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Start off your new life together by writing and mailing thoughtful thank you notes in a timely manner. This guide can help you find the right words to express your gratitude.

Who Receives a Thank You Card?

Newlyweds write wedding thank you cards to acknowledge the thought, time, and attention others have devoted to their wedding. That means you have the opportunity to write wedding thanks for people who:

• Attend pre-wedding events, such as showers or engagement parties.
• Attend the wedding ceremony and reception.
• Give gifts or money, even if they couldn’t attend the events.

What Can I Write in a Wedding Thank You Card?

Wedding thank you notes can follow a fairly straightforward structure:

• Start your note with a warm greeting.
• Directly thank the person for what they gave and/or for attending.
• End with a personal closing remark.

Within these parameters, however, you have the opportunity to make your message feel unique and heartfelt. You can do this by specifically mentioning the gift they gave and how it will play a role in your new journey as a married couple.

Examples of Thank You Notes by Situation

These samples will help guide you and inspire creative ways to show your appreciation with warmth and grace.

Thank You Notes for Gifts from Your Registry

There’s no need to mention the registry in your thank you note. Instead, you can thank people for the item they selected.

Dear Aunt Sarah,

Thank you for the toaster you sent for our wedding. We are looking forward to the many happy brunches to come!

Love,

Thank You Notes for Gifts Not on Your Registry

Usually, there’s no need to mention whether the gift was on your registry or not. If, however, an off-registry gift shows special thoughtfulness on the part of the sender, you can definitely acknowledge it in your note.

Dear Beverly,

We were blown away by the beautiful painting you sent for our wedding. We will think of you with love every time we see it above our fireplace.

Thank You and Warm Wishes,

Thank Yous for Cash Gifts

When thanking people for cash gifts or gift cards, you can acknowledge the opportunity the gift affords you and your new spouse.

Dear Uncle George,

Thank you for your wonderfully generous gift. We are looking forward to purchasing our first home, and we can’t wait to have you over for tea once we do.

All the Best,

Cards for Group Gifts

If it’s possible, try to acknowledge each individual who contributed to the wedding gift with his or her own thank you card.

Dear Joey,

Thank you for the BBQ set you and the whole team gave us for our wedding. Mary and I will think of you every time we prepare for a cookout!

Warm Wishes,

Thank You Notes for Gifts with Unusual Circumstances

What if someone else gave you the same gift, or you don’t like the gift you’ve received? Never suggest you disliked a gift because someone put love and thought behind it.

Dear Louis,

Thank you for the cutlery set! Rick and I love to spend time together in the kitchen, and we’ll think of you whenever we make a meal together.

Sincerely,

Thanking for Participation

Remember that you also have the ability to thank your guests for taking time out of their lives to be a part of your wedding day. If the individual was a member of your wedding party, you may want to call out the role they played and how they helped make your day special.

Dear Kelly,

Thank you so much for being a bridesmaid in our wedding party. It meant so much to have you standing by our side on the most special day. We will cherish the memories forever.

With Love,

Writing wedding thank you notes can be a pleasant, heartwarming experience when you reflect on all of the loved ones who made your big day so special. Use the above tips from Crane to write well-crafted, meaningful notes to thank the important people in your life for giving gifts and participating in your wedding celebration.

The post What to Write in a Wedding Thank You Card – Tips & Examples appeared first on Crane Post Script.

Beautiful, personalized stationery can play a part in maintaining meaningful relationships with those who participated in your wedding experience and continue encouraging thoughtful communication beyond the wedding day.

The following ideas can inspire you to enhance your connections with unique and personalized stationery options.

Style Options for Couple’s Stationery

Modern couple’s stationery offers a world of beautiful, creative, and elegant options. The styles you select should reflect your taste as a couple, and there are many ways to ensure that the personalized stationery you create does just that.

For wedding thank you notes, it’s common to order sets of stationery with a photograph (or multiple photographs) from the wedding day. This adds a unique touch that’s personal to the couple and reminds the recipients of the beautiful event.

An elegant alternative it to choose traditional stationery, like 3.5 by 5-inch cards or folded notes, usually in white, cream, or ecru. Personalization options include adding the couple’s last name or monogram on the front.

The most popular design elements for personalization include:

• Pictures: As mentioned above, photos offer the most intimate, personal design element for wedding thank you cards.
• Monograms:Another top style selection for couples is monogrammed stationery. Once a couple is wed, you can create a shared monogram with their married name initials.
• Names:Couples can also forgo the monogram and include their names on their stationery. You can use full names, prefixes, first names, or even nicknames – have fun with the personalization process!
• Borders:Choose from classic or colored borders to frame your stationery with an outline.
• Themes:Modern couple’s stationery should reflect your personality as a pair, so adding a motif or photo of the couple’s shared hobby or a joint interest makes it feel one-of-a-kind.
• Typefaces:The font you select has a massive impact on the overall look of your stationery. Pick from classic lettering styles and script for an elegant style, or opt for a more modern look with your favorite bold or playful fonts.
• Colors: When choosing your stationery’s ink colors, choose the hues that best represent your personal style. Rich tones and metallic inks lend a more traditional feel, while bright colors create a cheerful contemporary look.

When to Use Couple’s Stationery

Much of your couple’s stationery needs will be determined by your lifestyle and personal preferences, but it’s a good idea to have more than one option on hand to ensure that you’re ready for last-minute note-writing needs.

Common uses for couple’s stationery include:

• Wedding Thank You Cards: This is the most common use for couple’s stationery, as it’s the first opportunity to communicate with loved ones as a married couple.
• Post-Holiday Thank You Notes:Use your personalized thank you cards to express gratitude for gifts and thank party hosts each year.
• Impromptu Thank You Cards: You never know when an opportunity to send a thank you note may come up. Whether it’s sending a card to the neighbor who checked your mail while you were out of town, the babysitter who came over on short notice, or a friend who hosted an amazing dinner party, you can build meaningful connections with this simple gesture.
• Birthday Greetings:  Use your couple’s stationery to send a note to friends to celebrate their special day.
• Other Milestones:You can also create stationery to celebrate major life events, such as a big family move.

However you choose to personalize and use couple’s stationery, it can be an important element in helping you maintain relationships and encouraging communication with loved ones as a couple.

The post Couple’s Stationery Style Options & Uses appeared first on Crane Post Script.

We understand that you’ll probably have many questions bubble up as you prepare to design your save the dates and wedding invitations.

The good news is there are usually straightforward answers, even to questions that feel especially knotty. This guide addresses some of the most common questions couples ask about wedding invitation details so you can embrace the wedding-planning experience with confidence.

Who should get a save the date to my wedding?

Everyone you plan to invite to the wedding should receive a save the date card.

Does everyone get a “plus-one”?

Not necessarily – there is no rule that wedding guest invitations must include a plus-one. As a host, you can decide whether a plus-one will help your guests enjoy your celebration.

Tip: If there won’t be many single people at your wedding, for instance, or if the person you’re inviting won’t know many other guests, it’s thoughtful to include invitations for a guest plus one. But if your wedding will be an intimate celebration, you are not required to invite anyone you don’t want to celebrate with.

To invite an individual, include only their name when addressing the invitation. Use this example to include a plus-one when addressing an invitation: Mr. David Jones & Guest.

Is it okay to invite guests to just the ceremony?

Traditionally, if you invite guests to your ceremony, it can be viewed as rude not to invite them to the reception, too.

Is it okay to invite guests to just the reception?

Similarly, it is generally considered best practice to invite guests to the ceremony in addition to the reception.

However, if you desire an intimate ceremony and a larger reception, you may consider hosting another event as a ceremony-alternative, like an elegant brunch, for the guests who would’ve been on the reception-only list.

Ultimately, when it comes to the ceremony, reception, or any other wedding-related event, it’s up to you as a couple to decide who you’d like to include and how you’d like to include them. Feel free to get creative and think outside the box!

What information should I include on the save the date?

Save the date cards are intended to help your guests make their plans to attend, so it’s important that the wedding save the date cards provide key information guests need to make their arrangements.

Save the dates should include:

• Your full name (and your fiancé’s)
• Your wedding date (or dates, if it will be a wedding weekend)
• The location — the town or city and state (or country) is enough detail for a save the date
• A notice that a formal invitation will follow

Including a link to your wedding website is an added touch that can give your guests more information if they need it. From there, guests can get more details such as a link to your registry, so you don’t need to include registry information on the save the date itself.

Where can we put our wedding website information?

You may not need to post your wedding website’s URL on the wedding invitation itself, but you can certainly list your site on the details card that goes in the envelope with the invite.

Additional ways to spread the word about your wedding website include printing it on other pre-wedding event invitations, like engagement party and bridal shower invitations, and making sure your bridal party and family have that information to share with others.

Can we put our registry information on our invitations?

Traditionally, registry information is not included on your wedding invitations, themselves. If you would like to share your registry info, include it on the detail card portion of the invitation or on a separate insert within the invitation envelope as well as on your wedding website. You can also make sure your parents and wedding party know where to direct your guests if they ask.

How do we let our guests know the wedding dress code?

Share your wedding’s dress code on the wedding invitation itself. Traditional language for dress codes includes “black-tie” or “cocktail attire.”

How can we let our guests know that our wedding is adults only?

If you want to tell the guests that your wedding is adults-only, simply omit the names of children from your invitations. This should let people know exactly who is invited. You may also consider adding the fact that you’re having an adults-only wedding in the details portion of your invitation.

The answers to these commonly asked wedding invitation questions should help you navigate through the process of designing your wedding invitations. Read about how to word your wedding invitations for even more helpful tips.

The post All Your Wedding Invitation Questions Answered appeared first on Crane Post Script.

What’s more, inviting your close acquaintances to a social event needn’t be complex. Read on for advice on appropriate stationery and wording for some of the bubblier get-togethers you might be arranging.

Bridal Shower Invitations

Not every bride-to-be holds a bridal shower. If you like the idea, embrace the occasion as an excellent excuse for a get-together. Attended by family and friends, a bridal shower is a chance for well-wishers to give thoughtful presents to the bride as a token of their support for the marriage.

Invitations to bridal showers are usually fun and informal. As such are a perfect opportunity to get creative with your invitation design. A custom-printed personalized invitation is always a popular choice. Pre-printed fill-in invitations are also commonplace.

Usually one or more of the bride’s friends host the shower. Either the hostess or hostesses’ names should appear at the top of the invitations. When a shower has a theme it should be mentioned in either the lower left-or the lower right-hand corner.

And speaking of themes, referencing yours in your paper or ink coloring, invite design or even your choice of font is a smart, playful way to make your invitation stand out from the crowd. For example, green elements might be perfect for a gardening or golfing theme, while an engraved font would complement the sophistication of a shower focused on a literature theme. The sky really is the limit, so get creative and have some fun.

The post Social Occasions – Bridal Shower Invitations appeared first on Crane Post Script.

Every bridal collection is symbolic of the bride + groom themselves. And in Vera Wang’s own words, her ideal client “is a woman who really knows who she is and who she wants to be.” This sentiment just so happens to also ring true for Meghan Carey, the designer behind the opulent Vera Wang bridal collections for Crane Stationery. Taking cues from Ms. Wang’s runway shows and ready-to-wear collections, Carey delivers timeless interpretations of the fashion designer’s statement-making wedding dresses. Think regal beauty, modern silhouettes, clean color palettes – and all with a nod to minimalism.  Wang’s impeccable taste certainly translates into equally breathtaking wedding stationery, and if for any reason you don’t believe us, see for yourself. Up ahead: Carey talks about the biggest inspiration behind her designs, and it’s oh-so good.

Bordeaux Blanc
The ever-luxe Bordeaux Blanc suite is a nod to Vera Wang’s forecasted color palettes – think deep Merlots with black overlay – and florals with matching rich hues. As Carey puts it, this is for the woman who’s going for “historic and grandiose.” This is a collection made for a June evening at, say, the Chicago Historic Museum. The bride carries voluptuous clusters of varying shades of Burgundy, Merlot, and Claret with whispers of muted berries, angular leaves or dusty greenery. Carey delivers this in wedding stationery form through a modern, sophisticated, and ultra-chic mood that leaves us as breathless as your guests on the day of.

Shades of Blue
Shades of Blue perfectly mimics the effervescence of the sky at dusk, and Carey has captured it beautifully with a delicate balance of marbleized details and bold fonts. This is for the bride that’s wearing something floral and utterly romantic. For location, Carey envisions the wedding on “stunning grounds in the Pacific Northwest,” with the bride carrying a bouquet of “soft white blossoms accented with icy blue forms.” She notes, specifically, “Peonies and Ranunculus dripping with Seeded Eucalyptus, accented with succulents and Blue Thistle.” In a word, gorgeous.

Sheer Elegance
For her Spring 2019 Collection, Ms. Wang said, “I wanted to explore translucency and movement in a new way.” There’s something about a sheer fabric, or, in this case, vellum, that leaves something to the imagination. Which makes the Silver Vellum Sleeve for Sheer Elegance the perfect choice for a wedding suite, because it does just that: invites the eye as much as it literally invites your guests. Carey loves this suite for its innovation, as its new to the wedding papers market, and making it entirely unique and altogether statement-making. The bride, thus, follows suit. She is, as Carey says, “sophisticated and ethereal,” and her wedding is in coastal Maine in winter. Her florals equally match the mood, with Carey assigning “dreamy, icy florals” like White Garden Roses and Anemone with Lamb’s Ear, Dusty Miller, and Silver Brunia. For visual inspiration click here.

Chantilly Lace Sleeve
Lace is, as it has always been, and will always be, luxe. And if your mood is opulence, then the Chantilly Lace Sleeve invitation was practically made for you. Carey presents us with a stunning interpretation of Vera Wang’s Spring 2019 Bridal Collections – a fresh, dreamy ball gown, for instance – and set the location as the Trinity River Audubon in Dallas, Texas. This invitation will immediately set the tone of your big day. (Hint: it’s as stylish as ever.) The florals, in case you were wondering, are “lush and overflowing” – Carey’s words. Think a brilliant mix of cascading Peonies and Garden Roses with some sweet, southern romance in the mix with shades of peach, blush, and coral.

Calacatta
Calacatta is a breathtaking interpretation of what Vera Wang will call “a new formality.” On the collection, Carey says: “I’m envisioning someplace opulent, decadent and romantic – truly regal.” She looked at Wang’s film, It was Paris from the Start and the Luxembourg Gardens for inspiration in creating the collection. For florals, Carey’s picture-perfect day matches the vibe of the invitations with creamy florals with soft, blushing accents. For visual inspiration click here.

Pearl Bands
Chevron suggests an inherent understanding and appreciation of architecture, which is why it’s no surprise that Carey looked to the refined sophistication of classic architecture for inspiration. She describes the dichotomy of intimate romance and structured detailing in the Fall 2018 Vera Wang collection as a credit to her bridal designs. Carey sees this bride in Ms. Wang’s Fall 2018 Francoise gown and carries “architectural shapes in minimalist bouquets – think Gardenias, Orchids, Stephanotis, or Cala Lillies.”

The post Designer Meghan Carey Talks Dream Weddings – and the Suites to Match appeared first on Crane Post Script.

Luckily, you can use this guide as your resource for each step of the way. We break down the standard timeline for all wedding invitation-related correspondence so you know what to expect and how to prepare in the time leading up to your big day.

Phase 1: Decide on a Guest List

For many couples, thinking about the guest list can begin soon after the ring hits the finger. Designing your guest list provides the opportunity to consider all your meaningful relationships with loved ones and how they’ve shaped your life. This is also an important first step in wedding planning, as the number of guests you include will influence many of your planning decisions.

When should I create my guest list?

Early in the process, you’ll need a rough headcount to search for the right venue. You’ll need to refine this list and get addresses for all the people you want to invite so you can order and send your save-the-dates and invitations. Develop your guest list at least six months prior to your wedding date, if not earlier, to stay on track with the rest of your wedding invitation timeline. Learn more about how save the date timeline etiquette can affect when you need to make your guest list below.

Note: You won’t have a final guest list until all invitation RSVPs have been returned.

Phase 2: Send Your Save the Dates

Save the dates serve a different purpose than the invitation, they’re the first glimpse your guests will get into the celebration you’re planning. You don’t need to include specific details like registry information or attire on your save the dates, as they’re intended to helps guests plan to attend by sharing the date and general location before the actual invitations come out. You can include the specific venue address, times, and more details with the invitations to follow.

When should we send out the save the dates?

The best time to send save the date cards depends on the type of wedding you are hosting:

• Send save the dates for a destination wedding six months to a year before the wedding to allow guests enough time to make necessary arrangements.
• Send save the dates for a typical wedding four to six months before the wedding. You can send save the dates even earlier, say nine months in advance, if your wedding will be held during a busy travel weekend.

Phase 3: Send Your Wedding Invitations

As your wedding date gets closer, it’s time to share the most important and detailed piece of wedding correspondence – the invitations!

When should you send out the wedding invitations?

The traditional timeline for sending your wedding invitations is six to twelve weeks before the big day. Give guests more time to prepare by sending save the date cards in advance.

How far before the wedding should the RSVPs be sent back?

The final date for guests to RSVP to your wedding should be about three to four weeks before the big day. This timeframe is close enough to the date to ensure guests will have a solid sense of their schedules and will give you plenty of time to finish your seating charts and give final counts to your vendors.

When can I follow up and ask my guests about their RSVPs?

Feel free to follow up with your guests a week after your requested RSVP date. Generally, you’ll want to have the final list and headcount at least a couple of weeks before your wedding date — this is the number you will give to your caterer.

No matter what type of wedding you choose to throw, the most important thing is to include personal, special touches throughout. The save the dates and invitations should be the start of the celebration of you, your partner, and the beautiful journey you’re starting together.

Find answers to more of your burning invitation questions and learn how to word your wedding invitations to make preparing for your big day as smooth as possible.

Image source, Alexandra Rowley. 

The post When to Send Save the Dates & Wedding Invitations appeared first on Crane Post Script.

* All photos are courtesy of Bonnie Sen Photography.

How did you and your fiance meet, and how did he propose?
Mike and I met junior year of college at an event my sorority was throwing. After college, we dated long distance for five years until I decided to move to Washington, DC. Finally (phew!), after seven years of dating, Mike popped the question at my parents’ house on the 4th of July. It was a private, sweet and simple proposal, which was perfect. We spent the rest of the day and night celebrating with lots of family, friends and fireworks in the sky.

Tell me about the process of choosing your wedding invitations and did you have something in mind going into your first appointment? Did that change?
Going into the process, I knew I wanted an invite exactly like what I ended up with. I actually have a close family friend who used the same invitation suite, and I loved it so much. I tried really hard to find something different, that had the same look, but I could not find another invite I loved as much as this Crane & Co. invitation.

Describe the invitation suite you ended up with and why you fell in love with that design.
I love the invitation suite we ended up with because it is simple and classic, but I felt the font had a modern feel, which I really loved.

Do you have any advice for brides-to-be on the invitation process?
There are endless choices and options. Look through blogs online to get an idea of what you want and bring pictures of your inspiration for the invite, as well as for your wedding to help the stationer understand the vibe and feel of your wedding.

What was your favorite moment from the big day?
My absolute favorite moment of the day was when we were finally married and we were able to let loose and celebrate with all of our family and friends! We ended our evening on stage with the band dancing and singing—so that was definitely a moment we will never forget.

Are you a bride or stationer who has a Crane & Co. wedding invitation you would love to share? Email us at concierge@crane.com!

The post Real Weddings: An Invitation Inspired by Something Borrowed appeared first on Crane Post Script.

The post Create a Truly Stylish Wedding appeared first on Crane Post Script.

It was a Crane invitation with a beautiful gold crest, elegant navy script and delicate frame. Anne, manager of Paper Source’s SoHo location, helped with the process. Here, they talk to us about proposals disguised as lobster rolls, the importance of time frames, and the special details that make the big day. 

View a similar wedding invitation design to Kate and Kevin’s. 

The Bride: Kate 

Tell me how you and your fiance met, and how did he propose?
Kevin and I first met when we were 8 and 12 at my parents’ camp in northern Ontario, Canada. It wasn’t until almost 20 years later when I was visiting NYC that we became reacquainted. Our parents are very good friends, and while they say it wasn’t a set up, we know better

We got engaged July 14th 2012 at dusk in Southampton. We were in the Hamptons for a relaxing weekend with our dog, and Kevin convinced me there was a pop up lobster roll shop on the beach (he knows I will do anything for a lobster roll). We got to the beach, and as soon as I realized there was no restaurant, I looked over and he was down on one knee. We have a picture of us that was taken at the very same beach from the summer before, and he wanted to recreate the scene. Now we go back each year and take a picture at dusk—a very sweet and special tradition.

Tell me about the process of choosing your wedding invitations—did you have something in mind and did that change?
I knew that I wanted the invitations to be timeless, elegant and to set the overall tone for the wedding weekend. I knew that I wanted metallic gold, navy script and a crest or a border of some kind. I have very particular taste, and knew that I would “know it when I saw it”.

Describe the invitation suite you ended up with and why you fell in love with that design.
I was thrilled when the suite that I picked was from Crane. According to my mom, my grandmother loved Crane. She would have been delighted that I went with such a classic and well-crafted brand.

I fell in love with the border of the suite I chose—it was exactly what I was looking for. It had dots and a striped line border that fit in perfectly with the preppy feel I wanted. I loved that I could customize the suite, and I chose a beautiful gold crest that gave the elegance and timeless quality that I was looking for. I knew that it would set the tone for the weekend perfectly. I have the suite framed in my office as a beautiful reminder of our magical weekend.

Was there anything about the process of choosing your invitations that you weren’t expecting?
One of the hardest parts was selecting the various script fonts. I didn’t want the invitations to be too formal, but I also wanted them to be elegant with a hint of prep. With so many font choices, it was overwhelming at times!

Do you have any advice for brides-to-be on the invitation process?
I would advise brides to gather a few words that sum up the feel you want your wedding to evoke. With those in mind, it can really help to narrow down the choices when browsing through the countless books.

What were some of the special details from your wedding day?
My vision for our wedding was the marriage of seaside prep meets English cottage garden. Since we chose Nantucket, this came naturally. I really wanted to let the island charm shine through without being overtly “nautical”. I chose a color palate of navy and peach with accents of antique silver and gold. We wanted the wedding to be relaxed and fun with the focus being time spent with our loved ones on a paradise island.

We chose Nantucket because it is where we really fell in love. We first said “I love you” there and when the discussion of wedding locations came up, we both knew it was where it had to be. We loved the idea of sharing what is such special place to us, with our loved ones.

The guest book was surrounded by pictures of parents, grandparents and other family members on their own wedding day, which added to the sentimental feel of the reception. The bride’s chair was adorned with her mother’s bridal veil.  The wedding favor was a hand-stamped bag filled with late night snacks and drinks along with a keepsake custom hand-painted watercolor map of the island.

I knew I wanted a very simple cake with fresh flowers. And I wanted it to taste delicious! My mom makes the most delicious lemon raspberry cake so I had the wild idea of asking her to bake it. (She is not a professional baker.) She was up to the task and made the most delicious masterpiece in the kitchen of the home we had rented for the week.

The Stationer: Anne, Paper Source SoHo

Tell me about working with Kate and about the process you went through to get to the final decision.
I wasn’t involved in the earliest part of the process but I know she was looking for something more traditional when she started. She looked through several books, but when she saw this invitation suite she knew pretty quickly it was what she wanted. Kate loved this suite so much that she ordered pieces to match it for her reception. Kate extended the color theme and style from the invitations to her menu and even the place cards she made for the reception.

What questions do you always ask at that first meeting with a bride?
I always start the conversation asking the date of the wedding and congratulating the bride/couple. Then we work into whether they have looked at invitations yet and whether they have a style in mind. Once we touch on invitations, I ask what other parts of their wedding they’ve completed or thought about: do they have a dress picked out? A venue? Have they picked their colors?

I try to collect as much information as possible to help determine where we’ll start in their search for the perfect invitation suite.  It’s also important to know what kind of time frame we’re working with. This allows me to manage their expectations about what is realistic within that time frame as early in the process as possible.

What are some of the big invitation design trends you’re seeing these days?
This year is more about gold metallic than last year was. Our brides are very into foil invitations with gold foil by far the most popular foil color. We have more interest this year than past years in gilded edges and metallic thermography or engraved printing.

We’re also seeing an uptick in brides and grooms wanting some sort of design (or motif) element on the invitation. Before the text of the invitation was all they wanted on the card.

More and more brides and grooms (and their mothers) are more comfortable with including the wedding Web site directly on the invitation. As recently as two years ago, most customers wouldn’t dream of including that on their invitation.

More couples are paying for all or most of their wedding, so they are moving away from the traditional wording in which the bride’s parents extend the invitation to the wedding. More people are using wording like: “Together with their parents” or the couple extends the invitation.

What advice do you have for brides who are ready to make their first invitation appointment?
If the appointment is to consider invitations for the very first time, I tell them to look first for components that they love.

I explain that it can be overwhelming to find the perfect invitation. They should start narrowing down the field by identifying elements that really resonate with them. I also tell them not to worry if they are looking as a couple and they don’t agree at first. Inevitably they will find elements they both love and then will be able to find the invitation they love.

Another important piece of information I share is to start looking at the different wording that is out there. This way they can piece together a sentiment they love without the pressure of having to figure it out by themselves.

When it comes to choosing wedding invitations, how are today’s brides different from those five years ago?
Brides today lean a little more casual than they did five years ago. It may be that everything from the paper color to the font selection to the print method is casual. It may be something as small as an unexpected ink color.

In addition, they are more involved in selecting their fonts and colors than they used to be. Five years ago, most brides went with the whole suite from a book including whichever fonts and ink colors were featured. Now they mix and match fonts and study every color possibility before making their decision.

Far more grooms are involved with the decisions about the invitations than ever before. While they used to visit the store with their bride, most grooms used to say that they would be fine with whatever the bride wanted. Now more of them have very specific opinions about the text and sometimes about the design of the invitation.

Special thanks to Gina Brocker Photography for providing Kate and Kevin’s lovely images. If you are a bride or a retailer who would like to have your Crane wedding invitations featured in our Real Weddings series, please email us at submissions@crane.com.

The post Finding The One (Wedding Invitation): Kate and Kevin appeared first on Crane Post Script.