Wedding: The wedding invite hunt

Wedding invitation is a tricky business. Who to invite is a dilemma in itself but 'How to invite?' is another important question.

Online Invitations/ E-vites:

Internet is everywhere, even in invites. Convenient, cheap, easy and fast but a bit too informal.

That is practical only if you have an active facebook friends' list or mail contacts who can respond timely and for small parties like maybe a small gathering, a bridal shower or a small-scale mehndi where mostly friends are invited.

Now out of college and with a break from medical college, it is difficult for me to approach all my old friends through phone or mail and they won't mind being invited with an e-vite, so that is my plan for the mehndi invitations. Compose a pretty e-vite at pingg.com or evite.com and send through facebook backed up by a text message or call.

Courtesy: Gupshup forums

Hand made/ DIY invites: 

That is a good idea for mehndi for those who just have to handle a few guests. Making a large number can be hectic. If you have that artistic spark and lots of free time, go for it, these are cute.

For ideas, see Cards and Pockets and Truly, Madly, Deeply or Google up more.

Courtesy: Gupshup forums

Dholak shaped invites for a Dholki or Mehndi (see above) or anything funkily decorated with glitter, ribbons, jamavar fabric, (see below) velvet, laces and little bells- sounds so great.

 

 Printed Invitations:

That is the formal and most widely used type, appropriate for almost all kinds of functions.

Back in old times, there used to be a scroll, a few decades ago just a simple card and now you see a huge variety ranging from simple plain cards to elaborate royal cards- all depending on the budget and taste.

I have quite a collection of some old invites with me. I just never felt like discarding them somehow and today when I need ideas for my own wedding invites these are coming handy. I took out a few I liked, saw the logos and looked for the companies online. Surprisingly, these vendors are found online and quite active. A visit to the local printing presses with Dad makes me able to compare them.

 Local Printers:

They are found everywhere, in every city, town or even villages and give you the best rates coz you can freely haggle and you can actually see samples.They often show  you a huge album to choose from, you give them a text, they show a proof and then go ahead with the printing- everything done in 2-3 days usually.

One thing worth mentioning, the places often are dingy and congested, so if it is a girl reading this, take a male along or you aren't gonna feel comfortable. There are others located at nice places but then you pay a little more price for that.

When you go to a local printer, they often show you designs by Ilyas, Nadeem Shafiq and Gul Art (couldn't find them online).

Online Vendors:

The method is convenient and as people have started getting its potential, it is now growing as ever. You sit at home, choose, give a text, maybe make a call or two and get your order within a few weeks. These are some of the online vendors I came across.

Sigma press

Sigma Press:  

 Contact: M. Arif Awan: 92-345-5261171,Commercial Market branch, Phone: 92-51-4414672

A well known name in Rawalpindi/ Islamabad. They claim "According to a survey 8 out of 10 Weddings cards are printed by Sigma Press." I am not sure about this though.

The cards are nice. They have a reputation as being a little pricy but I think, they are in normal ranges and I hear you can haggle with them- quite much.

Zem Printers:
 Based in Lahore. Prices are reasonable enough and they work online. But I am not overly impressed with the designs.

One by Mahj- that would one lavish wedding!

 MahjDesign Studio:
Nice designs. The lady works according to what you want but when there is detail, there is a good price tag too. :| 

My favorite from Ilyas press

Ilyas press:
Email: ilyaspress@gmail.com
Based in Karachi. One of the renowned companies in Pakistan. Came to know of them from those old wedding invites lying at home.  Better prices than Zem Printers and some good designs though a very few are displayed online.







Nadeem Shafiq International:
I think the largest company here in Pakistan, based in Multan with its outlets in all major cities including Multan, Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Raheem Yar Khan and Sahiwal. They have some lovely designs and some very reasonable prices, and worth mentioning a really good customer service- prompt responses and good suggestions.
Came to know of them from their logo on old invites too. I am considering them for my own wedding invites.

A lovely design by Nadeem Shafiq International- such grandiose (that is another thing I personally wouldn't like spending a fortune on invites)

Will update when I order mine :)