You’re getting married! Congratulations!
This is likely the biggest day of your life up to this point, and you want it to be spectacular, memorable, and fun. And you want to have your nearest and dearest with you. That’s where I come in, I can help you get them to the church on time! I live for this stuff, but this may be your first time creating something like this so….
Here are 6 things you need to think about before you order your wedding invitations. Do you remember the “reporter questions” from when you were a kid in school? Who, what, where, when, why and how.
- Who is giving the wedding? You and your fiance or your parents or families or all together? Or are you glossing over that part? When I design your invitations, I’ll need to know if someone needs to be recognized as a host. For example, “John and Judy Smith request the honor of your presence at the wedding of their daughter Miss Jane Elizabeth Smith to Mr. James Brandon Jones” is a different invitation than “Jane and James are getting married and they want you to be a part of their special day.” Also, who is coming? I need to know how many invitations to make. Even if you don’t have a final guest list, it’s a good idea to sit down and do a rough draft so we can make sure to make enough.
- What kind of wedding is it? Indoor, outdoor, religious, secular. This impacts design. One of the favorite designs I ever printed was for a barn wedding. The invitation looked like a barn door and was textured like wood. Coming up with a design that gives a clue to the feel of the venue and style of the wedding will help guests know what kind of day they will have.
- Where will the wedding be is only the first “where” you need to let guests know about. Will there be a change of venues, like going from a church to a restaurant? You’ll need the address for both. Have you blocked off rooms at a hotel? You may want to have an “accommodations” card printed for out of town guests. Also, if lots of your guests are coming from out of town, printing a list of fun things to see in the area during their downtime is a great way to help your guests enjoy their trip more. If they are on their own for part of the day, letting them know places to eat and things to do is really helpful.
- When! This is such a small but important detail. Date. Time. Time of reception if not immediately following the ceremony. Some more formal weddings even have an itinerary, kind of like having dinner at Downton Abbey. Tea at 4, followed by the wedding ceremony at 5. Cocktails served in the library until 6:30, then dinner and finished with dancing at 8. Good for guests to know!
- Why – Okay, so this one is sort of obvious. You’re getting married because you’re in love, but why are you in love with each other specifically? To me, this is helpful to know. It gives a clue as to what the tone of the invitations will be. Are you getting married because you are both passionate book lovers who found each other over poetry readings? Do you make each other laugh more than anybody you’ve ever known? To me, as a wedding invitation designer, the designs I would create for these two couples would be very different. No two couples are alike, and you want invitations that will reflect the uniqueness of your personality as a couple.
- How does this all come together? Finally, we come to the part where we talk about the design! Here’s the thing, I never lead with the design. The design is secondary to the couple getting married. The design serves the purpose of sharing the message of the wedding with those that the couple wants to include. The words, colors, fonts, paper, and everything serve the purpose of drawing those close to you, who have supported you and cheered for you to the wedding.
So, to wrap this all up…
Please, come to me knowing your colors, with ideas of things you’ve seen that you like, and with the details of when, where, and your guest list. This is helpful! Just be prepared for me to ask a lot of questions so that I can design something that is perfect for you as a couple.