You’re cordially invited….to Fabulous invitations!

March 8, 2011

Not so long ago, wedding invitations did not offer much variation – with the parents of the bride paying for most everything, wedding invitations always read they, “requested the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter.” These days, invitations are anything but conventional, covering a range of unique details such as couples with blended families, destination weddings, and even themed weddings. WIth all of this, the invitation has become the first opportunity to “wow,” your guests, showcasing the personality of a bride and groom, while giving guests a first peek at what is to come with the wedding! Invitations now have a role beyond delivering the details of an event – they deliver the style, tone and vibe of what is to come!

 

Michelle Durpetti Events turned to Peggy Erickson at Erickson Design to talk invitation trends and tips for this upcoming season. Peggy brings her etiquette expertise and flexibility with design to every save-the-date, invitation, escort card, menu and place card, bringing each custom design to life! Her design possibilities are endless, which means she will have something to please every bride and groom that come her way. We sat down with Peggy to learn more about how couples today are delivering that first impression and setting the tone for their big day.

What are the top trends that brides are currently interested in and going for; as far as a top style, or color that is popular?

We have seen navy blue replacing the chocolate brown trend. Which is really great and still has a very classic feel to it. Navy paired with hints of purple is a fabulous color combination that we have been designing lately.

How many months in advance, do you suggest a bride send out her invitation before the wedding date?

If the couple has sent out save the dates, then anywhere between 6 and 8 weeks is recommended. If they didn’t send out save the dates we recommend 8-10 weeks prior to the wedding.

Can you recommend any style ideas, like for example here at MDE we love things that are sparkly; can you embellish an invitation with jewels, pearls, and or crystals?

We have some fabulous fabric-wrapped invitations that we embellish with pearl or rhinestone buckles. We love all the fabulous shades and sizes of the Swarovski crystals and have those encased in silver for the couple that really wants to make a statement on their invitations and wedding day items, ie. place cards, menus, and more!

What is your take on the use of color, dark hues, soft hues, etc?

We love to use colors that compliment but contrast, like with the navy we like to pair it with a pale pink and bright white with a navy ink. Or, using a bold red but with a Tiffany blue. We always let our couples know that the color palette of the wedding should reflect how the “big day” should feel. So if you are having a classic, formal, black tie affair then you need to stick with the golds, silvers and black. If you are doing a Spanish inspired three day weekend with creative menus, linens, etc. then you need to reflect that in your color palette with some reds, oranges, purples, and more.

If there is a flower that a bride loves, is there a way to incorporate that flower into the invitation?

We have found that couples really do have certain flowers that they love and ones that they don’t love. Orchids seem to be a perennial favorite and come in such fabulous colors and shapes and it’s a fun way to do a pattern for the lining of an envelope, or incorporate into a monogram or wedding logo. We always want couples to do things that make it their unique wedding stationery and bringing flowers that mean something to them. For example, be it the first flower he gave her, or the flower her mom wore in her hair for her wedding, there are always ways to incorporate flowers into the wedding stationery. We can even use different flowers on different items or different parts of the flowers. So maybe a group of flowers on the invitation but then individual ones on the reply card, menu, program, and thank you cards.

Are you seeing a trend with an increase of brides and grooms using monograms? What are the latest trends in monograms?

We have seen quite a few couples do monograms of different sorts. We are doing a lot of first initials of the bride and groom with a fabulous ampersand instead of a traditional monogram. Since technically it’s bad luck to use the groom’s last name for the bride before they are married. We have done both where on the invitations it’s with the ampersand and then for all the wedding day items and thank you notes we use the official monogram. The official monogram is something they can use forever. Using a graphic with the monogram or names is a great trend too. For example, be it a pinecone for a fall wedding or a series of nautical flags for a wedding on a yacht. It’s a really fun way to give a hint to the personality of the couple and their wedding day!

There you have it giving a hint, sneak preview and first impression of the personality of the couple and their wedding day. MDE believes that each couple has a story, let your story shine through and start off with the best first impression of what is to come!

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