Paper Source

I created all of our stationary for the wedding and was so thankful to the staff at Paper Source. They listened to my budget and the overall concept I was trying to obtain. They provided ideas and solutions to each piece I had while keeping me under budget. Thank you for keeping me under budget so I could get a pair Chanel sunglasses on our honeymoon :)

I did DIY on my invitations and Paper Source had everything I needed. The reason why I am giving them all fives is because the staff helped me to strategize about my designs. On various occasions they gave me great suggestions on how to make things work. This was my first DIY project and they have the know how, the quality materials, and the selection to make your day turn out beautiful.

I'm so glad we went the paper source for our invitaitons. They were more affordable than most of the other places we researched. Since they have two stores in our area, it was easy to get a few extra envelopes if we needed them, without having to place an expensive order. We also purchased stamps that matched our invitation designs, embossing powder, table tents and place cards and made all of that stationary on our own. All our stationary matched from the first save the date to the place cards, to the thank you cards and we saved a lot of money because we made everything except the save the dates & inviations.

I ordered all of my stationary paper from Paper-Source and I am so glad that I did. Overall my DIY invites (ordered image file from Etsy seller - empapers) came out great and I couldn't be happier.

*this review is for the Reston location.

I purchased all the pieces for my DIY save-the-dates, invitations, programs, favor labels, etc. at Paper Source.

I changed my mind several times, lost several receipts, and made several messes of paper trying to match everything.

They never rolled an eye, and even helped me pull all sorts of stuff out, demoed stuff for me, and were exceedingly helpful.

Plus they have cool funky gifts for friends who help you out!

We had a great experience with Paper Source. They have a wide range of options with some flexibility to customize the text and layout. And their inks and papers are beautiful. Invitations can be very expensive, but the number of options for different print type, enclosures, etc. creates a pretty wide range of prices, and we felt that we got a good value. The staff were also great to work with. I was surprised that the store had such a limited selection of enevelope liners that could be precut and assembled, but this is a minor complaint in the scheme of things. I would highly recommend Paper Source.

We went to Paper Source when Zazzle failed us. We made our own invitations and didn't require a lot of effort on our part and it saved us money over Zazzle. I especially like that they offer value discounts for multiple packs of paper.

We also purchased paper for our DIY ceremony programs; and cutouts for our out-of-town gift bag tags.

I wish that staff would be a bit more proactive when I'm in there searching for paper. Perhaps they thought I knew what I was looking for, but each time I was in there (3 times) not one person came up to ask and I had to search for someone to assist when it wasn't very busy although it was within 45-minutes to closing two out of those times, so they were restocking shelves.

I'm sure I could have searched for cheaper paper but in a pinch, it's well worth the trip over to Georgetown! Plenty of selection.

We used paper source in Georgetown for our wedding invitations. They convinced us to order without assembly. We spent probably a total of 20 hours putting these invitations together (envelope lining, glue dots on cards, pasting tabs) for 200 invitations. I don't know how much we saved, but it would have been worth it to have the invitations done professionally from start to finish. Also, the font came out smaller than it appeared on the sample. Overall we were pleased, but it was not an overly exceptional experience.

I highly recommend Paper Source for your wedding DIY projects. We saved over half the cost of ordering invites, as well as save the dates. We went to Papyrus for pricing of invitation sets (apprx 100), which is astronomical. We also got pricing from Paper Source on ordering a letterpress invitation set ('Birds and Leaves' theme). This was comparable to Papyrus, so we chose to purchase the paper, envelopes and liners individually and make them ourselves. I went to the Georgetown, DC store, and the staff was helpful with tips and ideas. I read online that they do instructional classes for wedding invites. However, we didn't get a chance to go. (There are also instructional videos on their website)
For the Save the Dates:
We received hands-on instruction on different stamps and effects. We used the Leaves Rubber Stamp with the brown chalk ink and the Corner Hole Punch. We used the Watermark inkpad with the same stamp on Leaf colored envelopes.
For the Invites:
We used the Luxe Cream paper with larger Leaf envelopes. Then we purchased brown pre-cut liners online. Very easy - fold and use a glue stick. Highly recommend the liners because it adds a 'polished' touch.
I thought everything came out beautifully. We received tons of compliments and were able to save a lot of money.

I think making your own invitations, save-the-dates, programs can be fun and definitely saves money. I can't imagine doing it without Paper Source... the staff was often helpful, pointing me in the right direction or letting me bounce ideas off of them. The shipping from the website was speedy and i never had any problems with my order. The Georgetown store carries lots of certain colors, but almost nothing of others, meaning that you'll have to work both online and in the store (to see colors, at least). They can order for you in the store, but you still will pay shipping to have it delivered to the store, so it's kind of pointless. All in all, though, I was really happy to make my own invitations and will likely be making my own Christmas cards using Paper Source products.

I scoured so many websites and places for invitations but finally settled on this set from the Paper Source. I am very happy with the results. They were a little pricier than some places but the quality of their product was great. My only problems were placing the order online (my proof did not look like it had online but you get to edit the proof for free so it worked out fine anyways). I wish I had gone to an actual store and placed my order there since you couldn't add return address printing on the envelopes online. It was such a hassle to get someone on the phone who could add it to my order placed online and then they went back and forth with the color of the font for the return address printing. Anyhow, after numerous back and forths, everything worked out in the end. I guess it is better to be thorough than incorrect. I also purchased blank paper from the paper source that matched my invitations exactly so I could print direction cards, programs, place cards and table numbers myself.

We were pretty happy with using Paper Source to do our invitations. They were letter press; however, they didn't feel as nice as the ones we looked at in the book. The paper quality didn't seem to be as soft or and nicely pressed. We added Hebrew on our invitations, and there was a mistake that we caught during the proofing process. We didn't pay extra to have our address put on the back, and in retrospect that was a mistake. We should have just paid the extra amount and done that, since stamping the back took a lot more time than was necessary. It was an overall easy process and they did arrive in time with the proof changes we had made. I might have worked with a smaller company if I had it to do again.

We were looking for three things in our invitations: Purple, decent quality at a reasonable price, and able to accommodate two languages. I searched everywhere for something that fit all three criteria and eventually got really discouraged and overwhelmed. So we went to Paper Source in Georgetown to discuss options with them. We had to wait awhile before we could meet with someone, but that was my own fault for not making an appointment. And when it was finally our turn, they were GREAT. They talked through options with us, showed us tons of examples, and finally helped us pick out everything we needed to make our own. If I had been able to find a pre-made invitation that fit our criteria, I'd have done that instead because there are lots of nice ones available for only about $100 more than what we spent on materials, and it would have been worth it for the savings in time. But given our parameters, this was our best option, and the people at Paper Source were great. And it turns out that I LOVE our invitations. I don't think we saved much money doing them this way, but it was the only way we were able to get exactly what we wanted.

I used Paper Source materials to create all of my paper products myself, including invitation, response cards, escort cards, table numbers, place settings, favor boxes. The staff is always helpful and the store is full of good ideas. They also do letterpress but if you are on a budget and like creative projects - I recommend doing it yourself with Paper Source!

I ordered our invitations and our wedding programs from Paper Source and everything was perfect. The manager - Betty - was exceptionally helpful, as was the entire staff. There was a quick turn around time and they stayed in touch with me to keep me posted on any issues that arose. I also hand made all the escort cards, place cards, and menus and the staff kindly gave me artisitic ideas and helped me with tips on how to make them - they turned out beautifully and it was such a nice touch that I hadn't thought of until the staff showed me how easy it was to do!

I did my own invitations, but got the paper at Paper Source. They have all types of paper and stamps. The people at the store are very helpful. It can get expensive if you want to do something fancy, but if you keep it simple by getting plain paper and choosing just a couple things to accent the invite with, you can make a gorgeous invitation for only a couple of dollars per invite. For example, we chose a stamp that we used as a theme for all the wedding paper – save the date, menu, place cards etc. We got tons of compliments on the invitations.

Outstanding letterpress invitations for a great price. Compared to standard letterpress prices, the Paper Source was well priced. The Washington DC Georgetown Paper Source personnel were extremely accommodating, staying open for an extra 40 minutes in order to wrap up my order. They were patient, knowledgeable about their product, and enthusiastic to serve. It was a postive experience.

If you are on a budget and like DIY projects, you really can't go anywhere else than Paper Source. The quality and expanse of their products is the best that I found. They have a ton of colors and types of paper to fit any budget or style.
I made my Save the Dates, Invitations, Rehearsal Dinner invites, menu cards, place cards, escort cards, and many other wedding projects with their paper. I used the Luxe Cream paper with Leaf and Butter papers. My "theme" for all of my paper goods was the Italian paper "Bertini Plumes".
If you are lucky enough to go to a Paper Source store (I went to the Georgetown, DC store), they are just helpful enough to not bug you but to give you some good tips and ideas. I did see them doing full-blown consultations with brides, if that is what you need.
Overall, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. It was one of the best ways that I was able to save money, have a "home-made" touch to my wedding, and get tons of compliments.
***(I also ordered about 1/2 of my products from their website, which is amazingly simple and convenient)***

I used products from Paper Source for DIY save the date cards, invitations, post-wedding announcements, and thank-you cards. I own a color laser printer and am pretty good at creating designs that I like, so choosing this option allowed me to have incredible wedding stationery at a fraction of what it would have cost to do the same thing through a printer or designer. I included a lot of extras like metallic ink and sealing wax, and we purchased supplies for about 100 people.

Pros:

- They have an unbelievable range of colors and shapes of cards and envelopes. They also have higher-end choices like special decorative papers for trim, mailing boxes (which you see in lieu of envelopes sometimes), and decorative extras like sealing wax and stamps. You can have a list in mind when you go there to prevent getting dazzled by all the choices, or you can go as a blank canvas and see what grabs you. (You can also ask the help - they are friendly and very detail-conscious.)

- Again, the cost. Unless you want traditional engraved invitations, you can make anything you find here look like something you would have bought from a printer. Everyone who heard that I'd made them was amazed - they do not look at all "homemade."

- If you don't live near one of their stores, you can still buy from them online.

Cons:

- Several of the metallic pens I bought from them were dry upon purchase and they were wary about exchanging them, plus it was a pain to have to go all the way back to the store after I'd already carved out time to make the first visit. Likewise with a few of the packs of envelopes that had less in them than they were supposed to. They are sold in packs of 10 - I suggest a quick count before you throw them into your basket so you can avoid that hassle.

- Several packs of the folded cards had between 3 and 5 cards (in the middle so impossible to see until you take the wrapper off) that were scrunched, apparently by the folding machine. Another hassle if you're trying to do things in batches - adds another trip back to the store and another printing session.

- This one would not be a con for everyone, I realize, but the in-store help could sometimes be slightly overbearing. I had a specific idea in mind and just wanted to shop for it, but they kept flitting over to ask questions, offer help, tell stories of what they had done for their wedding, and ask what other ideas we had for our wedding. I tend to skew male in my shopping style in that I just want to get in there and get it done and their 'friendliness' started to feel a lot more like oversharing, or like a fly that you shoo away but that keeps coming back to buzz you. (example: me, wearing headphones and calmly and happily browsing. store helper, coming over to me and getting right in front of me (after several gentle shakes of my head at her subtler attempts and a smile indicating that I was fine) and motioning for me to take off my headphones. I did, and she then actually asked "How are we doing? Can I help you with anything?")

Not a reason to not shop there, but for those who would find this irritating, please prepare yourself just in case. :-)

The people at Paper Source were so great in helping us design our invitations and teaching us how to assemble them. I was all about saving money in this department and Paper Source was definitely the way to go. They also have a great return policy and I was able to return any materials I didn't end up using. The color variety in their papers is great and they have a wide variety of stamps that can be used to theme an event throughout various elements.

Our letterpress invitations from Paper Source were awesome! We got so many comments on how beautiful and unique they were! The quality of the paper is superb, and the selection of colors, designs, and fonts you could choose from was wonderful. Although they were more expensive than many Hallmark designs, the uniqueness, style, and the comments you'll receive make up for that!

We made our save the dates and invitations ourselves, getting all of our supplies from paper source. The prices are great - there are a million colors, stamps, etc. Easy and perfect!

Since I love design work, I took it upon myself to create my own invitations. After reviewing lots of examples, I found the perfect paper at paper source for all elements involved. I loved designing my own w/fonts, symbols, ribbon etc. Paper source made my search a one stop shop for the stationery, envelopes, ribbon, stamps, etc. They were great, always had generous supply of stock and were helpful. The only downside was they were as expensive as if I'd had them ordered. I also had to pay a printer to print my design and cut them. I wish Paper Source could have provided that service for me.

I made my own invitations using materials from paper source, and it was the task which I enjoyed most. They have a great website, so I got lots of ideas there and then went to the store. They have some volume discounts and helpful salespeople. Now, they do lots more letterpress (read: expensive) custom wedding invitations, so beware that the salespeople may try to push you towards that (I haven't had this happen, I just imagine it might). You can order everything online, too, though I changed my mind some after having seen the merchandise. I was really happy with the invitations and thank-you's I made and I saved A LOT doing it myself. I also got lots of compliments, including things like "these don't look homemade." I also got a guest book there, and you can get photo albums, too.