One of the first opportunities to showcase your wedding theme is through your save-the-dates and corresponding invitations. It’s the chance to show your friends and family who you are as a couple and what to expect for your wedding day.
On average, couples should budget around $600 for invitations and other stationery including programs, menus, escort cards and stamps. Of course, your guest list size factors into the overall price plus the design you choose to go with.
The good news—there are literally hundreds of wedding invitation designs to choose from. Need inspiration? Here are some of our favorite (& unique) designs we can’t get enough of!
Architecture-Inspired Invitation
Courtesy: brides.com
We’re getting serious ‘20s vibes from this invitation suite. This couple used stunning New Orleans architecture as inspiration for their wedding invites and save-the-dates. The scrollwork of their venue’s iron fence was outlined in gold with a moody blue as a backdrop. It fit their destination wedding theme perfectly!
Why we love it: The invitation itself is pretty standard with the white background and letter type, but the cool geometric designs that frame the text is an awesome element. It really represents the location of their upcoming nuptials.
Record Player Invitation
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Courtesy: hongkiat.com
If your love of music brought you and your future spouse together, you better believe it’s going to be incorporated into your wedding invitations! The groom is a Grammy-nominated sound engineer, so creating a paper record player invite was a no-brainer. The record lays out all the wedding info so it’s entertaining and informative at the same time.
Why we love it: This invite is bright, bold and totally unique. Bonus: it actually plays music! When you spin the record, it plays a song the couple wrote and sang together. Check out the video below to see how it worked:
Watercolor Whimsy Invitation
Courtesy: brides.com
Looking for something colorful? This beautiful fold-out invitation is super unique and fun. The scenic landscape literally paints a picture of your upcoming nuptials and will get guests totally excited for you big day! The RSVP is perforated so guests can tear it and send it back.
Why we love it: The paintings of the bride and groom provide an extra-personal touch. What a cool alternative to a regular photo of you and your future spouse!
Groovy Acrylic Invitation
Courtesy: brides.com
There are so many cool elements to this invitation suite! The leather name tags, the groovy colors and bold fonts are very 1970’s. Your guests will be begging to hit the disco floor once the big day arrives.
Why we love it: You’ll notice the actual invitation is see-through—it’s made of acrylic! What a cool keepsake of your wedding day before it even happens.
Build-Your-Own Teepee Invitation
Courtesy: hongkiat.com
Want an invitation that entertains both adults and kids? This teepee invite is super fun and crafty! Guests will love building the teepee themselves with sticks and glue.
Why we love it: The design is super original, plus it doubles as fun desk or shelf decor. We love that all the wedding info is laid out in a short and sweet format.
The Great Outdoors Invitation
Courtesy: brides.com
This invitation suite is absolutely perfect for a destination wedding. Excite your guests with an outdoorsy-themed invite ahead of your mountaintop ceremony. It’s super quirky and the illustrations are fun-loving.
Why we love it: This invitation suite just feels like a cute cartoon and is perfect for couples who are adventurous and fun.
Vellum Foil Invitation
Courtesy: theknot.com
This simple yet classy invite is super personal—you and your future groom are the center of attention! The cardstock photo adds a bold element without using loud, bright colors or texture.
Why we love it: The cool vellum foil overlay plus the gold lettering gives this invite a fancy flair. It kicks a traditional wedding invite template up a notch!
Recipe for Love Invitation
Courtesy: hongkiat.com
With a dash of love and a sprinkle of creativity, you can come up with a tasteful invitation! (All the puns intended.) This invite is perfect for foodie couples and I’m sure your guests will love it.
Why we love it: The bottom part of the invite has all the wedding details, but the top half features a recipe! What a great way to share the recipe of your favorite meal with all your guests. Now go order this invite—chop, chop!
In Full Bloom Invitation
Courtesy: zola.com
This next invite is literally a work of art. This Zola-exclusive invite was illustrated by a well-known product packaging designer. The timeless typography really stands out on this luxe paper and the hand-painted blooms look so real!
Why we love it: This invite is full of romantic whimsy and it’s just really stunning. Plus, we’re a sucker for fancy white type on a black background. It really makes everything POP!
Message in a Bottle Invitation
Courtesy: theknot.com
Ocean lovers will agree this is the perfect invite for a beach wedding. Roll up your invite and stick it in a bottle. Your guests will be excited to read the message inside while looking forward to your sunny nuptials!
Why we love it: The glass bottle is a super-cool vessel for a wedding invite. Just be sure to package it with lots of bubble wrap and packing peanuts so it doesn’t break.