Custom Wedding Invitations Archives

Looking for the latest in wedding invitation trends? Look no further. I am a professional stationery designer and wedding blogger so staying on top of and ahead of the trends in all things paper is part of my job. I got into stationery design because I loved traditional paper-making techniques, creating unique and personal stationery and the long lost art of sending love in the mail. Here are the top wedding invitation trends for 2023 and some trends that are sticking around from last year: The top 11 wedding invitation trends for 2023 are bows, telling a story, showy florals, 80's inspired, royal core, grand millennial, Japandi, secret garden, we eloped, maximalist and wavy-edged invitations. Let's dive into what each of those trends look like for wedding stationery. 1. Bows Bows are a big trend for bridal fashion. Several designers featured larger than life bows in their spring 2023 collections. And that trend is translating to invitations. From using a big bow to tie your full suite together to using it as a statement piece, a large bow will instantly elevate any invitation. Be careful when mailing large bows as they require extra postage or need to be tied with a flat knot in order to mail properly without damage. Use finer materials like silk or velvet for a luxe look. Or for a more rustic alternative, try a frayed chiffon. To be on trend the bow doesn’t have to be oversized. Tiny bows are on trend as well. Personally I love this silk ribbon from Fringe and Rose. It’s handmade, plant dyed and 100% silk. For a budget-friendly dupe, I also like this Ling’s Moment variety called “sea-breeze.” It’s polyester but the way it’s treated feels more luxurious than the average ribbon you can find on Amazon. It ships quickly and is more affordable. 2. Telling a story More and more brides are including several pages of additional details beyond the ceremony location. Including a reception and rsvp card is not new but now brides are including things like maps, weekend itineraries, accommodations or directions, or their love story. This had led to a rise in popularity of pocket or all-in-one invitations to keep all of the pieces together. 3. Showy florals To loosely quote The Devil Wears Prada - florals for wedding invitations. How original... But florals are getting less minimalist and more bold. Bright colors, larger flowers, including dried flowers, unusual varieties, and using them in unexpected places like on the envelope. Incorporating florals in an over-the-top way with bold colors is very 2023. 4. 80's-inspired The 80s are back baby. From bold shoulders to sequins, the bridal runways are filled with 80s inspiration for spring 2023. And invitations are taking a cue from wedding fashion. This trend can be interpreted a few ways. One is disco sparkle which can be included on your invitation through sequins, glitter, and mirrors. I am seeing this theme a lot of bachelorette parties and think it will trickle over to invitations as well in subtle ways. Another is holographic, Rainbow Brite-style. Still shiny but more iridescent and featuring bursts of color. A holographic foil is a great way to get this look in a sophisticated way. Credit: Revel Letterpress 5. Royal core Thanks to Bridgerton, the royal core style is going to be around for another season. Think chinoiserie, dusty blue, frills, delicate ribbon and French florals. I love when this look is applied to homemade paper or used with letter press. There's a very classic, traditional look to royal core that I absolutely love. You can't go wrong with this style for a formal wedding at a hotel, catering hall, or castle. 6. Grand millennial Grand millennial shares some inspiration with the royal core style. In general it’s fussy on purpose. That’s going to include things like pearls on invitations, handmade paper, handwritten calligraphy or watercolor fonts, vintage botanical illustrations, and intricate floral patterns. Credit: Jill Delavan It’s inspired by the home decor trend of the same name. Affectionately also known as “granny chic,” it’s a modern take on your grandmother’s style. This style of invitation works well for brides who want to make a show of it. And moms tend to like it as well since it reminds them of trends that were popular several decades ago. Credit: Empress Stationery 7. Japandi This also started as a home decor trend and has started to make its way to weddings. Japandi is a mash up of the worlds of Japan and Scandinavian design. In invitations it's categorized by neutral olive and grey tones, bold black abstract shapes or organic paper or painting techniques in classic Japanese-inspired shapes. There's something very luxurious about the extreme minimalist style and color palette. Credit: Paper and Toys 8. Secret Garden Florals, ivy, gatefold invitations bring in the garden or the forest into your invitations and set the tone for your entire wedding. If I could go back in time and use this theme as inspiration for my own wedding invitations I would. Design House of Moira has this style nailed down perfectly with an elevated use of watercolor and embossing techniques. She is a personal favorite designer of mine. Credit: Design House of Moira 9. We Eloped! Casual announcements rose in popularity over the last few years out of necessity but the trend is sticking around. More and more couples are choosing to have smaller, more intimate weddings or elope. And then they want a laid back way to announce their marriage to those unable to attend or invite them to a post-elopement reception. This trend can be achieved with more casual language on the invitation, or smaller print runs including techniques that would ordinarily be out of reach for larger numbers due to time or expense. 10. Maximalist More is more in the wedding world these days. By combining several of the trends together you can achieve a maximalist look. For example, a grand-millennial all-in-one invitation with bright florals would be show-stopping. Between all of the artwork and bold colors you can really make a maximalist statement. Credit: Iris and Marie Press 11. Wavy Edge Die Cut An evolution of a scallop cut, this wavy shape can be described as groovy or surprisingly classic and minimalist. This shape started with an Australian paper company and is slowly working its way to the United States and more and more stationers request this cut from printers or make their own custom die cuts to achieve the look. Other trending themes Of course you'll still see some themes from the last few years in invitations in 2023. While we focused on what's new and notable for 2023, here are a few styles that aren't going anywhere in 2023. Boho Minimalist Blush delicate florals Dusty blue Sage green The boho look with terracotta hues will continue to be popular in 2023. One interesting update to the trend is a mix in of 70's and 80's elements such as a disco ball. It sounds like a strange combination to pair disco balls with pampas grass but it works! The results are unexpected but beautiful. Minimalist invitations are always going to be popular with brides and grooms. The classic invitation look that focuses on calligraphy and serif type combinations will always be in style. The updates you're seeing for 2023 include more embossed or gold foil accents and modern calligraphy fonts or spot calligraphy that has a more handwritten look than traditional copperplate versions. The colors of blush, dusty blue and sage green continue to endure in popularity. These softer, more muted colors will continue to be popular for years because they communicate a wedding and bridal tone so easily. Looking for a way to incorporate these trends into your wedding invitations? Reach out to schedule a call to talk about your wedding invitations. A custom invitation design can give you the exact look you're going for with original artwork and personal touches. Or semi-custom suites built from existing artwork are available as well. Not sure if custom wedding invitations are right for you? Check out this article all about custom wedding invitations.