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Step 1
Decide on the theme of your wedding in terms of tone and color scheme. This will not only dictate the color and the texture of the card stock but also whether you're going to go for a traditional, old fashioned look or incorporate something unconventionally modern. The setting of your wedding factors into this stage of the planning as well. A wedding invitation to a ceremony at the quaint country church where your ancestors were married, for instance, is quite a bit different from one in which you and all the members of your bridal party will be barefoot on a beach or are dressed like you've just stepped out of the Middle Ages.
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Step 2
Research bridal websites such as The Knot (see Resources below) to get ideas of what other brides have come up with for their special day. You'll also want to browse stationery stores and look at their sample books, as well as go online to resources such as Paper Source and Discount Cardstock to get an idea of the different types of custom papers that are available. Bridal magazines will yield lots of fun inspiration, too.
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Step 3
Make a rough sketch of your idea before you go shopping for the card stock for it. This ensures that you choose the right size card stock to accommodate your creative vision. Wedding invitations produced at stationery shops tend to be slightly larger or slightly smaller which, not surprisingly, is what makes them so expensive. Instead of bowing to this convention, handmade announcements that use A7 foldover card stock and matching envelopes will be perfect, especially if you decide to affix 4 by 6 inch photographs to the front. If you are including response cards, distributors such as Paper Source (see Resources below) also have A7 flat cards that allow you to print the accept or decline on one side, print your return address on the other and apply a stamp.
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Step 4
Purchase the card stock you plan to use. Keep in mind that if you select a dark color such as deep green, blue or purple, you'll need to print your interior message in a light color font. Stymied about composing the inside wording? Websites such as The Knot can help you choose just the right phrasing.
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Step 5
Print your exterior and interior message prior to affixing any photographs, artwork or three dimensional stickers. Cut down a piece of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper to the dimensions of your card and run that through your printer first to get the alignment just right. For an A7 format, go into the Page Layout function of your program and define the paper size as 7.17 inches by 10.2 inches. These same dimensions apply whether your orientation is vertical or horizontal. If you plan to affix a second layer to your invitation such as a photograph, proceed to Step 6.
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Step 6
Apply a very thin layer of rubber cement to the back of any photograph, textured paper or artwork you plan to feature on the front of your invitation. Wait approximately 30 seconds for it to set and then press gently.
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Step 7
Apply three dimensional stickers to the front of your invitations for added interest. There's a wide variety of designs that are available from companies such as EK Success (see Resources below) or at any craft or stationery shops that sell scrapbooking supplies.
