Do I invite my assistant?

laylasaurus

I generally frown upon accepting free work from people you don't consider close enough to invite to the wedding, whether they offer to do something or not.  If these aren't people you want to invite, don't accept the offer. 

 However, is he a well established designer for varying events including weddings? This may be the sort of thing where the guy is looking to benefit from doing your wedding invites by building up a wedding portfolio to expand his business.  If this is the case, I would think that it is okay  to not invite them, but to pay a minimal fee for him to do the invites.  In neither case is a gift alone appropriate.  

All in all, this sounds like a situation where you should avoid mixing your personal and professional life, as pps said.  

We are not using anyone to help out in our wedding that wouldn't otherwise be invited. 

climbingsingle

csuave said:

If you decline remember that invitations don't have to cost a lot of money.  You can find thrifty invitation suggestions on the boards. 

Also think about what the total cost is of accepting the invitation design.  Is is design only?  Does it include the actual printing and proofing?  Are envelopes included?  My cousin offered to do mine and I had to get my own envelopes, an expense I wasn't planning on when I accepted her offer.

It's just the design only. I would then print them myself.