Choosing your wedding invitations is most likely one of the first things you'll do in the wedding planning process. You've probably gone through the very stressful (but exciting) steps of choosing a date and possibly securing a venue, so choosing the invitations that you'll send out to loved ones makes it feel so official - which can be a daunting thought when choosing the right ones. But relax! Planning your wedding should be all about staying true to who you are as a couple, and having fun of course.
Mackenzie and I are both from small towns outside of London, and were getting married in a very historic part of England. We wanted our stationery to be true to our English roots and feel very traditional. We went with a thick cream card and elegant calligraphy, to keep it beautiful and simple. Your wedding invitations are a great indicator to your guests for what type of wedding it's going to be - formal, casual, maybe even beach wedding? It can all be inferred from the second they open up the envelope. Our wedding was black tie, and you can definitely get the formal feel of our invitations.
Our stationery was made by the amazing folks over at Wedding Paper Divas, and it was oh so easy to create online - perfect for the busy bride on the go. They were kind enough to give me some of their top tips for choosing your perfect wedding stationery, which I cannot agree with more. Read below!
Photo by Polly Alexandre | Source: Martha Stewart Weddings
How To Choose Your Wedding Stationery:
1. Take your time. Choosing a wedding invitation can be overwhelming! Take your time browsing and thinking about your desired look and feel. Stationery is not a wedding planning task that can be easily checked off in one day. As you begin brainstorming, think about your love story, your combined aesthetic and your venue, then collect images that speak to you. Save favorite designs and revisit them often. Choosing save the dates or invitations often happen early in the planning process – and you may not have your colors or them quite established yet. This is the time to explore your options and fall in love with a style. Make sure to get lots of samples so you can really touch and feel that paper, the ink, the foil, the letterpress.
2. Make it personal. Your wedding invitation is the official introduction to you as a couple and sets the tone for what’s to come. This one piece of mail communicates volumes to your guests — from the location to the dress code — and helps express your own unique love story. Be sure the design you choose reflects your personalities and your wedding style. Don’t be afraid to partner with your stationer to bring your vision to life. If you love a certain design but aren’t feeling the fonts, or the colors aren’t quite right, don’t settle. Your stationer will often be able to accommodate your requests to create something perfect for the two of you.
3. Trends: to follow or not to follow. Current trends should help inspire you, not constrain you. Create wedding stationery that you love, regardless of whether or not it is popular. If you feel inspired by a current trend, but want to tweak it or adjust to suit their style, work with your stationer or designer to find that balance.
4. Small details can have a big impact. Small stationery details can go a long way. Place cards, menus, napkins and even coasters add serious style while also enhancing the overall guest experience. These little touches can be used to share details about you as a couple, inviting guests in to your personal story and really making them feel welcome and important - a vital part of your celebration. Imagine how fun it would be to read “did you know?” facts about the couple printed on little napkins during cocktail hour.
5. Get creative. It is not uncommon for couples today to have some design experience or have the ability to do beautiful illustrations or hand-lettering and want to incorporate those elements into their stationery. You should absolutely honor those personal touches and bring them to life! If you aren’t artistically inclined, don’t fret! Lots of couples enhance their invitations by featuring engagement photos or unique wording that allows their personality to shine through. There are endless ways to make your stationery your own.
6. Texture matters. I was obsessed with embossed lettering, we went for foil in the end, but I wanted people to feel the words, literally! Whether you have shiny or matte card, thick or thin paper, and bespoke calligraphy inked by hand, the feel of the cards can make a big difference to their overall look.
