{1.} No need to worry about keeping your invitation pieces together: With this pocket-fold suite, all parts are contained. The invitation is attached, while three loose cards—directions, response card, and reception card—are enclosed within the envelope. The bold text and geometric dots, designed to appeal to a pair of engineers, add to the modern look. Schedule an appointment with Bella-Carta Design in Appleton, Green Bay, or Mount Horeb (outside of Madison) for your own contemporary twist on the traditional invite. 563.343.4300, bella-cartadesign.com
{2.} To complement a couple’s vintage glam wedding theme, Heather Martens-Raffel of Sugar River Stationers designed this striking stationery suite. The color drew from the bridesmaids’ attire—they wore fuchsia dresses and carried antique blush-colored umbrellas—while the fresco stencil was inspired by the bride’s collection of Depression-era hobnail glass, which she scattered throughout elements of her wedding. Thanks to calligrapher Debi Zeinert of the Blooming Quill, the couple’s names and initials added the final touch of elegance. 608.798.0427, sugarriverstationers.com
{3.} Maybe you like the typeface of this invite, but prefer it as a square. Or maybe the graphics match your personality, but you want to tweak the colors for your big day’s scheme. No matter the combination, Missy Stein of Paper Piper Designs can customize any invitation to fit your occasion, and she never uses the same design twice. To perfect an entire theme, consider an invitation suite, which can include anything from thank-you cards to place cards, table numbers and every other piece of paper you can imagine. “As a designer, it’s like completing a thought,” says Stein. 608.576.2842, paperpiperdesigns.com
{4.} Per request of the couple, Bella-Carta Design’s Jennifer Gibbons designed a timeline of wedding day events, from exchanging rings to the cake cutting to the last dance of the night. The couple wanted to alert guests they were in for a party, and this invitation does exactly that. Lately couples have been requesting a mix of modern, fun, and unique—which is Gibbon’s goal. If you’re interested in a similar motif, consider illustrating your day from start to finish.
{5.} “We start with a white sheet of paper and go from there,” says Sugar Pear Design’s Kathy Marcelle. The designer collaborates with clients to create custom pieces through colors, fonts, graphics, how it’s mailed and more. For this design, a couple celebrating their marriage (the second for each) took a non-traditional route: after escaping the Wisconsin winter for a December wedding in Costa Rica, they planned a casual reception in their home state a couple seasons later. Since the celebration was as much about their children as the newlyweds, they wanted the kids front and center on the invite.