Most brides now use the internet to find that perfect invitation, or at least get ideas of what other brides have used. With so many details and so little time, how do you find the right invitation for your very unique wedding? Here’s a quick checklist to think through when pondering what type of wedding invitation you want to go with. Stay tuned for our next article, which will run you through the Elements of a Perfect Invitation. Ponder this:
* In what type of setting are you getting married – church, formal, casual, outdoor, beach, gazebo, destination?
* What are your wedding colors?
* Is there an overall theme to your wedding?
* Will your wedding be ethnic or religious related?
* In what season will your wedding take place?
* What personal touches will you be adding into your ceremony?
* Are there symbols that you might want on your invitation that will carry through the wedding?
* What is the style of your wedding - will you want traditional or modern invitations?
* What type of flowers are you having in your wedding?
* How important is traditional wedding etiquette to you?
* Do you want to include your photo on your wedding invitations?
* How much have you budgeted for your invitations?
* Does your budget include any other print items, such as ceremony programs, reception table and place cards, etc.?
Having a good idea to most of these points will make the process much smoother when you sit down with your wedding planner or invitation designer. Call Atlas Designs today at 561.445.7630 or visit our site to see a gallery of designs our brides have loved. We’re at . Our designs our unique, fresh, and custom tailored to every brides’ specifications. Not a single invitation is identical to the next. Our brides receive one-on-one service and designs that are uniquely, unquestionably theirs.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? How did you narrow down the myriad of invitations out there to the perfect one that will herald your event? We’d love to get your comments.
Wedding invites are your guests first glimpse into your big day giving all the details of where, when the wedding is taking place. The style of writing, the colour scheme and the overall style of the invites will give an initial impression of everything your wedding day holds.
With all this at stake, you want to get it right but wow, are invites expensive…so is it possible to do your own, and more cheaply? Of course it is. DIY wedding invites mean you can have the most personalised invitations you could have dreamt of and that it can be on a budget plus no one else will have seen invites quite like yours ensuring your day is uniquely yours from the very beginning.
Use accents to of your theme
It’s a good idea to have your colour scheme arranged before you start pulling your invites together, are you going for a strong colour scheme? Do you want to tie in the colour and style of flowers, bridesmaids dresses, décor in the ceremony and/ or reception room, table decorations, cake icing or decoration - there’s so much that you can incorporate.
It might, however, be difficult to condense the essence of all your wedding theme into a single invitation so whether you’ve gone for simple and beautiful or minute detail, try to pick one or two elements to include in your invite. Often simple is more effective and will look clean and fresh - avoid stuffing your invite design with fussy details - think clean, classic and beautiful!
Where to buy
There are hundreds of online stores where you can buy anything from blank invite card and envelopes to sequins, feathers, stencils - the lot. You just need to shop around for the best deal. Buying in bulk is a good idea to cut down cost so if you’re planning to do save the date card, RSVP’s, your own gift list or evening invites and thank you cards for afterwards - try to purchase the basics of what you’ll need before you start.
You should sit down to work out exactly what you need before you get going with making the invites, including glue, ink, scissors etc - you don’t want to be half way through decorating your invitations and run out of the crucial butterfly sequin you want to add to them all.
If you are lucky enough to have a arts and craft shop near you, it’s worth popping in to see what they have in store. Nothing beats getting a feel for what you want to use in your invites - if they are more expensive you can always buy samples as part of your research and then head to Google to find the same thing cheaper!
So, you have all your bits and pieces, now you just need to get into some serious trial and error and figure out what looks good - what looks good, doesn’t cost the earth and important detail not to be overlooked - what will be relatively easy to create.
Making your invites
Coming up with the ideas and sending out the invites is the fun bit - in between these is the initially enjoyable but soon very boring invitation factory which your house will become temporary shrine to. The best idea I can come up with is to get them done as quickly as possible and just set aside a decent amount of time, with some helpful friends or family and plough through them. I did mine with my Mum, long distance since she lives miles away but between us we got them done. Another friend got all her bridesmaid together with a bottle of wine one night and just blasted them. Whatever way you go about it, if you have everything you need and some willing hands you’ll soon have your beautifully unique handmade invitations ready to post. With all that done, you can sit back and bask in the glory of knowing that your guests are about to get their exciting first peak into your big day! Good luck.
Now that you’ve have had a chance to ponder the considerations for your wedding invitation, we’re breaking down our earlier article into more detail. Ready to move forward? Ponder this…
Choosing the Writing Style for your Invitation
The first important consideration in creating your invitation is to select the best writing style. There are three major options:
Third-Person Formal - Use this for formal dinners, fundraisers, balls, galas, black tie affairs, and formal weddings.
Semiformal - Use this for cocktail parties, dinner parties, big birthdays bashes, graduation invitations, bridal or baby showers, cool theme parties, and less formal weddings.
Handwritten Notes - A great choice for very intimate or casual affairs including small birthday dinners, back yard barbeques, mothers day get togethers and housewarming parties.
Composing the Right Wording for your Invitation
The right wording can make or break your invitation. It will also set the event’s tone and formality for your guests even before the event begins. Remember that your invitation is the first glimpse your guests will receive into the type affair you wish for it to be. Consider this:
Formal - On the invitation, the hostess usually “requests the honor of your presence”, followed by the day of the week, date and the month spelled out, and the time and the place (i.e. “Sunday, the first of January/ two thousand and ten/ at half after six o’clock/ Sundy House, Delray Beach, Florida”). Engraved or raised print is the best choice with the formal invitation, typically written in an antique typeface. Consider, though, that laser printing and the myriad of computer fonts now available makes the formal invitation even more affordable for those on a budget. If you wish to go with the engraving but find it a little too pricey, consider the more affordable raised-print option of Thermography.
Semiformal - Semiformal invitations do not have to adhere to the etiquette of a strict writing style. You may choose a variety of ways to create your invitation, from bordered, textured or patterned paper, and size of the paper can vary as well. Many brides and party planners are moving away from the traditional 5 x 7 style and going with fun square or tall shapes so their invitations stand out. When creating a semiformal invitation, incorporate the event’s theme to get guests on board and excited. Use ink and fonts that match the party’s theme and stationery such as pumpkins for a Halloween party, fireworks for July Fourth, engagement rings for a bridal shower, a baby stroller for the baby shower, grill utensils for a BBQ…you get the idea.
Handwritten - The most important elements with handwritten invitations are the stationery and the legibility of the lettering. Make sure to choose beautiful stationary that really stands out, and either write very neatly or hire someone with excellent penmanship to write the text you’ve chosen. A calligrapher is a great idea for a truly beautiful and unique handwritten invitation.
Getting Your Wording Started
One of our favorite sites for invitation wording ideas is You can browse by event type and get the idea juices flowing. And while you work on getting just the perfect wording, tune back into Part Two of our Elements Post coming soon, which will walk you through the tricky subject of working with a guest list and addressing your invitations.
