Make Your Special Noteworthy with Noteworthy Invitations By Design

MAKE YOUR Noteworthy SPECIAL DAY with Noteworthy Invitations By Design

BY LALITA CHEMELLO

Jessica Del Vacchio

Marketing Manager

Kristina Scobie

Creative Director

Maren Winter

Graphic Designer

Dearest Brides-to-be who are anxiously awaiting to start preparations to bring your dream day to life:

While you make your list of must dos for your “I dos,” including all of the obvious picks like your dress, venue and wedding date, there’s one part of your special day you might not have put on the priority list: your invitations. I can already hear your protests: “But I don’t know my date!” “I don’t know my venue!” “We haven’t even picked a time!” “We don’t even know our theme!”

There is also a possibility you are reading this and now find yourself in a mid-grade panic because you didn’t realize those were important items for an invite, let alone your big day. Deep breaths. Help is closer than you know! While you may want to have a few ideas on some of your wedding details, you don’t need solid and set times, locations and venues. The staff here can help you make your choice and fill in the blanks along the way.

Not only that, but you’ll come out with an incredibly unique invitation, personalized for you–something you just can’t find shopping on sites like Minted, Zola or Shutterfly. Just north of downtown Kalamazoo, head up to Richland for the notable Noteworthy Invitations By Design.

Why are the invitation and paper products so important for the big day? According to Kristina Scobie, the Creative Director at Noteworthy, it sets the tone for the entire couple’s day, and they are with the bride for the entire process. “Most people come in and anticipate picking out an invitation. But we open the door on all of those other elements that they haven’t even begun to think about. Just because it is so early in the process and they don’t realize we can make it all look cohesive for the entire event – from the moment somebody opens an invitation they’ll know when they enter the venue that it’s the same event. All of the paper goods match. We use the same typography, the same imagery, and we’re able to really make the day feel even more special that way, because it all feels like it was planned.”

“It’s like the first peek of the event when they receive the invitations. And we want to carry that through the entire event,” says Jessica Del Vacchio, who works with Kristina.

So how can you make a notable invitation for your guests providing a sneak peek to your special day? Here’s what Kristina and Jessica recommend.

SHOP SIX MONTHS OUT

This might be the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to preparing for your big day! The sixmonth rule is crucial on your wedding timeline, because conception to mailing your one-of-a-kind invites is a four month process! And if you look at any “wedding timeline” checklist, you want to mail those lovelies at least two months before the day. So the four months of lead time provides time for the back and forth on design and any hiccups that could also occur along the way. Right now, in the time of coronavirus, Noteworthy has encountered envelope shortages. If your envelope ends up as one of those victims, they need time to order a different envelope that will still work for your vision, in a reasonable amount of time. Also, for more detailed decorations, like SPECIALIZED MAPS, there is a good amount of time Kristina needs to conceptualize, and hand paint or draw that detail! And from her examples, it is well worth the wait! But you also need time to have a couple of check-ins with Noteworthy to ensure what she’s created for you is perfect.

HAVE AN IDEA ON A BUDGET

One thing Kristina and Jessica emphasize is brides and couples should really come in with an idea on what they’d like to spend on invitations. Traditionally, 10-15 percent of your wedding budget should go toward paper goods, and no, that’s not just your invitations. Invitations and ‘save-the-dates’ are the obvious, but think napkins, place cards, cups, programs, menus, table numbers, banners, signs, thank you cards, etc. You don’t have to have an exact number, but spending $$ compared to $$$ can make a difference in what details you can select for your invites and other paper goods. One brilliant thing Noteworthy does when selecting invitations is while you select your desired features for your invites, they create an itemized list of your options. They will also talk you through each added option or flare, so you know exactly what everything will cost. If the numbers look high at the end, it’s relatively easy to go, “you know, I love that foil, but it costs this much extra, and I don’t need it.”

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

If you so desire, you could walk into your appointment at Noteworthy blindly, with no ideas outside of “I’m getting married.” And while there’s nothing wrong with that approach, it helps to do a little homework before your arrival. There are books and binders, along with boxes of examples to guide you through anything you might want to have for your day. In a lot of instances, it even leads to Kristina and Jessica to help you plan out and decide on some of the details you didn’t even know you wanted for your special day! But Noteworthy does encourage you to do a little research. Hop on Pinterest and Instagram and pin your favorite wedding styles or invitations. Bring in photos or bridal magazine ideas. Do you foresee your dream dress to have an unforgettable lace? You can incorporate that look into your invites! Having an idea of what you might want, helps paint a picture for your invitation curating specialists to put together ideas and books that might satisfy your interests.

BRING A FRIEND, OR TWO!

Don’t feel like you need to leave parents, friends or your significant other behind! Sometimes it’s nice to have a second opinion outside of your mind-bubble space. But less is also more. These are your invitations and provide an intimate look into who you and your soon-to-be spouse’s life. These invitations are in a way a gateway to you and your special day. While you might have a squad as big as T-Swift’s behind you in the wedding planning department, it’s better to keep this a small, or more intimate setup. Save the party for your dress shopping, where you might even get a glass or two of champagne out of it!

SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION

While there is a chance you can walk into the store to pick out your invites, an appointment is ideal to have someone’s undivided attention on you and your special day. These appointments are free and can run anywhere from an hour if you know what you want, to a few. It also gives your consultants time to prepare ideas and books to help streamline and customize your experience. So make sure to contact Noteworthy ahead of time for a truly personal adventure!

LET NOTEWORTHY HANDLE THAT

This is definitely worth noting. Have you ever personally addressed 25, 50 – 100 envelopes by hand? I hand-addressed nearly 125 envelopes for my first wedding and I really do not recommend it. However, good news for you, Noteworthy also provides an addressing service! Provide your guest list with addresses and they will do all of the hard work of one of the most pain-staking tasks for your upcoming wedding day! They’ll also mail them out for you.

SEE NOTEWORTHY AT LOCAL EVENTS

Noteworthy Invitations By Design participates in bridal events around West Michigan. To see where you can find Noteworthy next, or for nearby bridal shows featuring vendors you can use and shop for your wedding day, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Lastly, Noteworthy knows not every bride falls into the typical bridal season. To accommodate those outside-the-box brides, the invitation maker also hosts virtual open houses throughout the year. You can also find these dates announced on its social channels.

About Noteworthy Invitations By Design

NoteworthyInvitations | noteworthybydesign.com

A PASSION FOR PAPER: Owner Jason Klein loves playing host to many events. If there’s one thing any special event needs, it’s paper, and he loves going above and beyond to put together something cohesive and memorable. His love of paper led to him opening his own invitation business in June 2019, just months before the pandemic began. A few things noteworthy about Noteworthy are the details going into every invitation and product they design, from the more simple customizable invitations to the uniquely made invites from the ground up. The love of paper also comes through the paper selections and availability. You don’t typically get to just touch the paper you’ll be using for your invite! You can touch and feel every aspect of your invitation in-house! While your main goal in visiting Noteworthy may be to order a specially made invite, the invitation specialist is also a boutique, filled with a mix of Michigan-made and one-of-akind products to decorate your event, space or home. The minds behind Noteworthy personally search and curate the special items showcased in the store. It’s certainly a destination (and must-see) for seasonal decor. What you find here, you most likely will not find anywhere else. The Richland location expects to expand this spring, with the decor portion of their business taking up space in a road-facing front just a few doors down from their invitation and paper good portion of their store!