We recently printed letterpress wedding invitations for Cydney and Patrick in our Deveril design, a perennial Bella Figura favorite. It’s classic, traditional and timeless in black ink on white paper. We were thrilled to have Cydney send us a sample of her finished invitations. After receiving them from us, they finished off the look with DIY striped liners and gorgeous hand calligraphy addressing. Aren’t these just stunning? Thanks so much for sharing, Cydney!
Our Deveril design has long been one of our most popular and we love how this couple transformed it for their letterpress save the dates. The type is printed in black ink, as in the original design, but they customized the design with the addition of a classic border printed in blush ink. We love how one simple change so dramatically changes the look and feel of this letterpress save the date, making it a unique reflection of Lindsey, Andrew and their upcoming Philadelphia wedding.
The classic beauty of our Deveril design has long made it a favorite, and we loved the opportunity to print this version in vibrant fuchsia ink. This is a letterpress ceremony program in a tea length size, featuring all of the applicable ceremony details from order of events to wedding party information.
The classic beauty of our Deveril letterpress wedding invitation has long made it a favorite with couples and it’s easy to see why. It’s elegant, chic and its effortless simplicity really allows the beauty of letterpress to shine. This version of Deveril put a modern twist on a classic favorite by opting for our bright red cardinal ink and our 7″ square size. In this instance, the bride wanted something with a bit of an edge and the groom wanted something traditional so this take on Deveril was their compromise. We think it’s fabulous!
You can see other great Deveril letterpress invitation customizations we’ve previously featured on the blog here and here, as well as fabulous Deveril letterpress save the dates here and here.
Deciding which pieces to include when deciding on your letterpress wedding invitations can be a bit confusing if you’re just starting to research so we thought it would be helpful to share some of the pieces we print most often and how you might use them. The great thing about all of these pieces is that you can pick and choose just those elements that are relevant to your event and fit comfortably within your budget, lending a lot of flexibility as you decide on your invitation suite.
{Save the Dates}
While not especially traditional, Save the Dates are becomingly increasing popular. Initially, Save the Dates {Cartoccio design featured above} were used almost exclusively for destination weddings, but we’re seeing a growing number of couples opting to send letterpress Save the Dates in advance of the wedding invitation to give guests a heads up on the upcoming event. Some simply list a date and location, while others might note a wedding website or specific venue. Usually couples send Save the Dates anywhere from six months to a year in advance, depending on the length of their engagement. Save the Dates are especially helpful when you are expecting a lot of out of town guests, but are by no means a requirement.
{Invitations}
Your invitation card {Mimosa is shown above} is arguably the most important element among all others and even despite the dawn of the e-card age, most couples still have a preference for traditional invitations, letterpress invitations being among the favorites. A general rule of thumb is that invitations include the date, time and location of the festivities and are sent to guests six to eight weeks in advance. Etiquette has long dictated the wording of invitations, although these days there is an increasing flexibility in how you word your invitation to guests. While we love printing traditional invitations, we also love to see how our brides and grooms get creative with language as they welcome guests to celebrate their union. With our wide range of letterpress invitation designs, there is truly something for every couple.
{Reception Cards}
Traditionally, reception cards {Deveril reception card above} were enclosed along with the main invitation and listed the time and place of the wedding reception only, while the invitation card itself was reserved exclusively for ceremony details. Reception information can easily be included on the bottom of the invitation, though some couples prefer to have a separate letterpress reception card if their reception is being held at a different location later in the evening, or if there are separate guest lists for each events. One great way to save money is to forgo the reception card, which is not only budget friendly, but also eco friendly too as it saves on paper. What’s not to love?
{Reply Cards/Postcards}
Reply cards {Lovebirds letterpress design above} as we know them are actually a modern custom, as traditionally invitations did not include RSVP information. Rather, it was customary for guests to reply with a hand written note on their own stationery. How sweet is that? While this particular practice is largely a thing of the past, we do see a number of couples printing requests for replies directly on the invitation and forgoing a reply card altogether, sometimes directing guests to a website or email address. Another common option is the choice of a letterpress reply postcard in lieu of a reply card with envelope. Again there are is a lot of flexibility with what information is included on a reply card and these days it might include not only the names and number of guests, but also meal selections and where the guests might be lodging for the weekend.
{Website Cards}
Website cards are another modern evolution in wedding stationery and are often just small cards printed with a website address providing information on events, accommodations, directions, local attractions, and miscellaneous information that might be useful to guests. While not a traditional element, letterpress website cards are very useful for spreading the word that you have a wedding website and that you’d like guests to visit. Some couples even opt to print extras so they can keep them on hand to give out when friends and family ask wedding-related questions. What a great idea!
{Directions/Accommodation Cards}
An increasing number of couples are opting to include direction and/or accommodations cards these days, especially as more couples plan destination or weekend-long events. We’re printing a growing number of directions cards and accommodations cards, sometimes one and the same, providing an abundance of really useful information for guests looking to make travel arrangements. It’s an extra element of hospitality that never goes overlooked by guests as anyone can appreciate not having to take extra time to research the best places to stay or how to get to the ceremony. It’s also possible to print directions on one side of a card and accommodation information on the other, even with letterpress, which is another great way to save money and save paper while still providing guests with great information.
{Tips for Deciding Which Pieces to Include}
– Determine the information that would be most useful to your guests given the details of your particular event and make that your focus
– Combine pieces where possible to help accommodate your budget
– Get creative! Don’t be afraid to include something totally unique or nontraditional, especially if you think it might be helpful for your guests
– Make it your own – letting your personalities shine through will always guarantee a beautiful letterpress invitation suite
We are always willing to answer questions and help you decide what invitation elements are perfect for you and your event. If you’re considering letterpress wedding invitations and wondering what pieces to include, let us know and we’re happy to help with ideas!
One more sweet letterpress save the date to inspire you….this is our Deveril letterpress design, which looks great in any ink color, but we are partial to this design in a rich black letterpress ink. This is a reply card size save the date as well (3 1/2″ x 4 7/8″) — a great idea which uses less paper (eco!) and also is less expensive than the larger 4.5″ x 6.25″ A-6 save the date size.
Here are two more variations of our bestselling Deveril letterpress invitation design: an elegant letterpress save the date in navy, and a letterpress menu, tied with a ribbon & finished with a jewel (wow!). We love the Deveril design for a lot of reasons, but in part we love its historical and joyful nature, its sophistication, and its warm sweet energy all its own.
Here is another great version of the Deveril letterpress wedding invitation— this time in classic black ink with gold edge painting (the edge painting made all of us here swoon….just perfect!). Black ink, by the way, shows no signs of losing its elegance or popularity for this wedding season. Enjoy these photos of winter sunlight!
The Deveril letterpress wedding invitation has been one of true loves ever since we first printed the sample – it’s a customer favorite too, and we love seeing how clients customize the design. For the next few days, we’ll highlight some cool variations of the classic Deveril invitation design. We’ll start with a really fun idea – printing each piece in an invitation suite using a different color ink – the invite in navy, the reply card in garden, the reception card in fuchsia. It’s such a great twist on the usual 1-color letterpress invitation – fun, festive, but still really elegant.
