Boxed Wedding Invitations is the Invite Game Changer

Check out our interview and blog written by Marie Tabela from www.boardwalkgemini.com

When it comes to weddings (or any big event), the tone is set with the invitations. The invitations are so much more than just a piece of paper that tells the who, what, where, when and why of your event. They are little packages of your personality that invite guests to an event that is important to you, and they communicate the overall tone and feeling you want to convey regarding your event. Think about it: isn’t it way more exciting to receive a beautiful invitation in the mail than it is to receive an e-vite that may or may not go unseen in your spam folder?

When I decided to work with Adriana Tacu of Boxed Wedding Invitations for my wedding invitations, I knew I made the right choice. My invitations were truly stunning, and were definitely the type of invitations you’d feel guilty just chucking in the trash. Each guest received a package, and within that package, a beautiful silk box embellished with pearls, crystals, and ribbon, all in my wedding colors of silver and white. Inside was the invitation itself, on beautiful paper with silver glitter borders and accompanying, matching RSVP and ceremony cards. This was the most special event of my life, and with it, I wanted invitations that communicated just how special it was.

Here’s how this creative woman started such a beautiful and whimsical company that helps you invite in style.

Marie Tabela: How was Boxed Wedding Invitations created?

Adriana Tacu: My wedding was two and a half years ago and, like you, I was looking for something different. I wanted something that was more luxurious and elegant, and not a simple invitation in an envelope that my mother would have sent to her guests 35 years ago. I searched and searched, and everything was so expensive, but I really wanted them. With my mother’s help, I founded my business.

I’ve had such great feedback from people. I do a lot of invitations for weddings at the Four Seasons, the Ritz Carlton, Trump International, and it gets me so excited every time I get an order, that I just want to keep going. I get so many compliments, and it makes me so happy. So really, it all started because of my wedding! I had two weddings, a small one in the Bahamas and then we did a big one here. I had three wedding gowns! I just wanted something nice to go with it.

MT: Two celebrations and three gowns?! That sounds amazing.

AT: Yes! I wanted something highly customized, and Boxed Wedding Invitations was what came out of it.

MT: What other types of events besides weddings do you do invitations for?

AT: About 80 percent of my orders are for weddings, and then I have a smaller percentage of orders for anniversaries. That’s the most common event after weddings. I have someone from New York who just bought them as a birth announcement for their baby. Quinceaneras are also popular, and I just got my first order for a Bar Mitzvah. Mostly it’s weddings and anniversaries, usually for the 20th anniversary and up.

MT: In what ways are customers able to customize their invitations?

AT: I think the more customization, the better. Basically the whole process starts with the customer and the colors they are using for their event, like blush, silver, grey, whatever colors they are working with. Then we pick out the embellishments, like crystal, pearls, or a combination of both. Everything starts with their colors, but in terms of customization, I can do anything.

MT: Do you offer invitations that are not boxed?

AT: Yes. The line for regular invitations is not very big, but I am working on it a lot. I am hoping it gets bigger by the end of the year, just because not everyone wants a boxed invitation. About 90 percent of my customers order boxed invitations, but I am looking to expand it for wedding invitation cards as well, but with a luxurious touch. I don’t want to do regular invitations that you can get anywhere else. They will be customizable as well, and I am also working on a ready-to-order line as well.

MT: Will that be by the end of the year as well?

AT: Yes. I have some on the site already, but not many yet. I haven’t been able to write the content for all of the selections yet. I have bloggers who write the content and photographers who do the photos, and I just have to finish getting it all together.

MT: Who helps you with all of your orders? Do you have a team? It’s so much work!

AT: It’s just myself and one other person. We are not too big right now, even though the sales are. As of now, we are able to manage everything. I work on it every day to make it bigger, but I don’t want to grow too fast too soon, just because I am so new in the business and I want to make sure I can manage everything and I check everything. It’s like my baby! So for now, it’s just two people.

MT: What is your background in?

AT: My background is actually in finance. I have my Master’s degree in business, so it was nothing wedding related. But ever since I was little, I’ve been obsessed with rhinestones and glitter!

MT: How far in advance should someone order their invitations, and how long does it take to complete to order? I’m sure that varies by order size, but just generally speaking, how long do you recommend?

AT: Correct, it definitely depends on the number of invitations in the order, but I always tell my customers to give three weeks to a month, which actually isn’t a lot compared to other companies who don’t even make boxed invitations. It’s such a big event in someone’s life, so I want them to be perfect, but I’ve done anywhere from three days on. You gave me so much time, and I am so thankful for that! That’s truly the way to go. You don’t want to rush. Usually an average is two weeks regardless of the number.

MT: Wow! That’s so fast, especially given how intricate they are. Where do most of your orders come from in the country?

AT: Thank you! Most of my orders come from California, and second to that would be New York. In the top five would be Texas and New Jersey as well. After that would be Chicago.

MT: How does your pricing work?

AT: I have two different box styles, one that opens with a top that comes off, and that’s $12.25 or one that opens more like a little gate. That one is $14.75 just because the box is bigger. In terms of the customization, the price stays the same. The price goes up based on the number of cards they want to have in the box. Everyone has the invitation and RSVP cards, and from there you have the option to add reception cards, accommodation cards, website cards, registry cards. Those add up, but the box costs the same.

www.boxedweddinginvitations.com