Wedding trends should be helpful tips to inspire more unique ideas. They shouldn't be guidelines or boundaries that hold you back from creating what you want. The style, color palette, and theme you choose for your wedding are a reflection of you and your partner’s personalities, and the invitations are an extension of that. I always encourage my clients to lean on those design foundations when making decisions on whether to apply certain trends. If you are having a classically formal wedding with white and ivory flowers everywhere, you don’t want an invitation suite with tons of vibrant colored card stocks and envelopes. And even though online RSVPs have become more popular, if you love getting snail mail as much as I do, go ahead and create those traditional mail back RSVPs! 
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Your wedding paper goods do not have to look like everything you see on social media, and any trends that are supposedly “out” can always be modernized for 2023. So, take them or leave them, either way I really hope the five trends listed below will get you excited to design wedding invitations that make you and your partner happy!

I put this trend at the top of the list because it is my favorite. Pops of color show up at weddings in flowers, bridesmaid gowns, and weddings cakes, so let’s include them in your wedding invitation suite too! Ombre wedding invitation suites are especially fun to explore if you are so bold. Otherwise, go with a white or ivory stock for the main invite card and try a more subtle color for those secondary rsvp and details cards. Dark blues or black card stocks can also be wonderfully moody and elegant when combined with a white ink printed on them.

Yes, more and more couples are opting to collect their RSVPs online. It can be a no-brainer to bypass the lost mail worries, weddings are stressful enough. This should certainly be the way to go if you are mailing your invitations late—giving your guests little time to respond. Plus, maybe your venue requires a final headcount early. Most wedding website hosts will offer RSVP collection, and it is very easy to set up. This is also very convenient when meal selections need to be tallied for your caterer. The site will provide a spreadsheet with guest names and their meal selections for you to pass on to vendors. I love the organization it provides when clients hire me to design day-of items like escort cards, seating charts, and/or place cards!

There are a lot of lovely embellishments to add to your wedding invitation suite like envelope liners and wax seals, but the item my clients have been asking for the most recently is an embellishment that will ensure all of the separate cards are held together. Wraps are basically an evolution of the belly band. I like them because they are a larger element within the wedding invitation suite for us to design. Use the wrap to incorporate that pop of color, pattern, custom graphic, etc. that you may not want on your invitation card itself.

While you are customizing your whole suite design, ask your invitation designer about creating a logo for your wedding. A lot of times this will be a graphic that uses your monogram or duogram. One of my clients mentioned they already had a logo graphic designed by a friend. We decided to add their names to it, matching the font from the wedding invitation. They had the final logo printed on the back flaps of their envelopes and their reception napkins. This is a fabulous way to brand your event and it can be used anywhere!

Clean, simple and modern are adjectives I hear a lot when I ask clients about their invitation card design layout. Bold fonts can create a mood of their own, but make sure they are readable for your guests. If you are still wanting to incorporate graphic elements like venue sketches or watercolor paintings, those can always be incorporated on the secondary cards. Embrace the white space in your design! Please don’t feel the need to fill every card corner to corner with stuff. A simple invitation card with a unique font combination is always in style.

I asked some of the top wedding planners in Colorado to share the wedding trends they are loving this year.

• Sustainability is top of mind
  From things like recycled paper invitations with a digital RSVP, compostable china and flatware, reusable silk florals, and locally sourced catering, the future of the world can start to be saved with one event at a time!
• ​Color, color, color! Don't be afraid of color!
  While we still swoon over a blush and pink and greenery filled design, we love it when our couples really want to bring in some personality to their wedding with bright and bold colors. We are thrilled that a few of our couples this year have embraced the happy and warm classic blue Pantone Color of the Year for their celebrations!

Aimee Palifroni  |  Owner, Prisma Events
​​prismaeventsllc.com

• Floral wedding gowns
  Some brides are choosing to wear dresses that are completely floral, while others are wearing white dresses with colorful flower appliques.
• Adding bold textures and colors to your decor
  The days of basic color palettes like the standard white and green, all blush, or neutrals-plus-metallic weddings are GONE! 2020 is expected to bring pops of color, new palettes, print mixing, and statement hues that weddings haven't seen before. This is really tapping into couples' personal style and not what everyone else is choosing. You will start to see a wide range of shades and tones get highlighted and mixed. If you love one particular color, go for it and bring in patterns, colored glassware, linens, etc.​

Kelly Karli  |  Owner, Kelly Karli Weddings + Events
kellykarliweddingsandevents.com
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• Mixing table size, shape and type
  Couples are creating far more interesting floor plans, mixing wood farm tables with rounds covered with tablecloths, or arranging the head table in the shape of an X or a "winding" table.​
• Micro Weddings
  ​I am booking more and more small, intimate weddings of 40 or less guests. Brides are spending more on the guest experience by providing a custom upscale menu, fine wines, a champagne wall and gorgeous centerpieces.​

Wanda Bonner  |  Owner + Founder, Blue Linden Weddings + Events
bluelindenweddings.com

• Cocktail style receptions
  ​We are seeing weddings that feature open seating and casual food service. Guests are still having dinner portions, but in a variety of foods served over a longer period of time—combining passed hors d’oeuvres, themed food stations, and late-night snacks.

• Variety with guest seating options
  In addition to a standard dinner table, you can play with cocktail tables, lounge setups, and even cool floor seating with rugs, low tables, and floor pillows. This is for the couple that is really into the experience of the reception by allowing guests to dance, mingle and have a good time all night.

Natasha Tuccitto  |  Owner + Creative Director, Sugar Willow Events
sugarwillowevents.com

• Out-of-the-Box Tosses
  ​Want a more modern or fun version of the bouquet and garter toss? In 2020, look to see fun alternatives to these traditions, like a garter or bouquet pinata (garter/bouquet inside the pinata, first person to break the pinata gets it!), football garter (instead of taking the garter off of the bride, it's on a football that the groom throws into the crowd), or a scattering bouquet (instead of being tightly wrapped, the bouquet scatters into the crowd, allowing multiple flower recipients!)
• Pop-of-Color Bridal Wear and Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses
  ​In 2020 we expect to see a lot more color, and not just in the flower arrangements! Whether the bride has colorful details on her dress (or veil!) or the bridesmaids are rockin' bright floral or vivid geometric patterned dresses, 2020 is sure to be a treat for the eyes!

Adrienne Coffey  |  Owner, A Touch of Bliss Events
touchofblissevents.com

• Charity Donations in lieu of a gift registry
  A lot of our couples are choosing to give back through their registry versus receiving wedding gifts. 
• No wedding party
  We have seen an increased trend of our couples choosing to not have bridesmaids and groomsmen or just having one person stand up with them on either side (usually a sibling).

Meghan Sibert  |  Owner, The Collective Events
thecollectivevents.com

• Funky florals
  Couples are ditching the traditional rose bouquet to incorporate funky florals that allow for more texture and create a really fun look. This even extends to incorporating grasses, greenery, and even feathers.
• Dessert alternative that reflects your own personal style
  If you're not a fan of cake, why serve it at your wedding? From handheld fruit pies to donut walls, assorted dessert bites (ranging from sweet to savory, or even ice cream (be it rolled or scooped)—providing something that YOU enjoy as a couple s a way to easily personalize your event and be an easy crowd-pleaser.

Patricia Zutman  |  Owner, All Four Seasons Events
allfourseasonsevents.com

Offset Printing uses etched metal plates (one plate for each color being printed is created) that apply ink onto a sheet of paper. The metal plates are secured to rollers that transfer the ink onto the paper. Color matching is more precise compared to digital printing because flat and metallic ink colors are custom formulated. ​

Letterpress is one of the oldest forms of printing and has become one of the most popular printing techniques used for wedding invitations. The ink is pressed into the surface of the paper so you can see and feel the indentation of the text or image. Each piece is individually pressed, which helps to create a timeless look and feel for your wedding day.​

Foil Stamping is a similar printing process to letterpress, but where metallic colors or foils are applied to the surface using heat. The heat causes the foil to adhere onto the paper, creating a decorative finish. The most commonly used colors used in this technique are gold and silver. ​
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