ORDER PROCESS
1. DESIGN CONSULTATION
(for invitations, begin at least 6 months prior to your event)
The design consultation phase doesn’t have an exact structure, it’s simply the pre-order phase in which we gather the information we need to create a concept proof and price quote for you, so that you can decide if you want to move forward into the next phase of ordering. And of course, this is the phase where we’ll happily answer all of your questions!
If you’re local, we encourage you to schedule an in-studio design consultation so we can go over all your options in person. If you’re unable to make it into the studio, you can order samples from our Etsy Shop, and schedule a phone consultation, or simply email us all the details of your order. In-studio design consultations are the most fun! But if you’re unable to make it in, that’s okay! We do at least half of our work via email without ever meeting in person. The end result is the same however you choose to begin.
PRICE QUOTE & CONCEPT PROOF: Because custom stationery is so visual in nature, we go against industry standards and provide you with a complimentary concept proof to accompany your price quote. Quality custom stationery is not cheap, and we don’t expect you to commit to ordering based on a price quote alone. Your initial concept proof doesn’t cost you anything and it may not be perfect or exact, but it will reflect what’s listed on your price quote so you can understand visually what your price quote represents. Changes cannot be made to the proof until we receive your design retainer payment to begin the proofing phase. Please allow 1-2 weeks for us to prepare your concept proof and price quote after your consultation.
DESIGN RETAINER: While there is no payment required for design consultation, a minimum $200 design retainer is required to move into the next phase of proofing. The design retainer is non-refundable as it covers our design time during the proofing phase of your order, however it is not an additional fee. The design retainer payment is applied towards your final invoice. If for any reason you do not complete the proofing phase and cancel your order prior to printing, you will not be billed for the remainder of your order, but your design retainer is retained as compensation for our design time.
2. PROOFING PHASE (average 2-4 weeks)
Once the design retainer payment has been made, we’ll send you a link to your online proofing portal which will display the current version of your proof so you can review and request changes. We’ll work back and forth with any changes you request until you’re happy with the overall look and approve your order for print.
You can expect to receive updated proofs within 1-2 business days for submitting your change request. You will receive an email each time your updated proof is ready to view.
There are no limits to how many changes you can request, but we do ask that you consolidate your changes as much as possible to avoid a excess back-and-forth proofing. This makes our job easier and you’ll get through this phase of your order quicker.
The duration of the proofing phase is ultimately up to you as it requires collaboration between you and the designer. The quicker you check your email and submit any revisions, the faster this phase will go. For some people, this process takes only a day or two, for others it can take a couple of weeks or even months if time allows. Keep a firm grasp on your timeline when reviewing your proofs. If you need your invitations by a certain date, be sure to approve your proof with enough time allowed for production and shipping.
See when to mail your invitations here.
3. APPROVAL & PRODUCTION PHASE (3-5 weeks)
Once you approve your proof for print, we’ll send you an invoice for the remaining balance due. At this time all quantities need to be finalized so you’ll want to make sure you at least have your guestlist finalized, even if you’re still collecting mailing addresses.
Note: payment of your final invoice is due in full before we hit “send” to the printer. Production timeline begins once we have your print approval AND your final payment has been completed. Once your order is sent to the printer, no changes can be made. Additions or revisions will be treated as new order.
Production time varies depending on the components and print processes involved in your order. Printing and production time for orders with standard/flat printing on cardstock takes 3 weeks (plus shipping time). If your order includes any of the following, add 1-2 weeks to your production time:
- Foil Imprint
- Letterpress Imprint
- Shaped Cards or Hand-torn Edges
- Laser Cuts
- Acrylic Cards
IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ:
Please resist the urge to email asking when your order will be completed if the timelines listed above have not passed. You will receive a shipment tracking email once your order is completed and ready to ship. We live in an “Amazon Prime” world, where you are probably accustomed to receiving online purchases almost instantly. Your stationery order is completely custom and hand-assembled, and this process takes time.
We receive an overwhelming number of emails asking for order updates, which only causes delays if we have to stop production to catch up on these unnecessary emails. If there’s an unexpected delay, we will notify you. We promise the wait will be worth it!
