Which Font Should You Use For Your Printable Wedding Invitations?
Well, that depends on what sort of feel you want it to have. Microsoft Word comes with an abundance of fonts, but there are many more readily available (some for free) on the Internet.
Most fonts can be classified as either serif or sans serif. Serif fonts have those extra little strokes at the bottom and top of the letters (Times New Roman, Garamond and Century Schoolbook are good examples). Sans serif fonts do not have those strokes, and look more soft and rounded. Examples of sans serif fonts are Arial, Century Gothic and Tahoma.
For a traditional look, use serif or script fonts. Some of my favorite serif fonts are Bookman Old Style, Garamond and Goudy Old Style.
Script fonts, which emulate handwriting, can look really nice on invitations. With the exception of Linotype Zapfino, I’m not crazy about the ones that come with Word, but some other good choices (available online) are Aquiline, English, Hamada and Windsong.
Some contemporary fonts I like are Papyrus, Scriptina, Jano, Linotype Belle, and ITC Vino Bianco.
For all caps fonts, my favorites are Copperplate Gothic Light, Trajan Pro, Felix Titling, and Enviro.
Or choose your font to match a themed event. For a 1920s style wedding, use Nite Club, Upper East Side or Parisian; for a 50s feel, Fontdiner.com, Loungy or Rocket Script; Keep on Truckin or Brandy for a groovy 1970s wedding, and should you happen to have a Disney-inspired event, Waltograph is the font for you.
A nice idea is to use a different font, case, size or even color for your names (i.e. the bride and groom). An example would be to type your names in all caps and the rest in sentence case, or your names in italics (larger type) and the text in smaller all caps. Play around with it until you find a layout you like, there are no set rules and the most important thing is that you like it.
You can also use fonts to add designs. KR Cuori Divertenti comes in several editions and consists of really cute illustrations depicting champagne glasses, toasting, hearts, rings, roses etc.
Many couples choose to go the traditional route when it comes to fonts, but don’t be afraid to have fun with it and use a font that reflects your personality. I think a fun, non-traditional invitation beats the traditional layout every time.
Filed under Design | Comments (2)Text Layout Ideas For Your Printable Wedding Invitations
If you decide to print your own invitations, layout is going to be a task worth spending some time on. Whether you decide to go the traditional route (script font, centered on the card) or try something a bit different, you can expect to spend a good amount on time at your computer. Microsoft Word works for a lot of different layouts, but if you’re up for learning a new program, I highly recommend Adobe Illustrator. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, there are no limits to what you can make. You’ll easily be able to recreate any design you see online, as well as invent new ones yourself. The layouts below were all made in Illustrator and saved as jpgs, but the text portion can easily be created in Word as well (and printed on a card which already has a design on it)
1. 
For a square card, a cute, contemporary idea is to make the text aligned in a square in the middle. Type your names and the word “Wedding” (or anything else you want to highlight) in larger letters, and maybe with a different color (your theme color for the wedding?). I like using all caps for this layout and here, I used Times at 12 and 18 pts.
2. Another option that works nicely on “regular” 5×7 cards is to type your names in a script font, larger (and perhaps in a different color, matching the design on the card) and the rest of the text in small caps. For this card, I used Zapfino at 13pts for the names, and Myriad Pro at 12pts for the text.
3. For something very informal, use a whimsical font (I used Papyrus at 12 and 20 pts for the invitation below). You can of course vary the font for the names, pick a different layout, anything you want. Just have fun with it, and let your invitation set the tone for the whole event.