01/27: On my soapbox....free invites!
Okay, so I've been feeling a little "blah" lately. I think it's a combination of the cold weather (which has resulted in me falling on the ice twice!), the dreary old days with no sunshine and the fact that I have a break in weddings for a little while due to the off season (and you don't understand - my brain, body, and spirit CRAVE weddings so when I have to go an extended amount of time without one - it dampens my spirits). So, needless to say - being down and out has made me a bit of a complainer lately. I don't mean to be - it just sort of happens.
So, I've decided rather than being a Debbie Downer - I would channel my "grumpiness" into helpful blogs. No, no - you aren't going to get a blog of me complaining....a blog of me getting on my soapbox about random issues. I got on this soapbox last night while having dinner with a friend so that's what sparked the idea. And I've had this conversation with a million brides lately so I thought I'd share.
I've decided the first one shall be "free invitations" offers from bridal stores or tuxedo shops. Don't get me wrong - it's a nice offer....in theory. Not in practice.
These stores offer free invites as a way to make you think you're getting an extra deal or an added incentive to get your dress or tuxedo in that place. Rest assured - it's not an incentive. I worked in a bridal store for a few years so I KNOW, without a doubt, it's not a good deal. They offer "free invitations" so you go in, get excited, and start looking through the books. Only to find that the vast majority of the invites are straight from the 80s. They're either super simple (i.e. white or ecru cardstock with text on it) or they're a "special" design (i.e. the headless bride and groom, Precious moments, Cinderella, or the always charming and overdone double-heart design). So, not only are your choices limited and often times, super lame - but they're not actually free.
Here's the deal - there's a 50% mark-up in those books. You may be getting free invitations...but you have to pay for your RSVP card, your reception card, your return address on the envelope, colored ink, so on and so forth. By the time you're done buying all of those things to accompany your "free" invitations...you've spent what the bridal store/tuxedo shop is actually spending.
On top of them not being free - the people that work in the stores receive little to no training on ordering invitations so it's not all that rare that a) they don't know what they're talking about or b) you receive you invitations with a mistake on them. Who needs that headache or irritation?
So, that's the deal - they're not free. If you take the money you spend on those "free invitations" - you could put them towards much prettier DIY invitations or order actual invitations from a company or dealer and save yourself the headache.
Disclaimer: This blog wasn't meant to offend any bridal stores or tuxedo shops. It's also not meant to offend anyone who loves the 80s designs or the headless bride and groom. It is simply to serve as an honest opinion from someone who knows the industry, knows the offer, and knows that it's not worth it.
So, I've decided rather than being a Debbie Downer - I would channel my "grumpiness" into helpful blogs. No, no - you aren't going to get a blog of me complaining....a blog of me getting on my soapbox about random issues. I got on this soapbox last night while having dinner with a friend so that's what sparked the idea. And I've had this conversation with a million brides lately so I thought I'd share.
I've decided the first one shall be "free invitations" offers from bridal stores or tuxedo shops. Don't get me wrong - it's a nice offer....in theory. Not in practice.
These stores offer free invites as a way to make you think you're getting an extra deal or an added incentive to get your dress or tuxedo in that place. Rest assured - it's not an incentive. I worked in a bridal store for a few years so I KNOW, without a doubt, it's not a good deal. They offer "free invitations" so you go in, get excited, and start looking through the books. Only to find that the vast majority of the invites are straight from the 80s. They're either super simple (i.e. white or ecru cardstock with text on it) or they're a "special" design (i.e. the headless bride and groom, Precious moments, Cinderella, or the always charming and overdone double-heart design). So, not only are your choices limited and often times, super lame - but they're not actually free.
Here's the deal - there's a 50% mark-up in those books. You may be getting free invitations...but you have to pay for your RSVP card, your reception card, your return address on the envelope, colored ink, so on and so forth. By the time you're done buying all of those things to accompany your "free" invitations...you've spent what the bridal store/tuxedo shop is actually spending.
On top of them not being free - the people that work in the stores receive little to no training on ordering invitations so it's not all that rare that a) they don't know what they're talking about or b) you receive you invitations with a mistake on them. Who needs that headache or irritation?
So, that's the deal - they're not free. If you take the money you spend on those "free invitations" - you could put them towards much prettier DIY invitations or order actual invitations from a company or dealer and save yourself the headache.
Disclaimer: This blog wasn't meant to offend any bridal stores or tuxedo shops. It's also not meant to offend anyone who loves the 80s designs or the headless bride and groom. It is simply to serve as an honest opinion from someone who knows the industry, knows the offer, and knows that it's not worth it.
