You Are Cordially Invited…

Wedding styles and in-turn wedding etiquette are constantly evolving with the changing times. Sometimes those changes occur out of necessity, while other changes occur from trends. The stationary and paper aspects of weddings are a great example of these changes. When it comes to the current age of technology with acronyms and digital invitations, it is easy to forget when paper is needed. From the ‘save the dates’, the dinner menus, and the thank you notes, paper can be used in every aspect of a wedding. It can be used to help your guests interpret the tone of the wedding, provide detail information, as well as be a fun way to say thanks for having them be a part of your special day. In today’s blog we are going to take a look at the most important paper product for your wedding — your invitations! We’ll dive into why your invitations are so important, distinguishing aspects about them and what trends are currently en vogue. Get ready, you are cordially invited to the blog all about invites!

The Importance of an Invitation
When it comes to weddings, invitations can be the most important detail in planning. How else will your guests know the primary wedding specifics such as, when, where, and who (okay, so the who should be easy but your guests may only be familiar with one side of the family). Beyond these essentials an invitation can tell your guests so much more in the details. Invitations make a statement before your wedding begins, it sets a scene and fills your guests with excitement and anticipation. With smart phones, text messages and email, life can get very automated and detached. An invitation is not only thoughtful to your guests but it also shows them that they are important to you.

Photography || The Waldron Photograph Co.

Now to discuss three qualities of your invitations that are going to make them personal and highlight your big day.

The Tone
Let’s set the scene for your big day: will your wedding be a formal affair? Fun and unique? Earthy and rustic? All of these qualities can be found in different types of invitation suites. With an invitation you want your guests to be able to envision your big day, and know right away your wedding’s ambience. A fun way to set the tone would be through the envelope. A traditional envelope is always in style and can easily provide guests with a color theme. The envelope’s liners also can help set the tone, as this trend has built in popularity. These can be very simple yet elegant, like a traditional monogram with gold foil. Envelope liners can also display your wedding’s personality with florals, polka dots any other fun possibilities you could dream up. There are so many amazing options and it’s a great way to make your invitation suite unique and fun without having too much on the invitation itself.

Photography || Victoria Lynn Photography

The Color
One tip to help your invitation process along is to know your wedding color scheme. This will tie your invitation suite into your decor and all the other paper products you will need. With your color selections, your guests can tell a lot about the style of the event. For example, bright metallic gold and white can showcase the formal yet modern winter wedding you are planning. In contrast, a watercolor background on the invitation can set the tone for your June wedding on Amelia Island, assuring guests they are in for a lighthearted, beachy affair.

Photography || Sharaya Mauck Photography

The Font
Computers have made this step in invitations so easy, as many fonts exist nowadays. Plus, if you don’t see any that you like you can just make your own! From a beautiful and traditional cursive to a regal and stoic uppercase font. The type of font can seal the deal on how you want your wedding to first be portrayed to your guests and can show off the your unique personality. The interesting thing about fonts is that most types can take on different styles of weddings. What do we mean by that? A font that seems informal by itself can come across as playful when given the right platform. While most couples choose a specific font style, at least for the invitations themselves, a huge trend you see now is custom calligraphy for all paper products. Custom calligraphy can easily be tied into the other paper products needed for your wedding and is a perfect way to showcase the tone of your wedding. There are so many varieties of calligraphy out there and finding the one perfect for you can really transform your envelope and other paper products into a piece of art.

Photography || Tracy Routh Photography

When it comes to your invitation suite there are so many ways that you can detail your big day. It may seem overwhelming that an invitation will be the first impression of your wedding to your guests, but take comfort in knowing that this invitation suite will also be the first part in securing all of your paper needs for your wedding. That is huge! With this, you don’t have to start from scratch as you can use internet sites such as minted.com or papersource.com should you choose to go the web based route. Alternatively, if you want to look locally you can find a stationary store or graphic designer in your town that can help with all the details of your invitations.

Thanks to everyone for joining us on a fun and informational ride through wedding invitations! Please feel free to contact SE Seattle Wedding Consultant, Lindsey Lozama at  lindseylozama@iplanyourwedding.com with any questions you may have.