Antonia Christianson Events: Your Uncle is not a Stationer...

Your Uncle is not a Stationer…

I have heard from many different vendors and clients in the past weeks that the reason they enjoy my blog posts so much are because I “keep it real”… So I thought, why stop now. We heard great feedback last week about our “your mom is not a…” series and have quite a few more topics that we’d like to shed light on, but first let me open up your mind to the topic of “Graphic Artist/Designer” vs. “Stationer”. We deal with both in the events world…but I thought it was important to tell you what you need to look out for when deciding who you would like to use for your wedding stationery, invitations, thank you notes, menu cards, table numbers, etc.

At Antonia Christianson Events we offer stationery design services with the help of two graphic designers… both well versed in invitations and what needs to be included… but we also act as a stationer through selling stationery out of a few select books and wholesale products. But often times, we send our clients down the road to our good friends at a Local Stationery Store. Let me explain our thought process…

I hear often times from clients that their friend, brother, uncle, co-worker, etc. are graphic artists by profession…which always excites me because I love the idea of completely customizing your event…and one of those easy ways is through your stationery. But more times than not your “graphic artist friend” goes to the local craft store, gets a printable stationery kit, puts your information into the already created template and calls it a customized invitation suite. LET”S GET REAL! You could do this yourself… Now, I do have a few clients whose “graphic artist friends” do get a bit more creative and order special papers to really “do it up”... which is awesome! Our only complaint is, we have had many experiences where these “artists” don’t know what is wrong and what is right. They don’t know to put a line on the RSVP card so your guests can respond with their name or they leave off the food options for a plated dinner. Some “artists” event print off (and make you pay for )double the amount of stationery needed because they don’t create stationery often enough to know that for a wedding of 100 guests you only need about 50 invitations… remember, my husband and I are 2 people on your guest list, but we only receive 1 invitation. (Let me say this one thing…there are amazing graphic artists in the events world that do create beautifully fantastic invitations or stationery… but these are people that usually solely work in the events world, not your friend that creates print ads or websites for a living….there is a HUMUNGOUS difference).

So how does this differ from a stationer?

A stationer is a bit different. A stationer usually offers many different options for your stationery needs. Many local stationers offer invitation suites from books, online and also through custom creation. This is different from a graphic artist because they specialize in event invitation etiquette… They can usually offer many different options depending on your particular price range and printing needs such as digital printing, thermography and letter press.

Locally we have a great option that mixes all of the above choices in one great store; RSVP Stationery in the Chambord Commons Area of Virginia Beach. I know…you are probably thinking why do you send clients to another store when you carry many of the same options? And here is the truth: RSVP offers everything under one roof… they have options for complete custom stationery (something many of our clients use them for), as well as options for letterpress, thermography, computer calligraphy and digital printing. Plus they are pros in anything etiquette… and they can answer all of the unique to you situations that will arise in your perfect stationery search.

Here are a few different stationery options: