Whether you’re using e-vites or traditional paper invitations, your event invitations help create excitement while offering a hint at what guests can expect when they attend.
In this article, we will share our tips on designing eye-catching event invitations and save-the-dates for your wedding day to make the biggest impact while helping to reduce your wedding cost in Toronto.
Consider Your Theme and Colour Scheme
Most events have a theme or at least a colour scheme. These design elements should be prominent in your invitation design. What colours will your wedding party be wearing? What are the colours for your table linens and flowers?
What is the inspiration for your decor—is it something Victorian, retro, modern, etc.? Are there any recurring motifs you are including, like rustic textures of wood, drawings of doves, hearts, etc.? All of these designs and colours work together to create an invitation that sets the tone for the event.
Consider Different Paper Stocks
If you’re sending paper invitations, you have many choices both for the ink colours and the paper stock. Linen finishes, lace or floral embossing, heavy card stock, and a rainbow of paper colours all add to the appearance of your invitations.
Consider the Cost for “Extras”
Invitations can be dressed up or down based on your budget. You can create something elegant, sophisticated, and simple, or something with extra elements such as lace texturing, embossed lettering, foil inks and linings, and more.
Little touches of sparkle, tiny pearl beading, or origami-styled flowers or motifs all create interest and wow factors, but can also add to the wedding cost in Toronto.
Consider the Feeling and Mood
Design should trigger a response that creates a certain mood or feeling. Moods can be nostalgic, make people smile or laugh, create a feeling of romance or whimsy, or even cause a tear or two.
For example, pictures of each of you as kids are whimsical and light-hearted, while an image of you staring lovingly into each other’s eyes is more emotional and dramatic.
You might go with a different kind of image such as a field of flowers, fall colours, or an illustration of the wedding or event motif. Graphics are very design and fashion-forward, as is the use of fonts to create a sense of style.
Look for Inspiration
If you’re not sure where to begin, look for inspiration while searching Pinterest and Instagram, reading wedding blogs and magazines, or shopping for wedding decorations. You might also be inspired by something like a book, movie, or even a favourite location that provides ideas for a motif or theme.
Consider Personal Touches
If you consider yourself crafty, creative, or artistic, consider ways to add your own personal touches such as handwritten headings, a freestyle drawing of the two of you or your motif, a hand-folded rose, or a carefully designed graphic pattern.
Another idea is to create a customized stamp for a more bespoke, artisanal look to your invitations.
Get Creative With Shapes
Invitations don’t have to be square or rectangular. You can get creative using customized die cutting to create interesting outlines and effects. Just keep in mind how bespoke shapes will impact the wedding cost in Toronto.
Odd cuts can also reduce space, making it difficult to include all the information required such as the date, venue, announcement, RSVP, etc. If the die cut route is too expensive, create shapes in different ways, such as an oval of flowers bordering the message or including art deco diamond overlays in gold leaf in the design.
Use Space Wisely
It’s easy to get carried away and be too creative in your invitation design, creating a bit of a mess that is confusing and eye-catching in a bad way!
Make sure you include some white space to make it easy for people to read the message and not get confused by too many contrasting ideas or themes. By white space, we simply mean large areas that are free of text and images.
Make Use of Fonts
When choosing a font, there are several things to consider, including the following:
- Readability: Make sure the main message is easy to read, as you are likely inviting a wide range of guests with some age groups that might have deteriorating eyesight. Anything overly ornate or lacking contrast makes it hard to read.
- Size: Ideally, you want the main font size to be at least 12 to 14, and headings should be 14 to 16 or larger depending on the design.
- Contrast: As mentioned, be careful with choosing your colours, as colours without enough contrast will soften the text so it doesn’t stand out.
- Traditional versus modern: Serif fonts have more distinctive strokes that feel traditional and formal, while sans serif fonts use cleaner lines focused on minimalism and simplicity, feeling more casual.
- Handwritten fonts: Many printers will allow you to provide handwritten artwork to include in your invitation, but there are also many script fonts to choose from. Both will create a more vintage feel.
- Display fonts: If you want to mix things up a bit, consider some of the more stylized display fonts available for your headings and names.
Adding Inserts
Most wedding invitations include an RSVP and envelope insert, but there are other options to consider. For example, some invitations include a piece of tissue paper as an elegant, vintage touch. Other ideas include:
- Handwritten personalized notes for special guests you really want to see.
- Maps showing the venue and ceremony locations.
- A list of nearby accommodations.
- Attire cards for specific themes or dress codes.
- Gift registry cards.
- An engagement photo.
- Wedding social media and website information for people to follow your wedding story.
- A special diet request card for menu planning (you can reduce your wedding cost in Toronto by simply including this on the RSVP card).
You can also include something unexpected like a doggie invitation if you’re having a pet-friendly wedding, a list of events you’re holding that everyone is invited to attend, or a list of suggested activities for out-of-towners.
Contact the Wedding Venue Professionals
These tips will help you create a show-stopping invitation that’s sure to increase interest and excitement about your big day.
If you’re planning a wedding, click here to learn more about Château Le Jardin’s stunning wedding venue. You can also call us at 1-888-529-8573, or book an event consultation online.
