ABOVE: Invitation from Bell's Nursery & Gifts. Photo by Lisa J. Seifert.

Wedding Invitations: Think Outside the Envelope
With new colors and new technology, today's brides are dashing off invitations with panache

By Mara Severin

Brides have always come in every size, shape, and color, but until recently, wedding invitations have not. A bride might dream of a Christmas wedding with poinsettia colors on the bridesmaids, around the altar, and throughout the banquet. But the invitation? White. Inevitably white.
Perhaps a barefoot wedding on the beach with leis and a luau to follow. The invitation? White. Perhaps ecru, to evoke sand. But all that has changed. Happily, for the bride who doesn't think in black-and-white, invitations now come in as many varieties as brides do.

According to Vicki Riendl, the invitations expert at Bell's Nursery, only about a quarter of contemporary Alaskan brides will choose something traditional and formal.

"We're Alaska - the Last Frontier," she says. "An Alaskan bride might be holding her wedding at a fishing lodge and not a banquet hall. She'll want her invitation to reflect that."

Take DeDe Idsinga, the wedding expert at Partycraft. While planning her own wedding (a summer solstice barbecue held at Hilltop Ski Area), she wanted her invitation to match the beauty and timbre of her wedding setting. Her invitations are adorned with mountain scenes to set the tone for the event.

We're not in Kansas anymore - welcome to Technicolor

What kind of couple are you? Do you look like the plastic couple on the top of your cake or are you both a little more, well, colorful? The newest invitations come in a vast range of colors.

"Think home-decorating," says Riendl, citing accent colors such as soft greens, crimson reds with gold ink, an aqua invitation with a brown bow. One invitation is lime green with raspberry ink, an aqua card and a raspberry lining. "There are lots of fun things available now," she says.
"The options now are a little more cutting edge."

Idsinga cites companies like Style Art and Regency. "These companies are bringing in very vibrant color," she says. "Think burgundies and hot pinks."

Idsinga recently consulted with a bride to produce a lime green invitation with white polka dots. "The bride loved it," she says, "and so did her fiancé."

Putting the party in 'wedding party'

Riendl notes that some brides are bypassing wedding invitations altogether in favor of unique party invitations that they can tailor for their own event. From there, the choices are practically endless, she says.

Having a beachside event? How about an invitation shaped like lobster claws? A mid-summer backyard event? A Popsicle or hot dog shape might convey just the right note. How about a martini glass? This invitation comes complete with a toothpick right through the olives. These choices are whimsical, humorous and economical.

Saving money is always trendy

Wedding invitations can cost upward of $5 each depending upon the quality of the paper and the number of components - reception cards, RSVP cards, inner and outer envelopes, a layer of tissue - the list goes on. It's little wonder then that many brides are looking for ways to cut the costs on this area of the wedding planning.

One way to pinch pennies is as close as your home computer. More and more brides are opting to print their own invitations with their own equipment, says Riendl. "We have 100 percent cotton paper from Cranes and William Arthur," she explains. Then go to the company's web site where you can choose from an array of fonts and ink colors. The rest is up to you and your printer. "Technology has really entered the fray," she says. "I predict that these printable invitations are really going to take off."

Not married yet - just 'dating'

But what if you're a traditionalist? White card. Black ink. Square shape. Don't worry. It doesn't mean you're, well, square. You can go formal with the invitation and still have a chance to show your wild side.

Save-the-date cards are gaining in popularity and many brides who choose "buttoned-up" invitations are opting for something a little looser when it comes to these announcements.

"One of our vendors has just created an entire catalogue of save-the-date cards," says Idsinga. These range from images of a couple dancing with lampshades on their heads, to cards that double as refrigerator magnets, to cards with a lottery-type coating that you scratch off to reveal the wedding date. Wacky? Perhaps. Fun? Definitely.

So go ahead, reveal yourself. But don't let your invitation speak for you without knowing what you want it to say.

Want more great ideas and advice? Pick up a copy of Alaska Bride & Groom on newsstands now. Alaska Bride & Groom is your complete Alaska wedding guide.