FAQs

Here are a selection of frequently asked questions covering all products and services available.

General

Why is pricing different on other platforms?
All our other shops that are NOT our website are subject to fees and mandatory marketing costs, as well as fees on shipping. Therefore on average pricing on these platforms will be up to 20% more than our website to cover the fees.

Our website is the cheapest platform to buy from.

Do you have a physical shop?
Currently we do not own a physical shop. We conduct all our business from our commercial studio, including our consultations. We sell all our products online only.

Do you offer samples?
For our wedding invitations we do offer samples. These can be found on our samples page.

Can we personalise our samples?
All wedding samples are provided without personalisation and are not colour-customisable; we use materials that we have in stock for these. With this in mind we strongly recommend the ordering of a swatchbook along with your sample to see all available options. These options are available on our samples page.

Do we get to keep any wax stamps that are engraved for us?
Yes. Wax seals that are created especially for you can be returned to you once your entire stationery order with Elle Bee Design is completed. However, there is a £25 release fee as any design work created by us is the intellectual property of Elle Bee Design only. The release fee covers handing over the legal use of the stamp to you, the client. This fee is payable before any stamp is released and does not include shipping of the stamp if shipping outside of an already existing order. 

Ordering

Is there a minimum order?
Yes. For invitations and stationery there is a minimum order of 20, aside from table numbers.Pricing for minimum orders of 20-30 are priced the same. From 30 onwards the individual item price is cheapest. This is due to increase in costs to set up printing jobs. 

What are your lead times?
For our invitations and stationery, the typical turnaround time between ordering to dispatch is 4-6 weeks but this can fluctuate due to a number of factors:

- how long proofing takes - the back-and-forth process of creating items digitally. The longer you take to return details to us, the longer the lead time will be. We aim to respond to proofing in the following time frames: From date or order to when we request details: 2 working days - First proofing round; 5 working days - subsequent proofing rounds; 3 days - Sign off links; 2 days - From sign off to dispatch; 14 days. Working Days are classified as Monday - Friday ONLY and do not include days the studio is closed. 
- the size and complexity of the order - a number of elements are entirely handmade in our studio (pocketfolds, coloured envelopes, envelope liners, wax seals). If your order has a number of these elements and a lot of them, then it will take us a little longer to produce.
- when the order is placed - we order materials for customer orders every Monday morning. So for example if your order is placed with us on a Monday afternoon, this may mean your order takes a little longer than if your order is placed on a Sunday.
- our current order book - we're a small team and things can get busy, especially during traditional seasons (January being a prime example). We will, however, always endeavour to dispatch within the 2-week post-signoff window.
- opening hours - we work Monday - Friday 8am - 5.30pm We are closed on Weekends. We classify "working days" as Monday - Friday, therefore any timescale that stipulate 24-48 hours or 2-3 days for proofing will not include weekends, Bank Holidays or days the studio is closed (for annual leave etc).

I have left my order to the last minute and your lead times are too long; can you help?
We work on a first come first serve basis but if you need an order completing urgently then get in touch with us directly before placing any order, as wedo offer a "rush order" service. We reserve the right to cancel any order we have not previously agreed to fulfill at short notice.

What is your "rush order" service?
If orders are required before the minimum 4 weeks period, we offer a rush order service, whereby proofing times are reduced to 24 hours and production time is reduced. The cost of this service is 50% of the order value, excluding shipping. 

How do we book a rush order service?
We allocate a very small number of rush order spaces throughout the year. Therefore before placing ANY order, please contact us first to see if your order qualifies for rush order, and if we have space. Upon confirming, placing your order is done via the website as normal, and once the full order value is known we then invoice separately the 50% fee. Please note this fee is NON-REFUNDABLE if delay in the order occurs due to delayed responses/sign off from the client. 

How do I inform you of a different cardstock colour, if I cannot select this at the time of ordering?
You can contact us PRIOR to placing an order via email, phone or live chat to ask regarding using a different colour cardstock to print on other than white. 

You can also include these details in the "notes" section at checkout too, and we can contact you after the order is placed if there are any issues. 

It is your responsibility to contact us regarding any amendments you wish to make to cardstock colours, and this must be done before an order is placed. 

Do you offer discounts?
No. We believe that our work is priced fairly and within industry averages. 

I am on a budget; how can you help?
All our designs come with individually priced components which makes it easy to add or subtract elements so you can stay within budget. We will always offer advice on how to keep spend to a minimum if required.

Can I order more after if required?
As everything is ordered on a weekly cycle based upon specific details included with your order, we rarely have leftover materials to create extras. Therefore, we cannot recommended strongly enough that clients include overages in their original order to prevent unnecessary charges for additional items. Please note we recommend a minimum of 10%-15% or an additional 10, whichever is larger. If more are still required, then a new order for the minimum of 20 will need to be placed and this cannot be discounted.

I’m not sure on what I want and all the options you offer, can I come and see you?
We offer virtual consultations via Zoom, and face-to-face consults in our commercial studio. Our studio is a workshop with a lot of heavy machinery - it is therefore important that you adhered to our rules regarding visiting; sensible footwear only (no heals or opened toed shoes), no children under the age of 16 are permitted, and you are limited to 2 people only. You can book a consultation with us here.

How do I pay?
If ordering via the website directly then we have a payment gateway set up at checkout so you can pay using a credit / debit card, or PayPal, or Klana if opting to spread the cost. If requesting a tailored quote, then this order is purchasable again through our website and use the same checkout as direct orders.

Do you take deposits?
We don't operate a booking system so deposits are never required. Simply place your order with us when you're looking to make a start.

Are envelopes included?
Yes. All full orders come with the exact number of standard white envelopes for FREE. For some stationery items these can be upgraded to coloured envelopes for a fee.This option is available on any purchasable listing.

If more envelopes are required than what is needed for the order, any additional envelopes will be chargeable. Price reduction is not given if envelopes are not required. 

Do you have pricing on your website?
Yes. If you find the purchasable item you require and select the options you would like, a price will be given at the bottom of the page. You have complete control over how much each item will cost by using the options presented.

Will my evening invites be the same as my day invites?
No. Evening invites are provided as a 5” x 7” double sided card as standard. They come with no finishing options and include a plain white envelope only. However you are able to upgrade to include some finishing options if you wanted to. 

Can I order invitations and day stationery together?
You can but we wouldn't tend to recommend it. The reason for this is that we don't operate a prior booking system; all orders are fulfilled quickly on a first-come, first-serve basis so isn't required.

However circumstances can change and this is the main reason we don't recommend doing so - as if you needed to reduce the number of place cards, for example, this would be exempt from being refunded in full.

This means you can also stagger finances by only paying for items when you need them, rather than up-front for everything.

Colour Customisation

Can you print any design in my colours?
Unless colour is used already, we do not print our designs in colour (including text, any headings or any line artwork). This is because black or white ink are best and more legible for our designs, so we do not recommend using any colour for fonts or decals. You can also choose to add colour other ways such as from coloured pocketfolds, belly bands, envelopes, wax seals, stickers and envelope liners.

Are there colour discrepancies?
Printed colours, and colour of physical materials such as ribbon etc are all subject to interpretation. We do not claim to match a colour perfectly and furthermore, what you see on your screen to what you see on a phone to what you see in a physical item will always differ. This extends to special finish items as well. We do not accept any responsibility for colour discrepancies and again urge all clients to order a sample first. Please also note the above section regarding text/font being printed in black.This section refers to colour in artwork and other materials based items. 

When choosing envelope colour will this include the RSVP envelope as well?
No. RSVP envelopes are included as white as standard. If you wish the RSVP envelope to be the same colour as your invite envelope you will need to select this on the order drop down menu.

Where can I find all the colour choices for the various material options?
On every listing purchasable via our website you will have several “infographic” images. These are tailored to include all the relevant choices for colour you can have for each relevant item.

If you have any questions regarding colours and choices please email us at hello@ellebeedesign.co.uk

Printing

How long does printing take?
For our printed ranges we aim to print your items within 2 weeks of your sign off. This is not two weeks from the date you place your order, but rather from the time you agree for us to print your stationery.

Can I swap to different materials once I have placed my order?
This can be done as long as we have not already ordered your materials. As above, we order materials on a weekly cycle, every Sunday. If the change you've requested comes before this point then we can make the adjustment for you - if not, extra charges will be incurred due to having to order more stock.

Additionally, it's possible that material changes can result in extra charges - for example changing from a standard cardstock to "Luxe".

Can I print on the back of items?
Yes. All items that do not require to be mounted can have reverse printing on them (such as menu choices for an RSVP card, for example). This is selectable on each product page where this is relevant.

Personalisation

What is included in the proofing process?
Once an order is paid, we request your proofs via email within 2 business day of the payment clearing. Business day are Monday-Friday only and do not include Bank Holidays, or days the Studio is closed. We then send you digital PDF files to review and suggest changes. You are given 3 proofing rounds; the initial one and then a further two sets of changes. If a third set of changes is required, this is chargeable at £50 per round.

Proofing includes;
All text for all items
Colour of text

Proofing does not include:
Guest names and addresses
Wax seal colour
Wax Seal Design (unless custom)
Cardstock choice and colour
Envelope colour

Is artwork adjustable?
In most cases artwork is fixed and "sold as seen". This is because the files that we have the commercial licensing for are not adjustable either for technical, or licensing reasons. We would always recommend checking with us in advance if you have specific requirements.

Will I receive a physical proof of my invite?
No. Digital copies of your invites are sent only.
 
Can I change the wording?
Yes. We are very relaxed with wording and allow any wording to be used providing it fits. If it does not we will let you know and suggest changes and we have a number of options on our website as references.

Can I change the font?
We pair fonts with each design so that they match the style and the layout.

We do not swap fonts out to other designs as this is classified as "Bespoke" work.

Assembly

Are the invitations assembled?
Partly! We do not tie ribbon / twine, fold vellum, adhere wax seals or stick belly bands.. These items are sent with your order for you to do at home. Additional items such as clear stickers will be provided for elements such as joining belly bands or sealing handmade envelopes, which aren't gummed.

Where we do provide "assembly" is where pocketfolds are handmade (and invitations mounted inside), and envelopes are handmade. 

Shipping

What shipping options are there?
Smaller consignments use standard Royal Mail 2nd Class. For larger consignments we use a mixture of tracked courier services dependent on location. For tracked shipments a code will be provided to you once your order has shipped. You'll see the options for shipping at checkout when placing your order.

Can I combine shipping?
Yes - multiple items can be combined into a single order. If, however, you have been charged too much for shipping, then we reimburse any shipping overages to you once your items have been dispatched. We'd typically recommend contacting us in advance if you want to combine shipping.

Do you ship to other countries?
We do not currently ship outside of the UK.

Do you offer collection?
Yes, from our commercial premises. Collection is Monday- Friday 9am - 4pm only. If you are unable to collect during these ours, please use our shipping method instead. 

Do I need to do anything when I receive my order?
Yes. You need to check the items in your box are the items that you have ordered. You can find this list on your electronic invoice or order summary.

You also need to check wording and errors on the invites. The proofing process is in place to prevent errors being printed however, we expect all clients to check their invites before sending them to guest and alerting us to any errors. Please note, if spelling errors are found then reprints are chargeable (please see our “Proofing Process in our Terms and Conditions for further clarification).

If the error is found to be ours please contact us immediately where we can arrange a reprint for your ASAP. Please note that whilst this can be upsetting we are human and can make mistakes. We expect all communication to be courteous and do not tolerate abuse of ANY kind in communicating errors. We again reiterate that we expect clients to check all the invites before sending to guests.

Assembly of belly bands, adherence of wax seals and tying of ribbon/string/twine is NOT carried out by Elle Bee Design Limited. 

Cancellations

Can I cancel my order after payment?
This depends of any work has commenced OR if materials have been ordered. Please see Section 5 of our Terms and Conditions.

I am not happy with my order, what do I do?
We want all our clients to be happy with their purchase. However, if there are any issues please contact us directly to discuss. Please note for damaged orders, this must occur no more than 24 hours after receipt of goods and have accompanying pictures. We will not file a claim on your behalf if only one or neither of these terms are met.

I have received the wrong item, what do I do?
First, check over the order via your invoice emailed to you to double check what has been ordered.

If the error is ours please contact us via hello@ellebeedesign.co.uk where we will work with you to find a solution.

If the error is yours through the order process then we will suggest possible solutions for you. However this will incur additional costs so we expect clients to double check what you are ordering before placing the order. If you are not sure on anything please ask; we would rather questions are asked so you can buy in total confidence that you are ordering exactly what you want.

I have signed off my proofs, but I have noticed an error; can this be changed?
They can but this would be chargeable at £20 per round. 

Bespoke work

We love your style, but you don’t have what we are looking for; can you make something specifically for us?
No. Due to our high order volume and that Elle Bee is run by only two people we do not have the availability to take on fully-bespoke work. All of our invitation designs are customisable in a number of ways without the need for a ground-up approach. Please refer to Section 10 of our Terms and Conditions.

Contacting us

How can we get in touch with you?
You can contact us via our contact page, live chat with us, email on hello@ellebeedesign.co.uk or you can call us on 01905 28 997.

What are your opening times?
We are open Monday – Friday 9am - 4pm

We are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.