PROcess: The Consultation Call

Getting off to a late start on my first PROcess post here, but I couldn't think of what to write about. Then I decided to start from the beginning: the consultation call. What should you expect on your first phone call with Uncommon Envelope? Here are some points I am sure to touch on so you are prepared to answer our questions:

Personal Information
I like to get started with the obvious - Your name, your fiance's name, contact information, best way and time to contact you. I will also usually ask how you found Uncommon Envelope. If someone has referred you to UE, let us know so I can thank them properly! Or if you linked through another site, read about us in a magazine feature, or found us in an ad, we need to know how our marketing efforts are working. Even if we forget to ask, let me kn0w how you found UE!

Event Details
The next few question pertain to the event you need stationery for. The location will often give me a starting point for design. So much of the look and feel of your event will come from your location that this often has at least a minor bearing on your final design. The date of your event helps us set a timeline for your work. I will also get a feel for the size of your event, how many guests you are planning on inviting, and how many you are expecting to attend - sometimes two very different numbers! Through these two numbers we will be able to get a rough estimate of how many invitations you will need - a number we need for quoting purposes.

Design & Decor Details
You don't necessarily need to know exactly what your event will look like, but having a vague idea of color preferences and general design style is helpful! We will also discuss whether you have seen stationery suites you like on my site already. As a note, if you have seen stationery by another designer you like I will look at it for reference on style, but it is UE's policy to not copy another designer's work.

Stationery Suite Details & Budget
This is where we get to the nitty gritty of what exactly you need to have included in your stationery suite - Save The Dates, Invitations, Maps, RSVP options, Schedule of Events... we can do anything and will help you determine what you need, including items that you'll need for the event itself!

We also like to get a realistic budget targeted for you. We would hate to make design suggestions you can't afford, or omit ideas you can! You should know before we get started that our order minimum for custom designed invitation suites is $1,500. Starting price points for our upcoming signature invitation line will be lower and based on quantities, making UE designs accessible for almost any budget. Once these designs are ready to be unveiled, we'll post an announcement.

Usually our initial consultation call lasts 30-45 minutes. At the end of it we should have enough of an idea of what you are looking for to put together an initial quote. We always quote before starting to design so that there are no surprises for you and no wasted time and work for us!

If you are looking for stationery for your next event, give us a shout. We'd love to help!