As a citizen of the world and someone who prides themselves on contemporary style and ideas, you love the idea of a modern wedding. What better way to get the ball rolling than with modern wedding invitations (preceded by modern save the dates)? It’s so important for your wedding to incorporate individual personality. Without brides and grooms adding individual touches to all of their stationery, wedding after wedding just blends into each other until they become one big blur. That’s why injecting some of what makes you unique is the key to making your modern wedding absolutely unforgettable. Stay tuned for some tips on how to create a fresh signature wedding style, filled with hints of you two as a couple.

Find your signature style and stick with it

Bringing your own style to your big day is an absolute must. If you follow other people’s ideas of perfect, you’ll look back on your day with regret. Whether it’s rustic florals, regal ballroom, modern metallics or cute details, pick an invitation style and try to stick to that motif throughout all of your wedding decisions. A mix of too many different styles can look unintentional and messy: balance is crucial.

Too many cooks make for a confusing kitchen, so try to pick your invitations without input from too many other people (your partner and maybe one other person) and then let that inform all your subsequent style decisions. If bridesmaids, a wedding planner or family and friends are helping you, provide them with a clear vision (using mood boards or a photo album) and give decisive answers when people ask questions. If you already have your dress, you could even let its style influence the type of invitations you select.

Do hobbies have a place in the big day?

Wedding invitations can be as creative as you want them to be – the only limit is your imagination. It’s guaranteed that whatever you can dream up, there’s a company who has done it or is able to make some beautiful custom stationery for you.

Hobby-themed stationery can be as subtle or crazy as you like. If you’re the outdoorsy types, a simple leaf or tree-themed wedding invitation might be perfect. If you or your partner are into old school photography, why not go for a film photography themed invitation, or a film canister invitation? Can’t go past a good book or movie? Movie ticket, book or letter style invitations might be just the thing for you. If you’ve got the travel bug, satisfy those itchy feet with a passport invitation (and a fabulous overseas honeymoon to follow!).

If you and your partner are both sporty or have an interest in anything from history and art to cosplay and Anime, you can find a way to incorporate it into your day – how subtle or out there you go is all up to you.

One theme to rule them all

For couples who want to go the whole nine yards with their theme, pop culture can provide a world of inspiration. Whether you’re a Disney princess at heart, a diehard Star Wars fan or love the idea of a Carnivàle theme, there is always room in your wedding for a little self expression. Your wedding invitations could feature black and gold as a subtle nod to Batman or be full on tributes to Alice in Wonderland by having playing cards printed on the back.

Just because your wedding invitations have a fun theme, doesn’t mean you have to be as obvious with other aspects of your wedding. Remember what we said before about balance? If you love superheros, wear stilettos with a comic book print, or if Sex and the City is your all time favourite show, rock a bird feather headpiece like Carrie.

Colour your day

Colours can express a lot. Most people have a colour or set of colours that they gravitate towards. It could be the earthy colour palette that flatters your skin (perfect for a fall wedding) or the bright colours that reflect your bubbly personality, but your wedding invitations have the potential to make your guests smile and say, “Oh, that’s just so _____!” You want your invites to be your calling card – the identifier for what promises to be a day filled with romance and fun.

If you’re worried about choosing colours for your invitations, select a design that you like and don’t change the colours – that way you know that a professional designer has approved the combination. Nailing the colours for the whole event could be as easy as following that palette the whole way through.

Location, location, location!

While location may not seem to have as much to do with personality as the previous points, it can be reflective of you two as a couple in many unique ways. If you’re an artsy pair, why not send out calligraphy style wedding invitations for a reception with roaming canapes in an art gallery? If you’ve got a favourite vintage of red wine and plan to wed in a barrel hall, wedding invitations with burgundy, black, navy or gold tones will be on point. A garden wedding is the perfect setting for pink blossom wedding invites, mind blowing floral arrangements and dainty Baby’s Breath in the bridesmaids’ hair.

With a little bit of thoughtfulness you can stamp your personality on every aspect of your wedding day. Don’t get locked in by the shackles of tradition and expectation – do what you and your partner truly desire. If you follow your heart and stick true to your personal style, the rest is a no brainer!

This is a guest blog post by Lil van Wyngaard from Paperlust.