When it comes to creating your wedding invitations, the options are endless! While many couples opt to work with a stationery designer, some couples may prefer taking the DIY route by designing their own invitations for the day.
Whether your vibe is minimal, coastal or contemporary, designing your own wedding invitations is a great way to put a personal stamp on your celebration. Read on as we explain how to design your own wedding invitations, and the best way to send them out to your guests!
Why Design Your Own Wedding Invitations?
Designing your own wedding invitations DIY-style can be a great option for many couples! Here’s why:
- It’s cost-effective. If you’re looking to save some extra dollars, creating your own wedding invitations is a budget-friendly alternative to working with a designer.
- You have creative freedom. Designing your own wedding invitations will ensure your invitations are 100% unique and tailored to your wedding vision.
- It’s meaningful. If you’re creative at heart, you’ll love the process of designing your own wedding invitations from scratch – and when you send them to your guests, it will feel all the more special!
So, now you know the benefits of designing your own wedding invitations – but where exactly should you start?
Figure Out Your Wedding Vision First
Your wedding invitations should give your guests a glimpse into what they can expect on the day. Whether you’re planning a black-tie affair or a colourful cocktail party, your invitations will set the tone for your upcoming celebration.
With this in mind, it’s important to define your wedding style and vision first, then use your invitation design to bring this to life. For example: if you’re hosting a relaxed beachfront wedding, you might want to opt for coastal colours like white, sand and sky blue. Or, if you’re planning a formal sit-down dinner, you might embrace a minimal design with elegant black and gold details.
Find Stationery Inspiration Online
If you’re struggling to come up with a design and layout for your wedding invitations, spend some time browsing inspiration online. Pinterest, Instagram and wedding blogs are brimming with stationery ideas!
While you don’t necessarily want to create a carbon copy of someone else’s invitation, you can definitely use this as a starting point to get the creative juices flowing.
Design Your Invitation
Now that you’re armed with ideas and inspiration, it’s time to start designing your DIY wedding invitations! Depending on your design skills, there are a couple of different ways to go about this.
For a beginner-friendly option, consider using a platform like Canva. They have a range of wedding invitation templates that can be totally customised to suit your tastes. You can personalise everything from fonts and colours to patterns, backgrounds and images – or, upgrade to the Pro version for an even bigger range of designs and templates. Tip: sign up for Canva’s free 30-day trial to access the extra features that aren’t available in the free version!
Alternatively, if you’re a design pro, you may prefer to create your invitations from scratch using a platform like Adobe Illustrator. You can personalise your design even further by uploading your own handwriting or illustrations.
Don’t forget that we also have a range of paperless invitation templates available right here at WedSites, including a matching wedding website to share all of your wedding day details with guests.
Once you’ve nailed your invitation design, you can then replicate this for your Save the Dates and Thank You cards to ensure all of your stationery elements work cohesively together.
What to Include on Your Wedding Invitations
Next, you’ll need to figure out what to include on your wedding invitations.
Your wedding invitations should outline the most important details your guests need to know about the day. This is usually:
- Your names
- A request to attend the wedding
- The wedding date, time and venue
- The reception details
- The RSVP date and method
- Your wedding website link (if applicable)
Any additional details (such as your gift registry, travel information or dress code) can be included on your wedding website, rather than trying to cram everything on the invitation card.
When it comes to your invitation wording, keep your wedding theme in mind, too. For example: if you’re planning a black-tie wedding, you should opt for formal language – but if you’re planning a casual celebration, you can keep it light and relaxed.
Need some more guidance? Check out our ultimate wedding invitation wording guide with examples here.
How to Send Your DIY Wedding Invitations
Now that you’ve finalised your wedding invitation design, it’s time to get the word out to your guests!
If you want to send your wedding invitations using traditional mailing methods, you’ll need to organise printing and postage. This typically involves choosing your card stock, printing your design, cutting the individual invitations from the card, and addressing and stamping your envelopes. Depending on the intricacies of your design, you may be able to print them at home or you might need to work with a professional printing studio to achieve the best result.
Alternatively, you can send your DIY invitations digitally, instead. Not only is this more affordable, but it also reduces paper waste – making your wedding more sustainable.
Sending your DIY wedding invitations online is simple. You can upload your DIY design to our platform here at WedSites and send them out to your guest list with just the click of a button. With our digital guest list manager, you can also track RSVPs online and see at a glance who’s opened their invitation, who’s responded, and who is yet to reply.
Keen to learn more? Read everything you need to know about online wedding invitations right here to get started!