This post is sponsored by Minted, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.
"When my fiancé got down on one knee last September, I was on cloud nine and in a dreamy, congratulatory haze that extended a full 48 hours before the wedding planning-related questions came barreling through my door. Inquiries of when our wedding would be, what city we’d celebrate in, what wedding aesthetic we’d aim for, and how many bridesmaids I planned to have worked their way into every unassuming conversation, and suddenly, I became hyperaware of the fact that my indecisiveness was going to make the wedding planning process…quite the challenge.
As the token come-back-to-me-because-I’m-still-deciding friend at any restaurant we attend, the modern-day wedding to-do list and all the decisions that come with it are enough to send me into a tizzy. With the birth of WeddingTok and with how extra the wedding industry has gotten over the years, I’m hit daily with a plethora of bachelorette and wedding inspo that makes narrowing down what I want even more challenging.
As soon as we secured our industrial-meets-elegant Chicago venue last month, the big-day countdown began, and each tick of the clock mocked me as the wedding decisions (and dollar signs) began to pile up. Per my wedding planner, my next steps are to send out Save The Dates, and though I don’t have to send out invitations for a hot minute, I do want my invitation suite and the overall vibe of the wedding to feel cohesive, and, most importantly, like us. I sorted through my embarrassingly long wedding Pinterest board to nail down my aesthetic, and thankfully there is a stunning array of products from Minted to fit whatever direction we decide to go in.
Why I’m choosing Minted for my wedding stationery and beyond
If you haven’t gotten the vibe just yet, I’ll sum it up: I need as much help as I can get when it comes to crossing wedding to-dos off of my list. I’ve heard whispers that Minted was the premiere destination for all things wedding printing, and after shopping around, I’m going with Minted for these reasons and more:
- Affordability: When I heard how much invitation suites can cost, I nearly lost consciousness and needed to excuse myself to have a quick scream into my pillow. I considered designing them and printing them on my own, but after crunching some numbers and talking to my coworkers who went that route, I realized I wouldn’t be saving much money at all—and that isn’t even accounting for the mistakes I’d likely make (not to mention a subpar result). I always assumed Minted’s incredible quality and on-trend designs would be out of my budget, but after looking into it and learning how much support they give to their customers, I learned that the cost is not only 100 percent worth it but so much less expensive than I thought it would be. Plus, if you can get your hands on a coupon code, it makes the deal even sweeter. Right now, you can use code EVERYGIRLWED for 25% off of Save the Dates and 15% off of invites (through May 1st), so def take advantage of that if you’re in the market!
- Everything you need, in one place: If I’m outsourcing my wedding printing, I need the company to be able to do it all and Minted fits the bill. Beyond Save the Dates and wedding invitation suites, Minted also offers free wedding websites(!), menus, table numbers, programs, favors, and more.
- Customer support: As someone who can appreciate wedding visuals but has absolutely no experience in graphic design or printing anything beyond a shipping receipt, I’m not afraid to admit that I need support. A huge selling point for me was Minted’s free concierge service. Over an email or a virtual call, their team can help me find the perfect stationery design, customize it, get the wording just right, and answer what I anticipate to be 1.2 million questions along the way.
The wedding aesthetic showdown:
We went into venue hunting with an open mind to allow us to find the most budget-friendly option in Chicago that fit our guest-count needs. At this point, I put choosing our wedding aesthetic on pause because I didn’t want to pigeonhole us into a certain venue when there might be more affordable options out there. We landed on a large, refurbished factory that leans industrial. The space is absolutely beautiful but because we’re not dead set on an industrial vibe, we want to bring in some elements to help warm it up and take it to the next level. Beyond elevating the space, we want our wedding to be one to remember, and as a professional wedding guest who has attended 20 weddings in the last three years, I know that the fine details are the ones that make all the difference. After hours of combing through my Pinterest inspo, here are the three wedding aesthetics we’re choosing between:
Option 1: Coastal
In a world where we didn’t live in Chicago, we didn’t have so many friends and family members that we want to inconvenience with travel, and we had all of the money in the world, I could see us getting married in Cape Cod with old-money undertones and a less-than-modest yacht as our exit vehicle. With our very strong lack of old money, the next best thing is bringing the coast to us with this “City Coastal” vibe that serves up the whisper of an East Coast wedding without all of the pesky sand. Picture this: White linen draping, cane seating, and slate blue accents to balance and soften the venue’s bones. And to kick off this coastal-meets-urban aesthetic, this invitation suite from Minted is absolutely perfect as our guests’ first impression:
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Option 2: Italian Garden Party
Whenever people ask me about my ancestry, my revelation that I’m 50 percent Italian is always followed by “and what else?” Be it my blonde-hair-blue-eyed appearance or the fact I’ve never traveled outside of the United States, I’m always fighting for my life trying to prove my Italian roots. When I saw a bride bring the Italian Garden Party to an industrial space in Chicago last year, my jaw collapsed to the floor and I fell head over heels in love. While we may be in different tax brackets (helloooooo florals), I absolutely love how this aesthetic can bring color and an organic feel into an otherwise industrial venue. By leaning into lemon accents, greenery for florals, and nods to my Italian heritage (Aperol Spritz as a wecome drink, anyone?), this aesthetic might just be a front-runner. And with this garden-party-inspired printing from Minted, I’m nearly sold:
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Option 3: Old Hollywood Speakeasy
As much as I love a classic black-and-white aesthetic and lean into minimalism, in a perfect world, you only get married once, and I really want to use this opportunity to have some more fun with the overall tone and feel of the celebration. Enter: Old Hollywood glam which can take my affinity for classic a step further. Truth be told, my fiancé and I decided upon our venue while at our favorite date-night spot, and while taking in the restaurant’s speakeasy-esque decor, we entertained the idea of leaning into an Old Hollywood-meets-speakeasy aesthetic for our wedding. This theme would pair well with the masculinity of our venue (vs. working against it), and with detailing like red velvet, vintage lamps, pearls, and this invitation suite from Minted, we can certainly make it happen:
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Cast your vote:
The jury is still out on which aesthetic we’re striving for so, in the spirit of needing external validation for every choice I make, we want to know. What wedding aesthetic should we lean into?
No matter which direction we go, we’re so excited to place our order with the support and quality that Minted delivers. If you just got engaged and are in the market for wedding stationery and materials, follow our lead and use code EVERYGIRLWED for 25% off of Save the Dates and 15% off of invites through May 1st!
This post is sponsored by Minted, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board.