How Start a Wedding Invitation Business, Part 1: Etsy Shop vs. Your Own Website
As a wedding stationer since 2013, I’m often asked how I started and grew my wedding stationery business, Betty Lu Paperie. But the truth is, it’s not really that straightforward. There isn’t really just one path or one thing I did that allowed my brand to flourish. Rather, there have been several monumental steps along the way that have helped me maintain a steady income and build a profitable business over time.
In my newest blog post series, I hope to give you a better perspective on how to start a wedding invitation business. The truth is, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Over the years, I’ve realized that being your own business owner means there is no end of the line. It’s not like you ever really arrive to a final destination. It’s an endless ladder to climb. You’re constantly coming up with new ideas, refining your process, and discovering ways to run your business more efficiently.
My goal for this series is to give you insight on what you need to start a wedding invitation business and hopefully encourage you along as you develop your own company.
And today, let’s start with your first step: selling wedding invitations in an Etsy shop vs. your own website.
Before You Get Started
By now you probably already know that I’m incredibly passionate about choosing a niche for your company. So, naturally–before you ever get started with your wedding stationery business–the first step is to choose a niche and a target market. You can learn my process for choosing a niche in this blog post.
Maybe you’re on the fence about finding a niche. You have a wide variety of talents and can create almost any product under the sun. I get it. And that can work in the beginning for a little while.
But as you develop your style and learn who your dream clients are, it’s important to zero in on a niche. Every decision you make in your business will build upon your niche.
There are thousands of others out there doing exactly what you’re doing. Your niche is what makes you special and what sets you apart.
Etsy Shop vs. Your Own Website
The creative community is divided when it comes to selling wedding invitations in an Etsy shop or on your own website. (I even wrote about it at length here.) Unfortunately, I can’t really tell you which one you should choose, and your personal path will depend on a variety of factors. But, I can tell you my story.
Betty Lu Paperie began as an Etsy shop in 2013. And, this may come as a surprise, but I never actually intended to go full time with it. I was working full time at a women’s magazine, and I absolutely adored my job. But, I also really loved paper and etiquette and weddings.
I thought a wedding stationery business might be a nice way to generate money on the side, which is why I chose Etsy.
I had no clue what I was doing or getting myself into when I began. Not to mention, I couldn’t find any resources to point me in the right direction or offer specific guidance on how to sell wedding invitations on Etsy, or anywhere online for that matter.
Although I was really passionate about what I was doing, my Etsy shop lacked focus. I sold everything from modern tropical invitations to floral bohemian stationery. That worked out for a little while, until 2015 when a floral invitation of mine went viral on Pinterest. This is what allowed me to quit my full time job and focus on stationery full time. Then, in 2016, I took the leap and went all in on the floral wedding stationery niche for boho brides.
It wasn’t until 2017–four years after starting my own business–that I officially launched my own e-commerce site.
There are pros and cons to selling wedding invitations in an Etsy shop vs. your own website. Since I have experience with both, keep reading for full details.
an etsy shop
Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade goods, vintage finds, and DIYers. While vintage shoppers don’t really apply to our industry, the other two categories do. If you choose to sell wedding invitations on Etsy, market to one of those clients: handmade buyers or DIYers.
If you want to sell handmade wedding invitations, target brides who want luxurious little touches, like vellum wraps and wax seals–anything to make your stationery feel handmade.
Optionally, you can target DIY brides through selling supplies (like invitation envelopes, wax seals, or handmade paper) or editable invitation templates.
No matter which area you decide, there are some pros and cons when it comes to Etsy.
Pros:
Incredibly easy to set up and maintain.
The startup cost and fees are much less than owning your own website.
Access to over 80 million buyers.
Can create a quick cash injection into your business.
Cons:
There is a bit of a learning curve to ranking in Etsy search.
Little to no control over how your shop is designed and laid out.
Your brand can get “lost” on Etsy, though you can find ways to overcome this here.
Etsy is an online marketplace, therefore you’ll be at the mercy of any new changes or rules they implement. (However, most of the rules and changes they implement are in your best interest anyway.)
your own website
By running your own website, you are able to take full control over how your brand appears online. You also own your own website and make your own rules. But, with that comes a lot of responsibility.
Pros:
Full control over your website and your brand.
A good website design can make you look professional and established.
You own it, and you have full control over your own company’s terms and policies.
Cons:
Set up time. It can take an incredibly long time to set up your website, especially for something like wedding invitations which can have complicated pricing structures.
Set up cost. Although some sellers complain about Etsy fees, it’s nothing in the way of hosting your own website.
Lots of maintenance and management. I am constantly thinking of new things that I desperately need to add to my website, and it seems like my website always needs a refresh. Plus, if there are any errors on my website or hiccups with my payment processing, I am responsible for fixing it.
Building an audience from scratch. This is undoubtedly one of the most difficult aspects of having your own website. It can take years to build a loyal following for your wedding invitation business and find the right vendors to network with.
Why not both?
Instead of choosing between selling wedding invitations in an Etsy shop vs. your own website, I like to say–why not have the best of both worlds? Etsy can be a great second revenue stream for your business while you’re building up clientele through your own website.
In the beginning, managing an Etsy shop and a website can be a bit overwhelming. But, there is a simple way to do both at the same time.
Rather than build a complicated e-commerce site, create a simple website with just a few pages about your business, process and services, and maybe even a few blog posts. Then, create a “shop now” button or hyperlink that links directly to your Etsy shop, where you sell your products.
I did this for my own website for quite some time until I was able to add e-commerce capabilities. Here’s an image of how my website homepage looks now. While my blush pink “shop now” button currently links to my e-commerce pages, this is where you could simply link to your Etsy shop.
Then, as your business grows, you can add e-commerce capabilities to your website when you’re ready.
One Last Thing…
I hope this post provides you with valuable insight as you prepare to take the first step to starting a wedding invitation business. By sharing my perspective on how I built a profitable wedding stationery business, my hope is that you’ll be able to make more informed decisions that help you grow your brand.