How To Get Vietnamese Wedding Invitations Printed

With very little detective work and a little flexibility, a Vietnamese-American couple can have wedding invitations that express both their style and their heritage.

No matter the culture, weddings are both a cause for celebration and a source of frustration in the perennial quest for a perfect start to married life. The search for the latter can be especially difficult if it involves sending invitations in a language not common to location where the wedding is being planned.For instance, in the United States, some major retailers can accommodate orders calling for the use of a language that shares the same alphabet as English, but are unable to assist engaged couples seeking to print invitations in Vietnamese scripts.That does not mean, however, that a bride-to-be must abandon her culture in planning her dream wedding.With very little detective work and a little flexibility, a Vietnamese-American couple can have wedding invitations that express both their style and their heritage.And, as any good detective knows, the best place to begin an investigation is at the source.

Many major American cities, especially on the West Coast, have large Vietnamese communities with retailers that cater to the needs of a culture conscious population.Bridal salons that sell traditional Vietnamese wedding clothes are a very good place to begin the search for invitations.Even if they do not offer wedding stationary, there is a strong likelihood that they know of printers and card companies that do oblige the unique needs of Asian couples.In the unlikely event that a local bridal salon has no contacts to offer, the next best place to turn is the Internet.

A general search for the key words "Asian wedding invitations" will result in links to a number of retailers who either cater exclusively to an Asian clientele or are willing to process special language requests for an additional fee.In regards to the former, do not be put off by websites that appear to serve solely the Chinese community.It is not unusual for makers of Chinese wedding invitations to expand across cultural borders to benefit from the relatively unsaturated printing market of other Asian language groups.As for dealing with traditional American retailers, it may take some sifting through a number of sites before one is found that will print Vietnamese script.Additionally, it is best not to automatically assume that such a request can be managed in an online rush-order.At this time, the few general retailers who print Vietnamese invitations require that such orders be sent the old fashioned way, via snail mail.In other words, if the deadline for posting wedding invitations is fast approaching, online stationers may be of no assistance.If that is the case, the last best option is to approach the printing process as a do-it-yourself project.

It could be far easier to acquire blank wedding stationary in a favored style than to find a niche printer willing to handle special needs in a timely fashion.Several online retailers do sell blank invitations that are available for expedited shipment.Additionally, it is relatively easy to acquire Vietnamese fonts with a simple query on most any search engine.Good cardstock, appropriate script, and a decent ink jet printer can be both sanity and budget savers in the endeavor to achieve invitations indicative of the Vietnamese language and culture.The only real downside is the amount of elbow grease it requires of the soon-to-be married couple.Printer jams and overtaxed machines may demand a spaced out print time and extra paper.It is best to overestimate the amount of paper needed when purchasing it from a supplier.Better to have too much paper than to be frantically searching for more the day before the invitations need to be mailed.Also, in case the event of an untimely printer failure, it is important to locate a backup printer among family or friends before actually deciding to print one's own invitations.

From using a professional stationer to do-it-yourself wedding invitations, there are a lot of options for today's Vietnamese couples.In fact, as retailers begin to recognize the increasing demand for Americans of all backgrounds to have access to items that realize their individual traditions, the market and possibilities for Vietnamese wedding invitations will continue to grow.Until expanded ethnic options become more apparent, detective work, flexibility, and a little creative problem solving are the best clues to finding the staying on the path to the wedding day perfection.

© Demand Media 2011