The feel of an intricate, laser or die cut detail; the striking appearance of lustrous, foil stamped typography; the organic appeal of a wash of watercolor – it’s all about texture, and I am loving it!
Wedding invitation designers are finding all kinds of innovative ways to give their designs additional depth and interest, and the great news is that, whether you’re in the market for custom, hand-painted, watercolor letterpress invites a digitally printed, watercolor wedding invitation suite, there’s sure to be a invitation design out there that will rock your world.
Watercolor
Love them or hate them, watercolors were white hot in 2011, and I think that watercolor elements will continue to be a massive trend in both invitations and stationery in 2012. This multifaceted element can add an ethereal touch to a straightforward, typographic design, or it can set the tone for the whole suite. Watercolors can be splashy or soft, dainty or bold, and they can work equally well as small, complimentary details or as the base for entire pieces.
Painterly style, on the whole, seems to be making a comeback as designers are taking time away from the computer and breaking out their art supplies to create designs that have a more organic, hand created feel. Be on the lookout for more gouache and acrylic elements in the future, too.
Above, Top Row : watercolor bunting wedding invitations (Bird & Banner); vivid watercolor wedding invites (Jeremy & Kathleen); watercolor calligraphy wedding invitations (Swiss Cottage Designs & Love, Jenna Calligraphy)
Above, Bottom Row : seersucker watercolor + letterpress invitations (The Aerialist Press); splattered watercolor + letterpress wedding invites (Printerette Press); chevron watercolor wedding invitations (Wiley Valentine & Joanna Goss)
Foil Stamping
A little bit of luster goes a long way, and even a touch of foil stamping can make the difference between an invitation that’s “meh” and one that’s “wowsa”. I’m not just talking silver, gold, and bronze (thought I love them all dearly), either. Fuchsia, brilliant blue, teal – companies like Bella Figura, who recently unveiled a foil stamping filled wedding invitation collection, offer a range of swoon-worthy, metallic hues.
Above, Top Row : silver foil stamped wedding invitations (Good Job Creative); gold foil stamped save the dates (Kate Allen & Plurabelle Calligraphy); fuchsia foil stamped invitations (Akimbo)
Above, Bottom Row : Glamorous Blooms (Kamal), Overlook (Lindsy Aragona), and Fugue (Kamal) foil stamped wedding invitations at Bella Figura
Laser and Die Cutting
Laser and die cut details are making an appearance in a growing number of clean, modern wedding invitation designs, and this is most definitely a good thing. Both have always played well with traditional/ornate designs, and it’s great to see these techniques getting more play in unexpected, non-traditional ways. Ornate, laser cut belly bands and wraps will always be breathtaking, but a sleek, laser cut serif face can be just as magnificent.
Above, Top Row : woodsy laser cut booklet wedding invites (Seven Swans); woodland passport wedding invitation suite (Lilah Paper); modern laser cut wood invitations (Fourth Year Studio)
Above, Bottom Row : Roses and Lace wedding invitations (Two Paperdolls); papel picado laser cut wedding invites (Avie Designs); Alyssa wedding invitations (Spark Impress)
image source: various
