Post # 1
Member
30 posts
Newbee
Every time I start browsing for invitations, I suddenly feel pressured to pick a ‘theme’ or repeated design for my wedding. Examples:
The ever-so-popular mason jar (image from vistaprint.com)
Trees/nature (also from vistaprint.com)
Beach (Guess where this one is from? Oh yeah. Vistaprint.)
Most of the time these images are repeated from the invitations to the cake topper, centerpieces, and all the details in between. Yet, when I come to the boards here, I usually see brides focusing more on color schemes rather than specific designs. Just curious to know how many people are trying to carry a theme throughout their wedding and how you’re doing so (invites, cake design, decor, or otherwise?)
Post # 2
Member
1784 posts
Buzzing bee
futurearmybee: Ours is books and our invitations had nothing to do with them. They are being incorporated into the ceremony and reception heavily as decor elements, though. Having colors is just as solid as a theme. If you picked the tree in a Navy Blue I personally would not expect your wedding to have a nature theme – I would expect Navy Blue to be your color, though.
Post # 3
Member
615 posts
Busy bee
- Wedding: May 2014 - Smithfield Center
Our theme is Disney; our invitations had filigree that hints at Cinderella’s carriage, and so does our cake. But we’re also incorporating some Hidden Mickey’s here and there as well. 🙂
Post # 4
Member
1896 posts
Buzzing bee
We didn’t set out to have one, but our venue is very Frank Lloyd Wright and Arts and Crafts Movement looking so we’ve carried that forward to some elements, mainly the invitations (loosely done) and the favors. I think themes can be great, but I don’t think you should feel pressured to make everything fit it.
Post # 5
Member
5662 posts
Bee Keeper
We didn’t have a theme, we had colors and a “feel”. We kept it light and airy and fun. There weren’t any theme like elements at all. If you don’t want a theme, it helps to at least kind of decide how you want it to feel. Light and airy like I described mine, glamorous, natural, bold, etc… you can go from there as far as assembling everything.
Some of this stuff (i.e. the tree one) you can use regardless of if you have a natural theme. There are TONs of invitation suites out there that don’ thave a “theme”, or wouldn’t cause one to expect a certain theme (like the mason jar one would).
Post # 6
Member
30 posts
Newbee
MsJ2theZ: I love those examples, thanks for sharing! Do you know where the second one is from?
Post # 7
Member
5662 posts
Bee Keeper
futurearmybee: I took all of those off of Etsy. Just did a basic search. Some come in printed and pre cut suites, some you can order as printable PDF’s and print and cut yourself. The best part about Etsy is that since they are all invidual sellers you can ask them to edit colors, add or remove designs, etc… and usually they are really good about it.
I did my invites completely from scratch except the pocket folds. Were I to do it again I would have picked a printable suite off Etsy, printed them, bought the pocket folds and any embellishments, and assembled. A huge part of our project was designing all the cards using Word and printing them just right.
Here is that one specifically:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/70085213/scripted-pocketfold-wedding-invitation?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=wedding+invitation&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
Post # 8
Member
30 posts
Newbee
MsJ2theZ: I’ve always tried to avoid Etsy as far as invitations because there are so many beautiful suites out there, and they can get super pricey. But the ability to order a PDF file sounds like a great option to get the quality design I want and stay in budget!
Post # 9
Member
1604 posts
Bumble bee
Our wedding is astronomy-themed, but we’re keeping the theme low-key. The biggest part is incorporating FI’s grandfather’s telescope… other than that, a few star decorations.
Post # 10
Member
5662 posts
Bee Keeper
futurearmybee: Yeah I love ordering PDF’s off there (pretty much every time I throw someone a shower or party)…. You can even usually pick something like a bridal shower invitation and ask them to make the wording into wedding wording if there was something you love (of course you wouldn’t get the suite then… but here’s a good example of a PDF invitation suite, you’ would just need card stock, a printer, and a good paper cutter.
Do a search for “printable wedding invitation” you’ll get a TON.
Printable:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/163121401/printable-wedding-invitation-suite-the?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_query=printable+wedding+invitation&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto2&ga_explicit_scope=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_view_type=gallery
Check out cardsandpockets.com if you want to have pocket folds.
Post # 11
Member
7312 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: October 2011 - Bed & Breakfast
Our theme wasn’t something we set out to create. It evolved over time as we honed in on what was most important to us. We knew from the get-go that we wanted something “intimate and elegant” that was basically the most luxurious dinner party we’d ever thrown. That evolved into a menu plan (multiple courses with wine and beer pairings), a seating plan (one long table for everyone), a venue, and eventually the colors that went with the venue and fit our style. We had a solid vision, and really were not concerned with having a theme. As I was browsing the internet I stumbled upon the “Eat, drink & be married” catch phrase on a menu card and realized it was perfect for us. Our wedding was all about good food, good drinks, and good conversation, and the theme was a perfect expression of that. We only used the theme on the menu cards, and made sure to use unifying fonts and colors to tie everything together.
Post # 12
Member
1274 posts
Bumble bee
Well so far all we have done is save the dates, which were aqua and celadon green polka dots with matching faded starfish on the back in the same shade as the aqua polka dots. That description seems really random now that I think about it…lol..oh well. People seemed to like them. Thank you weddingchicks for the inspiration! 
I feel like since we’re having a beach wedding we should probably stick with the starfish theme…but I also really don’t have a clue what our colours will be yet. So I can see me using colours more then a specific motif throughout the planning.
Post # 13
Member
3277 posts
Sugar bee
Our is lovebirds! Everything from the centerpieces, invites/STDs, cake topper, guest book, etc. I actually started all the planning and eventualyl just realized it was a love birds theme without planning on it but I love how it’s turned out!
Post # 14
Member
3039 posts
Sugar bee
Cornflowers. It started with us wanting to have an invitation that felt Canadian and Swedish, so I picked poppies for Canada and cornflowers for Sweden and painted these:
Then we incorporated the cornflowers during our wedding day, on the ceremony program:
On the favors:
And the table decorations:
Now I’m making a cornflower baby blanket for our December baby.
So while cornflowers wasn’t something that was hugely important before the wedding, they are now!
Post # 15
Member
564 posts
Busy bee
Resist! Have a theme/motif if you want but don’t feel pressured into it. The only thing that we’re using as a “motif” is a peony on the invitations, which will be the only flower used in bouquets, etc.
