In a world of color and a plethora of choices at your finger tips, pin pointing the wedding style that fits you as a couple can be a bit daunting. Sometimes thinking outside of the box is the way to go. Exploring wedding invitation design ideas, is a great way to start figuring out the style of wedding that inspires you during every step of the process.

Designers and artists alike have created beautiful inspiring rooms, events, pieces of art and even plays from just one beautiful element. If you’re anything like me, your ideal wedding has changed many times through the course of your life, and now when the moment has arrived you don’t even know where to start.

As a photographer, I often suggest starting with the venue, since picking a date is often difficult, but let’s take a few steps back instead; take a breath and start small. Let’s begin with something simple such as wedding invitations. This is a low stress approach to get your juices running.

One source I love exploring is Basic Invites – Wedding Invitations page. Aside from the fact that it is the most fully customizable source for all of your invitation needs you will EVER have, you can easily search designs by style.

Just click on “Themes” and scroll through their top 20 to get started. They have about 50 themes, but let’s keep it simple for now.  Click on each theme that peaks your interest and scroll through, paying attention to color, font, and design.  Ask yourself, “does this inspire me, do I see different details of my wedding when I look at this design”.

Your Style Might Surprise You

*Rustic  *Traditional * Vintage *Forest

*Beach  *Vintage  *Sophisticated

*Fairytale  *Beach  *Modern  * Minimalist

The wedding style that you end up loving may surprise you. If you’re drawn to the Sophisticated, Modern, Vintage or  Black Tie Design Invitations, a black tie wedding may just be your cup of tea. There is something to be said about having a formal classic get together, especially if your family and friends love going to museums, plays, galas or even if they are simple folk who are just aching for a reason to dress up, leave the kiddos with a babysitter and have a night out they will never forget.

The classic modern black tie wedding can be a simple and elegant event or a grand Tiffany inspired affair that will be on page 6. Every bride wants their wedding to be memorable. With rustic, floral, forest and beach weddings everywhere one looks, maybe the magic lies in something beautifully classic or hip and modern.

5 Reasons to go Black Tie

1. Seeing everyone in their best attire, maybe for the first time ever!
2. An adults only event may be exactly what your friends and family need.
3. It keeps the guest list shorter.
4. It will stand out from other weddings your guests might attend.
5. Increased chance of getting your wedding published.
6. It keeps the color pallet simple.

Check out a few Black Tie Design Invitations that Basic Invites have created. They are clean and minimalist, yet elegant and created with your own custom touch.

Invitations may seem like a counter intuitive approach to finding your perfect wedding style, but inspiration comes when your mind is open, calm and happy. Starting with a low stress approach is key. Once you’ve nailed your style, you can start searching for the wedding planner/designer and venue that fits your vision. Don’t forget to book a wedding photographer that also captures your vision in a timeless style:) After all, this is a day you will want to relive for decades to come!

Let’s start the fun!

Time to check out all those wedding invitation design ideas to get those creative juices flowing. Start pinning your favorite invitation designs from Basic Invite to get the ball rolling. Once you choose your style, you can even order samples and build a custom wedding website all in the same place. This is a great way to keep yourself on track. I’d love to see where your explorations take you. Feel free to reach out on Instagram @summerbearweddings to share your inspirational photos. Hope to see you behind my lens!

Happy Planning!