Top 7 Trends in Wedding Invitations

315 weddings happen in Las Vegas every day. Yep, that's more than 13 per hour. So, what better place than Las Vegas to gather my newest wedding invitation trends and inspiration. I ​love seeing modern invitation designs, trendy colors, unique design layouts, water color splashes, and fun envelope sizes to keep my wedding designs fresh.

As I toured the wedding invitation business in Las Vegas, here are seven trends I spotted that are coming our way in the Midwest:​

1. Inspiration Boards: Forget the match-matchy colors, and use an "inspiration board" of ideas. (It would be great if you even created an inspiration board as direction for you wedding! Think of your Pinterest wedding board as an online "inspiration board.") Use a variety of hues and think all aspects of your wedding. It's more about the feeling your invitations gives your guests than the perfectly-matched color scheme. I'm not saying choose a hideous color combination, but you don't have to get worked up about matching the envelopes exactly to your bridesmaids dresses. Think of the ambiance of your wedding invitation (if there is such a thing.)

2. Corner ribbons: (like shown above on the left) They don't add much cost, but add a really unique touch.

3.​ Activities for the entire wedding weekend: Check out this wedding invitation set. The couple even included an entire guide to a weekend in Tahoe. Guests are able to RSVP to any and all events that are planned.​​

4. Folded letter-style Save the Dates: And look! There's that unique ribbon again. Save the Dates are taking a more letter-like form, using patterned paper and a personal message that all gets folded and put into an envelope. This couple even tucked their fun photo strip inside.

5. Emerald Green: Emerald is Pantone's "Color of the Year" and is hitting the wedding scene big time. Use Emerald Green with accents of gold, blues, lime green and sparkle.

6. Invitations that fold along the short vertical edge: These invitations have a little of everything. They measure 5x7, and are folded along the short edge of the paper with a thick ribbon down the front. Also inside is a hand-written message and it all tucks into an oversized outer envelope. So pretty.​

7. Envelope Liners: Patterns, bold colors, fun graphics, pearlized paper...it's all lining the envelopes of this year's wedding stationery sets. ​

So, there you have it. Those are the top seven wedding invitation trends I have my eye set on for 2013.​ I love trying new ideas, so contact me if you have a great one!

Las Vegas wasn't all business, though. We did find time for Red Rock Canyon, the Hoover Dam, shopping and some Stratosphere rides.

​What? It's 65 degrees in Las Vegas and 10 degrees at home? Let's get in the pool.

Black & Ivory Wedding Invitations + A Love for Mom

When the bridal processional song starts...and the bride is ready to walk down the aisle...do you know who's job it is to cue the wedding guests to rise? The mother of the bride. She's the one who ​stands up first, signaling to the rest of the guests that it's time to welcome the bride. I think that's  exactly the role that mom's play your entire life. Mom's are the first to stand up and welcome you, love you, congratulate you, and listen to you. And if your mom is anything like mine, she's the one who will ALWAYS be standing there for you. 

I loved meeting Courtney's mom, Jane. She came along with Courtney to the very first meeting with ​me about wedding invitations. I'm sure she was also a huge part of Courtney's wedding day. And combining her opinion + Courtney & Chase's opinion = a beautiful and budget-friendly black and ivory wedding invitation set. Happy third day of marriage, C+C!

​A black shimmery policy envelope was a nice touch.

​She chose shimmery ivory paper for her invitation, RSVP card & program

​The invite opens up to look like this! Very pretty.

Hot Pink and Malibu Blue Wedding Invitations

With matching pink envelopes and a little paisley in hot pink and malibu blue, Kim and Vinny pulled off a great wedding invitation! They used an engagement photo and latte shimmery paper to make this set.​ Best wishes and it was so nice to meet you, Kim & Vinny!

Wedding Invitation Pocket Options by Copper Ink Wedding Designs

​If you're anything like me, your to-do list is a mile long...and speaking of lists....everything is on a list. You like to have everything in one go-to place. That's why I share a love of pocket invitations with most brides. Your invitation, RSVP card, reception information and directions are in one place. And easy to stick into your purse the day of the wedding.

Lauren and Trevor chose a great, cost-effective wedding invitation with a pocket. Instead of a folding pocket, this one is 2-sided, saving money and valuable fridge/magnet space for your guests who hang up invites.

Their colors are sage green and deep purple with an outdoor feel. On the back side, their reception card had hotel information and directions. Their RSVP card was also included. (Remember, because the RSVP card is a bit oversized, it can't mail for just a postcard stamp ($0.27), it has to mail for a regular stamp ($0.45). Be sure to check your invitation at the post office to make sure it fits the thickness requirements also. Copper Ink can help you with all of this, so you have nothing to worry about when you mail them out.)​

Deeply Rooted

This tree. It's the well-known landmark of the Leischner farm. It's where Robbie proposed to Lindsay. It's been in many family photos. It belongs on their wedding invitations. And when people speak of their "family tree" it usually means their genealogy on paper. Well, this family tree has deeper roots than that.

I loved everything about working with this great couple. When I first met with them, I found out that Robbie had an Irish background (I guess that also explains why he was drinking Guinness at our meeting. Nice!) and Lindsay has a Parkston background. (And come to find out, my aunt used to babysit her and my good friend from high school is now her personal attendant. My mom even knows her parents and knows the exact tree at the end of their driveway. Leave it to South Dakota to only have 1 degree of separation from anybody.)  :)

It's a given that we used this family tree on each piece of their wedding invitation set.​ Their invitations were on warm white paper with kraft-paper envelopes, and matching programs. And a piece that I absolutely love! -- A fold-out card that they left at each person's place setting at the reception. In the 4-page fold-out card, was a heartfelt thank you, a prayer, and a write-up of each person in the wedding party and how they had touched Robbie & Lindsay's lives. It was sweet and meaningful. And in lieu of wedding favors, they gave a donation to an organization that Robbie volunteers with. Once again, how special.  ​

So, can you see why I loved working with them so much?​

Imagine that...Robbie & Lindsay even planted a "Unity Tree" instead of lighting a unity candle. Talk about doing something that will truly last the rest of their lives. Congratulations! You now have your own branch on the family tree.  ;)

P.S. Everyday I drive by this GREAT antique old Fold farm truck. So I stopped to take photos of Lindsay & Rob's invitations on this truck. Thank you to the owner who came out to chat, smoke and help me. Sort of. It was kind of you to let me use the old Ford.

Neutral Tones on a Wedding Invitation

Earth tones like brown, green, beige, and purple are all part of this wedding invitation set for Carly & Jeremy. She wanted a wheat graphic on the inside, a photo covering the entire front panel, and their names written on the side of the opening. This wedding invitation fits inside a #10 envelopes, which was chocolate brown. ​

Do you like how they used an engagement photo on the front of their invitations? See more ways to include photos on your invitations here.​

Do you like their country rustic theme, check out my "Country Bliss" board on Pinterest.​

Love 'em, Carly & Jeremy!​

See more of Carly & Jeremy's invitations by going to the Wedding Invitation Design Gallery​

Invite or Not Invite: Kids at your Wedding

You love them. They're great in candid photos. Their spontaneous moments can make your day more light-hearted. But how do you politely request that you don't want kids at your wedding? And what wording should you use on your wedding invitations? It's a tough subject because people will secretly disagree with your decision. In fact, 37% of brides have an adult-only wedding (according to Brides Magazine, 2012), so you're not alone. Kids are great, but it's your day.

If you'd like to have a kid-free wedding day, I recommend these five tips for your wedding invitation wording:

1. On your RSVP card, you could use wording such as these options:

• "No children please. We'd like our wedding day to be an adult-only celebration." It may be tacky to print this right on your wedding invitation, so save it for your RSVP card or wedding website. 
• "We have reserved ___ seats for you" (and that number would only include the adults). 
• "We're having an adult-only reception"
• "We hope you understand that our wedding is not suitable for children. Adults only, please."
• "Due to the limited number of seats, we request that the reception be an exclusively adult celebration"
• You could also add something like, "Sweet Dreams for those under 15" (or whatever the cut-off age would be)
• "This is a day to enjoy yourself too. Leave the kids at home (or with our babysitter) and help us celebrate!"

2. On your wedding invitation outer envelope (and inner envelope if you have one), be very clear about who you're inviting. Using parents' names only is a good way to indicate who exactly is invited. Or maybe you decide that children over the age of 10 are to fine to invite. List their names individually and stay away from using "Mr. & Mrs. Gary & Judy Duffy & Family". It's too vague.

3. You may want to break the rules to allow your flower girl, ring bearer, or close family to be at the ceremony and reception. (It's your call, though.) It would be nice to offer babysitting services and activites for the kids to keep them occupied at the reception (play-dough station, crayons, toys). If you truly want everyone to have a worry-free, let-your-hair-down-and-put-your-dancin'-shoes-on good time, be sure that the kids who do attend your wedding are in good hands. Consider a special kids' room where they can have the time of their lives...while you do the same.

4. Although each of your wedding reception cards will be printed with your no-kids request, do make phone calls to the "kid exceptions" at your wedding. Tell the parents of the flower girl and ring bearer what your expectations are for the day.

5. Be firm with your decision. One exception for out-of-towners leads to another exception and then another. And then inevitably, feelings get hurt when your personal attendant sees kids at your wedding, but hers couldn't come. Kindly say "no" and stick to your wishes. Word of mouth is probably the best way to pass along the information.

Good luck! I hope that helps.

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How do you indicate on your wedding invitation that you don't want kids to attend? What should the wording say? Then again, how can you resist a smile like this?​

Branded Rustic Wedding Invitations

What a great way to use your engagement photos in your wedding invitation! As requested by Erin, I used a vintage butterfly brand and a burnt-looking wildflower stamp on the inside to create a rustic looking wedding invitation. And because the invites are two-sided with a gate-fold, Erin and Derick put all their information on one wedding invitation with an RSVP card. Add the kraft-paper envelopes, and you have the perfect wedding set for their chocolate brown, latte, and coral-colored wedding. 

I love this look! It fits you perfectly, Erin & Derick. Wishing you the best!

​Click the photos to see more unique wedding invitations.

How to Make Sure Your Crystals, Paper and Ribbon Stick So Those Suckers Do Not Come Off

Ribbons come in all different shapes and fabrics and they're tough to adhere to a paper invitation. The best method I've found? If you want to save postage, avoid tying a knot in your ribbon. That way, it will go through the postal machines flat and only cost one Forever stamp. Here's what I do: 

• Trim your ribbon to the length you need to wrap around your entire invitation.
• Cut one end (the end that will be glued to the top) in a "V" shape. That keeps it from fraying.
• Use permanent sticking double-sided tape to cover the entire length of the front of the invite under the place where you want the ribbon to stick.
• Stick the ribbon straight down on your strip of permanent tape on the front of your invitation.
• Put tape on the two loose ends of ribbon and tape them down (with the "V-cut" end on top) on the back of your invitation. This is the hardest part because I'm a perfectionist when it comes to lining up the ends and not having any bubbles or loose areas of the ribbon. 

Click the image above to see what the front of Sarah's wedding invitations look like

 For crystals that will not pop off in the mail: 

• I use the crystals that are heat-activated (the iron-on kind). That means the glue is already on the back of the crystals and you use a hand-held iron tool to permanently heat the crystal onto the paper. It heats through the crystal to melt the glue on the opposite side. 
• I also use these kinds of crystals because they are clearer and sparklier (that's a word now) than others that you might buy on a strip with the sticky side on a plastic sheet. 
• Put the crystal down where you want it, and press the hand-held iron on it for 10-12 seconds. It'll stick like no other. 

Click on this image to see the rest of Megan & Marc's invitation photos on Copper Ink Wedding Design

And if you're gluing anything else to your invitations--like feathers, twine, the knot of a ribbon--I use a special gel glue with a really small tip. You don't want glue squishing out the sides of whatever you glued, so smaller and stronger is better.

If you're gluing a backing paper to another piece of paper, I use two fail-proof methods:

• If you're sending your invitations during the winter months, you don't want your glued paper to pop off in the mail because the temperature got so cold that your glue didn't hold. 
• I use permanent glue rollers that act like a strip of permanent adhesive (it looks like a white-out roller) along each of the four edges of the paper.
• In addition to using strips of adhesive glue, I use spray mount. It's a messy, messy method (I had to Goo-Gone my entire kitchen. And my feet. And the dog.) but it adds that extra layer of not-coming-off-ness. 

Click the photo above to see the rest of Angella's pocket invitation

Have no fear, though. We at Copper Ink Wedding Designs can assemble your invitations for you at a price per invitation. And you'll have the peace of mind knowing that your wedding invitations, programs, save-the-dates, or thank you notes will come out looking perfect...and so will anything you decide to add to it.

And in case you were wondering...here is Dori, the dog that helps with every Copper Ink project here in Sioux Falls, SD.  :)

For more pics of Dori, Renee and Copper Ink Wedding Designs, check out her Facebook page

Unique Wedding Program: Love Story Flow Chart

I love this idea! It's a Love Story Flow Chart of how Dan & Elizabeth met. Awww.

I really love that everything about their wedding had unique elements...from their custom old-world hand-drawn map, to their Love Story Flow Chart, to the groomswoman attendant in their wedding ceremony. Everything totally reflected their lovable personalities.

Enjoy! 

I hope your wedding day was wonderful, beautiful and as memorable as both of you, Dan & Elizabeth.

Click these photos to see their entire photo gallery of wedding invitations and programs

Peacock Feathers in Your Wedding Invitations

Using real feathers, twigs, ribbon, twine and other embellishments can really add a surprise element to your invitations. After all, your invitation is the first impression you'll make with guests for your big day. Even the programs had photos of Chad & Teresa on the back for a personal touch.

Congrats, Chad and Teresa! (They also sent these in purple shimmery envelopes. And Teresa wore a peacock feather in her hair piece that day. I love it when everything comes together.)

Check out all the photos of the peacock feather wedding stationery set by clicking on these photos

Wedding Invitations that Shimmer

These invitations were printed on shimmering white paper and mailed in shimmering dark blue envelopes. And since they printed their wedding invitations 2-sided, there was only one insert card---the RSVP card.

Amy & Jordan even included a detail from their wedding...white calla lillies. Shining invitations and a glowing couple. Is there a better combination for a wedding?

Click on Amy & Jordan's invitation photo to see more in their photo gallery

Amy & Jordan's wedding set included an invitation, RSVP card, program and menu card that was tucked into each folded napkin at the reception. Nice!​

Light Yellow and Grey, Silver and Crystals

I love this color combination. Kimber & Mike chose to add crystals to their invitation! I used a heat tool instead of regular glue to make sure the crystals didn't pop off in the mail. Another popular trend right now is sending "Dance-Only" invitations. Kimber & Mike chose to send a simple postcard inviting some of their guests to the dance only, which ultimately saves them money while still making guests feel honored by getting more than a Facebook invite to their dance!  :)

Enjoy. Did you notice the subtle swirl design pattern in the background also? Want to see more ideas for a yellow-and-gray-themed wedding? Visit my Pinterest Board.

Bringing Other Elements of Your Wedding Into Your Invitations

Deep orange Calla Lillies-- those are the flowers in Courtney & Zach's wedding. They also decided to use them in their invitations. They wanted their wedding invitations 2-sided (putting hotel information and gift registry on the back) and including a separate RSVP card. 

Congrats, Courtney & Zach! It was fun working with you.

Click on these images to see more invitation designs in the Wedding Gallery

Combining Purple, Orange and the Outdoors

Loni and Justin did just that. Loni loves bright orange and purple and Justin likes the outdoors. How did we bring the two ideas together? With this custom strip of paper that holds the insert cards together with the invitation.

Click on Loni & Justin's invitations to see more images.

Keeping it all Together

Ah yes. Elizabeth and Dan. How could anyone forget the personal details they put into their wedding invitations? Custom old-world map with sea creature? Check. Personal quote on the cover of their invites? Check. Perforated RSVP card so their guests can just tear it off and send it in? Check. Crystal brad to keep all the pages together? Check.

Click on Elizabeth & Dan's photos to see the full photo gallery.

Black & White Foil Invitation

Kolby & Matt raised the bar on elegance for wedding invitations. They used black and white foil on top of black Poptone paper to make a subtle, yet bold invitation. If you're going to sleekness and elegance, this is the invitation style for your wedding. Then they connected all three pieces of paper with a crystal brad in the upper left corner and perforated the last page, to make a mailable RSVP card.

Couldn't be happier for you, Kolby & Kevin Mathias.  ;)  

Click the photos to see more details of Kolby & Matt's wedding invitation designs

Japanese Cherry Blossoms

It was such a pleasure working with John and Anna on their Japanese Cherry Blossom wedding invitations. They chose silver pockets with matching envelopes and three insert cards: map, hotel information, and RSVP card. Want to see more cherry blossom ideas for your wedding? Check out my Pinterest Board.

Click John & Anna's photos to see their full wedding invitation design gallery.

Love Birds

Coral, warm brown and shimmering ivory were the colors that Carly and Brian chose for their wedding invitations.

What a great set (Invitation, RSVP card, Hotel/Direction card and the envelope) for less than $3.50 each.

Click the images to see more photos of Carly & Brian's wedding invitation set.

Trying to Save Money on Your Wedding Invitations?

Here are two great options if your wedding invitation budget is a little tight:

Click on Jenna & Eric's Wedding Invitation to see their full gallery of photos

Click on Bonnie & Steve's Wedding Invitations to see their full wedding gallery of photos

How did they save some money? Jenna & Eric and Bonnie & Steve decided to print all of their wedding information onto their one-piece wedding invitation instead of printing three separate pieces (an invitation, an RSVP card and a hotel/direction card). Jenna & Eric even opted to list an online RSVP. Their guests will log onto their wedding website to RSVP for their wedding, saving them the cost of an RSVP postcard and stamps. One general rule...the less paper you use, the less expensive your invitations will be. The fewer the pieces, the lower the cost.

Both of the invitations shown are printed on shimmery white paper, but if you wanted to save money another way, it's cheaper to print on glossy or matte paper rather than shimmery. (But be careful of fingerprints on a glossy option.)

Contact Copper Ink Wedding Design if you'd like a price quote for your wedding invitation idea. We work with any budget!