While trends of any sort pertaining to weddings are abundant, fleeting,
and often contradictory, there are some trends, existing just below the radar
(somewhere in between explosions of burlap and Gatsby-esque bejeweling), that
will make it past the more transitory fads.
The important part of every wedding (and pretty much every wedding
website in existence will remind you of this) is that your wedding be
reflective of you and your partner. Today, weddings are becoming increasingly
personalized, and we think that’s a very, very good thing. This is the trend
above all trends.
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| Choose Your Color Infinity Wedding Invitations |
When it comes to wedding invites, this inclination towards customization
over tradition has even made its way to our doorstep. We find that fewer
couples choose “traditional” wedding invitations, and we recognize that there
are a whole host of reasons for this. Looking back at past wedding trends,
companies like Crane and Anna Griffin (brands we carry ourselves) specialized
in “traditional” wedding invitations with traditional wording, on thick cardstock,
with either embossed, thermography, or letterpress type. There was little room
for design (see also: personality) on the paper, so invitations began being
enveloped in design, typically floral, and typically accompanied by lace,
vellum, ribbon, etc. Invitations were then either plain (to one extreme) or
frou-frou (to the other). And they were going to be expensive either way, which
sends a message of formality.
But we’ve now entered an era where people throw all kinds of weddings
with all different “vibes”. What if you’re not really into florals? Or your
wedding is going to be super casual? Or you don’t have a lot of money?
The era of digitally designed invitations means a greater variety of
paper styles, colors and designs than just choosing from a few expensive
cardstocks and some ink colors (maybe some ribbons here and there). Digitally
printed invites create more room for bold patterns and prints, something many people
want to take advantage of in an effort to be more personal. Your invitations
can become a much greater bearer of your wedding “theme” or atmosphere with
more options: gingham, floral, trellis, geometric, vintage. You can also have
all of these great options for less money and with less production time. Our
selection of digital wedding invitations is growing rapidly because it allows
couples to get more bang for their buck.
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| Fleur de Lis Swirl Wedding Invitation Suite |
But if invitations aren’t your thing and you’re really struggling with
the process, it can be helpful to take a look at the latest trends to get a
feel for what you like.
If you look at a broad wedding search on Pinterest, there are certainly
some wedding themes that are particularly popular right now. Rustic barn
weddings are happening all over the place (especially in the South). The
combination of industrial components and rustic elements seems to be derived
from the rustic trend as well. And of course, as seems to be popular in all
party circles, The Gatsby Theme.
Gatsby themed weddings (whether the suggestion is overt or subtle)
typically allude to the opulence of the era, like gold rimmed china, long
gloves, chandeliers. The theme promotes old world elegance, ideally in a subtle
manner to avoid costume-jewelry-type tackiness.
Choosing wedding stationery to fit within your Gatsby/roaring 20s
wedding theme should promote those same elements: thick, luxurious paper,
metallic inks, vintage fonts, art deco details. If you have specific wedding
colors in mind, incorporate those. In this particular instance, it’s ok to be a
little over the top. It tells your guests what kind of party this wedding will
be.
Perhaps the most widespread wedding trend of late is the “rustic”
wedding. We feel the need for quotes here because there have been so many
variations of this theme generated over the past year or so. Rustic weddings
are great because they have that “down home” feel which encourages DIY wedding
planning, which lends itself well to a very personalized experience.
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| Vintage Laurel Wreath Wedding Invitations |
Whether your un-betrothed self
already has a Pinterest board chock-full of rustic wedding pins or you’re just
starting to explore themes with your partner, it’s good to know that rustic weddings
really all boil to down to a few core elements. Natural, unfinished materials
are a great place to start: burlap (maybe throw some lace in there for good
measure), raw or rough-hewn wood, and handpicked, simple greenery. Your new
mantra: trees and barns. Trees and barns. Invitations are also easy to
integrate in this case. Keep it simple. Kraft paper or light colors, flowery,
elegant fonts, hints of lace, textured paper.
We mentioned earlier that as rustic weddings became popular, many
variations of this theme arrived on the scene. One that seems to have taken
hold, especially amongst the more minimalist crowd is the combination of
industrial and rustic. Choosing an industrial venue and adding a few homey
accents is a nice balance between refined and country, minimalist and
elaborate. Industrial venues, with their concrete flooring, exposed brick, open
floor plan and (typically) large windows call for minimal card design, in terms
of invitations, with bold color for font or even images in place of some
wording. The invitation is a good opportunity to showcase understated design,
but warmed up with touches of fabric, scripted wording, or floral accents to
make it more appealing. Here, it’s all about the juxtaposition.
Because who doesn’t love a good juxtaposition?
Like we said before, the most important thing is that your wedding
invitations reflect you both as a couple. This is the trend above all trends.
While it can certainly be helpful to look around and see what your options are,
we always emphasize taking the opportunity to display yourself in every aspect
of your wedding (especially in your invitations, the first glimpse that anyone
will really get of how awesome your wedding is going to be).
What's your favorite wedding stationery trend?
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