Your wedding invitations should feel personal, polished, and worth holding onto. With Shutterfly, you can customize your wedding invitations in more ways than just choosing a design. You can add your wording, explore different fonts, adjust colors, choose paper that fits the feel of your day, and finish everything with details like trim shapes, foil accents, envelope liners, and matching suite pieces.
These customization options make it easy to elevate your wedding invitations without starting from scratch. A simple change like thicker paper, metallic foil, a shaped trim, or a custom envelope can make the whole set feel more special when it arrives in your guests’ hands.
Below, you’ll find the main ways to customize wedding invitations with Shutterfly, along with tips for using each option to create invitations that feel beautifully made and true to your wedding.
Design Templates
Your design is what sets the tone for your wedding invitation. While you can customize details later, the structure and overall style come from the template you choose, so it’s worth spending time here upfront.
Shutterfly offers a range of styles, from modern and minimalist to floral, rustic, and more formal designs. Each template is built with a specific layout, which controls how your names, date, and details are arranged on the card.
- Photo and non-photo layouts
- Styles like modern, floral, minimalist, rustic, and formal
- Pre-designed layouts that guide how your information flows
- Upload your own design option that lets you use your own artwork or layout for a fully personalized invitation
Paper Types and Finishes
Paper is one of the most important customization choices because it changes how your wedding invitation is experienced the moment it’s picked up.
The right choice usually comes down to how formal your wedding is and how much you want the invitation to stand on its own versus letting the design do the work. Heavier paper naturally feels more elevated, while lighter options keep things practical. Finish matters just as much. Matte keeps everything clean and easy to read, while a slight sheen can add dimension when the design is more minimal.
If your invitation includes a lot of text or fine details, a smoother matte surface will keep everything crisp. For designs that are more minimal, the paper itself plays a bigger role in how the invitation comes across.
- Standard Smooth Cardstock: Lightweight matte paper with a clean, simple finish; a practical option for more casual or budget-conscious invitations
- Signature Smooth Cardstock: Thicker matte paper with a more noticeable weight; a balanced option that works across most styles
- Pearl Shimmer Cardstock: Smooth paper with a soft, light-reflective finish that adds subtle dimension
- Luxe Double-Thick Cardstock: Extra-thick matte paper with a substantial feel; often used for more formal or keepsake-style invitations
- 100% Recycled Cardstock: Sturdy, smooth paper made from post-consumer materials with a polished look
Learn more: Wedding Invitation Paper Types & Finishes Explained
Trim Shapes
Trim shapes change the silhouette of your invitation. It’s a small customization choice, but it can make the card look more tailored, especially when the edge shape matches the style of the design. Clean edges tend to feel timeless and formal, while shaped edges can add softness, movement, or a more decorative finish.
The main thing to watch is balance. If your invitation already has ornate florals, detailed borders, or a lot of typography, a simpler trim can keep it from feeling too busy. If the design is minimal, a shaped trim can give it a more polished look without changing the design itself.
- Square: Clean, straight edges that create a classic and polished look; works with any design style.
- Rounded: Soft, curved edges that make the invitation feel slightly more relaxed and approachable.
- Bracket: Curved inward corners that add a subtle decorative detail without overwhelming the layout.
- Scallop: Rounded, wave-like edges that create a more decorative and romantic feel.
- Ticket: Notched corners that add a unique, structured detail with a slightly modern edge.
Foil Accents
Foil is a customization option that gives your invitations a more high-end finish. The metallic detail catches the light and naturally draws attention to the most important parts of your design.
You’ll find foil used in wedding invitation designs to highlight names, your wedding date, or small decorative details on the card. That contrast between the foil and the rest of the print is what makes those elements stand out right away when your guests see it in person.
- Gold foil: Warm metallic finish that highlights key details with a traditional, elegant look.
- Rose gold foil: Softer metallic tone that pairs well with romantic or modern color palettes.
- Iridescent foil: Light-reflective finish that shifts subtly depending on the angle; adds a more modern detail.
Text and Fonts
This is where you put in your actual details and decide how they show up on the wedding invitation. The wording itself matters, but so does how it’s styled and spaced.
You have flexibility to adjust fonts, update colors, and move text so everything fits cleanly and reads the way you want it to.
- Custom wording: Add your names, date, time, location, RSVP details, and wedding website
- Font options: Choose from a wide range of fonts and apply them across your invitation to style your names, headings, and details
- Text placement: Move text boxes to fit your wording and adjust spacing as needed
- Text emphasis: Make sure your names and wedding date stand out first
What makes the biggest difference here is how everything reads together. Your names and date should be easy to spot right away, with the rest of the details following naturally. Once it’s set up, a quick read-through is usually all it takes to make sure it feels right.
Colors
Color is one of the simplest ways to make your invitation feel tied to your wedding. Once you’ve chosen a design, adjusting the colors is what helps everything feel cohesive instead of generic.
You can update text colors to match your palette or make certain details stand out more clearly. Many designs also allow you to adjust parts of the artwork itself, while others offer preset color versions that have already been designed to work well together. The goal is to make sure your colors feel intentional and easy to read, especially for your names and wedding date.
- Text color changes: Update the color of your names, headings, and key details
- Design color adjustments: Change colors within the design where options are available
- Preset color options: Choose from built-in color combinations on select templates
Photos
Photos are one of the most personal ways to customize your invitation. They give you the chance to bring your story into the design, whether that’s a favorite engagement photo or a few moments you want to share with your guests.
Some invitations are built around a single image, keeping the focus on one standout photo. Others are designed to hold multiple images, which can feel more like a collection of moments and give the invitation a more personal feel.
- Single-photo layouts: Feature one main image that becomes the focal point of the invitation
- Multi-photo layouts: Include multiple images, often on larger or folded designs with more space
- Photo placement: Arrange images within the template so they work naturally with your text
Back-of-Card Designs
The back of your invitation gives you more room to work with, which is something a lot of couples don’t realize at first. It’s an easy way to include additional details or photos without having to fit everything onto the front.
Shutterfly includes free back-of-card designs, so you can add more without needing an extra insert. You can use it to expand on your invitation, whether that’s adding more information for guests or incorporating extra photos that didn’t make it onto the main design.
- Additional text: Add details like accommodations, dress code, or extra event information
- Photo additions: Include extra images or a collage on the back
- Alternate layouts: Choose from different back-of-card designs to coordinate with your front
Envelope Designs and Liners
Your envelope is the first thing your guests see, so it sets the tone before the invitation is even opened. It’s also one of the easiest places to add a more finished, pulled-together look without changing anything else.
You have a few different ways to customize your envelopes depending on how simple or detailed you want them to feel.
- Plain white envelopes: A classic, straightforward option that works with any invitation
- Custom envelopes: Designed to match your invitation with coordinated colors, patterns, or artwork
- Colored envelopes: Solid color options that add a bit more personality from the start
- Pre-lined foil envelopes: White envelopes with a metallic foil lining for a more elevated finish
- Slip-in liners: Separate liners in color or pattern that add detail when the envelope is opened
Free printed addressing is also included with custom and pre-lined envelopes, so your return and recipient addresses are taken care of for you. It’s a small detail that makes the whole set feel more complete and saves time when you’re getting everything ready to send.
Matching Invitation Suites
Your wedding invitation is just one part of the full set your guests receive. Adding matching pieces keeps everything consistent from the first envelope to the final thank you, without needing to start from scratch each time.
Incorporating more pieces into your wedding invitation suite also gives you more room to share information in a way that feels organized instead of crowded. Instead of trying to fit everything onto one card, you can break it out across pieces that are designed to go together.
- RSVP cards: Let guests respond with a card that matches your invitation
- Details cards: Include accommodations, directions, weekend events, or anything else guests need to know
- Wedding thank you cards: Carry the same design through after your wedding
Customize Your Wedding Invitations with Confidence
The details you choose are what make your wedding invitations feel like yours. From the paper and trim to foil, photos, and envelope finishes, each decision shapes how your invitation looks, feels, and reads when your guests receive it.
Those choices are what turn a design into something specific to your wedding. When everything comes together, your invitation does more than share information. It sets the tone, gives a clear first impression, and feels like a true introduction to your day.
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