Printing your own invites is a great way to add personality to your wedding, but sometimes we all get stuck and need some new, good ideas. Here are a few ways to get your creative juices flowing:
1. Look (online, unless you happen to be traveling) at what they are doing in other countries. “Wedding invitation” is called “huwelijks uitnodiging” in Dutch, “invitation de marriage” in French, “hochzeitseinladung” in German, “invito di cerimonia nuziale” in Italian, “convite do casamento” in Portugese, “invitación de la boda” in Spanish and “brollopsinbjudan” in Swedish. And don’t forget to look in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and other countries where English is the main language, or widely spoken (it does make it easier!).
2. Look at the websites of creative artists. They don’t necessarily have to be wedding-related – just looking at the art by a photographer, graphic designer, painter, interior decorator, or DIY blogger may trigger ideas.
3. Look in magazines. Any magazine, not just wedding ones. I especially like Creating Keepsakes and Martha Stewart Crafts online, and Real Simple and Domino in print. Look at the layouts and even the ads. See what you like and what might translate nicely to an invitation. Remember, there is no rule saying your invite has to look like everyone else’s.
4. Brainstorm with a bunch of friends. This one is sort of a no-brainer, but it’s easy to forget that great ideas sometimes come from a fun evening with friends. Open a few bottles of wine, order pizza or put out some cheese and crackers and let the ideas flow. I always get my best ides when I’m not trying too hard.
5. Take a creative class at a local shop or adult education facility. Anything that sounds interesting to you – rubber stamping, embossing, jewelry making, die-cutting, decoupage, scrapbooking, using various craft tools – all will jumpstart your creativity.
[...] Cattie writes about printable wedding invitations and how you can make your invitations unique. [...]