HOW TO CREATE YOUR ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING INVITATIONS
by Laura at Laura Likes
Table of Contents:
ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING INVITATION SUITES
If you are starting to look into wedding invitations it might very well mean that you are engaged, so first things first, congratulations! As exciting and amazing as it might sound, this also means that at some point, you will need to start off with your planning. Now, there are many people out there that feel totally comfortable and positively excited at the idea of planning their own wedding, but there are also as many people who don’t have a clue where to start at! If you are amongst these people and looking for help to begin your journey, then you are in luck! After having made sustainability one of the central aspects of our photography and of the way we run our business, we have decided to create a space where couples can easily find all the resources they need to plan their day from scratch in an eco-friendly and conscious way. Learn more about Benni Carol’s Eco-Network here.
In today’s article we are focusing on the process to create eco-friendly and sustainable wedding invitation suites.
Laura at Laura Likes, one of our dear Eco-network suppliers, will talk us through the main aspects of creating an invitation suite and she will guide us through the entire process!
Laura at Laura Likes:
“Beginning the process of creating your wedding invitations can feel overwhelming.
When there are endless options around designs, colours, textures and wordings, knowing where to start building an invitation suite that is befitting the occasion is a challenge. But fear not, I have been working with couples for over 10 years, guiding them through the process of turning their creative ideas into reality!
HOW TO CREATE YOUR ECO-FRIENDLY WEDDING INVITATION SUITE
There are two key components to the perfect invitation set. Ensuring your aesthetic is on point using beautiful and sustainable materials and then including all the specific details and information to get your guests to the right place at the right time!
1. Achieving the Perfect Look
Custom design or bespoke?
This will always be the first question: is there an existing design that you like or are you looking to commission something bespoke? And the answer is often: a little of both! With all of the designs in my range there is scope to change and tweak different elements to subtly adapt the aesthetic to match your theme. This can provide a simple and economical way of creating your very own tailored wedding invitations. Perhaps you have more unique requirements, such as illustrations of venues or a hint of the local surroundings which you would like to include. In such cases I’ll provide you, not only with a price breakdown, but also advice on the format, size and papers that will work best with your ideas.
Visual Inspiration
If you would like me to reflect a colour scheme or a floral ‘look’ – I’ll ask you to send me some pictures that have inspired you. I can work from a palette and names of flowers but couples often find the easiest option is to provide some floral inspiration from Pinterest / Instagram. I’ll then create an artistic impression of your florals using watercolour illustrations.
Choosing your eco-papers
I take pride in sourcing eco-papers that are high quality, whilst also being ethically and sustainably made. My main stock papers include a beautiful white textured card stock which is 100% recycled, a plantable paper made from recycled cotton and embedded with wildflower seeds and I also print on to a brown Kraft card (also recycled) which can bring a little contrast to a set.
Choosing your envelopes
For me, the right choice of envelope has the ability to really elevate the quality of the invitation set. After all they are the first impression your stationery makes on your guest! Whilst I am able to source almost any colour, to match your stationery – these are the most popular colours I come back to again and again. The Kraft envelopes offer the most eco-friendly option being 100% recycled paper but every colour pictured has been FSC accredited – meaning that the pulp used to make them is sourced from managed forests.
2. What Should you include in yuor invitation suite
Building your invitation set
The size and type of invitation set will depend on the type of wedding you are having, for local weddings in familiar surroundings, a single invitation postcard could carry all the information your guests will need. If your wedding is taking place somewhere remote, or is more of a weekend affair you may need to include other elements such as itinerary or even a bespoke printed map to help your guests navigate themselves around.
However you choose to communicate your information you can use my visual guide below to ensure nothing is missed out!
Invitation
This obviously needs to communicate the essential details – time, date, correct addresses. If you have just a few sentences of additional details – then these can often be displayed on the reverse of the invitation itself.
Additional details card
You may not need one at all or you may need up to 3 dependent on your amount of information. A few accommodation suggestions are always welcome and some local taxi numbers can be very helpful. It is worth phoning the taxi companies you are recommending to find out if they will need to be pre-booked. Mobile phone signals at your venue should also be a consideration – particularly in Cornwall!
A little information about parking options also tends to be appreciated – is there parking available? Is it free? Can cars be left overnight?
If you have a hashtag or a space to share guest photographs from your wedding day then this can also be included here to give your guests prior warning/details.
RSVP
RSVP Cards (if you choose to have them) can range from very simple to more comprehensive – when several menu options are to be included for example. Whilst it may be possible to fit options for 2 guests on to 1 RSVP card, I do often suggest 1 card per guest if you are including options for every stage of the wedding meal (starter, main, dessert).
It’s also worth considering that the RSVP card is only small – meaning that there is only ever space for summarised menu options. If you have a mouth watering menu which you’d like to show off then I suggest printing it on a separate card or on to the reverse of the invitation itself.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FLEXIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY WHEN ORDERING YOUR WEDDING SUITE
When you order an invitation set from Laura Likes it is built to your very specific requirements with sustainability always in mind. I am very flexible in all areas of my work to make the design perfect for you and your wedding. I will always offer honest suggestions of the how to save space, and therefore paper and cost too.
I print the vast majority of stationery myself meaning that you do not have to order in 10’s or even 5’s – you can order exactly the amount you require (although I do always suggest a 1 or 2 spares).
Beautiful wedding stationery does not need to cost the earth! The natural, sustainable materials I use are the perfect match to the organic, botanical designs I am known for. I follow green production practices to keep waste to a minimum, all packaging is plastic-free and Laura Likes is a carbon positive company.
Check out www.lauralikes.co.uk for more inspiration on how YOUR wedding can be reflected in flowers and fonts, on beautiful, planet-friendly paper.
For daily inspiration, follow Laura on Instgram at @laura.likes
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GET IN TOUCH!
If you are planning to get married and you care about planning a more sustainable and ethical day, don’t forget to check out the wonderful ethical suppliers that are part of the Benni Carol’s Eco-Wedding Network. If you are starting to look for your photographer and you want to enquire about our services and packages, don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@bennicarolphotography.com or fill up our contact form on the website HERE.
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