How to Style an Invitation Suite

We haven't met a wedding professional that doesn't get excited about invitations.  Since it is one of the first details to get finalized, it really sets the tone for the entire wedding planning process. From color palettes, to detail themes, wedding invitations capture the personality of the couple as well as the mood they want to set for their wedding. And because sometimes a large amount of creative (and monetary) resources are poured into designing a custom suite with all of those swoon-worthy details, as the wedding planner, you want to make sure that it gets captured in the way it deserves.

And because this month is all about collaboration, we spent an afternoon with Jen Wojick Photography, To La Lune Events, and Peanut Press Creative styling invitation suites and picking their brains about how to style and photograph an invitation suite with all the attention it should get!

Tips from stationer and graphic designer Peanut Press Creative

• A lot of work goes into designing and printing a custom invitation suite. So, in the ideal situation, either the couple or the stationer will send an unused suite to the photographer to shoot at their studio, outside of all of the wedding day craziness.
• You want to make sure that all of the special details are captured (letterpress, gold foil, calligraphy, vintage stamps, etc.) so the photographer should be made aware of any exceptional details.
• Even if the couple didn’t have the budget for all of the bells and whistles, you could have a special suite done to the nines for the couple to keep as an heirloom and have that one photographed. For example, slip in that envelope liner that the fell in love with but couldn’t afford or hire a calligrapher friend to address their set as a gift to them.

 

Tips from wedding planner and stylist To La Lune Events

• Think of the props you use as supporting actors; their purpose is to add interest while supporting the main character. Consider using props like ribbon, flowers, textiles, stamps, or trinkets to add visual interest.
• Want to save time on wedding day? Take some time to do a mock up at home to dial in the styling, snap a photo on your phone, and pack up all of your props so that you (or your assistant) can quickly stage the shot on wedding day.

Tips from photographer Jen Wojcik

• If you have to shoot the invitation suite on site (on the wedding day), try and build it into the day of timeline. Let the wedding planner or coordinator know how much time you would need to style and shoot the suite so that you aren’t expected to do it in two minutes because it wasn’t discussed. (Extra points if the planner or coordinator can style it and all the photographer has to do is photograph it.)
• Speaking of timelines, usually the invitation suite is photographed while the bride is getting ready for the day. So ideally, a crisp suite is waiting with the wedding dress, the shoes, the bouquet, etc. to be photographed.
• The suite should be photographed on a surface that compliments it. Sometimes that is the ground, sometimes it is a table, or sometimes you might have brought something along with you to shoot on. Regardless, make sure that if you (the planner) are setting it up, that you find a wind protected area with soft and consistent lighting.

Want to learn more tips about how to style an invitation suite? Check out our masterclass here!