Ordering
How do I place an order?
Paperwhites does business online and we have a design studio and see local brides by appointment only. We have made the online process as simple and straight-forward as possible but if you have questions about placing your order, please contact us.
What type of payment do you accept?
Paperwhites accepts Visa or Mastercard for online orders.
When should I order my invitations?
To allow for our standard turnaround time and avoid costly rush fees and to have enough time for envelope addressing once you receive your order, it is best to place your order at least 3-5 months before your wedding date.
When will my order ship?
Once we receive
proof approval of your digital proofs (which are created for you within 1-3 business days of receiving your order and wording), your order goes into
production. The production time varies based on the product ordered and these turnaround times do not include the time spent during the proofing process!
| Product Category | Standard Production | Rush Production |
| Save the Dates | 12 business days + time in transit | 5 business days |
| Wedding Invitations (digital) | 12 business days + time in transit | 7 to 10 business |
| Programs & Wedding Day Paper | 12 business days + time in transit | 5 business days |
Do you offer envelope guest addressing services?
Yes, we offer printed guest addressing services. You may download our spreadsheet to enter your guests addresses. The fonts are chosen to coordinate with your invitation and printed in a coordinating ink. We can also assist you with traditional handwritten guest addresses working with our calligrapher. In order to purchase guest addressing services, please use the links at the bottom of our website.
When should I order my Save the Dates?
Save the Dates can be sent out anywhere from 6-9 months ahead of your wedding date.
How many invitations should I order?
You should carefully look over your list and consider couples and families where only one invitation is necessary in determining your wedding invitation count. This way you will not order too many invitations, however keep in mind it is always better to have a few extras than not enough. Printing a second run of wedding invitations is expensive and our minimum on re-orders is 25 sets!
How do I order more invitations?
After your order is complete and your invitations have entered production, the only way to have additional quantities printed is to place a new order. Our minimum reorder amount is 25 on almost all of our products.
What if I need to cancel my order?
For wedding invitations, personal stationery (or any item that requires personalization), there is a cancellation charge of 35% of your total order if you decide to cancel your order AFTER digital proofs have been sent. Once your final proof is approved and your order has gone into production, there are no cancellations, and no refunds.
Proofing
How does the proofing process work?
Within 1 to 3 business days of receiving your order and wording, you will receive an email containing your Initial PDF proof. At this time you can request changes via email to your designer. Within 1 to 3 business days, the designer will email your SECOND and then an additional FINAL set of proofs if you require them with your requested changes. Should you need additional rounds of proofs beyond your complimentary 3 rounds, they are available at a cost of $25 per round.
Do you offer an automated preview of my wording as I am placing my order?
We believe typesetting is a skill best left to a graphic designer. We put a lot of thought into how we typeset each order. We will work closely with you to be sure everything is designed the way you want. Working with us will give you a very personalized experience.
Do you proofread my order?
No. We do not proofread orders. If we happen to catch an error or typo, we will bring it to your attention, however the burden of proofing lies 100% with our clients. Only you know best your own wording. It is important to show your proofs to several sets of eyes. The time to do this is during the proofing process, NOT after you receive your invitation order and it has been printed and assembled. All approved proofs are FINAL and any reprints due to errors will be at the cost of the client.
Can I make last minute changes after I have approved my proof?
By approving your proofs, you are confirming that you have reviewed your proofs very carefully, all content is correct and you are giving us the consent to place your order into production. If you have submitted approval with an error, please contact us immediately by calling 919-348-9848 and cross your fingers your order hasn't gone to press!
Shipping
How do my invitations ship?
We ship using FedEx Ground Services all over the United States. Please see our shipping page for more information about transit times via FedEx once your order leaves our North Carolina studio.
Can I expedite my shipping?
Yes, please contact us if you want your order to be expedited. This additional shipping charge is billed after your package is weighed and ready to go. Any ground shipping fees already paid to us are credited to the expedited cost and the difference is charged prior to us shipping your package.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we currently ship to some countries outside of the US including Canada and Australia. We cannot be responsible for any taxes or duties incurred once your packages arrive in your country. We ship using USPS Global Priority International Services. Additional international shipping charges are charged to you PRIOR to shipping your order.
Samples
What is included in an invitation sample order?
We highly recommend you order a sample package to assist you in choosing colors and placing your order. Sample orders include an invitation and reply card with envelopes, our ink color guides printed on both white and ecru papers, our paper swatches as well as a coupon for $10 off of your invitation order.
Are samples printed using my wording?
Samples are pulled from our current inventory and cannot be personalized with your wording. You will receive our ink color guides and paper swatches with your sample order. For a sample fee of $25, we will use your wording and send you a hard copy proof. Personalized samples do take additional time to run, so please plan accordingly.
Envelopes
Do your invitations come with double envelopes (inner and outer)?
No, our invitations come with a single envelope. If you would like double envelopes, please notify us during your proofing rounds. They are .40 each and require us to make your invitation 1/4" smaller during production. Our inner envelopes are ungummed. Do NOT call us after you receive your printed order to say your forgot to ask for them. At this point it is too late since everything will be sized incorrectly.
Are envelopes included in the price?
Yes, single invitation envelopes are included in the base pricing of all of our products. We include 10% extra envelopes for addressing errors on all Invitation and Save the Date orders. If you feel you need additional envelopes, please let us know.
What is an envelope liner?
An envelope liner is a colored piece of paper that is inserted into and adhered with double-sided tape into the invitation envelope to dress it up a bit. All of our envelope liners are die cut in-house and hand lined. Our liners extend all the way to the bottom of our envelopes.
Wording
How should I word my invitations?
Please see our Wording 101 section of the website for assistance located in the footer of our website. There are many ways to word invitations. A simple google search can give you ample wording help.
Addressing
When should I mail my invitations to my guests?
Ideally you should mail your wedding invitations out 6-8 weeks before your wedding. Many brides send them out up to 10 weeks ahead if you are expecting lots of out of town guests. Sending them even earlier is not recommended. Many people will sit your invitation aside and forget about it. Sending too early can result in a low RSVP rate.
Can you print guest addresses on my envelopes?
Yes, please download and use our
Guest Addressing Template (xls file). We CANNOT accept an MS Word document with addresses. Please proofread your address list before sending!
Can you guide me on addressing etiquette?
Coming Soon!
General Questions
I saw a design months ago, but cannot find it anymore, can I still order it?
The short answer is YES. Every year, we introduce new designs into our collection and occasionally we will retire a design in order to keep our collection dynamic and make room for exciting new products. If you would like to order one of our retired designs, please contact us directly.
I have a paper swatch color in my sample package and I cannot find it online as an option! Can I still order it?
The short answer is YES. Every year, we introduce new paper swatches and retire ones that are not selling well or that have been discontinued by the mills. If you would like to order one of our retired papers are your mat layer or envelope liner, please contact us directly and we will gladly accommodate your request.
Do you offer RUSH services and how much do they cost?
In most cases, we can accommodate rush orders, however we need to evaluate our current workload and stock of materials before accepting any rush order. Assuming we can accommodate your rush order, the following rush fees apply:
| Product Category | Rush Production | Rush Fees |
| Save the Dates | 5 business days | $50 |
| Wedding Invitations (digital) | 5 business days | $50 |
| Programs & Wedding Day Paper | 5 business days | $50 |
