Your wedding invitation says more to your guests than merely the words printed on it. Read this & choose one that reflects your personality.
What's hot !
What's hot !
Vibride Custom <br>Full color Invitation
Here is how it begins... A hefty envelope is delivered to one of your guests-to-be. The guest opens the envelope, takes out your wedding invitation and the excitement begins to build.
Your wedding invitation says more to your guests than merely the words printed on it. It is your guest's first introduction to your wedding, setting the tone for what's to come, establishing a theme for your wedding and giving a glimpse into your personal style.
In the not too distant past, there was only one "correct" choice for wedding invitations -- the traditional black ink, engraved on ecru cards, which were folded vertically on the left. Today, many couples are passing over black and ecru and looking to sage green, French blue, cranberry, silver, exquisite ribbons, handmade papers, antique woodblock imprints and custom logos as they strive to put a personal stamp on their wedding invitations, and their weddings.
So if you're ready to say goodbye to black and ecru, here are some ideas to help you choose a wedding invitation that is truly inviting.
Your wedding invitation says more to your guests than merely the words printed on it. It is your guest's first introduction to your wedding, setting the tone for what's to come, establishing a theme for your wedding and giving a glimpse into your personal style.
In the not too distant past, there was only one "correct" choice for wedding invitations -- the traditional black ink, engraved on ecru cards, which were folded vertically on the left. Today, many couples are passing over black and ecru and looking to sage green, French blue, cranberry, silver, exquisite ribbons, handmade papers, antique woodblock imprints and custom logos as they strive to put a personal stamp on their wedding invitations, and their weddings.
So if you're ready to say goodbye to black and ecru, here are some ideas to help you choose a wedding invitation that is truly inviting.
<b>Paper Chase</b>
<b>Paper Chase</b>
The best quality traditional invitations are printed on 100% cotton rag. But many couples are choosing different types of papers. Handmade paper can lend a heavy, textured feel that's luxurious. Some of these handmade papers incorporate pressed flowers like baby's breath or rose petals.
Vellum, a parchment-like paper, is also a popular choice and gives a light, airy feel. Printed vellum can be used as an overlay on a card or as the invitation itself.
<b>The Personals</b>
<b>The Personals</b>
This is great for a cruise<br>or destination wedding.
Consider using a motif that expresses something about you. One bride, whose nickname since early childhood was Bumble, had a small bee engraved on the top of her invitations. Another, whose last name was Angel, used an imprint of cherubs. Himmel recalls one couple with a "good sense of humor" that used a cartoonish drawing of a bride and groom -- called clip art in the invitation world -- for a lighthearted and fun invitation. A bride who was married in the caribbean used a drawing of a Coconut tree printed in silver on top of a cream card.
<b>A Perfect Match</b>
<b>A Perfect Match</b>
You want an invitation that's unique and special, but you don't know where to begin. To help with the selection process, think about the formality of your wedding. If your wedding will be formal, a simple card with an embossed grapevine or a cornucopia printed in silver on the top is elegant, but different. Architectural elements on "headbands" -- which go across the top of an invitation -- are also quite formal. A cream card with black ink with a striking aquamarine beveled edge adds a touch of the unexpected to the basic format. For an informal wedding, let's say an affair in your parents' garden, your invitation can be less formal as well. Try using embossed botanicals, handmade paper with pressed flowers, green ink or ribbon to give your invitation a country, gardeny feel.
Noted Los Angeles stationer Ilyssa Himmel of Brenda Himmel Stationery, remembers a couple who wanted to impart a "fun and festive" feel to their invitation. With Himmel's help, they put together a silver card with black ink topped with a sketch of a bride and groom, it was wrapped in rice paper and tied with a tag depicting two champagne glasses. "The invitation really said, 'We're having a party,' " says Himmel.
Theme Me Up
Your invitation can boldly announce your wedding's theme. One couple that was married on the beach in Maui chose a heavyweight cream, torn edged card with starfish and shells printed on top. Having a fall wedding in New England? How about a card topped with an embossed oak or maple leaf? For their wedding at a Napa Valley winery, one couple chose an invitation with a drawing of a cluster of grapes on top.
Color Craze
Colored inks can add pizzazz to your wedding invitations. You can echo a color that you will be using throughout your wedding. An array of greens from hunter to sage work well, as does chocolate brown. Gold is particularly elegant. "But right now silver is popular. Everybody wants silver," says Himmel. If you want to add a note of color, but aren't ready to do your whole invitation in colored ink, you can go with a colored motif on the top of the card and the text in black. Another way to inject color is to use a colorful tissue insert or line the envelope with a colorful paper or fabric, such as moiré.
<b>Design Time</b>
<b>Design Time</b>
Although some couples commission artists to sketch something unique for their invitations, there is a more affordable way to find a motif you like. Computerized clip art offers countless motifs from which to choose. And wedding invitation companies offer motifs and borders based on pen and ink drawings by contemporary artists, block prints, engraved logos or antique woodcuts. From wisteria to butterflies, pine boughs to mountaintops, the options are available.
Tied Up
Ribbons are another way to adorn your invitations. Colored sheer ribbons, tied in a simple knot or bow, can top a card. Ribbons can also be used to tie a piece of vellum onto card stock. A ribbon can tie a folding card together, so guests can open the bow and then the invitation like a present.
Sealing Wax
Sealing wax, particularly in gold, can lend a feeling of importance to your invitation. Some couples use wax to seal an invitation that is folded in three parts, with two flaps opening onto the flap with text.
Hot Type
English script is often used on formal invitations, but innovative invitations make use of a variety of type styles that fit the tone of the wedding. One bride who was having a small wedding in a restaurant chose to hand write her invitations for a personal feel.
The Long and the Short
Size is another way to set your invitations apart. The trend runs to smaller rather than oversized cards.
Trend Time
According to Himmel, the hottest invitations right now make use of letterpress printing. That's an old-fashioned technique in which raised type is inked and stamped on paper, creating a beautiful antiquey feel. Another favorite in her store: an invitation with a hand-painted flower, subtly colored and almost faded, glimpsed through beautifully calligraphed text.
Category: