5 reasons to make your own wedding invites

1. Personal touch

Even if you've written the text yourself and chosen your favourite design, shop-bought invitations can only go so far when it comes to making them personal to you as a couple. When crafting them from hand, you can make them a part of you and representative of what your union's about. Handwritten invites always look great, but the practicality of this depends on the amount of guests! Why not include a picture of the two of you or a map of the area? You could even put confetti in the envelope or use tactile elements such as silk ribbon. This beautiful wedding invitation was made for PaperCrafter by designer Lara Messer

2. Absolutely unique

When you've crafted something with your own two hands, you can guarantee that it will be one-of-a-kind. No other couple will have the same invitations and you know guests will be excited when they receive yours. The invite is your guests' first glimpse into what your wedding will be like, so you want to set the scene perfectly. Show them that your wedding is going to be like nothing they've ever seen before!

3. Just what you want

When you've got an image in your head of the perfect wedding, it can sometimes be hard to find all the elements you want. Creating your wedding invites means that they can be exactly as you envisioned. You can fit the theme and colours to the day perfectly and include special extras too. This was created by Debi Potter for Crafts Beautiful. Find the free template here

4. Cheap as chips

Getting wedding invites designed and printed can be very expensive. Keep your costs down by handcrafting your own. A pack of card, a calligraphy pen, some glue and pressed flowers won't set you back much, but will result in gorgeous invitations. Ribbon, glitter, gems and other embellishments are also relatively cheap.

5. Lots of fun

Crafting is said to relax you and reduce stress, so what better way to rid yourself of wedding planning angst? Invite friends and family over and make a crafty party out of creating your invites! It will be like an early, crafty hen-do!