Wednesday, March 4, 2009

GET WED WEDNESDAY: custom vs. customized


If you are in the market for wedding stationery you have probably seen lots of companies offering "Custom Invitations". And when you start to compare prices (because in this economy, who isn't?) you'll likely notice that there is sometimes a large discrepancy between the cost for custom invitations at different stationery shops. I've noticed it too, and would like to explain why this is.
Sometimes one stationer will charge more for custom designed invitations because he/she works almost exlusively with high end materials. Silk and crystal boxed invitations will cost significantly more than invitations crafted from paper and ribbon. Letterpress costs more than flat printing. This sort of discrepancy is expected and understandable. However, one thing I am seeing more and more is stationery shops advertising "custom invitations" when, in reality, they offer customized invitations. I hate picking apart the semantics of stationery maerketing, but I think that in this case it matters. So here I go...
Custom Designed stationery is made exclusively for one client. It is very much like commissioning a painting or sculpture. A custom invitation is designed from scratch using the client's ideas and personality for inspiration. At Tulaloo we call our custom design service "Bespoke" (another word that means custom designed). If you have a unique vision for your invitations or would like to incorporate higher end materials, Bespoke is the way to go.
Customized stationery begins with an existing design and is personalized for each client. The client is able to change certain details, such as colors, content and fonts, but the basic design won't change greatly. At Tulaloo we call our customized stationery "Tailored" because we tailor each design to fit your wedding or special event. We will change colors and content. We may even be able to mix and match elements from different designs - swap out a belly band for a pocketfold, for example. Tailored invitations are a great way to have beautiful and personalized invitations on a limited budget.
For more examples of Bespoke and Tailored Designs, visit the Tulaloo website and the Tulaloo Online Shop

1 comment:

Erin Nowak, Designer and Illustrator said...

I have no doubt your clients will find this very helpful. I always appreciate any designer's efforts to make what we do clearer to the public. Nice work!