Invitations

by Katie Coakley

Be Our Guest: What’s New and Hot in Invitations

From dramatic florals to inspired illustrations, these invitation ideas are the perfect reflection of your celebration.

The first moment of a celebration starts with the invitation. This piece of communication, whether it it’s physical or electronic, sets the tone of the party and gives a glimpse into the forthcoming event. Whether you’re planning a wedding, baby shower, anniversary or special life event, here are some ideas to consider when creating your invitation.

Focus on florals

Dramatic floral prints are coming back into fashion in the invitation space. Substantial blossoms or bouquet sprays on a dark background are taking the place of traditional pastel palettes, in both wedding and baby shower invitations. Incorporating foil elements (especially gold) adds texture, a bit of luxury and visual interest, creating an unforgettable design.

Go green

A design is built in layers and invitations often take inspiration from other realms, like interior design. Living Coral, Pantone’s color of the year, will figure heavily into this year’s palette. Incorporating greenery into the design, whether it’s an energetic, curling border or a hand-painted rendering of a favorite plant (like a bromeliad), brings a fresh, vibrant element to your invitation. Animals are popping up as well, bringing a bit of the jungle and the sea (though with an illustrated rather than realistic take) to kids’ party invitations.

Perfect personalization

Just as each celebration is unique, so are the invitations. Wedding parties are choosing personalized elements like custom monograms, illustrated maps for wedding venues, fun caricatures and other one-of-a-kind additions to showcase their personalities.

“It’s not a general, fill-in-the-blank kind of thing,” said an industry expert. “And creating your own wedding hashtag is still almost a pre-requisite for the reception.”

Whether it’s an anniversary party, a baby shower, birthday or any other event, be sure that the invitations reflect what’s most important to you. It’s an opportunity to showcase your creative side as well as provide a preview for your guests.

 

Katie Coakley is a freelance writer based in Denver covering travel, beer and outdoor adventure. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including Whisky Advocate and Outside. She thinks that if you have something to say, letterpress is the best way to say it.