Features

This tricky market is as diverse as today’s brides, and while invitations and custom pieces are driven by design trends, individual taste is paramount. “Wedding trends are always swinging like a pendulum,” observed Ramon Gomez, Envelopments creative director. “One season it’s about minimal design and the next is about being bold.”

That being said, certain colors do dominate, pointed out Lindsay Henry, founder and creative director, Inklings Paperie. “We’re seeing a dusty rose gold to be a favorite with brides. It’s a gorgeous neutral, and adds a touch of glamour and femininity to the color story for their big day. We love pairing it with cream, white, or (darker blues like) Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2020.”

What’s Hot

April Hallett, creative director, Carlson Craft, cited several currents that color their offerings, including: greenery and botanical; modern and clean; thick papers; moody, unexpected colors like deep grays and saturated Hunter greens; dried grasses and florals; earth tones; fiber art and textures.

Also Look For

Foil stamping combined with digital, thermography and letterpress printing as well as modern type layouts, distinguished by small type, asymmetrical layouts and multiple fonts.

Gomez has noticed brighter, unexpected color choices, grounded by neutrals, while on the other end of the spectrum, tonal palettes are soothing, with less visual information to digest. Meanwhile, geometric shapes shift from polygonal to softer, rounder shapes like arches and circles. “They can read both modern and antiquated depending on how they’re used in the design,” he explained.

Today’s couples definitely see custom pieces as investments, and with the rise of bullet journaling, the idea of creating heirlooms throughout the engagement process is a timely one, underlined Henry. “Custom illustrations, personalized products, calligraphy and more add that personal touch and making wedding stationery and ‘day of’ items filled to the brim with meaning. We’re inspired by anything that will become a keepsake. Vow books, a precious journal, or a beautifully-executed invitation suite are items that can be cherished and passed along. It’s about more than a single day … couples are creating memories that will last a lifetime!”

Tried & True

Hallett listed classic font layouts, borders and floral details as flourishes that never go out of style. Henry adds clean, beautiful typography to that list. “Pairing that with hand-lettered, modern hand lettering is a way to make calligraphy feel modern and fresh,” she noted.

Designer Quote

“Being fearless when it comes to design is always exciting. But finding the balance between avante garde and traditional is what resonates well with audiences from any generation. Trends should be like a good facelift — a few augmentations here and there, just to keep it fresh without looking like anything was done. Take any design element, from scale, to shape, to layout, and turn it on its ear. But proceed with caution because too many gimmicks can leave you (and the design trend) unrecognizable.” — Ramon Gomez, Envelopments

BiBA Letterpress

Inklings Paperie

Envelopments

Albertine Press

Bloomwolf Studio

Studio Pep

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