Wedding invitations can take a bite out of your budget, but they’re essential for letting guests know all the particulars of your big day. Even though they’re mostly utilitarian, with a little creativity and effort, they can be a work of art as well. A creative wedding invitation can show your couple’s personality, introduce your wedding theme, or just make an impression your guests won’t forget. Here are six invitations that really pop.
Storybook Invitation
If you’re planning on having a fairy-tale wedding, introduce the theme with a storybook invitation. Think about the style of beautiful old books: those oversized, illustrated first letters, bookplate fonts, page numbers. Don’t forget the “Once upon a time” tale of how you met. You can continue the theme into your wedding program, too–style it like a table of contents to the book of your relationship.
Wedding Wheel
If you’re looking for a non-traditional way to organize your wedding information, wedding wheels are a neat idea. Basically you print the details around a circular piece of paper, then overlay it with another piece that has a window cut into it. When the guests line up the arrow on the top piece to, say, the word “When,” the date and time of the wedding appear in the window. It’s a great way to present the information, and saves on paper, too–instead of a booklet full of inserts, all the details are on one page.
Handkerchief Invitation
Here’s a fun and functional idea–print the wedding map, time and date on a handkerchief you can fold and put in an envelope. Your guests will get all the information they need, and will be encouraged to bring it along to the ceremony for those sniffle-worthy wedding moments.
Cootie Catcher
Some kids called these folded-paper games “cootie catchers” and some called them “fortune tellers.” Either way, they make an adorable choice for a wedding invitation. There are templates online you can fill out, print, and fold to make an invitation your guests can play with all though the ceremony.
Engraved Wood
They don’t come cheap, but these engraved wood invitations are sure to make an impression on your guests. Make sure to keep one to frame and hang in the house; they’re definitely miniature works of art. Perfect for a rustic or country wedding.
Chocolate Bar
Here’s an option that looks great, is delicious, and is something you can do at home. Just start with any chocolate bar that’s wrapped in foil with a paper wrapping on top. Carefully peel off the paper, measure it, and make a template in a word processor to design a new wrapper. You can put pictures of the happy couple on the outside, then all the wedding details on the inside.
Wedding invitations are a necessary expense for wedding planning, but they don’t have to be boring just because they serve a purpose. Have some fun with the design and create something that really expresses who you and your partner are as a couple. If you get creative with the design and materials, you’ll make something your guests aren’t likely to lose and forget before the big day.
