Designing Your Own Bespoke Wedding Invitations

Designing Bespoke Wedding Invitations with the Experts at Bliss & Bone

Your wedding day is coming up and there are likely a lot of to-do items left to tackle. In order to celebrate in style, you should have bespoke wedding invitations that coordinate with the rest of your wedding design and decor. From digital invites to bespoke wedding cards, there are plenty of choices that will factor into the look of your special stationery. 

Throughout this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about bespoke wedding invitations. There are several examples, styles and creative decisions to make about how everything is set up for your one-of-a-kind wedding day. Read on for expert tricks and tips on your bespoke wedding invites, Save the Dates and more must-have stationery items to keep on your radar.

What Are Bespoke Wedding Invitations?

The word “bespoke” means custom-made, according to the lexicographers at Merriam-Webster. It is often used to reference made-to-order clothes, but it applies to anything that is specially crafted for you. That is why so many couples gravitate toward the idea of bespoke wedding invitations. This essentially means that they are planned out and ordered before they arrive at your door. 

Like any invitation, bespoke wedding cards should be sent out with all of the necessary information. This includes:

1. The name of the hosts. By traditional standards, this is usually the bride’s parents. These days, however, couples and both families are contributing to this epic celebration of love. If that is the case, the phrase, “Together with their families” is often seen at the beginning of bespoke wedding invites.
2. The type of ceremony guests can expect. The next detail provided depends on the venue. If you are hosting a wedding at a church or other place of worship, it is most common to say that the hosts “request the honor of your presence.” For all other venues, like a hotel or other event space, you can write it more informally and say the hosts “request the pleasure of your company.” This will signal the type of celebration that is coming up to your invited guests.
3. The name of the guests of honor. The couple getting married are the stars of this show, of course. You can feature their first names only, or stick with a more etiquette appropriate setup. The experts at EmilyPost.com shared that you should include first, middle and last names and titles in the most formal invitation wording arrangement. 
4. The key details about the wedding day. Your Save the Dates, which are sent out about four to six months before your wedding day, will share the basics: when and where your wedding is happening. This gets the ball rolling, allowing your guests to research flights and lodging opportunities. And when it is time to send out bespoke wedding invites, you should provide additional information. Your guests will need to know the exact time of the ceremony, the name and address of the ceremony and the name and address of the reception (unless it is the same place as the ceremony). 
5. Requested wedding attire. Gone are the days of only deciding between the basic attire recommendations. Black tie, formal, cocktail and semi-formal are all common, but people are getting even more creative. Garden party formal, western wedding attire, pastels only and other specific color palettes and themes are all becoming more popular. If you have specific requests for what your guests should wear, you should make that clear on your bespoke wedding invites. 
6. RSVP details. Your bespoke wedding invites should also come with information about how guests can respond about their attendance to your wedding. There are several options for RSVPs, depending on the type of invitation you create. For instance, bespoke wedding invites sent through the mail can have a RSVP card and envelope in the same delivery. Alternatively, both print and digital invites can detail instructions on how to RSVP through a wedding website. 

These are the main components of bespoke wedding invitations. You can get creative with the wording, but you should make sure all of these pieces of information are included to provide clarity to your guests. Plus, adding the URL to your wedding website is also helpful, and you can include that in your Save the Dates as well.

How Can You Make Your Bespoke Wedding Invitations Stand Out?

Your bespoke wedding invitations are special, never-before-seen creations that couples spend time planning out. Again, bespoke wedding invitations are printed or digital products that share the aforementioned details about the celebration. You can take things to the next level when you incorporate special features that are unexpected and appreciated by all of your guests. They can coordinate with your Save the Dates and the rest of your stationery too (more on that later!). 

• Three-dimensional objects: Some couples who design digital bespoke wedding invitations are concerned about how they are two-dimensional. However, you can find designs and three-dimensional objects that will make your order stand out even more. 
• Shadows: Similar to the three-dimensional objects on digital bespoke wedding invites, shadows are also cast over virtual invites to create more dimension, contrast and interest. They can look like leaves hanging over your invitation or even a more modern and unique design. 
• Pops of color: Simply switching up a classic color palette is another way to customize your bespoke wedding invitations. For instance, a wedding in Palm Springs can work well with bright colors like pink, orange and green.
• Metallic foil: Your printed bespoke wedding invitations can get a boost when you use metallic foil. Plus, there are even digital bespoke wedding invites that appear to have this look—even though they are displayed on a computer or phone screen. Foil bespoke wedding invitations can be printed using multiple printing processes. These include letterpress, embossing and flat printing. Rose gold, yellow gold, silver and more are all typically offered, and they add a touch of glam and whimsy to bespoke wedding cards. 
• Custom logo or monogram: You can create a custom logo or monogram that you feature on the top of your invitations. These can feature your and your partner’s initials, last name and more. At Bliss & Bone, you will have the opportunity to chat with a designer about your style preferences and ideas before the order is made—yet another bespoke offering for your invites!

These are a few of the many ways you can personalize your wedding invitations before sending them out to your guests. Your venue, color palette and more can all inspire the decisions you make about these bespoke wedding invitations. Talk it all through with your partner and planner, if you have one, and then start the customization process. 

Deciding Between Digital and Printed Bespoke Wedding Invites

While there are countless wedding invitation styles out there, you will find two primary formats: print or digital. There are plenty of pros to both, and we are sharing what couples love the most about either style. From budget to the processes guests prefer, there are quite a few factors to consider as you make this important decision. 

For digital bespoke wedding invitations, couples love:

• The opportunity to save paper: It is tough to beat the eco-friendliness of digital invites. They are sent to your guests’ emails, so you do not need paper to create them. This greatly reduces your carbon footprint while wedding planning, making it a decision you can feel good about. 
• The relatively affordability: Because you are not using any paper, costs are significantly less. Keeping everything online allows couples to save money on their stationery, so they can prioritize other related wedding costs. 
• Creating a more streamlined process for guests: Now, more than ever, guests have become accustomed to the benefits of the digital age. If you send out digital invites, they can direct your guests to your card and your wedding website. Having this convenience makes things easier and will inevitably reduce confusion among your guests. 

For printed bespoke wedding invitations, couples love: 

• Having a keepsake: There is just something about holding an invitation in your hand. This tangible experience is so special, and sending your invite through the mail will allow you and your guests to be able to hold onto it for years to come.
• Following the traditional standard: For centuries, people have sent out formal, printed bespoke wedding cards. Digital options are a modern invention, and many couples love the idea of doing what their parents and grandparents did in years past. 
• Making it simpler for less-tech savvy guests: While most of your guests should feel comfortable opening up their email and receiving your digital invite, some of your guests might prefer printed invites. Because bespoke wedding cards are a more traditional option, guests are likely more used to receiving and responding to invites delivered through the mail.

Your bespoke wedding invitations are a major part of your wedding. They make up roughly four to six percent of your total budget. This might not seem like a lot, but everything adds up for your wedding. You and your partner—and anyone else involved in paying for your wedding—should have a mutual understanding about all of the costs involved. Having a conversation and mapping out these plans ahead of time is highly recommended to stay organized and within your preferred budget. 

Finding Other Stationery to Match Your Bespoke Wedding Invitations

The bespoke wedding invitations are only one of the parts of your stationery suite. You will likely need a few other pieces of stationery to give your guests the necessary information you need. From the leadup to the day of your celebration, these are the essential stationery items to include in your order with a stationer:

• Wedding website: Your wedding website is a digital hub that lets guests into your full wedding plan. A wedding website can include photos from your engagement photoshoot, a FAQ page to answer common questions among guests, recommendations for lodging near the venue and a space where guests can RSVP (among other pages you can feature on the site). 
• Save the Dates: Sent prior to the delivery of your wedding invites, your Save the Dates are the first formal contact you have with your guests about your big day. They are not 100 percent mandatory among all wedding couples, but they are highly recommended. 
• Rehearsal dinner invitations: The rehearsal dinner is often hosted by the groom’s parents, but you can still have a hand in the design process. The event is hosted the night prior to the wedding day, so invitations should go out to a select few guests (immediate family and the wedding party) about four to six weeks in advance.
• Wedding menus: Wedding menus are physical pieces of stationery that show the various courses that guests can expect to receive during the reception. At the top, you can also include your custom logo or monogram.

The team at Bliss & Bone has a series of collections that couples can look through while deciding on their stationery. There are collections that have black and white or colorful palettes, modern or tropical designs and so much more. Within each of these collections, you can find all or most of these offerings. This, in turn, creates coordination between all elements of your stationery, and guests will certainly connect the dots. 

Getting Started on Your Bespoke Wedding Invites

By now, you and your partner should feel well-equipped to take on the process of designing your bespoke wedding invitations. At the end of the day, you should both be happy and excited about the design plan. You can work directly with your stationer to make sure they are exactly what you wanted. The experts at Bliss & Bone are eager to help you with your bespoke wedding invitations, and we are only a message away. Feel free to contact us online or send an email to hello@blissandbone.com. You are only a few steps from sending out your dream bespoke wedding invites, and it is important to know that we are here to make it all happen.