Wedding Party Invitations and Special Invites

Choosing wedding invitations is one of the first steps an engaged couple takes when planning a wedding. Once a wedding date is set and the venue chosen, the couple is free to choose or design a wedding invitation that will set the tone for the whole event. Excited couples can begin pouring over the countless pages of wedding invitations housed in stationary books at a local print shop or online stationary supplier.

Wedding invitations are the first taste a guest receives of the event. If a beautiful black satin-finished lined envelope arrives with flowing script and traditional wording, the guest knows simply by the style of the wedding invitation that the event will be a traditional, fancy affair. Likewise, when a guest opens an invitation shaped like a coconut palm with glittered print writing, he is quick to realize the wedding will be more reminiscent of a beach party than a black tie ball.

Wedding invitations come in as many varieties as the imagination will allow. Couples are able to choose the style, type and texture of paper, text font and text color. Couples choose the wording on the invitation as well, or are invited to choose a prescribed text if preferred.

If a couple desires to invite guests to a formal affair, traditional white or ivory cardstock in square or rectangular shape is most suitable. Invitations may be embossed with a metallic border as well. For added flair, a pale velum overlay may be added. Less formal weddings allow for more creativity when choosing an invitation. Bold colors are a current trend in wedding invitations. The invitations follow the simple lines of a more traditional invitation, but greet the invited with a bold turquoise or raspberry, for example. Other ideas include textured paper or tri-fold invitations.

Most formal weddings are traditional in the wording of the wedding invitation as well. The invite will decree the bride’s parents ‘request the honor or your presence’. This wording recognizes the tradition that the bride’s parents have paid for the wedding. Less traditional wording may have the bride and groom extending the wish that the guest attend the event, or may include the groom’s parents in the invitation as well. Along with the invitation wording, the couple may choose to announce the reception on the same paper or include a separate reception announcement.

Font style and color coordinates with the tone of the wedding and the wedding invitation. Most formal black tie invitations will be presented in traditional black ink, traditional script. Less formal wedding invitations may sport a relaxed print in a bold color, or white ink on a bold background.

In addition, wedding envelopes, lined or unlined, must be chosen. Coordinating cocktail napkins may be added and save the date cards may be purchased that are sent prior to the invitation when travel is required for the wedding.

With so many decisions to be made choosing wedding invitations, it may seem a daunting experience, but it is just one of the first decisions of many when planning a wedding.

Jen Carter is owner of My Wedding Blog, a free wedding planning guide about weddings. You may publish our articles on your website only if you do not edit the article in any way, and include all html as direct links to our site. Visit us at www.my-wedding-blog.com