Make sure your event is as elegant as possible with formal wedding invitations! Here’s what makes them formal and where to get the latest styles and trends. Subscribe for the latest to your inbox.
One of the best ways to set the tone for an elegant and sophisticated wedding is with formal wedding invitations. When you send one, guests immediately know to expect a fancy and elegant event that is sophisticated, rather than a laid-back or more casual wedding. This is helpful for knowing what to wear as a wedding guest and will ensure your wedding invite complements your theme cohesively. In this blog post, we’ll show you where to find formal wedding invitations, what they look like, and how to make your invitations stand out.
What Makes a Wedding Invitation Formal?
Consider formal wedding invitations as the ones with all the bells and whistles.
What is the big difference between invitations that are formal vs. informal? Look for attributes like script fonts, large borders of gold or silver foil, shimmery or textured paper, traditional wording, and fancy printing options like thermography ink or letterpress. Thick cuts of cardstock that feel luxurious and soft in one’s hand are another attribute you’ll find with this style.
In addition, formality is important on the outer envelope. You’ll want to hand-address them with nice calligraphy or have them printed to look the same, like these:
The Right Paper Matters
Another thing that makes wedding invitations more formal is the thickness of the paper.
Flimsy paper = casual quality
Thick paper = elegance!
The thicker the cardstock, the more luxe your invitation card and enclosures will be. The standard for an invitation is 130 lb., 19.3 point thickness, but you can go even bigger: some places like Minted offer up to 480lb, 52.5 point thickness on its thickest cardstock.
You don’t have to necessarily choose the thickest paper, but the right paper should feel sturdy in your hand, not be flimsy, and you shouldn’t be able to see through onto the other side with transparency.
Printing Process Is Important
There are four types of printing options you’ll typically find on formal invitations with an example of each. Each style allows you to choose a unique shape, whether it is a classic rectangle or a more modern choice, like an arch or oval.
Standard
Standard printing is done with traditional ink on thick, luxe paper. This is simple, yet elegant, and costs less than the following printing techniques.
Foil-Press
Foil-press gives you that shimmery, metallic finish on your invites.
Letterpress
Letterpress has a raised texture you can feel in the wording of the invite.
Gloss-press®
Gloss-press® is an elegant printing technique that offers a subtle glossy effect and is debossed on luxurious paper. This is an exclusive printing technique only available here at Minted.
Now that you know the printing techniques available, here are some formal wedding invitations you can buy to achieve the perfect look.
Where to Buy Formal Wedding Invitations
Here are some of the most beautiful formal invitation samples to give you an idea of the motifs, styles, and color palettes to look for when you order yours. These are available at Minted in a special classic and formal invitation section, making it easy to sort by style.
These formal invites are for classic weddings: elegant, formal, and traditional styles. You’ll notice the wording is very traditional and classic: for the best results, use these examples exactly as shown and edit with your own individual details.
1. Framed Simplicity by Kasia Labocki
2. Ashbury by Kristie Kern
3. Autumnal Arch by Hooray Creative
4. Celtic Love Knot by Kerry Doyle – Paper Dahlia
5. Mountainview by Sarah Brown
6. Overlapping by Amy Kross
7. Luster by Stacey Meachem
8. Little Wreath by Phrosne Ras
9. Written Word by Stacey Meachem
10. Scripted Names by Hooray Creative
11. Cosmopolitan by Meagan Christensen
12. Surround by Yaling Hou Suzuki
13. Minimal Circle by Kelly Schmidt
14. Botanical Ampersand by Hooray Creative
15. Happiness x2 by Melanie Kosuge
16. True Love by Carolyn Nicks
17. Love and Faith by Louise Kay
18. Boutique by Eric Clegg
Where to Get Formal Invitation Samples
If you’d like to get a free sample of an invitation, you can! It’s a great idea to try out wedding invitation samples BEFORE ordering 100+ of them. Click here for free samples of individual designs.
Not sure yet? No problem: you can get a free sample kit here with a variety of options.
How to Make Your Invites Stand Out
Accessories are an important attribute to formal wedding invitations. This will give them that extra flair and elegance you won’t find on more casual invite designs. Be sure yours includes the following essential parts, then add on accessories to make them look and feel more luxurious.
– invitation card
– rsvp card
– enclosure card(s)
– reception card
– outer envelope
– inner envelope
In addition, you can add accessories to your invitations to make them look even more formal. These are known as Invitation Final Touches and include the following:
– Belly Band
A belly band isn’t just for looks: it holds your invitation together to make your presentation perfect. Browse designs to match your invitations here.
– Wax Seals
Apply wax seal stickers to seal your outer envelopes. They’ll look fabulous! You can browse designs here.
– Ribbon
A bit of ribbon goes a long way in the presentation of your invites and gives it a formal finish. Here are some pops of color to choose from in the collection.
For more finishing touches, browse here.
As we showed you in this blog post, sending formal wedding invitations is the ultimate way to set the tone for a truly elegant event. I hope this guide helped you to find the perfect invitation design that will give your guests the best first impression.
On to you: now you’re ready to customize yours! Click here or the button below to shop formal invites for the wedding day. If you have questions, let us know in the comment box below.
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
This is a sponsored post.
