising on style. Quite honestly, it sometimes feels as though you could make a full time job out of wedding preparation, that is on top of your actual job, so at STG we welcome style-conscious efficiency whole—heartedly.
Fresh ideas
Where Basic Invite is different to other online wedding stationers, is that they work with designers all over the globe, who are constantly contributing new perspectives, fresh ideas and designs to the inventory.
And the range is simply outstanding – from Vintage Botanical to Simple Luxury to a dreamier Watercolour design. And who wouldn’t be tempted seeing their name in fabulous gold foil? I hear that soon they’ll be a wooden invitation available. Now there’s a statement.
The basic premise is that each design is already so unique and you can further customise that, so that you’re sure to get the perfect product to suit your style.
Become a designer overnight
If you’re not necessarily arty or visual, making the perfect wedding invitation may seem a daunting prospect. But it needn’t be. You can have so much fun with it. And Basic Invite’s easy-to-navigate site makes it as straightforward as possible. I tested it out myself with three different looks —of course I chose the same husband each time but opted for 2 fantasy venues inspired by stunning weddings previously covered by STG – Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami and New York Public Library
And how could I not feature my own London wedding venue, the Wallace Collection!
The functionality and clarity of Basic Invite’s site is impressive. You simply pick your favourite design (or try out a few) from the stunning hand picked selection, fill in the who, where and when particulars, customise it by choosing from over 160 different colour options and over 100 different fonts, tick the shape and size of the invitation you prefer, how many folds and which plush paper stock you want. And that’s it; really it’s that simple. Then you have in front of you an immediate on-screen proof of your invitation.
You’re making your very own unique wedding stationery and pretty much becoming a designer over night. So get your creative juices flowing as you test out different styles, colours and even photos until you get it just right.
Dare I suggest, making an evening of it with your husband to be?
The best bit is, unlike most stationery companies, Basic Invite allows you to order a printed sample of your invitation, so you can see the print and paper quality before you even place an order. And to push the envelope of service even further, Basic Invite also has professional designers ready to guide you over email, phone or live chat.
Hebrew fonts
Basic Invite understands that for a Jewish wedding you may need Hebrew included on your invite and thankfully they can completely accommodate this. Whereas an entire Hebrew invite might be required if you’re meeting under the chuppah in Israel, for your UK or US based wedding, you may simply want to include a phrase that is important to you and your family. Or perhaps just the customary Hebrew equivalents of B”H (baruch Hashem) or BS”D (b’syata d’shmaya) – ב״ה and בס״ד at the top of the invitation.
In fact Basic Invite are particularly helpful if you have any queries about invite etiquette or wording — you can contact them directly here or STG is always here to help.
No matter how big or small the wedding, the right invitation will stand out, connect with the guests, create excitement and set the right tone. It’s the hottest ticket in town after all.
Basic Invite is easy, helpful and brilliantly service driven, the designs themselves are rich and stylish, the paper stock is premium and the customising options are endless. The result? The invites are far from basic.
An exclusive discount for Smashing The Glass readers
Basic Invite is offering an exclusive 20% discount for Smashing The Glass readers through December 31, 2016. Use Coupon Code: SmashingGlass to receive your discount.
Visit Basic Invite and have a wander around the site for every paper product you could possibly need for the wedding of your dreams.
You’ll also find Basic Invite on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter
Basic Invite is a Smashing The Glass handpicked sponsor and this is a sponsored post.
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All images supplied by Basic Invite
