Time to Get Personal
By Annette Redican | posted on September 21, 2011 at 11:00am
The only thing limiting your invitation design? Your imagination.
There was a time when prevailing etiquette demanded a wedding invitation be only white or ecru, with formal black engraving for the lettering.
No more.
Today’s myriad of gorgeous, innovative paper products, which are used for everything from announcing the date to providing customized favors, offer endless options to personalize the big day.
In fact, with so many choices, couples may quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the possibilities. Your first search online is enough to make your head spin; and that’s one reason it can be helpful to work with a local paperie to review your options – experiencing colors, fonts, and paper stocks first hand.
And, like all wedding-related details, invitations and paper goods follow trends. Linda Carpenter, Owner of Yours Truly, a paperie in Clarence, shared some of the latest trends in wedding invitations and related accoutrements:
A single theme. Paper accessories—which include save-the-date cards, invitations, programs, place cards, RSVP cards, menus, favors, napkins, and wedding itineraries – are incorporating a common design element, be it color, graphics, a pattern or an embellishment.
Unique designs. While the Buffalo area still favors a more classic invitation, brides are definitely starting to lean towards jazzier designs with patterns, creative layering of paper, unique card stocks, and liners such as vellum. They can also be “interactive,” with pockets, for instance, made of card stock, fabric or glassine envelopes, which invite the recipient to “unwrap” the invitation.
Creative shapes and folds. Invitations are now available in range of presentations – single panel/dual/ tri-fold and even four-page booklets. They often feature a liberal use of color and less conventional fonts, reflecting the rise in non-traditional venues and destination weddings. Boxed invitations, which incorporate a small gift, are also becoming popular.
“Brides frequently have great ideas but are uncertain how to translate them,” Carpenter said. Her job is to share her expertise. She acknowledges the trend in do-it-yourself – and explains how she can help with that. “Couples can sometimes be intimidated by the DIY aspect but then they realize they can get incredibly creative with the product, design and assembly to produce something that is exactly right for them.”
For instance, one recent bride, Dr. Laura Wade of Clarence, went with a semi-DIY line called Envelopments that allowed her to mix and match her enclosures, cards, papers, liners and envelopes – with a custom look that she could control. Wade said this allowed her to retain a high-end feel on a budget; to reduce costs, for instance, she used a folder invite without an envelope, a postcard for the RSVP and the same paper for the invites, programs and favors.
Plus, Wade (a veterinarian who specializes in birds and exotic animals) designed a dove “logo” which she was able to incorporate into the invitation, wedding programs, and handmade bookmarks the couple gave to guests as favors. The logo was also used as a decorative element throughout the reception (and the theme was reinforced when the couple released doves after the ceremony.)
No matter what you choose for your invitation, remember that it’s the first impression your guests will receive of the upcoming festivities—whether it’s ultra-formal, totally casual or something in between. Fortunately, there’s a design, paper and presentation that suits just about everyone—and every budget.
