Elements of a Contemporary Wedding Invitation

It is important to remember that the wedding invitation is essentially the key to your event as it is the first interaction your guests have with your wedding. In fact, the wedding invitation is a representation of the bride, groom, and should convey your personality. The modern wedding invitation is not only an extension of the happy couple, but also provides invaluable bit of information for the wedding guests.

Most of the basic elements of a modern wedding invitation are exactly the same as those of a classic wedding invitation. The invitation must include who is getting married, the date, the time of the wedding, the place, and who is hosting the event. In many cases, the modern wedding invitation, unlike the classic version, should state whether formal or casual attire is required.

Aside from the well-known informative elements of the wedding invitation, the modern elements all have to do with the format, materials, wording, and overall aesthetic of the invitation. First and foremost, the paper chosen is one of the most important elements of a modern wedding invitation. Beautiful papers, often hand-pressed, are ideal for modern wedding invitations. Such high quality papers add a touch of refined class to your invitation. While some papers are extremely expensive, they are well worth the extra cost.

Modern wedding invitations allow couples to plan their wedding in an up-to-date fashion. There are many styles to the modern wedding invitation, and one of the fastest growing trends is the handmade appearance that so many these days seem to have. Gone are the days of finely printed, embossed, and engraved wedding invitations and here are the days of one-of-a-kind hand-stitched, sewn, and hand-tied ribbons. The embellishments of the modern wedding invitation are exactly what make it so modern.

Handmade wedding invitations can end up costing you a lot more than traditional or classical invites, but to many couples, the touch of whimsy and uniqueness are well worth the extra money. However, it is possible to make handmade wedding invitations for a completely modern look but at a fraction of the cost with a little time, effort, and creativity. Today, many couples have access to good quality printers which makes it easier to design wedding invitations that speak truly to the nature of the couple.

In addition to certain embellishments added to modern wedding invitations, today many couples are using unusual shaped invitations rather than the traditional rectangular or square invitations we have seen of generations past. Oversized, tri-fold, and circular invitations are part of a growing trend of unusual shapes. Such shapes catch the eye of the invited guest and make a unique and interesting statement.

The shape is not the only way wedding invitations are becoming more modern. Classic wedding invitations are white or ivory, usually with black print. There may be hints of gold or silver for a touch of color. Today, many modern invitations are colorful and bright, which could not be more fashion forward. Many brides choose colored card stock, hand-pressed paper (with flowers), and vellum to add an extra layer of fun and excitement to their wedding (in many cases, the color scheme of the wedding invitations correlate to the color scheme of the wedding itself).

Modern wedding invitations provide an interesting design style. The modern style usually has two colors; one as a solid background color and a secondary color for the design. The writing may consist of a standard black or the same as the secondary color. While traditional wedding invitations provide all the basic information as we mentioned above, modern invitations include a little something extra. Most modern wedding invitations have an inner envelope that holds a selection of information cards outlining different topics. For example, there would be one card for each of the following topics – the wedding registry, hotel information, directions, things to do in the area, wedding website information, and the list can go on and on.

As society and culture changes, so does the wedding invitation, as weddings are integral parts of both facets of the world. For example, today many people find themselves "going green"which is another way of saying that they are becoming more and more environmentally conscious. Modern wedding invitations may reflect this aspect of the couple’s life by implementing recycled papers or even sending out electronic invitations through email.

More and more weddings today are destination weddings; this means not only the couple, but also the guests travel to a specific destination for the ceremony and reception. Usually, these weddings take place somewhere tropical, but there are destination weddings all over the world. Many modern invitations take on the destination theme, where the invitations themselves reflect the location. For example, a beach wedding may have sea foam green paper with shell embellishments.