Well, you’ve decided to get married …. So what’s next? It’s time to tell the world and, these days, you may need to get the word out before you have even had a chance to officially set a date or secure a venue.
That’s where having a plan for wedding invitations and stationery can help make things much easier. From Save the Dates to formal invitations and Thank You cards – having go to stationery makes it easier for you to organize your wedding and create a cohesive look for your wedding. What’s more – the tradition is so old and widely used that you’ll also have plenty of templates to guide you through what to say as well.
That’s why we’ve brought together five of the simplest ways to make selecting your wedding stationery almost effortless.
Define Your Theme and Colors
In order to select the perfect stationery, you need to know your Wedding Style. This simply means the theme and colors of your wedding – both of which are showcased in your stationery. Define your Wedding Style and the invitations will be easy to spot.
First, decide what kind of wedding you want. Set the tone by deciding on three key factors:
- Contemporary or traditional?
- Simple or Ornate?
- Monochrome or Colorful?
These lay the foundation for deciding just about everything else – including your wedding stationery.
Once you’ve decided on an overall feel, it will become easier to select a theme and your colors. Use a color wheel to research complementary colors. For more vibrant wedding plans, consider using a family of one color with accents in a contrasting color.
Love Comes in All Shapes and Sizes … And So Do Invitations
While rectangular invitations are certainly a traditional favorite, they aren’t the only game in town. Spend some time researching different options when it comes to the presentation of your invitations. Rounded, scalloped edges can add some flair to invitations or you can check out novelty shapes such as cars and hearts.
When considering card size and shape, remember odd sizes may come with higher postage costs. The same goes for RSVP replies if you are including the return postage in your invitations. Check postage costs for any oddly sized or heavier invitations.
Consider a Keepsake
One of the most popular keepsake invitations is a photographic fridge magnet with a picture of the couple and the Save the Date information. It sounds so simple but that’s why it’s so brilliant. It keeps the date in front of your guests right out of the gate. And long after the wedding is over, they’ll smile and think of you when they tack up their grocery list. It’s cute, it’s effective and it’s a great addition to your wedding stationery collection.
Keep Guests in Mind
When you are choosing your colors for the paper and ink or deciding on the font, keep your guests in mind. Make sure the details of the wedding are clearly legible and that your contact information is included more than once.
Shiny, photo like invitations can sometimes have odd edges, resulting in blurred text and decreased legibility. Talk to your designer about how the end result will look and ask to see samples of any design combination you’re considering.
Follow the Rules of Design and Wording
It’s important to follow the rules of invitation writing, but don’t be afraid to use your own words or phrasing. By using traditional examples as templates, you’ll be sure you’re mentioning everyone you should without going overboard. Allowing yourself some wiggle room in phrasing means you can create modern versions that tick all the boxes of traditional invitations with a modern twist. The same goes with design – showcase your personality as a couple, but not at the expense of the traditional rules of design.
Check off these two final issues by dealing with a professional team when creating your invitations or even recruiting the help of family and friends. Have your grammar obsessed college roommate proof read your invitations while your partner’s website designing ex collaborates with your artistic brother-in-law to create a layout that POPS.
Your invitations are your guests first impression of your wedding. That’s why it’s important to take the time to create something that is beautiful. Giving your full attention to this first task of your wedding sets the tone not only for how you’ll plan your wedding but also how you’ll work together as a team.
