The Dandelion Patch

I am very pleased to republish this article that originally appeared on District Bride Guide. Enjoy!

You're engaged!

Now the fun begins. You know EXACTLY what kind of wedding you want (you've been planning it since kindergarten, right?). Then at the stationary store, you leaf through binder after binder until each sample is a swirl of color and a blur of words. The gravity of this first step overwhelms you.


The invitation sets the tone for your big day and dictates all that follows. It should represent your style and the type of wedding you'll be having. But with so many different invitations, how do you weed out the trendy from the just-plain trashy? Here are a few tips:

Model the runway. Rich colors like purple, chartreuse and magenta break traditionally white wedding stereotypes. Current menswear fashions are echoed in pinstripe shades of your wedding scheme. Whether horizontal or vertical, tonal stripes say "modern classic." As the chicest women know, accessories make an outfit. They're seen in trendy invitations and include Swarovski crystals, rhinestones and pearls. Just don't overdo it. Less is often more. Take a cue from red carpet stars and go with a neutral pallette of shimmery bronze, platinum, gold or silver.

Channel your inner Carrie Bradshaw. If you are like me and a huge fan of Carrie and her BFFs (Charlotte is my personal favorite), then invitations adorned with lifelike fabric flowers are a perfect touch. Vintage florals and textures like tweed and wood are making their way into invitations, creating new trends just like Carrie.
Wrap and send it with love. Like beautiful wrapping paper, the outside package says as much about the gift as the actual item inside. The robin's egg blue Tiffany box makes a recipients heart flutter just a little faster. Your invitation envelope can do the same. Slip yours into a luxurious orgenza pouch or integrate your color scheme into the envelope with a tied satin ribbon.

Monogram it. Admit it. When you were younger, you carved you and your beau's initials into a tree or in the sand at the beach. We've all done it. What says romance more than you and your love's initials intertwined? There's a reason why monograms remain a personal favorite on invitations.

Be green. As Kermit the frog said, "It's not easy being green." However, it is easy being green when it comes to invitations. Some of today's most elegant invitations are made with 100% tree-free materials. Want your happy occasion to extend beyond the reception? Invitations can now be embedded with seeds that guests can later plant!

The possibilities are endless.

Now that you know what's trendy, in my next blog post we'll talk about what's not!

Labels: "Carrie Bradshaw", "Kermit the Frog", "Sex in the City", "Swarovski Crystals", "Wedding Announcements", "Wedding Planning", annoucements, invitations