Styling Tips for Your Invitation Suite
When it comes to the final 2-3 weeks before your wedding, questions about the teensy-weensy crazy, small minutiae emerge. These are things that you rarely ever think about (or forgot about), but when you see other photos from wedding blogs or pinterest, you think "I want to do that!"
That's how I felt about a styled wedding invitation flat lay. You know, the getting-ready, pre-wedding shot that features your accessories and of course, your wedding invitations in all its papery glory. The paper that is used for your wedding - save the dates, invitations, programs, envelopes, enclosure cards - it adds up, and when it is styled together, it makes for a great photo. The thing is, you have to decide what you want to amplify. Colors? Textures? Background? Objects themselves?
As a calligrapher, I really focused on the invitation suite for my wedding. Surprisingly, I did not splurge for the invitation suite of my dreams - that's another story for another time. I understand how expensive it can be! However, I did make sure I fell in love with the colors, the calligraphy style, and the paper types used for all the different pieces of the suite. I went for neutrals that complemented each other in an autumnal feel, like peaches + earthy grey + copper + blush and wine colors.
To fit the mood of the autumnal suite, I wanted to make sure that I had a few touches of details that supplemented the consistency and softness that I strived for when curating my invitation suite.
My list of details:
- Base - Silver Tray
- Details - Vintage stamps, wax seal
- Botanicals - rose buds and petals
- Ribbons
- Accessories - perfume, shoes, earrings
Other ideas to consider:
- Base - mirror, wood block, marble slab
- Details - wedding rings, vintage ring box,
- Botanicals - Greens like eucalyptus, dusty miller or fern
- Accessories - shoes, veil, lace, or dress scraps
My #1 piece of advice when you're planning this photo - it is WORTH it, so do your shopping ahead of time! Truthfully, Amazon Prime was a lifesaver on this one - that is where I got my vintage stamps and my vintage silver tray. The florist provided the botanicals, and the mirror and wax seals were real pieces of my invitation suite that were sent a few months prior. When you're creating your invitations, make sure you (or your calligrapher) saves an extra for this photo, specifically.
My #2 piece of advice is to make sure you communicate your goals with your photographer. For this particular aesthetic, I knew my photographer would use her own professional and creative judgment to put together a beautiful flat-lay.
My #3 piece of advice is to prep your materials beforehand - I literally made a box up just for this (clearly, it was important, haha) including all of the aforementioned pieces. It makes the photo set up easier for your photographer, plus it ensures all of your curated materials will be used in some way. You can go about getting ready, with the finishing touches of your hair or makeup, or enjoy an extra mimosa...
Happy styling! :)