Your wedding invitations are often the first glimpse of your big day and can set the tone for your wedding. From the paper quality, shape & size, colour schemes, wording choices and overall style, the possibilities are endless. In this blog we’re going to go over some elements to help you choose your wedding invitations.
Choosing the perfect wedding theme
When it’s time to choose your wedding invitations, it is helpful to know your wedding theme. This is where you can start to add your own style and personality into your wedding stationery.
Your theme could be based around a shared interest to add in a bit of your personality. For example, if you have pets then you can include a beautiful illustration of your pet on your invitations. You could also include elements of your hometown or where you both met.
Floral elements are a classic and simple way to incorporate your wedding theme into your wedding invitations. If you have already decided on your wedding florals, let your stationery designer know so they can include those elements into your wedding invites.
Another way to help you decide on a theme is to take a look at your wedding venue. If your venue is a traditional venue, then a more classic & elegant look is likely most appropriate. If your venue is rustic such as a barn, then a more rustic look with floral touches could be a great way to tie in that theme. If your venue is more modern or industrial such as an art gallery or a brewery, then minimalist or modern wedding invitations may be the best choice.
Once you’ve chosen your theme, it’s time to move on to colour choices.
Pick your wedding colour scheme
Your wedding colour scheme is often based around your colour preferences or the season of your wedding. There are no hard and fast rules here so if you want a pastel colour for a Fall wedding as that’s more your style - then go ahead! We often recommend tying in a few complimentary colours to add an additional dimension and a more sophisticated look to your wedding theme.
Once you’ve decided on your colour scheme & theme, head over to Pinterest for some inspiration. By pinning designs that speak to you, you can start to get a feel for what you love. However, keep in mind that your Pinterest board should be there as a source of inspiration. We always recommend making your designs unique with custom wedding stationery rather than duplicating what you find. This makes it more unique to you!
Paper choices
There are a number of different paper choices that can give your invitation suites a different feel. While the visuals are important, the paper types can give that tactile element to bring together a new dimension. The paper types can also impact how the colours look on your stationery. Keep in mind that different paper types can impact your cost based on the material cost and print requirements.
Some paper types that you may consider include:
Cotton Fiber - one of our favourites as it’s relatively budget friendly but works really well for most designs including letterpress.
Thick Cardstock
Parchment
Vellum
Handmade paper
Linen
Acrylic - a new favourite where invitations are printed on thick clear acrylic.
If you’re not sure of your choices, we can discuss all of these paper options during your initial consultation. We have a number of samples that you can take a look at to decide what you prefer.
Invitation Shapes & Sizes
Your wedding invitation suite can come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on what you’re interested in. You can go for the traditional rectangular invitations that are 5x7 inches or can choose something more unique.
Keep in mind that certain sizes may require more postage and some speciality shapes will have to be die cut which adds an additional cost to your stationery design.
Luxe finishes
Similar to paper type options, you can also step up and choose different finishes when it comes to the printing itself. You can use one type of print type or mix and match to build in different elements to your invitations.
Foil stamped wedding invitations can give an additional element of luxury to your wedding invitations. Adding in some gold or silver touches to your names is a great way to level up your wedding invitations. This is perfect if you’re looking to add elegant touches to your invitations.
Letterpress invitations create an additional dimension as they emboss and add texture to your design. This can be incorporated with ink or without depending on the style of your wedding invitations.
Digital printing is the most cost effective way to print your wedding invitations with often just as beautiful results. This gives you the most options when it comes to colour and paper choice too.
Finishing touches
While the invitations themselves can look spectacular on their own, adding in further finishing touches can tie everything together. You could include:
Adding ribbon or belly bands are a lovely way to keep your stationery suite together and add the perfect final touch to your assembly. If you’ve gone for a very minimal design, this can be an area to add a pop of colour.
Wax seals can be included on the band that keeps your invitations and rest of the suite together. You can get custom stamps with your own monogram or an element of your choice. You can also have these to seal the envelopes. Keep in mind that these often add thickness to the envelope and so can increase postage costs.
Another finishing touch we love to see is the envelope liner. Your beautiful stationery suite does not have to all be about the invitation. Matching envelope liners give that wow effect to your wedding stationery!
Wedding Enclosures & Inserts
Your wedding invitation suite can be made up of a number of different inserts depending on your design and what you need to communicate. These could include the wedding invitation itself, RSVP cards, reception cards, registry information, itineraries and even a venue map. If you do not want to include too much information on the invitations themselves, then having a wedding website is a great way to provide more information.
When it’s time to choose your wedding invitations, we are always an advocate for custom wedding invitations. This allows you to create a design that is completely unique to you and will match your wedding perfectly. If you’re ready, book an initial consultation so you can learn more about how Pearl Invitations can add that touch of elegance to your wedding stationery.