We just had to share this great article by one of our favorite designers, Ceci, on destination wedding invitations. Ceci creates such amazing paper products and her advice is spot-on. Thanks to Ceci for great tips and endless inspiration. Check out more Mexican wedding inspiration at her magazine, Ceci Syle.
The Art of Destination Wedding Invitations
When you decide to plan a destination wedding, your invitations take on a whole new meaning. Instead of just simply communication the time, date and place, you are informing your guests of an entire “mini vacation” you are planning for them.
So how do you go about inviting people to your destination wedding in style?
Here are my top five tips:
- Think about your timing: Book your invitation designer as soon as you book your venue and wedding date. You want to make sure they’re reserved for your wedding date and you have plenty of time for the creative process. Typically a couture invitation designer works with you for the entire process, starting from creating your save the dates (which should be mailed 6-8 months before your wedding date) to the invitation suite (mailed out 2-3 months before your wedding date) to your day of accessories like menus, escort cards and favors. Remember with couture invitations, the entire design process can take up to 3-4 months (lead time) when you add in calligraphy and printing (and that timing is to be worked backwards from your desired mail date!). A real expert will assist and manage every step of the way for your mailings, and make it a stress-free, enjoyable experience.
- Find inspiration in your chosen destination: Look to the culture of the place, the patterns of the local artwork, or the history of your venue for ways to bring your wedding to life, via your invitations. Think about what drew you to that location and play that up through artwork and make that the inspiration for your design theme. I love to hand draw cultural patterns for my destination clients. There is so much history and meaning to build off of from your worldly locations. For example, when I created Katharine and Kent’s invitations, I looked to the Otomi patterns of the traditional Mexican embroidery fabrics.
- Word your invitations clearly and make it easy on your guests: Make sure you include all travel details, recommended hotels and a complete itinerary of your wedding weekend festivities in your save the dates so guests will know when to book their travel. Reiterate that, along with any new details, when you send your invitations. You don’t want your guests taking the first flight home and missing your farewell brunch, because you forgot to include that information for them.
- Create continuity in your communications: Consider your guests’ experience of receiving a beautifully designed, cohesive package all at one time. I recommend thinking about your whole weekend lineup and sending out an exquisitely-designed set that informs guests of all that they’re invited to do at your destination wedding. You don’t want to confuse their experience by sending too many different-looking mailings. It annoys your guests and ends up being more work and money for you.
- Choose unique details for your invitations: When you think about your guests receiving your invitation in the mail, think about how much more impactful yours will be if it really stands out in the pile of ho-hum mail. That’s why I love to create my own envelope shapes. Try them in 3D form, with bright colored papers and always unique shaped flaps like Katharine and Kent’s the four ‘petals’ unfold to reveal the brightly colored Mexican print I created for them, that really packed a punch! It’s especially important for destination weddings. View more Destination Ceci Style invitations.
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