How to Design Your Own Wedding Invitations

You’ve looked at tons of different options for wedding invitations. Everything is either crazy expensive or just isn’t really catching your fancy.

So what do you do now? What about designing your own? It sounds a little nerve-wracking, but it’s the best way to get your dream invitations at the price point you want. And here’s how to do it.

Budget Yourself

You know how much you can spend on these. Make a list of all the guests you’re inviting and make sure you only buy supplies to send one invitation per family/couple/household. You don’t want to get too many if you don’t need them — and yes, that super fancy paper or decoration may look amazing, but don’t get it if you know you can’t afford it. You have tons of other wedding stuff to worry about!

Focus on the Invitation First

There are a bunch of other things you’ll put in with the invitation — RSVP card, return envelope, etc. — but get your theme started with the basic invite first. There are tons of different sizes and card types, so start with that.

If you don’t have a lot of info you need to include, you can just use a blank, flat card. Wallets are great to include the invite and all the other little cards in one little package, but they can be pricey. Focus on the information you absolutely know you need to include. If it isn’t necessary, don’t put it on there — you’ll be able to save space that way.

There are a lot of design apps you can use to design and print invites as well if you think that’s a route you’d like to take. Canva is one that’s easy to use. It comes with a bunch of layouts, and you can simply drag and drop pictures and other images you want to include. Of course with apps, you are restricted to the layouts and features they have available. They’re an awesome option, though, to do something cool with pictures of the happy couple or the venue.

Use your wedding colors for the accents and colors on the invites. The type of paper you want can also make an impact because it changes the whole feel of the wedding invitation. Do you want a glossy invite or a rustic textured one? Do you care about thickness? Think about your wedding theme and colors and choose one that complements them.

Decide on Decorations

If you want to go super simple, you can just decorate with fonts and some colored borders you design with the invitation. However, adding a simple ribbon or a cool stamp can really bring the invite to life. They also can be used on the RSVPs and other papers to bring the whole theme together.

Getting a custom stamp made is a great way to really make the invitations your own. Design something that represents the two of you coming together to make a family, or do something simple with names or initials and the date if you aren’t super artistic. There’s also the option of getting custom wedding stickers made.

Lace is always a good accessory to add if it fits with your theme. Gluing little decorations that fit with your theme are can really enhance your design if you trust yourself to make them look nice. For a beach wedding, you can glue on tiny seashells. A country wedding could utilize burlap flowers. Find a signature decoration to make them unique.

Pick the Right Adhesive

Different glues work for different purposes. You want something that’s not going to be noticeable and is going to give you the look that you want. Do your research on all of the different types of glue out there and what they’re best for. It might take some time, but it’ll take a lot less time (and money) than fixing a big mistake caused by the wrong adhesive.

Don’t Forget About Envelopes!

Unless you’re special-ordering envelopes specifically to fit your wedding invitations, you’re going to have to find standard ones. You’ll also want to think about postage. The thicker your invites are, the more you’re going to have to pay to send them. Look into getting a special envelope that’s textured — or at least match the fonts and decorations on the outside of the envelope with what’s going to be inside. This is the first thing your guests will see, so you want it all to coordinate.

Have a Craft Party

Unless you’re having a super small wedding, you’re going to need help putting these all together. Break into the wine cabinet, invite some friends and family and get to crafting. See what everyone is best at and specialize the tasks to work to everyone’s strengths. This will get you the most attractive invitations possible, and it will also help everything go smoothly. There’s no reason invitation making can’t be fun!

Other Options

There’s a chance that completely making your wedding invitations yourself can fail. Some people just aren’t crafty, and it isn’t going to work. Fortunately, there are always options like DIY invitation kits from a craft store or online. It’ll come with directions on what to do, and it’ll already have a template and everything you need, so you don’t have to worry about designing every little thing. This is a great option if you want to save money and aren’t insanely particular about personalizing the invites.

Making your own wedding invitations can be an awesome bonding experience with those close to you, and it can allow you to have the invites you really want! Try it!