Designing perfect wedding invitations is all about finding a careful balance between functionality and beauty. When you do, the design captures the entire essence of your wedding and sets the stage for one of the biggest days of your life.

Learn seven wedding invitation design tips to help you pick the perfect wedding invitations and build a suite that will WOW your guests.

Key Takeaways:

• Minimize the clutter on your wedding invitation by using secondary enclosures
• Set the mood for your wedding through the style, color, fonts, and paper type
• Unify your wedding look by ordering other stationery accessories alongside your invitation

What Role Do Wedding Invitations Play in Weddings?

Are wedding invitations really that important?

Definitely, yes!

Invitations are one of the most crucial elements of your big day. Through classic invitations, you achieve several goals:

• Communicate important information
• Acknowledges important people in your life
• Celebrates you as a couple
• Set the tone of your event
• Build anticipation for the wedding
• Provide a keepsake

Our list could go on, but you get the idea. Invitations are just as much a part of your wedding as the bouquet you will carry down the aisle and the perfect cake you spent hours picking out. That’s why we want to bring you tips to ensure your invitation exceeds your expectations.

7 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Invitations

Here are seven wedding invitation ideas that will help you select every aspect of your invitation, from the design down to the envelope.

1. Build Around a Theme

To set the stage for what your guests will expect, choose wedding invitations that reflect the event you will have. For instance, are you planning a classic event? Choose calligraphy fonts. Do you want a modern wedding? Explore invitations with bolder fonts.

Adding a little bit of color accents your information beautifully. The color also can tie your invitation into the color scheme of the entire event. For example, this stunning winter wedding used deep blue accents in the invitations that matched other wedding elements.

2. Keep the Design Timeless

Thankfully, you don’t need extravagant designs to make a statement. A silk ribbon tied around the invite or subtle flower print is enough to make your invitation shine without taking away from the timeless design.

In addition to the design, streamline your information. Ordering a traditional wedding invitation suite allows you to share all the details you need, from accommodations to RSVP cards, without cluttering your primary invitation card.

3. Choose the Right Paper

The look of your elegant wedding invitation will depend on the paper you choose. For example, do you want a bright white invitation on cardstock? White creates clearer contrasts and will make the colors pop. White is one of the most popular paper colors.

Perhaps ivory is more your style. A creamy, ivory invitation is more subtle and has a classic appeal that stands the test of time. Ivory also tends to be easier on the eyes.

While your invitation should be on cardstock to ensure they stay crisp, consider double thick cardstock for more durability. On average, an invitation should be 300gsm or greater, which is the weight of a high-quality card.

4. Pick the Right Invitation Pieces

Invitations are almost always more than a card with an address. That’s why you’ll often hear the term “invitation suite.” Just like a hotel suite, an invitation suite provides a complete experience for guests.

Here are a few of the most common options you could include in your invitation to ensure your guests receive all the details necessary to enjoy your wedding fully:

• Invitation
• Response card
• Reception information
• Wedding website
• Future address
• Transportatino and accommodation options
• Post-wedding activities
• Weekend activities
• Rehearsal dinner details

You share these items on large and small enclosures that accompany your invitation. For example, if you booked a destination wedding, you would want to let your guests know the best way to get there, where they can stay, and some fun activities they can enjoy while at the destination. These small details help make your wedding more memorable so your guests keep talking about it for years.

5. Unify Your Invitation Suite

You can choose to wrap your invitation suite with a belly band to hold the enclosures together so your guests don’t lose any important details when they take them out of the envelope. However, you also have other options to tie all the pieces together. Instead of just a plain belly band, consider adding a silk ribbon or a vellum jacket with a wax seal for that subtle touch of elegance that’ll make your invitation stand out.

6. Design the Envelope

You might get so caught up in designing the perfect wedding invitation that you forget about the envelope options. The envelope is the first part of the invitation your guests will see, so it’s a big part of the invitation experience. The envelope should be sturdy enough to protect the invitation and keep it perfectly intact.

Picture your guests shuffling through a pile of bills and flimsy ads when their fingers suddenly land on a large, thick envelope. They’re met with a subtle pop of color when they open the envelope. They’re also greeted by name with an printed inner envelope matching the same design and font of the cards inside. Now that’s the right way for an invitation to make an entrance.

7. Don’t Forget the Extras

Why stop with your invitations? If you like a design, you can keep with the same theme and order other stationery for your wedding. For example, you can use the same design, color, and font from your invitation to order:

• Thank you cards
• Wedding programs
• Menus
• Place cards and table numbers
• Wedding signs
• Favor tags

Work with a Professional

DIY invitations are time-consuming, and working with software can feel awkward and doesn’t always bring your idea to life. You can only guarantee your invitations turn out perfectly by working with an expert.

A design expert understands how to use complex software to make the invitation look just right. In addition, designers take some of the wedding stress off your shoulders. You have enough to worry about as the bride. Let the designers worry about getting the details on the invitations right.