Where can I find pricing for save the dates, invitations, and more?
You’ll actually purchase your suite through our shopping website, so you’ll find pricing there! You’ll want to browse each of our suites, find your favorite, and then select what you’d like to purchase within that suite. Upon selection, you’ll see a drop down selection for quantity, paper weight, and printing method. Once you input your choice in each field, the price will update at the top of the listing. The links below will help you find popular products.
When should I place my order for Save the Dates?
Typically we advise our clients to mail save the dates 6-8 months out, but sometimes 10-12 months out if the majority of guests are required to travel by air. If you plan to digitally print your save the dates, you can place your order a month before you need them in-hand*. If you plan to letterpress or foil your save the dates, you’ll need to place your order 6-8 weeks before needing them in-hand*. In-hand means they deliver to you at that point. Remember to pillow in some time after they deliver to you for addressing (if you are not ordering guest address printing from us), stuffing, stamping, and mailing.
*If you plan to order custom artwork or a custom monogram with your save the date, remember this will add 3-4 weeks to the standard 7 business day proofing time.
When should I order my Wedding Suite?
If you mailed a save the date, your wedding invitation suite will mail 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding date. If you plan to digitally print your suite, you can place your order a month before you need them in-hand*. If you plan to letterpress or foil your suite, you’ll need to place your order 6-8 weeks before needing them in-hand*. In-hand means they deliver to you at that point. Remember to pillow in some time after they deliver to you for addressing (if you are not ordering guest address printing from us), stuffing, stamping, and mailing.
*If you plan to order custom artwork or a custom monogram with your save the date, remember this will add 3-4 weeks to the standard 7 business day proofing time.
Do I have to place an order for my save the dates and invitation suite at the same time?
Definitely not! Most of our clients place their save the date order, mail them, and then come back to us to start their invitation order. If you do place the order for save the dates and invitations together, that’s fine too! Nothing wrong with crossing it all off your list. We’ll proof all of it together, and send it all to print at one time.
Can I add a custom venue painting or drawing to any suite?
Absolutely! The photos of our suites and save the dates on the website show the suites in their most basic form. From that point, we love for you to customize your suite with artwork. You can add a watercolor to your save the date, or a drawing to your invitation. You can also add envelope liners to your order from our bells and whistles section, and have us place custom artwork on those!
Can I order custom artwork if I am not purchasing paper items?
Right now, our policy is that our custom artwork is exclusively reserved for our save the date, wedding suite, and wedding day paper clients. We unfortunately do not create custom artwork for clients that are not ordering these items from us. However, when you do order custom artwork for your paper pieces with Empress, we provide the digital files of your monogram, drawing, or watercolor so you may use it on koozies, cups, napkins, and so much more for the wedding day!
After ordering, what will the process to look like from that point?
Once your order is placed, we get started immediately! If you did not order custom artwork (a watercolor, drawing, or custom monogram), you’ll receive an emailed proof of the pieces you ordered within 7 business days, starting the business day after your order is placed. If you did order custom artwork with your paper pieces, 3-4 additional weeks will be needed to create that artwork.
When do I order paper for the wedding day or paper for the wedding weekend?
You’ll order these pieces (programs, menus, tags, table numbers,, escort cards, etc) three weeks to a month before the wedding when you have your final text ready and approved for these pieces.
How do I know how many suites or save the dates to order?
Remember that many of your guests live together because they are married. You’ll want to count households, not heads, when deciding how many to order. We sell our suites and save the dates in increments of 25, starting at 50. We ALWAYS recommend ordering extra suites so you have a clean copy for photography on your wedding day, several clean suites for keepsakes, and of course one to frame for yourself! So if you need to mail 105 suites, go ahead and place an order for 125. You won’t regret this, and we promise, you’ll be adding more to that 105 being mailed.
Can I mix printing methods and paper options within my suite?
For quality control, any pieces that mail together are the same printing process and paper choice. This guarantees that the ink color is the same throughout the mailed pieces, and the paper is cohesive. We do allow clients to select one print method for save the dates, and another for their wedding suite. For example, most of our letterpress wedding suite clients mail digitally printed save the dates for budget and timeline purposes. But if you’re ordering a letterpress single ply paper invitation, then your response card and envelopes will be letterpress as well so your ink matches.