Save-the-date cards and wedding invitations are the first introduction of your vintage wedding theme to your guests. It is great way to set the scene so guests will know what to expect and can even begin to source their outfits should they wish to dress accordingly.
Going vintage doesn’t mean you have to hand make your cards. If you have lots of guests to cater for, mass-printing invitations is a quick and efficient option with several printing packages available to suit any budget. Not making your wedding invitations yourself also doesn’t mean your choices will be limited. There are literally hundreds of print designs out there to choose from and most printers will even have online options to custom make in order to add your own personal touches.
Patterns
Flowers and intricate vine-like patterns are particularly typical of vintage cards. Patterns tend to be used along the border or in the corner, technique used to frame the centre of the card and draw attention to the information in it.
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Decoration
Doilies, chiffon, flowers, pearls and lace spell vintage like nothing else. There are many lace template print designs to choose from but there is nothing to say you can’t add a small DIY decorative element such as a lace bow or a flower onto the card or envelope should you wish.
Colour
Once you have an idea of the pattern or image of what you would like to add to your card, next comes the colour. Vintage colours often involve pastel shades and sepia coloured images. Black and white images are also vintage, look extremely elegant and save on the cost of colour printing. Why not hunt down a couple of black and white baby photos.
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Font
Italic and calligraphy styled fonts work particularly well for a vintage theme but play around with a couple of different styles to see which you prefer. If you are good with calligraphy yourself and have the time, you could consider writing your cards
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Photos
Typical vintage style images would include something such a classic car or scenic countryside shots. Why not personalize the card with a photo of you and your spouse. Camera techniques will easily be able to make the photo appear old. If you are both willing to take the photo one step further, why not dress the part in vintage style clothes and have some fun.
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Type
Printing services will easily be able to reproduce your photo on to a variety of fold out card options. Consider your budget and how much information you plan on putting on the invitation. To keep budget to an all time low, invitations and save the dates can be printed postcard style onto to A5 or A6 size card. For something really fun, why not style the card to look like a postcard with a picture on the front and the information you want to include on the back.
Texture
Gloss or matt? A lot will really depend on the overall style and design that you have chosen for your invitation. You could even consider going green and printing on recycled paper with a slightly rough edge to it. Now it will only look vintage but feel vintage.
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Author Bio:
Neil Forrest is the founder of UK company CardsMadeEasy. With a long-standing reputation for quality of service and value for money, CardsMadeEasy print all manner of wedding invitations and save the date cards and offer free design assistance.
