Your wedding invitation is the first glimpse of your big day and should give guests a taster of what’s to come, but where do you start on finding a design you love? And, how do you strike the right balance between design and personalisation, without it becoming bland or overdone? Wedding stationery specialist, Sarah Bowman from Rosemood Atelier, and wedding planner Michelle Healy, share their tips…
A Starting Point
1. “Define your wedding style,” says Sarah. “Whether you are going rustic or vintage, you can take a look through wedding invitation designs online to find inspiration for colours and motifs to suit your style.”
2. “Make sure you have input,” advises Michelle. “All stationers should allow couples to design their own stationery, it’s so important to have input on your stationery design as this is the first glimpse that guests will get on the style, look and feel of your wedding.”
3. “Be inspired by your venue and season,” adds Sarah. “Getting married in spring? Watercolour floral wedding invitations would be perfect for you! Dreaming of a winter wedding? Choose a winter colour palette of crisp white, icy blue and metallic foiling to transport your guests to your winter wonderland. Also, choose the colours and motifs . . . based upon your venue. Rustic wedding invitations with foliage designs are perfect for a countryside or trendy forest wedding reception, whilst metallic wedding invitations will set the scene for a contemporary venue.
Cost-effectiveness
4. Size matters: “The cost of your wedding invitations will depend on the size you have chosen, as well as the paper type and finishing touches, so bear this in mind before you place your order,” says Sarah.
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5. Factor in postage costs, including the cost of envelopes and postage when creating your wedding budget,” recommends Sarah. “If you order your wedding invitations well in advance, you’ll have plenty of time to send them by 2nd class post.”
6. Make delivery social – going cost-effective doesn’t have to be dull. Sarah suggests delivering your wedding invitations by hand wherever possible, and asking your parents to deliver invitations to family and friends in your hometown.”
The right design
Some invitations can feel bland and impersonal; and although they may have a great design, it doesn’t really reflect the couple themselves. Others can be so personal, they lose that sophisticated style. So just how do you get the balance right?
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7. Get creative; by incorporating creative wording, a photo, a wedding insignia; and write your guests’ names onto the invitations by hand. “It is nice to make your wedding invitations personal for the recipients,” says Sarah “so take the time to write out their names. If your handwriting isn’t great, you can always draft in a friend to help, or you could start practicing your calligraphy.”
8. Stick to one theme; “There’s no point in going for a warehouse style wedding venue and sending out invites that lean towards a rustic barn setting,” comments Michelle. “Research your style and show it to your stationer, so you can get your wedding invitations just right.”
From invitations in gift boxes, rolled and wax sealed, to those sent on a postcard, no two weddings are ever the same so no two wedding invitations should be either! Your wedding invitations are the first glimpse your guests are going to have of your wedding, so make them a taster of what’s to come, make them emblematic of your day, but most of all, make them personal and they’ll become a treasured keepsake for both you and your guests.
About The Experts
Sarah Bowman works for Rosemood Atelier, a company that specialises in making personalised stationery for weddings, Christmas, christenings and more.
Michelle Healy runs Michelle Amy Weddings, a Manchester based wedding planning service that offers everything from simple inspiration meetings to full wedding management. Vivienne Westwood is her “spirit animal”.
Image Credits: All stationery by Rosemood
Main image: Love Letters
Second image: English Garden
Author: Kate Lovell
Our very first writer for The Gay Wedding Guide with over 300 articles written. Unfortunately, she no longer writes for us as she left to focus on other copywriting and projects but she'll always have a dedicated place in our hearts here at The Gay Wedding Guide.
