Contemporary Wedding Invitations

Contemporary Wedding Invitations Choosing the right wedding invitations is important for couples. After all, the invitation is usually the first hint of what your wedding is going to be like for your guests, so it should reflect the tone and theme of your wedding, as well as your personalities.

Generally, couples choose more traditional wedding invitations, but those aren't your only options. Contemporary wedding invitations can be beautiful, classy, and stylish while also breaking many of the rules of traditional invitations.

Contemporary Wedding Invitation Shapes

One difference between some contemporary wedding invitations and their traditional rivals are their shapes. Traditional invitations are usually rectangular or square and larger than standard invitations for other events.

Contemporary wedding invitations come in more choices. For example, you can find contemporary wedding invitations shaped like flowers, circles, and other designs. You can also find variations of the traditional rectangle shape. For example, the cards may be more narrow than traditional versions.

Traditional wedding invitations are usually a single sheet of paper with the message printed on the front. If you choose something more contemporary, you can choose from bi-fold or tri-fold cards so they resemble greeting cards or brochures, respectively. Some contemporary wedding invitations even have pockets for the reception and/or response cards.

Contemporary Wedding Invitations Colors, Paper, and Ink

While couples do have lots of choices when it comes to choosing traditional wedding invitations, those choices are still somewhat limited when compared to contemporary options. For example, most traditional wedding invitations are made from a high-quality, heavy paper stock usually in a white, cream, or ivory color with the message printed in black ink. Cotton invitations are another choice for traditional invitations, but these are less common and usually more expensive.

Contemporary wedding invitations, however, are not limited in terms of colors and paper types. For example, some contemporary invitations are made from lokta paper (also known as rice paper). This paper gives the invitations a more natural look and it's more environmentally friendly (a plus for some couples).

Couples can also choose from a wide array of colors. Paper comes in almost every shade from pastel hues to bright shades. Most online stationery stores have 50 or more paper color choices and these can often be combined in any way you desire.

Additionally, contemporary wedding invitations can include pre-printed designs, such as flowers or photos. You can have your own photographs printed on the invitations, for example, to make them very unique.

Most traditional wedding invitations are printed in a script font, such as Edwardian. Some couples may also pay to have all of their invitations written out in calligraphy by hand or choose printers who have the equipment necessary to recreate that look on their printed invitations. With contemporary invitations, you are free to choose any type of font you want. For example, if you want a more crisp, modern style for your invitations, you might choose Arial or Arial Narrow.

Another issue is the color of the printed ink. Because traditional wedding invitations are white or cream-colored, black ink has been the best choice for readability. However, contemporary invitations can use any of a number of colored inks, including red, green, blue, pink, even gold or silver. You do need to make sure the ink and paper colors work well together so the printed message will be easy to read without straining the guests' eyes.

Other Differences

Besides the differences we've already talked about here, some couples also choose something even more unique. For example, they might hire a graphic artist to create a three or four panel wedding cartoon of the couple on the invitations or some other special design.

Another difference is price. Although traditional wedding invitations are more formal and are fairly pricey, contemporary wedding invitations can cost even more, particularly if they are something very unique. For example, some couples have opted for invitation scrolls which are mailed in tubes instead of envelopes. These pieces can run between $12 to $15 per invitation which may seem like only a few dollars more than the top-of-the-line traditional invitations but those couple of dollars add up quickly if you're inviting 100 guests.

Contemporary & Traditional Wedding Invitation Similarities

Even though there are a number of differences between contemporary and traditional wedding invitations when it comes to styles and colors, there are still some similarities. For example, you still need to have the required enclosures. Response cards should match the invitations you choose and should be mailed along with the invitation itself. The same is true for reception cards, if you are using them.

Another similarity is the double envelope. Most contemporary invitations are still mailed with two envelopes: an inner and an outer. This is in order to protect the invitation itself.

Also, remember that all invitations – whether traditional or contemporary will require extra postage when being mailed.