Invitation Consultants

Full review
I'm getting married in about six weeks and am about the furthest thing from Bridezilla you could imagine. The ceremony is going to be small and on the beach at the condo complex we are staying at in Mexico. The bridesmaids picked their own dresses. The party back here is being held in our town's community center. I had to draw the line at the do-it-yourself invitations, though. I wanted something simple and appropriate for the casual party that we are throwing back at home, but I wanted them to be done by professionals. Enter Invitation Consultants.

Browsing Through The Site
The Invitation Consultants "home" page is very busy and cluttered with all sorts of sections: shop by occasion, shop by theme, what sets them apart from their competitors, steps involved in ordering, etc. The amount of information that the main page contains normally would have me backing out of the site and looking for something that was less "busy", but, after viewing a dozen sites with the same exact selection, I was getting desperate. Invitation Consultants has invitations for weddings (obviously), bridal showers, religious celebrations, anniversary parties, corporate events, graduations, birthday parties, wine tastings, fundraisers, etc. Who knew that you could order invitations for a wine tasting?

After selecting the Weddings category, I was taken to a page that allowed me to shop by theme, color, invitation style, and shapes/features. I decided to browse through the "Tropical and Sea" selection. Each invitation is shown as a small picture that you can click on to enlarge. Under the image, the product name and model number is listed, as well as pricing for two different amounts, for example $96 for 25/ $115 for 100.

The Ordering Experience
After finding the perfect invitation, it was time to select the number of invitations, response cards, matching thank you notes, etc. that we needed. I could have ordered a sample invitation for $2.50, but I didn't want to go down that slippery slope and waste all sorts of money on samples. After looking online for two weeks, I was pretty sure that the invitation I chose was the best one I was going to find.

After deciding on the number of invitations and other pieces that I wanted, it was time to compose a message and select the color, font style, spacing, etc. I was pretty nervous because I had never had to design a wedding invitation before. Invitation Consultants lets you browse through and actually see what the fonts and colors look like which is very helpful. They also have several examples of invitation wording that you can either choose, edit, or use as inspiration to create your own original message. I always thought that I'd need my mother and sister by my side as I ordered wedding invitations, but I was able to do it all by myself at 7am without even my fiance's input thanks to Invitation Consultants.

Once the wording details are selected, you have the option to order extra envelopes (for mistakes), have your return address printed on the envelopes, select envelope lining if you want it, etc. They will even address, stuff, and mail the envelopes for the low, low price of $200 plus postage. It was difficult to pass on such a bargain, but I managed to do it.

After making all of your selections, you are taken to the payment page. Before entering your credit card information, you can go back and adjust quantities, options, and even add other items to your order. I decided to add matching thank you notes at the last minute and was happy that I didn't have to go all the way back to the beginning and start over. I paid with a credit card and requested free online proofs before my order was printed. Invitation Consultants promised that my order would arrive 6-9 days after I approved the proofs. Because my order was over $150, there was no shipping charge.

The Proofs
My free online proofs were available to me just two days after placing my order. (The company states it can take up to four days.) I panicked a bit as they were in black ink and devoid of the image on the invitation. They also were all oriented so that I was trying to read writing from the top of the screen to the bottom and there was no way to rotate them 90 degrees which was annoying. I approved them all but asked in the comment section of one about the color/image thing. I received an email a few hours later stating that all of their proofs are sent in black and white and without the imagery on the actual invitation. Maybe that is obvious to some people, but I would have appreciated a bit of a heads-up on that one.

My Order
I received my order of invitations, response cards, and thank you notes about a week after approving my proofs. They were delivered via UPS in a box that resembled a large, thick, and sturdy shirt box. Everything looked wonderful and so much better in color! Included with my order was a booklet with instructions for addressing and mailing invitations and also a card with lines to help me center addresses on the invitation and thank you envelopes. I wasn't expecting that type of assistance from this company and was pleasantly surprised to find those inserts in the box. Their booklet even reminded me to put stamps on the response card envelopes. I definitely would have forgotten to do that which would have been disastrous. Again, I thought I'd need my monster, I mean mother, to help me stuff and address my invitations but I was able to do it all by myself thanks to Invitation Consultants.

Overall Opinion
I had a fabulous experience with Invitation Consultants. Not only did they have the perfect invitation, but the site was so helpful and easy to use that I was able to order a whole collection of items for my wedding without consulting anyone or any books for assistance. My order was printed perfectly and has impressed those who have seen what I selected. I would definitely recommend this site to anyone who is looking for professionally-printed invitations. I don't plan to get married again, but if I do, I'm going to use Invitation Consultants again!