How to Choose Wedding Invitations that Hint at Your Wedding Theme

There was a time when wedding invitations were largely one-size-fits-all. Whether you went with a high-end engraved invitation or a simple printed card depended on how formal your wedding was and what your budget was. Couples hosting high-end weddings in formal settings opted for engraved invitations, while those opting for less formal nuptials often went the printed route.

Thankfully, these strict, old-fashioned rules about wedding invitations have changed just as much as the rules about weddings themselves. Gone are the days when you had to choose between a few options and weren't allowed to express your personality. Today, wedding invitations can be as unique as the couple sending them.

Wedding invitations to fit every theme

Modern couples love customizing their wedding invitations. You want something that fits your personality, sense of style, and taste as a couple. You might even go for invitations that give your guests a sneak peek of what's to come on the big day.

How?

Let your modern wedding invitation hint at the celebration's specific nature. Neat columns of black calligraphy text against an ivory background might hint at a traditional, high-church wedding, including a full communion that's followed by a ten-course meal. Bright blue script against a white background might announce a DIY backyard ceremony complete with a bluegrass trio and a pig on a spit.

When your wedding invitation offers a taste of the style of your nuptials and the formality of the event, guests have the opportunity to get excited. They can start thinking about the fun ahead and all the little details, like how they can support you, what they'll wear, how to add meaning to the gift they bring, and what your venue and theme of choice says about you as a couple.

Once you've chosen your venue and set the date, pick an invitation to get friends and family near and far into the mood for a big celebration! Here are some themed wedding invitation ideas that incorporate your theme.

A vintage rustic wedding

If a beautiful barn or a rustic, small-town chapel is the backdrop for your idyllic country-chic wedding, go with an invitation that evokes your rustic setting. The Rustic Heart wedding invitation has a printed faux bois that conjures up the strength and character of an old-growth barn beam.

It's a simple reference, but you'd be surprised at the powerful impression it makes on your guests. Of course, you could also go with the Vintage Typography country-western invitation with an old-timey broadside featuring a Wild West-style font. Friends and family will instinctively know to wear cowboy boots (or to skip the stilettos).

Photo booth fun

If you've ever attended a wedding with a photo booth, you know what a fun addition it can be to the party. And because all it takes is a MacBook Pro, a good printer, and a booth, it's far more affordable than you might think.

Your wedding photographer will capture the posed portraits and some candids of guests cutting a rug, but a booth allows guests to channel their inner divas, divos, or Don Drapers. Send out a Save the Date card that hints at the photo strip theme to give guests a glimpse of what's to come.

You can even include a note on your invitations inviting guests to bring their own props. With a pop-up photo booth, you'll capture epic shots of friends and family members that you can cherish forever. Check out Pinterest for ideas for signs and props to have on hand.

A Mid-century modern bash

If your wedding location is sleek and simple, make it pop with a Mid-century modern style. For the best themed wedding invitation, simply keep the overall palette quiet and add pops of bold color. The Gold Chevron and Photo Strip Collage wedding invitations are perfect to show off modern style with a retro twist.

You can also choose a wedding invitation featuring your wedding colors by using the search-by-color options in the left-hand toolbar on our main Wedding Invitations page. Remember that what you write on your invitations can help express your style, too — get some tips from our blog on writing your own wedding invitations. And keep in mind that wording is essential when coming up with themed wedding invitation ideas.

Celebrate in Hollywood Regency-style

Inspired by the high style of the Golden Age of Cinema, the Regency style is all about taking the modern lines popular in mid-century decor and adding overtones of glitz and glamour. It's the perfect way to amp up your preppy style for the big day.

If your venue is in the Regency style, choose an invitation that features a monogram that's traditional with a modern twist. The Sophisticated Monogram wedding invitation features a single initial offset by a bold spot of color. Or try the Gold Monogram wedding invitation, which showcases a monogram within a flourish of gilded scrollwork.

Take a gamble on love

You'd put all your money on love if you're a gambler getting hitched. The Las Vegas wedding invitation from Mixbook is a perfect way to plant the seed that guests should come wearing casino-ready attire and bring their best poker faces. If your wedding will be for adults only, choose invitations that communicate that clearly.

Rent poker tables to set up next to the dance floor so friends and family members can bet on love while others bet on whether Uncle Murray stays on the floor for Kool & The Gang. Of course, you can also create your own, featuring a custom Keno card, pair of dice, or Roulette Wheel.

Celebrate in arts & crafts style

If your venue is a classy craftsman building — or you simply love the style of the early 20th century in America — choose a wedding invitation that celebrates that style, then carry the motif through all of your wedding correspondence.

The saffron-yellow woodcut floral design bordering the Vintage Floral Frame invitation is simple yet stunning. You could also try out the Vintage Rose Frame wedding invitation, which evokes the imperfect symmetry that defines so much of the Arts & Crafts era design.

A wedding for a pair of valentines

If Valentine's Day plays a role in your love story - whether you got engaged on Valentine's Day or your wedding is near the 14th of February - candy hearts make a sweet theme for a wedding reception. Set up a candy bar or hire a vendor to spin up gravity-defying sticks of old-fashioned cotton candy.

The Two Hearts wedding invitations are a great way to set the expectation that treats await. Of course, you can make your own invitations to suit the theme, too, with the help of this tutorial. For an extra-sweet touch, include a small wrapped candy in the invitations when you send them out.

Share a hint of your wedding theme with the help of Mixbook

No matter the style or theme of your wedding, you deserve to have save-the-date cards, wedding invitations, and thank-you cards that speak to your personality.

Get started with Mixbook's wedding collection today - it's easy and fun to make invitations that your guests will be thrilled to receive. You'll find dozens of themed wedding invitation ideas to choose from