Choosing the right style of wedding invitations

The adventure in ink started a few years back when Katie and Gina (sisters by marriage) both began a love affair with stationery design, paper, and really all things wedding related! Gina’s husband, Max, didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he purchased a 1910 Chandler and Price hand press on the sly for the girls to use. It was love at first sight! What started out as weekend projects printing holiday cards and stationery quickly transitioned into friends asking for wedding invitations! Over two years later the kinks have been worked out, a second press has been added? The Heidelberg Windmill? And the operation now takes place in their home studio! rnWhen you work with LittleOwlLetterpress you are supporting a small, local business. Every item that goes out the studio doors has been lovingly created and the attention to detail is second to none.rnSo you have decided the number of guests you are inviting and the wedding stationery items that you will need but how do you choose your stationery and order it? The wedding invitations or save the day cards that you send out will give your wedding guests the first view of the style and feel of your wedding day. It's the first opportunity for you to showcase your big day and let everyone know what is in store.rnYour wedding stationery should reflect the style or theme of your wedding as well as the appropriate formality of the day.rnMany wedding stationery designers will offer a wide range of styles and colours while others may specialise in one type of invitation style such as letterpress for more formal invitations or handmade invitations for a more luxurious touch. The first thing you need to decide is the formality of the wedding. Formal wedding invitations would general suit a more traditional wedding. Typically, formal wedding invitations are of a classic design using simple, traditional fonts. The wording is often engraved onto high quality cream or white card in black, silver or gold using techniques such as letterpress or thermography, or you could hire a calligrapher to professionally hand write your invitations.rnFor more informal weddings there are many styles of invitation to consider - contemporary wedding invitations, handmade wedding invitations, printed designs, and photo cards, humorous; the list is endless. Certain design studios also offer a bespoke service for brides who have their own ideas about their wedding stationery but who need an individual design service.rnThemed weddings are also becoming increasingly popular. The theme may simply be a range of colors that run throughout the wedding and are incorporated into the wedding stationery, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, table decorations, venue decorations and so on. Or you may choose a more structured theme such as a beach theme (sand, seashells, nautical, tropical), nature, floral, seasonal (Christmas, Easter, Summer, Autumn) landmark cities (New York and London are not surprisingly popular themes!), cultural (oriental, South American, Caribbean) musical (Jazz, country) historical (Tudor, medieval). Almost any theme can be adapted and incorporated into your wedding stationery!rnOnce you have decided which style you are looking for, the quantity and the budget you can afford the next step is approach wedding stationery shops or designers to discuss your requirements, order samples and finalise prices and ordering times. Some companies may offer to send you one or several FREE Samples, others, particularly bespoke studios, may ask for a small fee for sending samples, though this is usually refunded if an order is placed.rnOnce you have chosen your invitations you should agree a production time with the designer or studio to make sure that you will receive your invitations and the rest of your stationery in plenty of time. Bespoke wedding invitations in particular can take several weeks to complete. During busy periods, such as the beginning of the year, many studios are inundated with orders and you may have to wait up to six weeks for your wedding stationery (though most suppliers will produce invitations first and then complete the rest of the order several weeks before the wedding). If you have left insufficient time to order your wedding stationery you may wish to consider the larger outlets which have many off-the-shelf invitations to choose from.rnMAKING YOUR OWN WEDDING STATIONERYrnMany brides choose to make their own wedding stationery for budget reasons or simply to add their own personal touches to their wedding stationery. This can be a great way, to get into the spirit of the wedding and add your personal touches. You could make a party of it and invite your bridesmaids to help create! Before you consider the DIY option, you should make sure that you are up to the task. Some designs may appear to be very simple but you may find yourself battling with printers that cannot print on the card you have bought and ribbons that you cannot tie into tidy bows. The whole experience could end up being very stressful and almost as costly as buying your invitations from a professional studio. Remember you may need to buy a paper cutter, adhesives etc., not just the card and embellishments.