I was recently invited to a Wedding Invitation Seminar at Blue Tulip which cosponsored the event with Crane & Co. Unfortunately, I could not attend, but I was able to send my questions to Megan Kuntze, Brand Director at Crane and here are her helpful responses below:
When I got married in '06, it seemed like a trend was the invitation folder sealed with a ribbon. I ended up doing that for mine, but I wanted to know if that is still a popular trend? If not, what is?
At Crane, we've noticed that coordinating hand-tied ribbon bands are becoming a bigger trend. It’s a detail that was popular many years ago. Our wedding albums feature a number of ribbon options for brides – they also come hand-tied so the she can focus her attention on other wedding details. Folders are another growing trend and a neat way for the bride to include fun and informative materials for her guests, like a map of the wedding location if she's planned a destination wedding.
One of my themes was the monogram of my new last name. I tried to incorporate it other places (cake and favors). Should brides try to coordinate their invitations with other wedding details or can the invitation have a stand alone design? Should brides get wedding stationary so their invites, thank yous, dinner menus, church programs, etc all match?
A wedding invitation should be evocative of the day the bride has planned and bring her personal style to life. When she's decided on a theme and location for her wedding, the fun begins – designing her signature wedding.
When it comes down to choosing an invitation design, it really depends on the bride, though. A monogram is a classic choice and a bride can even choose to have both her monogram and her fiancé’s joined together on the invitations. Graphic motifs are another way to personalize – seashells if you’re getting married beachside, or an aspen leaf if you and your fiancé love to ski.
What are some of the hot colors/fonts used for invitations?
Classic ecrus and whites continue to be the most popular choice – 80% of Crane brides choose those colors. Navy and espresso are also widely selected and are beautifully highlighted by engraving. Accent colors are a place where a bride can be creative, depending on the wedding she’s planning. Many couples choose a color that reflects the season or tone of the wedding. For fonts, cursive scripts remain a top choice and work well with a number of different invitation designs.
About what % of the invitations are still traditional?
What is most important is that a bride be able to choose from a range of invitations to find the one that best suits her and her wedding. We offer a number of more traditional designs, but also offer updated takes on traditional styles as well as modern designs, such as with our Kate Spade for Crane & Co. wedding album, which features polka dots, bright pinks and poppies.
Inside the folder of my invitation, I included the response card, directions and an insert with the web address that had other wedding details. What are some other musts to include in the invitation?
It all depends on the bride and the type of wedding. We’re seeing a rise in the popularity of within-the-ribbon cards. These are for church weddings and are used to denote the first few pews set aside for family and other VIPs. A good idea for any bride is to meet with a stationer to review the options and find out what works best for her.
What is the etiquette on the invitation beginning (Mr and Mrs _____ welcome you to the wedding of.....)? Is it based on who pays for it?
Crane’s Blue Book of Wedding Stationery is the perfect resource for questions such as these. Addressing the invitations may seem tricky, but here are a few tips:
- Traditionally, invitations are issued by the parents of the bride and read “Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jay Forrester request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter” for a church wedding, or “request the pleasure of your company” for a non-church wedding.
- If the bride’s parents are divorced, the parents’ names appear on separate lines; the same holds true for mothers who keep their maiden names.
- If you and your fiancé are paying for the wedding, you can choose to issue the invitations, or have your parents issue the invitations. Another idea? Have your parents issue the invitations to the ceremony while you and your fiancé issue the invitations to the reception.
- Again, there are traditions, but a bride's personal preferences are just as important.
If you are inviting a family where all or some of the children are older than 10, should they get their own invite or is it okay to address the entire family?
If children are to be invited to the wedding, they may be included in the invitation to their parents. For example, the invitation might be addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, Kathryn, Robby, and John.”
For more information on wedding etiquette, visit Crane's website for some helpful hints.
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