Monday, August 30, 2010

Mexican Destination Wedding Invitations {Ceci Style}



We just had to share this great article by one of our favorite designers, Ceci, on destination wedding invitations.  Ceci creates such amazing paper products and her advice is spot-on.  Thanks to Ceci for great tips and endless inspiration. Check out more Mexican wedding inspiration at her magazine, Ceci Syle.

The Art of Destination Wedding Invitations

When you decide to plan a destination wedding, your invitations take on a whole new meaning. Instead of just simply communication the time, date and place, you are informing your guests of an entire “mini vacation” you are planning for them.
So how do you go about inviting people to your destination wedding in style?
Here are my top five tips:
  1. Think about your timing: Book your invitation designer as soon as you book your venue and wedding date. You want to make sure they’re reserved for your wedding date and you have plenty of time for the creative process. Typically a couture invitation designer works with you for the entire process, starting from creating your save the dates (which should be mailed 6-8 months before your wedding date) to the invitation suite (mailed out 2-3 months before your wedding date) to your day of accessories like menus, escort cards and favors. Remember with couture invitations, the entire design process can take up to 3-4 months (lead time) when you add in calligraphy and printing (and that timing is to be worked backwards from your desired mail date!). A real expert will assist and manage every step of the way for your mailings, and make it a stress-free, enjoyable experience.
  2. Find inspiration in your chosen destination: Look to the culture of the place, the patterns of the local artwork, or the history of your venue for ways to bring your wedding to life, via your invitations. Think about what drew you to that location and play that up through artwork and make that the inspiration for your design theme. I love to hand draw cultural patterns for my destination clients. There is so much history and meaning to build off of from your worldly locations. For example, when I created Katharine and Kent’s invitations, I looked to the Otomi patterns of the traditional Mexican embroidery fabrics.





  3. Word your invitations clearly and make it easy on your guests: Make sure you include all travel details, recommended hotels and a complete itinerary of your wedding weekend festivities in your save the dates so guests will know when to book their travel. Reiterate that, along with any new details, when you send your invitations. You don’t want your guests taking the first flight home and missing your farewell brunch, because you forgot to include that information for them.
  4. Create continuity in your communications: Consider your guests’ experience of receiving a beautifully designed, cohesive package all at one time. I recommend thinking about your whole weekend lineup and sending out an exquisitely-designed set that informs guests of all that they’re invited to do at your destination wedding. You don’t want to confuse their experience by sending too many different-looking mailings. It annoys your guests and ends up being more work and money for you.





  5. Choose unique details for your invitations: When you think about your guests receiving your invitation in the mail, think about how much more impactful yours will be if it really stands out in the pile of ho-hum mail. That’s why I love to create my own envelope shapes. Try them in 3D form, with bright colored papers and always unique shaped flaps like Katharine and Kent’s the four ‘petals’ unfold to reveal the brightly colored Mexican print I created for them, that really packed a punch! It’s especially important for destination weddings. View more Destination Ceci Style invitations.
Ceci

Spotlight on Save-the-Dates

This week Bridal Bubbly is all about paper goods. In the next few days we'll interview an exceptional invitation designer, chat with an outstanding stationery provider, and offer some phenomenal paper-related giveaways. To kick things off, here's an Etsy roundup of creative save-the-dates that are sure to have guests marking their calendars for your big day.

Love the sleekness of this typography inspired announcement (Source: Blimp Cat Studio).

Do you think Chelsea Clinton used this top secret save-the-date for her wedding?  (Source: Jamie Konet at JK Design)


Everything about this exudes charm: the colors, the font, the playfulness, and of course, the perfectly sharpened pencil. (Source: Melangerie, Inc.)


We've seen the bookmark save-the-date before, but rarely done so beautifully (Source: Kemba Celebration)


A save-the-date in the shape of a record promises a reception with fabulous music! (Source: Ello There Invitations)

I can't even articulate why I adore this light-bulb announcement. Maybe the genius is in its simplicity? (Source: Ello There Invitations)
Now it's your turn: what's the most creative save-the-date you've ever seen?