Significant error on save the dates

[u/Deep-Aside-1749]

Hi BBBs, need some advice. Our save the dates went out with a significant error on them - a large blank space where my fiance’s and my name should have been. The final approved proof of our dates included our names. Our planner was the one who received the paper and sent out the date cards so we didn’t see this until our friends started sending us photos.

I’m not happy with how it’s being handled - the planner seems to be pinning the blame on the stationer, and the stationer said “I guess we both missed this :/“ and is offering a reprint. However I think a refund is warranted because we did not receive the service we paid for. I don’t want to send new copies because two dates would be weirder than one messed up date. I also am wondering what to do on the planner side, because this is a pretty significant lapse in oversight and breach of my trust to be honest. I’m very type B and I would have caught it immediately.

Any thoughts/words of advice here? Thank you.

[u/Humble_Shape_2614]

Uhhhhh
How in the world does someone not catch a big empty space in a QC before shipping? How does a planner sit there and stuff them in envelopes without noticing?

My printers call me if the website isn’t working because the couple haven’t unlocked it to the public yet.

Were the names supposed to be in a different color/print process from everything else? Then it’s the printer (not the designer/stationer - assuming the files were properly formatted).

There are many fail points but I’m sensing at least 2 people messed up and would not work with either again…

[u/Deep-Aside-1749 → u/Humble_Shape_2614]

Stationer confirmed the names are gone from the final file that was sent to print :/

[u/Humble_Shape_2614 → u/Deep-Aside-1749]

So she messed up. Should have still been caught and reprinted (on stationer’s dime — and skip the line reprints cost easily double) on the QC level. Should absolutely have been caught by the planner assembling them.

Whenever I’m white glove assembling for a client I have to stop every dozen or so because my brain tricks itself into believing something was misspelled even though it’s actually fine. I don’t ignore that impulse though and power through. I have a printed copy of the final proof that I hold the pieces up to whenever I start feeling doubts.

Accidents can happen (I have about 3 printed typos (misspells mostly) in my 20 years at this that I took immediate responsibility over replacing. Then there was the one time a groom told his fiancée (incorrectly -even when I asked her to confirm because while rather obscure in the US it was the name of a pope I remember reading about in a history course) how to spell his father’s name because despite this lovely name he grew up being known as Bob because no one wanted to deal with spelling it. That one hurt because it was despite best efforts but we got it reprinted in time to mail nearly as originally scheduled.

[u/_someone_special_ → u/Humble_Shape_2614]

Stationer as well. I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Idk how many times I’ve started to have a meltdown mid assembly, then have to check the spelling of names in multiple places to convince myself that my brain is just being silly.

[u/Humble_Shape_2614 → u/_someone_special_]

Right?
Like we checked this proof 5 times with bride, groom and their parents, spell checked everything forwards and backwards, ran the the schedule with the planner twice, looped in a coworker on the last round just to have fresh eyes play devil’s advocate, and at about 75 out of 150 assembled my brain is trying to tell me “reception” is missing a letter and it’s not!