The personal card of your upcoming ceremony

You’ve finally chosen the dress and picked out the perfect venue. All of the details of the ceremony, including the guest list and theme, are in order. Whether you are going with a tea, informal, retro, roaring 20’s, Gatsby, Downton Abbey, beach, anime, hippie, or boho theme, the next big decision is what invitation to send out to your guests.

Ideally, your invitation will reflect your personality as well as the theme of your big day.

Check out these suggestions for choosing the perfect invite.

~Visit etsy.com vendors to search for great ideas and find unbeatable prices on hand made invitations.

~Sites such as offbeatbride.com, weddingchicks.com and greenweddingshoes.com often have great promotions and deals. These sites offer amazing vintage and classy style invites, if that suits your style.

~Get crafty and make your own invitations. You can save money, and your guests will love the special touch. One of our favorite couples used ladybugs as their primary décor. The wedding cake was a ladybug, and each guest received a key ring wedding favor with tiny ladybugs on the straps. Their invitations were made from red and black paper with golden ribbons, classy yet cute!

You always have the option of mass printing your invitations, but creative and whimsical invites will be long remembered by your guests. And they’ll look great in your wedding scrapbook.

Time and money are the top concerns for many couples. Printing may simply be the best option. This doesn’t mean that your invitations have to lack pizzazz. Draw or stamp the envelopes with a unique symbol that represents you as a couple. Add ribbon or an engagement photo to your invites.

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

~If you are going with a boho or hippie theme, use pillows and carpets rather than tables and chairs for your guests to lounge on at the reception. Glue matching ikat fabric swatches to simple printed invitations.

~For a garden wedding, purchase inexpensive baskets and seasonal flowers to use as centerpieces or cardholders. Place your handwritten or printed invitation in a small flowerpot or basket.

~Glue lace to the sides of the invitation for an Edwardian or Victorian look. This also goes well with boho themes.

~Seashells are an absolute must for beach weddings. These natural and inexpensive beauties add elegance with your invitation rolled up and placed inside.

~Give tea bags with your names on the label rather then the actual tea label. You can even place them inside of small teacups.

The sky is the limit when planning the details of your wedding. Don’t let cost hold you back. With a bit of creativity, you can have gorgeous invitations that will keep your guests talking!