Latest Trends in Wedding Invitation Design

So happy to welcome Margot Madison of Margot Madison Creative to kalanicut today! She's a great talent, her blog is lovely and I love looking at her portfolio (I think I may have mentioned that a few times by now, haa-haa). I'll let her introduce herself (she's humble so definitely check out her About Me for more scoop) and I know you'll enjoy her insights!

Hello there! I’m Margot Madison and I’m so happy to be sharing some of my passions over here at Kalanicut! I “met” Kalani during our blog course Blogging Your Way by Holly Becker and Leslie Shrewring and have enjoyed reading all the delightful bits she posts on her blog. I am a lover of the creative and beautiful details in life as well.

I am a graphic designer--turned custom invitation designer--turned retail stationery store owner -- turned creative studio designer in Cincinnati, Ohio. My passion for design and specifically invitation design led me to start blogging about not only my invitation creations, but all the amazing artists and crafters putting out Good Stuff in the Universe. I love all the details that go into an event, and hope to inspire others to dive into (and enjoy!) the event planning process.

It’s really exciting to be both a designer and a consumer/event planner because there is an invitation renaissance going on right now! Digital printing has made full color affordable, computers have made typesetting and illustration so much more accessible, paper companies are producing an endless variation of color, texture and patterns to the retail market and the web has allowed designers to share their creations with the world. Ultimately, it is all bridging the gap of “what has always been done” (because it wasn’t available to us or we hadn’t seen it yet) to “what could be done and what’s being done now”.  It’s an invitation designer’s dream!

With so much great design going on, I thought I would share with you some of the design trends I’ve enjoyed seeing. Truth be told, my ulterior motive is to convince you to love it too.

The French/Apothecary/Vintage Style

This requires some mad typesetting skills to accomplish, but when it’s done well, it’s spectacular. This style is noted for mixing old engraving fonts, placing text on a curve, adding linear “drop-shadows” and calligraphic flourishes. Colors are usually black or gray text, paired with either a dynamic pop of color (canary yellow, coral red) or a softer vintage-y color like aqua or peach. The fine detail and old-school fonts look fabulous with letterpress printing.

Hand Drawn/Illustrated Style

I love this! It tends to be more informal because it’s usually so personal but don’t believe for a minute that the event is considered less important because it’s got pictures on it! The touch of personality is truly appreciated by guests, who will undoubtedly enjoy celebrating the “you” in your event! This style can include ink pen drawings, computer generated silhouettes, handwritten fonts or calligraphy. Use your own art or have an “indie” artist create something special for you!

Pushing the Traditional Text Borders

Bold patterns with lots of color, creative shapes and off-balance typesetting is a style that might take a minute to get used to, but is brilliant from a designer’s perspective. Who says the text has to be centered down the middle? who says?? I love the curvy shaped borders, the Moroccan-inspired patterns and colors and I am always one who thrills when tradition is pushed past it’s social limits.

Thanks for letting me share the design love today. I hope I’ve inspired you to see your next invitations a little bit differently, and to feel good about stepping off that beaten path... All the best! xom