|
Wedding ceremonies these days
are as varied as the couples who take that big step; from
traditional church weddings to mid-air nuptials as the
participants float underneath matching parachutes, the
locations and modes of marrying are wonderfully diverse. Why
not choose a wedding invitation which reflects the design
and spirit of the occasion? Here are some considerations:
Where are you getting married?
If you're having a traditional indoor wedding in a church,
you may want to choose an equally traditional white embossed
invitation with a religious theme. If your wedding is
scheduled to take place in a sunny field surrounded by
wildflowers, however, a more colorful invitation with a
nature theme might be perfect.
What is the color scheme of
the wedding? Many brides-to-be spend a lot of time and
thought choosing bridesmaid's dresses, flowers, and other
decorations for their wedding; why not let the wedding
invitation reflect the chosen color scheme? A small,
intimate evening wedding with deep burgundy bridesmaid gowns
would benefit from beautifully decorative burgundy and gold
engraved invitations with coordinating envelopes; an
informal spring wedding could be reflected by cheerful
pastel invitations.
Do you want to reflect a
particular ethnic or religious background? Your family's
cultural or religious history may include specific wedding
traditions; why not reflect these in your
wedding invitations? Traditional African designs, Greek
or Russian Orthodox iconography, or simply elegant Asians
designs could all be incorporated into unique wedding
invitations. Pre-designed wedding invitations are becoming
ever more diverse, but if you can't find an invitation that
matches what you have in mind, you may be able to find a
greeting card with a blank interior which you can adapt, or
design one yourself.
Think about all your needs
before you order your invitations.
For all wedding invitations,
you need to include response cards and envelopes so your
guests can RSVP. Also, decide whether it's okay for you to
receive responses by email; if so, include your email
address somewhere on the invitation or RSVP card. If you
want the responses to arrive by snail mail, spend the extra
money to put postage stamps on the return envelopes; it will
increase your chances of getting responses, both yeses and
no's, tremendously.
Are you having a pre-wedding
supper for family and participants? If it's a formal affair,
you may want place cards for the dinner. You may also want a
wedding guest book and thank-you notes matching your
invitations. Are you going to send announcements to people
you don't plan to invite to the wedding? You might want to
consider drafting them so they announce the wedding as
having taken place, wait until after the ceremony to send
them, and enclose a wedding photo as a small gift to the
recipient.
Whatever your wedding plans,
let your invitations and accessories reflect your plans for
the ceremony itself. This small detail will help you define
the day and make it even more memorable, for yourself and
for all your guests.
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in
southwestern New Hampshire, who has written numerous
articles for local and regional publications. She
may be reached at
amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
|
