Invitations are one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process. The card design will set the tone for the big day, so make sure it illustrates your love story in a personalized, one-of-a-kind way. The invitation suite will tell your guests everything they need to know about the upcoming special day — the wedding theme, the general vibe, who they can bring, what they should wear, and, of course, the day, location and time of the event. Whether you’re having a virtual, destination, seasonal, classic, or themed wedding, your wedding invitation design should reflect you and your future spouse and prepare your guests for the wedding day. The RSVP cards and other paper goods contained in the invite don’t have to be complicated or expensive to get everyone excited for the big day.
If you haven’t picked a date yet or are facing some uncertainty that could impact the date you had in mind, start by picking a color palette, a calligraphy style, and a theme to create the perfect custom wedding invitations that’ll wow your guests once you send them out. Don’t worry if you’ve already sent your invitations and now have to make an unforeseen change to the date. Shutterfly’s reprint commitment promises you a 100% happiness guarantee and allows you to order all new cards at no cost.
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Wedding Invitation Ideas
Choosing the mood and planning your perfect wedding is no easy task. It has to be an expression of both partners and their love, needs to satisfy the guests, and perhaps most importantly, should stay within your budget. Get started and get inspired with wedding stationery and invitations for any theme. Shutterfly’s designs are great for any personality and wedding theme, and you can also customize your wedding invitation wording to match.
1. Rustic Wedding Invitations
Whether your chic rustic wedding is going to be held in a barn or outdoors, this unique wedding theme is great for those inspired by nature and the countryside. Add as much natural wood, plant life, and string lights into your wedding day decor as possible to create the ideal rustic vibe for your nuptials. Make sure to reflect each of these elements in your rustic wedding invitations by adding a dark brown or light gray background color, floral imagery if you so desire, and any other embellishments that indicate what your wedding might look like.
2. Classic Wedding Invitations
Opt for simple and classic wedding invitations if your wedding theme is on the more traditional side. Etch the names of the happy couple or monogram their initials for a plain yet elegant wedding invitation. Or, paste one or more photos from the engagement photoshoot onto the cover of the invitation, while keeping the other cards in the suite simple and strictly business. For extra flair and decoration, consider personalized foil wedding invites that’ll make your wedding cards stand out. Go classic to give your wedding invitations a simple, yet unforgettable look and style that’ll charm your future guests.
3. Seasonal Wedding Invitations
Once you’ve chosen your wedding date, you know which season it will occur in. Make choosing a theme easier by going for a seasonal wedding that matches the weather outside. Go for autumnal colors and rustic symbolism for your fall wedding invitations; choose blues, silvers, and snowflakes for a winter wonderland ceremony; or go for tropical wedding invites for summer nuptials by the beach or out in nature. Choose floral imagery for a spring wedding and embrace pastels for the background of the wedding invitation cards or the typography for the suite.
4. Watercolor Wedding Invitations
For a soft, romantic wedding vibe, go for watercolor invitations that reflect other elements of your wedding decor and theme. Add florals and plant life in watercolor if your wedding is going to be outdoors, surrounded by nature. Or, choose warm shades like yellows, oranges, and browns for an outdoor autumnal wedding. For a beach or lakeside wedding, add shades of blue and light to dark ombrés to represent the water. Whether you depict concrete images in watercolor or opt for beautiful color combinations, watercolor invites will be perfect for the dreamy, abstract, or whimsical wedding.
5. Vintage Wedding Invitations
Start your fairy tale wedding the right way with vintage wedding invitations that reflect your taste for the old-fashioned and retro things in life. Embrace floral fringes and lace adornments on your cards, or opt for laser cut wedding invitations to take that iridescent lace look to the next level. If lace and florals aren’t your style, bring back the 1920s in 2020 with foil-stamped and shimmery trimmings for an art deco aesthetic. Or, get a little more modern with 1950s retro-inspired invites that feature bright colors, sharp lines, and whimsical illustrations. Go for a simple cover on the actual invitation cards with the future spouses’ names written in an elegant cursive font.
6. Minimalist and Simple Wedding Invitations
For a no-frills wedding invitation that simply does its job, consider a minimalist invite that’s light on the embellishments. Perfect for a smaller, simple wedding, opt for a clean white or black background with the partners’ monograms and wedding information written in a clear, consistent font. Add any extra elements to your minimalist design — botanical, creative, elegant, beachy, or chic — for a personal touch that’ll make your invite all the more special. For a little extra decoration, select modern wedding invitations that match the wedding theme and aesthetic. Utilize the colors of your wedding and add photos of the couple to the invitation card for added personalization.
7. Destination Wedding Invitations
Take inspiration for your invitation suite from your favorite place in the world. Whether the ceremony is going to be held from the comfort of your own home or at a beautiful outdoor venue, incorporate an element that reflects a place dear to your heart into your card design for the invitation suite. This theme can reflect where you got engaged, where you will get married, or simply the theme of your wedding!
If you love the beach, utilize warm sandy colors and cool ocean blues for a contrast that instantly creates a beautiful and eye-catching date card, or use pictures of seashells and pebbles to adorn the edges of your RSVP cards. If you and your spouse adore the mountainside, use shades of green, gray, and blue to create a more muted invitation that reflects your love for nature and the outdoors. Use your love for adventure and the beauty of the world as inspiration for unique wedding invitation designs.
8. Floral Wedding Invitations
This timeless wedding theme is always a great go-to for a romantic and beautiful ceremony. Pull inspiration from botany and nature with floral wedding invitations that will convey your wedding’s boho chic vibes. Opt for pastel, rustic, or elegant accents for a personal touch, and pick a whimsical cursive font to reflect the natural aesthetic. Or, inscribe the couple’s names amidst the florals in a simple uppercase typography that contrasts the complex and colorful florals on the card. Add foil stamping for a fancier card, or go minimalist with limited flowers and a clean overall design.
How to Create Your Wedding Invitations
Crafting amazing wedding stationery takes time and experience, which is hard to have if you’re planning your own wedding for the first time. However, the process doesn’t have to be stressful. Whether you choose to DIY or buy your invites, putting together your own affordable wedding invitations can be doable and enjoyable with the right tools and knowledge.
How to Design an Invitation Card
The first part of putting together your invitations is designing them. So get creative and craft the perfect card:
Step 1: Choose the right size for your card.
Step 2: Select a wedding invitation template or save the date card design style.
Step 3: Click the “personalize” button to get started.
Step 4: If applicable, choose your foil color.
Step 5: Choose your cardstock type: smooth or shimmer.
Step 6: Pick your trim to personalize the card’s shape based on your theme.
Step 7: Settle on a color palette and select the design color(s).
Step 8: Select a format, font, and color for the typography.
Step 9: Add the main wedding information: couples’ names, the location, date and time. If you’re not set on the details yet, just leave a placeholder to see what it will look like in the end. Your wedding invitation wording can include quotes about love and sweet messages as well.
Step 10: For the back of the card, select cardstock type, trim, and design color.
Step 11: Pick the background color and pattern for this side of the card.
Step 12: Choose a layout for the back of the card—text, photos, or both.
Step 13: Add photos and text as necessary.
Step 14: Pick colors and custom designs for the envelope.
Step 15: Select patterns and colors, or go with the recommended option for your envelope liner.
Now, your wedding invitation is personalized to fit your relationship and your wedding. If you love multiple designs and can’t pick your favorite, get up to five free personalized samples to try out and then decide on the best one. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to settle on a theme or haven’t decided on a date yet and were just looking to pick cards for when you’re ready to order.
Addressing Wedding Invitations
Knowing how to address wedding invitations is an important aspect of creating the suite. The wedding invitation wording can be more or less formal depending on the wedding size, theme, and types of guests, but generally the outer envelope should be more formal, while the inner envelope is slightly more informal. Either way, it is customary to use titles and full names of the guests for added respect.
For the actual writing portion, you can choose to utilize a calligrapher or create DIY wedding invitations by hand-writing or typing the address and names yourself. Make sure to send separate invitations to children over 18, and write “and Guest” if bringing a plus one is allowed. For more creative wedding invitation wording, add a saying that summarizes your relationship together. Your guests will love seeing the personal touch!
When to Send Wedding Invitations
There are many opinions out there about the best time to send invitations, but generally sending them out about two months before the wedding should be enough time to alert guests of this important event. However, if it’s a destination wedding, then sending invitations or save the dates as early as possible is best so that attendees have time to book tickets and take time off work or other engagements as needed.
When you’re hosting a virtual wedding, a month in advance is typically enough time for guests to mark their calendars. Since this type of wedding doesn’t require your guests to travel or buy new attire, you just want to make sure that they won’t have any other plans for that day.
If you already ordered your wedding invitations and now have to postpone your wedding due to an unforeseen circumstance, rest assured that Shutterfly’s date-change promise has your back. Reach out to our customer support to get all new wedding invitations with your changed date free of charge.
Closing Thoughts
Planning a wedding, especially figuring out the wedding stationery, can be a challenging yet exciting task. Wedding invitations are one of the most important stationery items to perfect before they go out to their recipients. Thankfully, it’s easy to create the perfect personalized wedding invitation for any theme and any type of celebration, from a classic church wedding to a virtual celebration. Illustrate your love story and reflect your unique personalities in a customized wedding invitation design.
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