Wedding invitations
Top Ten Styles of Wedding Invitations
There are many different ideas when it comes to wedding invitations, so it is important to look at the style that fits best, before you decide which invitations to send out. Wedding invitations are an important part of the wedding planning process because it provides your guests with valuable information about the ceremony. These ten commonly used invitation styles can help you find the best choice for your wedding.
Traditional
The traditional themed wedding invitation is making a comeback because of its simplicity, which many couples like to have. The traditional wedding invitation is a rectangular shape made from one sheet. This style generally has printing on the front of the invitation in a scripted font without any other decorations or designs. Although it is very simple and plain to look at, the couples who choose it do so for its simplicity. This is also a style typically used with formal weddings.
Contemporary
The contemporary wedding invitation is something that is drastically different from the traditional style. It is a wedding invitation that can be in any shape and in any size, and the couples usually choose it because they can customize it to their own needs and wants. This style is perfect for destination weddings. The couple may also choose to incorporate a picture on the invitation. There are many excellent choices available when choosing a modern themed wedding invitation.
One Fold
Invitations that fold in half are also very common today. On the front of the invite, there is usually a quote or lyrics from a song, or even a picture. When the invite is unfolded, the information important information about the wedding can be found. These can be opened sideways, like a traditional greeting card, or it can be opened top to bottom. Either way, many couples are choosing to use them.
Two Fold
Two fold wedding invitations were not used in the past because they take up a lot of room and can be heavy and expensive to buy. However, many couples have started to use them, especially if they can print the invitations all by themselves. These are designs that have a lot more information than the traditional invitations, because the have more room. The first fold usually has information about the couple, and the middle fold usually has information about the wedding itself.
Religious
For very religious weddings, designs like crosses and religious symbols are becoming very important to use on wedding invitations. You can find many different design elements that include religious items or symbols, and if this is something that is very important to you and your spouse-to-be, it is important to use a wedding invitation that matches your needs.
Cultural
Many people are putting cultural ideas or decorations onto their wedding invitations because they want to celebrate the mixture of two different cultures in their wedding. These can include using Celtic knots as decoration, or even using traditional colors and designs of the Native Americans. Either way, using cultural designs on wedding invitations is becoming quite popular.
Theme Oriented
A big idea when it comes to wedding invitations is to incorporate the theme into the actual invitation itself. This can mean fall leaves on an invitation, or invitations in the shape of snowflakes for a winter wedding. It can also mean a beach scene on the wedding invitation to indicate that the wedding takes place on the beach.
Transparent
A newer addition to wedding invitations are invitations that have transparent sheets added to them. A wedding invite might have a photograph underneath a semi-transparent sheet of film over the top of it. This adds depth to the wedding invitation and makes it much more fancy and interesting to look at. It can be an idea for a formal or informal wedding.
Illustrated
Another idea that is hitting the market when it comes to wedding invitations is the illustrated invitations. These have either a picture of the couple on the invitation, or a drawing of them or something else on the invite. Because illustrations were not normally used for wedding invitations, the illustrations on these types of invitations can be very interesting and can make for a completely different theme when it comes to wedding invites in general.
Non-Conventional
There are several different non-conventional wedding invitations that are out there on the market today, and couples who seek to be completely different usually do these. Often, they are used for destination weddings, as they often incorporate the overall theme. They can be airline tickets that fit into a pocket, messages in a bottle, or even cloth and paper leaves with the wedding information written on them. Non-conventional wedding invitations are usually done by hand or they are purchased one at a time, so they can be quite expensive.
When to Choose Classic Wedding Invitations, and When Not To
There are many types of wedding invitations to choose from when planning a wedding. Before making your decision, consider the type of wedding that you are having. This can dictate whether a classic style invitation is right for you or if you should use another style. There are several situations where classic wedding invitations are used. The most common is for a wedding that is taking place in a church or another type of formal ceremony.
Classic wedding invitations look like they are quite old fashioned. Most of the time, they come on one sheet of paper, without any folds. They are often in an envelope with a sheet of tissue paper, and usually have one or two colors. The background is usually white or off white, and the color of the printing is a dark color. There is usually a boarder, and the wedding invitation has important information about the wedding on the inside. This information consists of who is getting married and the time and place where the ceremony is being held. Classic wedding invitations are usually all the same general size, and they have a very formal and traditional tone to them. However, the colors and borders can be customized. It is also possible to customize the text on the invitation to make it your own.
When to Go Classic
There are several situations where a classic wedding invitation is the best choice. If you are very religious, and the biggest factor in your wedding is going to be the traditional, religious aspect of it, you may enjoy having the classic wedding invitation more than you would enjoy having a different, more contemporary wedding invitation. If you are inviting many people who have very traditional values, and you want to make the traditional values into what is most important in your wedding, you may also prefer to choose the traditional and classic wedding invitation.
You want to make sure that your wedding follows this traditional theme after your choice of invitations. This is important because it can help you make sure that you are on track for a formal celebration right from the start. Often the more classic and traditional wedding invitations are the best way to show right from the start that you are planning a traditional and formal wedding. If you are not planning a traditional wedding, it is still possible to use this formal invitation. Although it may not match the exact theme of your wedding, the invitations are very simplistic and you are sure to find one that works well.
When to Choose another Option
Even though there are plenty of reasons that you might want to choose classic wedding invitations, there are also some times where that style is not the best choice. If your wedding is very informal, a classic wedding invitation just is not going to match the theme or setting of your wedding.
Many times, traditional afternoon weddings, followed by evening dinners and receptions do well with the classic wedding invitation. However, weddings that are in the morning, with afternoon receptions, or weddings that are in the early evening with late night receptions are ceremonies that might benefit from a different type of wedding invitation. You have to use your best judgment and ask yourself if a traditional wedding invitation is really the best style for your ceremony.
In addition, if you are having a destination wedding, you probably do not want to go with the classic wedding invitation. A destination wedding is a great time to explore different possibilities when it comes to choosing this type of event , so you want to be sure that you are leaving your options open for the type of wedding invitation that you want to send out. A destination wedding in another location such as the beach, or a different country, may call for a more creative wedding invitation rather than a classic wedding invitation. In this case, you may want something that is the color of the ocean or a landmark of the country where the wedding is taking place. These are just a few informal ceremony ideas where a traditional themed wedding invitation would not work as well.
No matter what, you are going to have a decision to make. You want to take into consideration the overall theme or idea behind your wedding. You also want to think about the time of day, the type of wedding you are having, and the level of formality that your wedding is going to have. All of these factors are very important because they help you to show how important your special day is, and they help you to choose the wedding invitation that is going to mean the most to you. Your wedding invitation should be something that you really love and enjoy.
Continue reading When to Choose Classic Wedding Invitations, and When Not To
Save Money When Buying Wedding Invitations
It seems that everyone is on a budget these days. For this reason, purchases are more heavily scrutinized, and decisions are more thought out. While planning a wedding on a budget can be delicate process, an incredible event can still be orchestrated even while the purse strings are held tightly. There are opportunities for saving money in many areas of a wedding, from the wedding invitations to the thank you cards.
Deciding on wedding invitations is one of the first choices the bride and groom will make. This is a great time to investigate all styles, colors and options available in order to find the best invitations, at the best price as well.
Of course, the happy couple does not want their wedding invitations to look like budget wedding invitations. Fortunately, there are so many wedding invitation options out there that you can find beautiful wedding invitations that do not put a major dent in your wedding budget. Here are just some of the ways that you can save money when buying wedding invitations.
Shop for wedding invitations online
Shopping online gives you a huge marketplace to shop in. You are not confined to the prices that your local printers might charge. Instead, you get to pick from a wide selection of wedding invitation vendors. Be sure to compare prices, delivery dates and quality. A lot of the wedding invitations styles you will find on one site are similar if not identical to wedding invitations that you will find at other wedding web sites. If you keep a watchful eye when comparing price, quality and style, you should have no problem finding invitations you will be excited to send out.
Decide what wedding stationery you need before you order
Do you really need every single piece of stationery that’s offered just because it coordinates with your wedding invitations? Be selective and only order the pieces that you really need. Wedding invitations and envelopes are a must, of course, but can you wait on thank you cards until after the wedding? Also, eliminating save the date cards as well as menu cards are another way to cut costs. Pick and choose only what you need, but be sure to order everything at once so you can save money on shipping costs.
Consider what parts you can do yourself
Beribboned invitations are among the most stylish options available to today’s bride. You can save about 5% off the cost of your invitations by buying double-faced satin ribbon and adding ribbon embellishments to your invitations before you slip them into the envelope.
The ultimate in DIY wedding invitations, of course, is to print your own invitations at home. With a purchased wedding invitation kit, you can even duplicate complicated and beautiful wedding overlay photo invitations that are usually only available through the highest priced printers.
Choose simple themed wedding invitations with one color printing
The more colors that are involved in the printing process, the more the invitation will cost. To keep costs low, choose a wedding invitation style that is printed in one color only. There are some very elegant invitations with silhouette designs printed in one color that can be further embellished if your heart desires.
Order completely coordinated wedding “sets”
You can find beautiful sets of invitations that are designed to coordinate with your entire wedding party. The advantage to choosing wedding invitations at a site that offers everything you need for your wedding is that the colors available for your invitations will be available throughout the full range of their invitation supplies. That means that you can choose a simple invitation and then embellish it with envelope foil inserts, ribbons and insert cards that match each other perfectly.
It also means that you can choose the invitations that you love, and then choose other wedding stationery that coordinates in color, but is from a less expensive line. Mixing and matching that way lets you put your money into the pieces that are more important to you and save on pieces that will coordinate without matching precisely. Your wedding will be unique and beautiful, and within your budget.
Choose a basic invitation and embellish to your heart’s content
The most basic invitations can easily be the most elegant. Choose a simple, one panel flat invitation and then customize it to make it your own. Choose ink color that coordinates with envelope liners, add a vellum wrap and tied it with a matching ribbon. Buy it a la carte and assemble it yourself to save big money on invitations that look like the most expensive ones in the store.
Your wedding invitations are the first impression that your guests will have of your wedding, and your thank you cards are their lasting memory. Choose well, and feel free to mix and match within the range of invitations to find your own perfect style. Your wedding invitations will not only make a lasting impression, they will fit right into your budget and reflect your own unique style for less.