Your wedding announcement is the first chance you have to officially share the exciting news of your plans to get hitched with friends and family. From the save the date to the invitation itself and post-wedding thank you notes, this is your opportunity to not only communicate all necessary information, like when and where the ceremony will take place, but to also set the tone for your wedding’s theme so that your guests will know what they can expect to look forward to leading up to the big day. Reach for the stars with beautifully crafted handmade stationery or think outside the box with a technologically savvy digital invitation. Whether your wedding is a large and lavish affair or private and luxe, create a pre-wedding buzz with these stand-out wedding invitation ideas that will establish your wedding as the can’t-miss event of the season.
Mixed materials A special message deserves an exceptional medium. Instead of defaulting to traditional cardstock, Viv Milne of Honeycrisp Designs, an Orange County-based boutique print design studio, suggests exploring other creative materials like wood, acrylic, velvet or even leather. “I love working with couples who challenge my creativity and trust in my ability to guide them down the path to producing something that they will truly treasure as a shining memory of their wedding day,” Milne says.
Sweet surprise Accompany your declaration of love with a surprise for your guests to show your appreciation for those with whom you wish to celebrate. “I get really excited when I get to think ‘outside of the envelope’ and work on an invitation suite that becomes a little gift for the recipient to open. Recently, I’ve produced suites that have been sent in velvet as well as silk-lined boxes.”
Photo courtesy Honeycrisp Designs.
Artistic touch Send your loved ones a piece of art that mirrors the uniqueness of your love. Add an artistic element to your messaging with classic calligraphy or a custom illustration that’s sealed with a custom stamp to that lend an individual handcrafted touch. While vellum, wax seals and foil stamping are popular requests, Milne suggests laser-cutting either cardstock or acrylic to add another dimension to make wedding stationery stand out.
Go Digital After former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and Jennifer Conrad sent their guests iPads in lieu of traditional paper invites to their wedding, high-tech invites became all the rage. Pre-programmed tablets can feature all the wedding day deets in one easy-to-access place to keep any guesswork out of RSVP’ing. Include a romantic photo gallery of you and your beau, guestbook, countdown to the big day or link to the wedding registry.
