I've been talking about invitation and wedding papers a lot. I hope you aren't bored of the topic! Designing the invitations has been an incredibly fun project for me and I've loved selecting every single detail. Of course, there's more to the invitation suite than just the invitation itself. Last week, Dan and I took a trip to Paper Source to polish some final details on the invitations before we get them ready to be sent off. Here are some tips and reminders from our experience; please share your own tips too!
First, we had to select the envelopes. Do you go colorful and attention grabbing? Neutral and classic? There are a ton of choices from so many different resources, so remember that this is the initial impression of the invitation and will set the tone.
You also have to decide if you want to line your envelopes. I love the look of lined envelopes, plus it is quite traditional to have your envelopes lined. However, there are plenty of non-traditional ways to make a statement with your lining, from maps to wrapping paper to photos.
Sources: Nautical, Graphic, Vintage Floral
If you can't find a pattern that fits your look or aren't crafty with paper, how about these adorable stamped envelopes?! With this, you get the look of liners without all the cutting and pasting. A quick tip: If you do decide to line your envelopes yourself, Paper Source sells templates to make the process nice and easy.
Source: Oh Happy Day
In addition to your invitation and response card, you'll likely need to include some additional information like directions, hotels, registry, etc. I love these cute illustrated maps. I ended up opting for written directions, but we'll be printing them on some cute colored paper to match the overall scheme.
We've also be brainstorming the best way to address the envelopes. Calligraphy is always fantastic but not always doable because of cost. I think this label is super cute and a great way to further incorporate your invitation look. The hand-lettering in a fun color is a great idea too! Lucky for us, I have a very generous future mother-in-law with some calligraphy skills and a summer off :)
Sources: Grey and Yellow, Kraft Paper, Black with Stamp
People also have tons of fun with the stamps for their invitations, using some gorgeous vintage stamps. I still haven't picked out stamps yet, but do love this option. Another great tip: You can take your invitations to the post office and ask them to hand-stamp the letters instead of running them through their machines and you'll get that classic post office stamp.
Don't forget your return address! I love the idea of a stamp because you'll be able to use it for all your thank you notes too. And there are so many cute options! We bought the top one from Etsy and it turned out great.
Here's a tiny sneak peak of what we ended up with after our Paper Source trip. I can't wait to see them all come together!
Source: Paper Source
Any tips or tricks for putting the final touches on invitations?
