5 Steps to Creating the Perfect Wedding Invitation

Designing and making your dream wedding invitation suite can be a challenge. For. Many brides, they either know what they want exactly in their head but can’t quite seem to find it, or, they have no idea how they want their stationery to look and are just overwhelmed by all the options out there.

This is where bespoke stationery, just like here at Simply4you, comes in. Going bespoke with your stationery means we essentially start with a blank piece of paper, we build the design from scratch by creating a brief (which is created from your theme, style, colours and décor that you’ll be using on your wedding day), and then using this as a guide for the design.

But how exactly is this done? Well, I’ve split the process into 5 easy steps along with my top tips, that will ensure your invitations look the part, are totally you, and are going to wow your guests.

Let’s get to it…

Step 1 - Choose your invitation style

This step is vital because it will actually shape your entire invite suite, it will also help when choosing fonts and design assets, for example if you’re having a gatefold style, there will be limitations on where design elements can go due to limited space for your invite details - which are the most important part.

The style of invitation you choose will depend on the information you’re choosing, for example if you don’t have much to include a pocket or concertina probably wouldn’t be the best choice as there’s lots of space to fill, I would instead suggest a simple card with inserts (this can be dressed up), or a folded/gatefold invitation instead. You want to avoid too much empty space as it will look bare.

Top tip - write out the basic template of your details FIRST, if there’s a lot of information you’re going to need inserts or an invite with folds, if there’s not so much, consider a simpler style. This will save you hours of scrolling through invites in a style you probably won’t have anyway, and narrow down those choices for you.

Step 2 – General vibe and theme

This step is all about how you want guests to feel when they open your invitation, and what you’re saying about your upcoming wedding. Your invitations are going to be the first (unless you’ve sent save the dates) part of your wedding day your guests are going to see, and will give them a glimpse into what to expect on the day. So, if you’re going for a rustic or eco theme, we’re going to want to look at textured/recycled cardstocks, natural elements, relaxed fonts and neutral colours. Whereas if you’re going for a classy, elegant formal do, you’re going to want clean lines, some empty space, sophisticated fonts, gentle but romantic elements and maybe a pop of colour.

Top tip – Think about what your wedding day itself is going to look like, and work backwards from this point. How are you going to want your room /tables to look? Will there be lots of floral displays or will it be more minimal? What kind of vibe does your venue bring? All of this will help make this decision a lot easier.

Step 3 - Choose your design accents

Now that you know your basic design style, this is when we get to work selecting fonts, design assets such as florals, silhouettes, venue sketches etc, and choosing colour shades. All of this together will form the main parts of your invitation suite.

If you’re opting for rustic or a quirky vibe, then go for more relaxed, handwritten fonts and watercolour elements, this will give a more playful tone. If you’re opting for more of a minimal look, you’ll want to steer away from florals and drawings, and focus on bold, confident fonts that bring a design aspect themselves, consider adding glyphs or swashes for additional visuals.

Top tip - when selecting florals or leaves etc, choose or create a set of varying layouts, this way they won’t appear the same on all insert cards/folds, and each card will look slightly different but in the same theme and style, we can also then work them around your text areas. Don’t rinse and repeat on every card.

Step 4 - selecting your layout, design and materials

Selecting your layout matters, this is because if you’re having large florals and you put them in the centre of your invitation, you’ve left no room for the main details or text which should be the forefront of any design.

Next, think about design placement and alignment, do you want your text to one side, or do you want something centralised. Would you prefer a wreath style floral, a border, or florals coming in from the corners? Again these will all look very different so consider where your text sits and work from there.

Then choose your material, if your design is more minimal, consider adding some texture or maybe a deckled edge to add depth, or layers for added colour and weight. If you’re going for a pocket are you wanting a bold coloured pocket or white with splashes of colour. When it comes to ribbons etc what kind of material do you prefer, a soft romantic chiffon or a polished satin?

Top tip – add your text first, then design around it. This is because if you do this the other way around, you’ll likely find you’ll need to rearrange due to text using more space than anticipated, and this will change the whole look all over again. You don’t want anyrhing obstructing text or for the text to be so small it’s illegible.

Step 5 - Adding the finishing touches

Finally, are there any finishing touches you’d like to add? A lot of the time I see Brides and Grooms forgetting this step, but sometimes it takes a design from ‘Oh that’s nice’, to ‘Oh my goodness, this is beautiful!’, and it really doesn’t have to be much or cost the earth.

Consider adding patterned or initialled envelope liners, wax seals, coloured envelopes, dried florals/foliage, ribbons, bands, or maybe even foils, to really elevate your look and add those finishing touches of care and attention.

Top tip - less can be more, either focus on a lined envelope and ribbon for example, or a wax seal and dried floral. If you add too much you will overwhelm the design so consider where you want to draw the eye, and again what kind of vibe you’re creating. If it’s minimal you’re after less is always more.

START CREATING NOW

I hope this guide helps you create your dream stationery, of course if you work with me I do all of this for you with your input so there’s no stress. If you’d like to start your journey with bespoke invitations, contact me today. Otherwise, enjoy creating!