A wedding card for every couple

Just as every couple has a unique love story, their choice of a wedding card is also different. That’s what adds to the spice of the wedding season. Imagine if all Hindu weddings were to follow a similar style for invitations, décor, attire etc. it would be a massive loss in sense of variety. With several themes infiltrating into the market right from royal to fantasy to destination wedding, the range for card selection has increased tremendously. Although the basic elements of Hindu wedding invitation remain unchanged; but a few twists here and there make a huge difference.

We still have couples who wish to have a simple ceremony, but that does not mean they have to compromise on the style of the card. They can experiment with different cuts, sizes, colour schemes, printing styles and a lot more to have a card that conveys their sentiments in style.

The budget conscious couple –

A huge majority of couples come under this section, so it’s not surprising that the market has a wide variety catering to their needs. From printing techniques to paper quality, there are several alternatives for this category to get the kind of card they want within their budget. In fact these couples also have the option of visiting sites online to compare rates.

In case you fall in this category, here are a few tips to keep handy –

• Opt for a less expensive paper. Avoid hand-made paper or other thicker materials.
• Discuss cheaper printing options with your vendor. For e.g. you can get a similar sophisticated engraved look on your card with the thermography printing technique. Also, laser printing is a pocket-friendly option.
• Reduce the number of leaflets in the card, use the card space well and include all function details in one card only
• Stick to the standard size of the card. Opting for different sizes and cuts will only affect your budget.
• Choose a simple design. Complicate to execute designs will add to the cost; instead try to play with innovative colour schemes.

When budget is not an issue and you plan to have a lavish wedding, then the royal theme makes a perfect choice. This is much like a childhood dream come true, the bride dressed like a princess, the groom like a prince, the entire décor laden with heavy tapestry, glittering lights etc. To complement such an arrangement, a basic wedding card seems incompetent. So the best option for such couples is an invitation box. This is a common trend amongst weddings of high society. In fact several Bollywood celebrities have led to the trend of innovative invitation boxes with unique gifts and savouries.

An invitation box usually consists of the main invitation card, which is made with the finest of paper, elaborate design and printed through the engraving technique. The colour scheme on the card is coordinated with the decoration of the rest of the box. Along with the invitation a box a savouries is presented. This mostly has all-time favourite sweets like laddos, kaju-kathli or barfi. Many couples these days prefer to opt for a box of dry fruits or hand-made chocolates. The third box consists of a souvenir like a holy book, art piece, scented candles etc. Also, since these are high profile weddings, the invite could also include an electronic swipe card, this helps prevent gate crashing.

These are couples who believe that they not only will share their lives with each other, but with the environment as well. Such couples ensure everything on their special day is planet-friendly. A material of choice amongst these couples is recycled paper. It is one of the easiest ways to set the mood of the wedding theme. In case you have a lavish wedding card designed with souvenirs and gifts then make sure they are eco-friendly too. You could have them assembled in cloth bag or easily bio-degradable material, fasted with ribbons or doris. In case you have a specific colour scheme in mind discuss with your card designer if it is possible to execute on the material and printing style you choose.

Several couples planning to pitch in to save the environment consider distributing a batch of the wedding invites online. This is a fantastic way of saving paper and money. Moreover, you can easily keep tab of whose attending the function by means of RSVPs emailed to you. Sometimes delay in mailing of RSVPs can create last minute confusion. Hence, try to keep most of the invites online as far as possible.

Quite a few to-be-weds prefer to stick to traditionalism for the ceremony. Hence, all they do is as per the customs being followed since time immemorial. The wedding cards of these couples are a simple invitation with Hindu religious symbols, auspicious colours, shlokas and simple wordings. Predominant colours include yellow, beige, red and gold. The card is in the regular size, devoid of any fancy cuts or layering. The cover will feature a motif of Lord Ganesha or Lord Balaji in gold. The wordings will formerly invite the guests to attend the wedding ceremony with details of the function to be held.

However, couples these days try to bridge the gap between traditionalism and modernity. Such cards play with colour combinations, cuts and size. However, the content and symbols remain untouched. They make a bright sight, are equally attractive as any innovative invite and fall in budget as well.

For couples driven by innovation and creativity, there are several possibilities to design innovative cards. Mostly wedding based on themes have huge scope for innovation in invites. So if you have a fantasy theme for your wedding then you could create your wedding card around a fairly-tale. The fun-fare theme gives you several elements like balloons, windmill, roller coaster etc. In a hobby based theme like photography, the couple could showcase the best of their moments in the invite. Literally, the sky is the limit. Such wedding invites get the guest curious of what’s in store at the event. Also, they make an excellent keepsake.