The wedding invitations are the first hint that the guest will have as to the tone, format and theme of the wedding so it is essential to spend some time determining the exact message that you want to send.
Guests will also learn the general colors of your wedding through the colors used on the wedding invitation, which is another important bit of information. In addition wedding invitations are often the biggest keepsake of the wedding for many guests and are preserved in family albums along with your wedding pictures, so making a good selection is more than just sending an invitation through the mail.
When selecting a wedding invitation format it is a great idea to have a style or theme for your wedding already decided. That way you are able to match your wedding day events with the style of invitation you send. The style or theme can be conveyed through the artwork, colors, fonts and even the message contained within the invitation. For example, a very traditional and formal marriage would be best suited to a more traditional type of wedding invitation.
Often these formal invitations are on white or cream paper with a formal style of font and accent colors such as gold and silver used to highlight the graphics and text on the invitation. Compare this to a beach or garden wedding where the invitation may be a very rich or vibrant background color, whimsical type of font and perhaps even a bright blue, green, orange or yellow accent color.
Even the person or couple sending the wedding invitation is a very important consideration. In traditional weddings the father and mother of the bride or the bride and groom's parents send the invitations and announcements of the wedding.
Typically these invitations are selected in consultation with the soon to be wed couple and are more formal in appearance. Couples that are planning, organizing and hosting their own weddings may choose a much more contemporary design and indicate that the invitation is directly from them.
As with most of the options for wedding invitations, deciding on the information that needs to be included in the invitation helps guest to understand what is happening at and after the wedding ceremony. The basics that need to be covered in the invitation include the host's names, bride and groom's names as well as the time, place and specific location of the wedding. In addition information about the reception, luncheon or gathering after the ceremony is also included. Guests receiving the invitation should be provided with an RSVP card to return as well as a phone number or email address for questions.
Additionally information on the type of dress such as formal, casual, garden party formal or other specific requirements should be included. One major issue that should be provided to guests is a themed wedding where traditional wedding clothing may not be at all appropriate. Western themes, beach weddings, backyard weddings or weddings in a park or nature area need to be clearly explained to guests so they are fully prepared.
There are many different options for printing and designing the wedding invitations once you have considered the colors, style, font, graphics and information that you want included in your invitations. The internet provides an almost endless opportunity to browse through samples of wedding invitations to provide starting point ideas for personalizing your own cards.
You may even find just the wedding invitation that you want is already available, or you may want to simply modify a style that you like to make it unique to your wedding ceremony. In addition most card companies will send a sample of the wedding invitation that you select so you can actually see the hard copy before making a final decision. |