From the moment your wedding guests open your invitation, they will envision the type of nuptials you are planning—casual or formal, inside or outside, evening or afternoon. The most inviting invitation is a style representative that provides a glimpse into what wedding attendees can expect to experience at your event. That’s why these simple paper ensembles—from save-the-date cards to thank-you notes—deserve your utmost attention.

Fine Design
Today’s wedding invitations run the gamut from simple to grand, from luxurious to subdued. Are you a fan of finery such as crystals or embossed ribbon? Intent on creating an invitation that is reminiscent of your mother’s but with contemporary flair? The best wedding invitation professionals can help you define exactly what you’re looking for.

One of the trends that Charles Leigh of Embossed Graphics of Texas in Houston has observed over the past several months is a swing back to more traditional invitations. “By ‘traditional’ invitation I mean one without a folder or a lot of embellishments,” Leigh says. “I have found our brides are looking for a more understated elegance. We like to call it ‘traditional with a twist.’ The invitation respects the bride’s history and her parents’ history, but also is representative of the fact that the bride is a 21st century bride. She does not want her invitation to look exactly like her mother’s and grandmother’s invitation, but she does not want to stray too far either.”

Many brides are drawn to handmade 100-percent cotton papers such as Arturo or Mediovalis from Italy that have a soft hand-deckled edge or use a 100-percent cotton letterpress paper such as Crane’s Lettra.

Of course not all brides consider themselves traditional. Many want to make a standout impression on their wedding guests.

“What I find most with my clientele is that they are ‘anti’ trend,” says Mali Chi at Paper and Peonies in Tomball, Texas. “Rather, they come to us seeking individuality and wanting to celebrate their love with their own voice, not through cookie cutter invitations.” For Chi’s clients, monogram charms and rhinestones always seem to be a favorite. “We use a lot of paper sashes that wrap around the invitations, box mailers and tri-fold enclosures to hold the invitations and all the collateral pieces,” she says.

Nancy Harper, a stationer at Bering's in Houston, adds that while many brides want to go with traditional invitations, many also are interested in incorporating color and unique design elements that enhance the invitation. “Sometimes brides want to add monograms or other embellishments that still keep with the traditional design but add a unique flair,” Harper says. “Today, almost anything goes.”

Going Green
With eco-consciousness on the minds of brides everywhere, what goes into wedding invitations is as important as what goes on them. Soy-based and low-solvent-based corn inks and UV-cured ink technology are very popular. Use of reclaimed materials such as fabric and metal is another growing trend. Wedding couples express interest in minimizing the amount of virgin paper used in their invitations, and are selecting papers that are processed chlorine-free or even have seeds embedded into paper that actually can be planted in the ground later to grow flowers.

“I have found that most of our brides are concerned about the environment and choose to use a 100-percent cotton paper like Crane or another paper that is produced from a renewable natural resource,” Leigh says.

Chi also receives a lot of requests for recycled and metallic papers. “They aren’t out of the budget any longer,” she says. “And with recycled paper, just about every mill offers a paper with at least 30-percent recycled material. Some mills also use alternative energy like wind power, as well as whitening agents other than bleach or chemicals that may be harmful to the environment.”

According to Jana Guerrero at Paperfly Designs in Houston, brides are choosing paper sourced from around the world, with texture and bright colors such as hot pink, orange, yellow, and eco green. “Brides love their wedding dresses and some would love for the invitation to reflect parts of the dress—maybe lace or crystals,” she says. “Other brides love a certain aspect of their locale such as the wood at their country wedding. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box to make the invitation personal. Adding texture with the use of various materials to complement the wedding color is a great way to craft an invitation to reflect the personality of the event. This extra dimension will visually wow the guests and set the tone for the celebration.”

To The Letter
For years, engraved invitations have been the standard for weddings. “Of course, we have seen an increased interest in letterpress, but an engraved invitation is still our most popular choice,” Leigh says. “As an engraver, we see firsthand the fine delicate detail that can be achieved when choosing an engraved invitation. We employ not only engraving press-persons, but also hand-engravers that still hand-tool and hand-cut the engraving plates. However, not everyone can afford an engraved invitation, so we also offer thermography and lithography (flat printing). Additionally, in-house we also do embossing, foil stamping and die cutting.”

According to Lester Childress at The Pretty Penny, while many of her clients lean toward engraved invitations, more and more are turning their attention to thermography. “For economic reasons, thermography may work best for many brides,” Childress says. “Also, a font that will look good in thermography, won’t look as good engraved, and vice-versa.”

Paper color also plays a role in lettering style choices. In fact, Leigh has seen a movement to softer pastel shades such as blues and greens, and away from bolder colors. However, espresso brown continues to be a favorite as an accent color or ink color.

Lessons Learned
“A mistake I have seen brides make is trying to make their invitation be too different,” Leigh says. “I believe it is important for the invitation to reflect the personality of the bride, but at the same time the invitation should stand the test of time. The last thing a bride wants to choose is a design that she looks at 20 years from now and says, ‘What was I thinking?’”

Also, if the bride’s parents are hosting the wedding, she must acknowledge that the invitation is also a reflection of them as the hosts. “Yes, the bride is the one getting married, but she must remember her parents are hosting,” Leigh says. “They are extending the invitation to not only the bride and groom’s friends, but to their friends as well.”

Vivian Adeniyi at The Event House of Houston says it is important to get the help of a stationery professional to guide you through the process. She recommends those who offer complimentary consultations. “Also, be sure to proof, proof, proof over and over before approving for final printing,” she adds.

Chi says one of the biggest mistakes brides make is cutting corners when it comes to invitations. “Your guests do notice these things,” she says. “Understandably, budgets are important to stick to, but don’t forget that your invitations are the first glimpse into your special day and a reflection of who you are. It’s important that your guests be excited and look forward to your wedding, especially when many of them must make extensive travel and other arrangements to be there for you.”

Time Line
Invitation experts typically recommend ordering invitations approximately four months before the wedding. That way, if the bride is going to have the envelopes calligraphed or if she is going to address them herself she will still have plenty of time to address, stuff and mail.

Wedding pros recommend mailing invites five to six weeks before the wedding for in-town guests and seven to eight weeks for out-of-town guests. As far as the number of invitations a bride should order, brides always should order more invitations than they think they are actually going to need. Remember, it is far less expensive to order 15 to 25 extra invitations than to have to go back to press if they run short. Also, experts recommend ordering 10 percent additional envelopes to allow for errors during the addressing process or for invitations lost or returned in the mail.

Must Haves
All invitation packages should include the invitation, response card, response envelope and outer envelope. Inner and outer envelopes should be included if the invitation is a traditional invitation. “Also, it is nice to include a reception card if the invitation budget allows, because the invitation is more attractive when you do not try to squeeze the reception information onto the same card as the wedding information,” Leigh says. Most invitation packages are going to cost anywhere from two to 10 dollars per invitation set depending on the printing process, quantity of invitations and number of invitation components.

If it’s a destination wedding, the must-haves are the invitation, response card and any important additional travel information such as accommodations.

And while “save-the-date” cards are very popular, Harper recommends brides don’t go overboard on the design. “Save-the-date cards force family members to get on the same page in terms of organizing and obtaining addresses early on,” she says. “But be sure the save-the-date card doesn’t set the bar too high. You want the invite to set the tone and be most impressive.”

Most importantly, remember to choose an invitation that reflects your personal style. “Don’t choose a design solely based on trends or ‘what’s hot’ for the season,” Chi says. “Twenty years from now, you are most likely to look back and still love your invitations if they reflect who you are.”