Differences Between Modern and Classic Wedding Invitations

Are you trying to decide between classic wedding invitations and a more modern style? These days, the lines have blurred, but there are still some distinct differences between the traditional classic style wedding invitations and modern wedding invitations. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide whether your wedding invitation tastes run to the traditional, or whether your wedding invitation choices are setting the tone for a thoroughly modern wedding.

Paper Choices

The classic wedding invitation is printed on heavy ecru or white paper. That paper is used for all parts of the classic wedding invitation with the exception of a tissue paper liner that is placed over the invitation itself.

Modern wedding invitations may be printed on any high-quality paper, and the colors vary widely. As late as the 1980s, even such simple and subtle color choices as a touch of gold leaf in the invitation border lifted an invitation from the traditional into the modern – and somehow irreverent – category. While traditional wedding invitations are still very popular, modern wedding invitations sparked with color and patterns are quite acceptable.

One very classic invitation style that still has a modern feel is the Pearl Border on Ecru Wedding Invitations from Rytex Weddings’ The Wedding Collection. The ecru card panel is bordered with a pearlized ecru border that is understated and elegant. Make it modern by choosing ink in the color of your choice.

The Inviting Company’s Wedding Collection also adds whimsy to a very traditional ecru panel wedding invitation. The collection of modern wedding invitations that nod to the past include the Chapel Vellum Panel wedding invitation, printed on a heavy white vellum panel and bordered in soft silver. The charming line drawing of a little chapel makes this wedding invitation simple, sweet and romantic.

Color Choices in Classic and Modern Wedding Invitations

Traditional classic wedding invitations are white or ecru, with touches of silver, pearl or gold on the borders or to accent embossed elements of the card. Despite the limited colors, there are still many choices of classic wedding invitations that will appeal to both the traditional and the modern bride.

While the most traditional wedding invitations feature no decoration other than the wording of the invitation itself, which is invariably engraved in black on ecru or white – many modern invitations capture the classic, traditional feel with embossed borders. To retain a truly classic feel, choose a wedding invitation that has even borders on all four sides with a wedding-inspired pattern.

You will also find many modern wedding invitations styles that have a very classic feel to them. One of the most innovative and unusual wedding invitations styles is a 5 x 7 V-Flap Folio Pocket wedding invitation. The clean lines and presentation are essentially classic, but the folio envelope and the wide range of colors pack a thoroughly modern punch. The modern bride can dare to be different without being cutesy, with mix and match color choices that include chocolate, turquoise, pink and apple green.

Embellishments in Modern Wedding Invitations

Traditional wedding invitations carried very few embellishments. The formal presentation of classic wedding invitations is part of their appeal and charm. Modern wedding invitations recognize very few limitations in decoration and embellishments. Designers like Vera Wang and Anna Griffin bring their unmistakable styles to wedding invitations, adding flourishes and bold, splashy prints to both the wedding invitation itself and to the other elements of the invitations package.

Anna Griffin’s line of Platinum Swirls wedding invitations invokes the classic and traditional with heavy ecru backing paper and slim, stylish silver borders. The use of white and silver is a clear nod to the traditional, and a platinum ribbon layered between the backing and the wording panel is the ultimate in modern elegance. This Anna Griffin design and others make it clear that modern and elegant are definitely not mutually exclusive.

The Vera Wang Wedding Invitation Collection features bold, modern graphics in striking styles and colors. There’s nothing shrinking violet about these stunning invitations. The Empress Jewel wedding invitation from the Vera Wang Letterpress line of wedding invitations is an example of Wang’s bold style. The horizontal orientation is a departure from the classic vertical card, and the colored top and bottom beaded borders are beautifully asymmetrical. Asymmetry is a mark of Wang’s modern wedding invitations, elegantly handled to create a striking border for the most important words of your life.

The Text

The wording on invitations is yet another place where the classic differs from the modern wedding invitation. Wedding etiquette decrees specific phrases and tenor for the wedding invitation, but many modern couples are eschewing the traditional to make their wedding invitations a statement of their personal feelings and beliefs.

The wording differs in another way between modern and classic wedding invitations. Tradition calls for black, raised engraving in a formal font. Modern invitations are much freer and more open. Most invitations today are thermal printed rather than engraved, and the thermal printing process produces the same raised lettering that engraving does. Modern invitations may also be printed in any color chosen by the wedding couple without raising eyebrows. The Mix ‘n’ Match Custom Wedding Invitation Collection allows couples to choose colors that mix, match, coordinate and contrast for bold, modern invitations that make a clear, memorable statement about your wedding.