How to Choose an Invitation that Reflects the Time of Year
By Kate Parrott

Whether you're planning an elegant winter white wedding, laden with lustrous shades of silver and pearl, or a

casual beach-bound celebration in the heat of summer, your wedding invitations are the foremost indicator of the tone for the event. The invitations reflect your style as a couple.

But don't get too overwhelmed by trying to define you and your mate on a single piece of paper. Invitation design possibilities are limitless--especially when it comes to selecting seasonal invitations, so you're sure to find something unique to both you and your fiancé.

"It's amazing how invitations can be pinpointed to every exact, precise occasion," Kimberly Faulkner of Save the Date in Macon says. "There's definitely something for everyone out there."

Seasonal wedding invitations afford ample room to get creative. For nearly any wedding location, theme or color scheme you select exists an array of invitation options from which to choose. And if a pre-designed invite doesn't quite suit your fancy, you can always opt to create your own.

Say it in YOUR Style

Perhaps the most important piece of advice to heed when selecting your wedding invitation is also the simplest--select what appeals to you. If you're a bride who has chosen to have a seasonal wedding and incorporate that concept in your theme, chances are you've already tossed tradition aside. So, choose an invitation that reflects the time of year, taking color, font, print type, size and embellishments into consideration.

Faulkner says she has seen a growing trend with brides-to-be who--whether they have a firm design idea or a vague inkling--are sometimes sueded to give up unique, creative ideas for more traditional designs.

"Nontraditional brides are coming in with traditional moms who want engraving," Faulkner says. "Most times, the daughter doesn't really care about the type of printing or making her invitations look traditional. She wants it to be unique and reflect her personality."

Stationers agree that mother-daughter tensions can run high when selecting invitations, most often because mothers are used to a more traditional look. If you're stuck in a situation with an overbearing family member, or you don't want to offend feelings, strike a compromise. "I've seen so many brides who really want to express themselves with color design and their personal interests," says Leslie Spann, owner of Sunquest Studios. "I encourage my customers to compromise and use nontraditional themes in other ways. For example, they could use a classic invite and place a subtle palm tree in the corner."

If you don't have a preconceived notion about your invitation design, and you don't have a mother who will freely divulge her opinion, don't fret. Most stationers are stocked with an assortment of sample books and pre-designed invites for you to peruse. Some stores will even let you take the books home for a few days, so you can thumb through at your leisure.

While developing a theme and brainstorming your general invitation design shouldn't be a hurried process, Faulkner warns that ordering your invitations should be high on your wedding preparation to-do list. She recommends ordering invitations at least three months in advance. She also says if you're using a calligrapher they should be addressed even sooner. Most stationers agree that the invitations should be dropped in the mail at least six to eight weeks before the big day.

Consider Location

Designing your wedding invitations around the location of the event is a perfect place to start. By conveying in your invitations the plans for an autumn wedding nestled in a mountain valley or a New Year's reception that's still alive and buzzing at the stroke of midnight, you'll excite your guests, who will eagerly anticipate attending your wedding.

"We incorporate seasons in a very subtle manner," Spann says. "All images we produce are intended to create a nostalgic, timeless feel." An example: a secluded beach scene with a simple red and white stocking dangling from an anchor--a perfect depiction of a winter, beach wedding.

While you may prefer an invitation a bit less subtle, the idea is to incorporate a specific element--whether it be a die cut image, photograph or embossed design--unique to your wedding's venue or environment. For example, a summer wedding held in a seaside town may warrant a sand castle image embellished with real sand, while an autumn wedding may best be depicted though a swirling strand of maple leaves.

Add a Splash of Color

Seasonal invitations present an ideal opportunity to add a punch of panache with color. Whether you incorporate seasonal shades in your print, edging, envelope insides or ribbons, nothing spells out the season like the color scheme.

Most brides tend to coordinate their bridesmaids dresses with the season, and seasonal invitations follow the same unwritten rule. Faulkner says that chocolate is a round about color for all seasons. "It works well with pinks, greens and blues, which is what a lot of brides are going with that lately," she says. For spring, Faulkner says that muted greens are back in style, especially when used with pink, while summer colors tend to be bold versions of spring shades. She recommends using chocolate with oranges, darker pinks and reds for fall.

Color can be incorporated in numerous ways from multi-colored, striped cardstock to marbled paper to vellum overlays. Adding colored edging to the perimeter of your invitation is an easy, elegant way to create depth and draw the eye to the text. If you tend to be more traditional, consider adding just a hint of color where your guests would least expect it. An all white, winter invitation with silver lettering and a glossy red envelope inside, for example, will wow your guests with striking elegance and intrigue.

Embellish a Bit

Embellishments adorn your invitations with a unique flair and unexpected surprise. Wax seals, silk flowers, ribbon, glitter, charms, ornaments--the possibilities are endless.

Silk flowers can be used for spring and summer weddings alike to attach overlay to the top of cardstock, and silk or pressed petals may be used to accent the edges of your invitation and frame the text. Glitter is a versatile embellishment for almost any occasion but is most commonly used in summer invitations to mimic sand. It can also be incorporated into winter snow scenes and festive New Year's invites. Charms and ornaments are particularly unique additions to winter weddings, namely those close to Christmas, as they will both decorate your invitation and your guest's home.

Another way to embellish your invitation is with original artwork. "I had a mother and daughter that came in, and they were holding the wedding reception at their house," Faulkner says. "They got a local artist to sketch the house, and we scanned the drawing and printed it on the invites." Faulkner also suggests using seasonal landscapes, such as mountainside photos, to convey the season. So if you've had your eyes set on the perfect seascape or mountain vista, chances are that your stationer will be able to replicate it on your invite.

Printing

Experts are equally divided when it comes to the "best" type of printing. Numerous factors will impact your decision to select thermography printing, letterpress printing or engraving, the three most prominent printing techniques currently used. The most distinguishable differences between the three are the cost and appearance.

Engraving

Engraving is the oldest (and most expensive) form of printing. When invitations are engraved, a customized cover plate is pressed into the back of the paper, creating raised lettering on the front. The key indicator to whether an invitation is engraved is to flip it over and feel for indentations on the back. Engraved invitations convey an air of formality and elegance, so they may not be best suited for a casual, outdoor wedding.

Thermography

Thermography begins with wet ink applied to the surface of your invitation. A fine powder then coats the ink, and a heating process melts it, creating raised lettering. Thermography will produce elegant print at a reasonable cost, less than that of engraving. You can also customize the process to include metallic, glitter, pearlescent and varnish finishes.

Letterpress

Letterpress printing is at the opposite end of the spectrum from engraving and thermography. The letterpress technique employs an inked plate, which is pressed into your invitations, leaving a slight indentation. If you use a heavier paper, the impression will be more dramatic.   Letterpress printing--although an old technique--has become very popular with modern-day brides. This printing technique is optimal for casual, outdoorsy, easy-going weddings.

Use What Nature Gives You

Whatever budget you're working with, whatever embellishments you select to enhance your invitations, keep one rule of thumb in mind: use what nature gives you. By incorporating natural, season elements--whether through pressed foliage, seasonal shades or picturesque vistas--you're sure to convey a message of new beginnings that will excite and charm your guests.