Frequently Asked Questions
What is your turnaround time?
This is a question that we get a lot, because either you're excited to get your invitations out in the mail OR you might be a bit behind schedule and need them in hand pretty quickly.
However, instead of a standard turnaround time, we accepts bookings based on your Order Arrival Deadline.
"What is an Order Arrival Deadline?" This is the deadline day you would like to have your invitations arrive to you in the mail
or have them ready for pick-up if you're local.
We accept bookings based on your deadline and our calendar availability. Therefore, the date you choose for your Order Arrival Deadline will need to be approved by Second City Stationery before we can get to work. Because of how busy the wedding season can get, we can only accept a limited number of invitation bookings per deadline week.
Being that our invitations are hand crafted, they require more time and labor to create. Therefore, it is important to choose an Order Arrival Deadline that not only works with your timeline but also allows us enough time from design to delivery.
We know you're excited to see your invitations and want them as soon as possible, but we may need to turn away your booking if we can't squeeze your deadline into our booking calendar. In short, we ask that if you have flexibility with your date that you give us some flexibility as well.
However, instead of a standard turnaround time, we accepts bookings based on your Order Arrival Deadline.
"What is an Order Arrival Deadline?" This is the deadline day you would like to have your invitations arrive to you in the mail
or have them ready for pick-up if you're local.
We accept bookings based on your deadline and our calendar availability. Therefore, the date you choose for your Order Arrival Deadline will need to be approved by Second City Stationery before we can get to work. Because of how busy the wedding season can get, we can only accept a limited number of invitation bookings per deadline week.
Being that our invitations are hand crafted, they require more time and labor to create. Therefore, it is important to choose an Order Arrival Deadline that not only works with your timeline but also allows us enough time from design to delivery.
We know you're excited to see your invitations and want them as soon as possible, but we may need to turn away your booking if we can't squeeze your deadline into our booking calendar. In short, we ask that if you have flexibility with your date that you give us some flexibility as well.
What if I need my invitations as soon as possible?
We may be able to accommodate your order. However, orders are considered rush if they are needed within a 3 week turnaround. Before filling out the Questionnaire or purchasing the Design Deposit, please contact the shop by phone at
312-877-5077 or via email at [email protected] to make sure we can accommodate your order.
Rush orders are accepted depending on our availability and the requirements of the project. Rush orders will add a charge of 15% to your order total. Final payment is due prior to printing. Please contact us as soon as possible to check availability.
312-877-5077 or via email at [email protected] to make sure we can accommodate your order.
Rush orders are accepted depending on our availability and the requirements of the project. Rush orders will add a charge of 15% to your order total. Final payment is due prior to printing. Please contact us as soon as possible to check availability.
What if I need my invitations within 6 weeks?
If you need your invitations within 4 to 6 weeks, we ask that you call us at the shop to make sure we can accommodate your booking. While this isn't considered a Rush Order, we will still need to check to see if we can squeeze you into our Booking Calendar.
The quickest way to get in touch with us is by phone at 312-877-5077. Or you can also send us an email at [email protected].
The quickest way to get in touch with us is by phone at 312-877-5077. Or you can also send us an email at [email protected].
I don't need my invitations for a while. Can I reserve my spot in your booking calendar?
Absolutely! If you don't need your invitations for a few months, you can go ahead and pay the Design Deposit and reserve your spot in our booking calendar. This will reserve your Order Arrival Deadline in our booking calendar and make sure no one else can take your spot.
What should my Order Arrival Deadline be?
Traditionally, invitations go out 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding -- that gives guests plenty of time to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements if they don't live in town. If it's a destination wedding, give guests more time and send them out three months ahead of time.
Therefore, if your wedding is June 10th, you may want to plan to have your invitations in the mail to your guests on April 8th. In this case, we recommend picking an Order Arrival Deadline between April 1 - April 5th. That way you can give yourself a few days to get them stamped, sealed, and in the mail.
Helpful Tip: We don't recommend sending invitations out too early as there is a good possibility your guests may not respond to your RSVP right away and misplace your invitation or completely forget to respond by your RSVP deadline.
Therefore, if your wedding is June 10th, you may want to plan to have your invitations in the mail to your guests on April 8th. In this case, we recommend picking an Order Arrival Deadline between April 1 - April 5th. That way you can give yourself a few days to get them stamped, sealed, and in the mail.
Helpful Tip: We don't recommend sending invitations out too early as there is a good possibility your guests may not respond to your RSVP right away and misplace your invitation or completely forget to respond by your RSVP deadline.
Can I see a hard copy proof?
Hard copy proofs are available for an additional fee of $10 per piece plus shipping. Regular and expedited shipping options are available. Keep in mind that your remaining balance of the invitations must be paid in full before the proof is shipped. We can still make changes to the design if need be, but the balance must be paid before we ship the proof.
Please note that ordering hard copy proofs will add approximately 5 to 10 days onto your production timeline. Therefore this is not recommended for orders with deadlines of 6 weeks or less.
Please note that ordering hard copy proofs will add approximately 5 to 10 days onto your production timeline. Therefore this is not recommended for orders with deadlines of 6 weeks or less.
What are shipping costs?
We use USPS Priority Shipping or UPS for invitation orders (unless you request another shipping method). Depending on the size of the order and shipping destination, we suggest budgeting for anywhere from $20-$40 for shipping. If you would like to add additional insurance to cover your package, please let us know ahead of time so we can add that to your shipping cost. Any shipping charges will be added to your final balance.
For local clients: You may also pick-up your order to avoid shipping charges.
For local clients: You may also pick-up your order to avoid shipping charges.
How much postage will my invitations need?
Most invitations will need at least a 2 oz. stamp for the main mailing envelope. These are currently priced at $0.71 a piece via the USPS. You'll also need a 1 oz. stamp for your RSVP envelope to make sure your guests return the RSVP card. These are currently priced at $0.55 a piece via USPS.
Please Note: Some of our invitation designs, specifically the square designs such as the Fairytale and Keepsake suites, will incur additional postage because of their weight and square shape. We highly recommend taking a completed suite to your local post office to inquire about the total cost of postage per piece before purchasing standard stamps.
Please Note: Some of our invitation designs, specifically the square designs such as the Fairytale and Keepsake suites, will incur additional postage because of their weight and square shape. We highly recommend taking a completed suite to your local post office to inquire about the total cost of postage per piece before purchasing standard stamps.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, international shipping is available. However, we recommend spending a little bit more for shipping with DHL Express instead of USPS. Most DHL orders will arrive within a week or so. Unfortunately, USPS international shipping can be difficult to predict. We've had packages sit for up to 4 weeks in customs just because it was mailed via USPS. DHL Express is usually about $50 USD and is well worth the extra cost.
Can you print in other languages?
We are happy to create non-English invitations if you are able to provide us with the translation. As it will be more design work, if you need more than one language for your order, (for example: 40 invitations in English and 40 in Polish) there is a $25 design fee for each additional language.
I need a special color for my envelopes and paper. Do you have other options?
The envelope color chart we provide is available for your reference. However, if you have a need for another color not shown on the color chart, we may be able to place a custom order for what you want. Please note that the actual color of the paper and envelopes will vary slightly from what is shown in the guide and on your computer monitor.
Will you provide guest addressed envelopes?
Yes! We'll also print your return address as well as your RSVP addressed envelopes. We have an Excel spreadsheet template that you'll need to use in order to receive this service. This is available for download after you purchase the Design Deposit.
Please Note: We cannot print in white or shimmer ink; therefore, dark envelopes (such as Black, Navy, Night, etc.) would be too dark for addresses to be legible by USPS standards. In this case, we suggest choosing a lighter color envelope, hiring a calligrapher, handwriting your addresses with a white or metallic Sharpie, or using printed mailing labels.
Please Note: We cannot print in white or shimmer ink; therefore, dark envelopes (such as Black, Navy, Night, etc.) would be too dark for addresses to be legible by USPS standards. In this case, we suggest choosing a lighter color envelope, hiring a calligrapher, handwriting your addresses with a white or metallic Sharpie, or using printed mailing labels.
Can you print in metallic / shimmer inks?
Because we are a digital printing business, we cannot print in shimmer or metallic ink. However, we do have partnerships with a few local print shops who we can send our designs to for upgraded print methods such as Foil Stamping, Thermography, and Engraving. The cost for these upgraded print methods will be in addition to the cost of the invitation design as it is currently priced. For a custom quote with these print methods, contact us at 312-877-5077.
We are out of time! Can you mail the invitations for us?
Sure, we can take care of this for you. We’ll address your envelopes, stuff the invitations, seal, stamp, and drop them off at the post office. Additional fees apply.
How can we pay?
Payments may be made via Chase Quickpay, credit / debit card online, Venmo, PayPal, cash or personal check. Please let us know your preference. An additional fee will be charged for any checks that are returned with insufficient funds.
We loved our invitations. Can you help us with our wedding day stationery?
Of course! We can create matching items including programs, menus, escort cards, favors, signage, and more. Please send us an email so that we can get you on our booking calendar for Wedding Day Stationery right away.
What is your return policy?
We want to make sure you are happy and will strive to give you great customer service and the highest quality products. However, as every order is custom, we cannot provide any refunds or exchanges for printed orders - that is why it is vital to check your proof carefully before signing off to print. Please note that lost deposits can not be used toward future purchases.
I still have questions...
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the shop! During the busy wedding season, the best and quickest way to get a hold of us is by phone at 312-877-5077. Or you can reach us via email at [email protected].
