Photography // Laylee Emadi Photography 

 

Today’s post is a note from the heart… a glimpse at the “why” behind my business, and a peek into how deeply I value each custom invitation design.

Why invest in custom designed wedding invitations?

Bespoke invitations are beautiful, that’s for sure. And now more than ever, wedding stationery and details shots are such an important component of your wedding-day photography. Have you noticed this trend over the past few years? Now, almost every photographer takes time to photograph “the details,” including your wedding stationery and any sentimental items: your signature perfume, or “something old,” or a monogrammed handkerchief, and (of course!) your beautiful ring.

But that’s not the only reason to invest in well-crafted custom designed wedding invitations. Paper goods can be a beautiful component of your wedding photos, but their true value runs so much deeper than that. To start, they are the opening act of your wedding day: a guest’s very first impression of the most significant day of your life. It sets the tone for the entire celebration.

But we’ve all heard the common phrase from a wedding stationery nay-sayer:

“Don’t you know it will just get thrown away?”

If your invitations are not a true keepsake, this question holds a kernel of truth: your stationery might indeed be thrown away after it has served its practical purpose. But if they are a true expression of your love story, unique to you alone… will your invitations be discarded? By some, maybe. By your dearest loved ones? No. By you? Never. By your own children and grandchildren? Certainly not—a tangible heirloom of your wedding day will be indescribably precious to them.

So many loved ones came up to me after our own custom designed wedding invitations were delivered and told me how beautiful they were. Over and over again, I heard the same sentiment: “It was just so you! It really sets the tone for a wedding that reflects you and Jon. And I couldn’t even bear to throw away the envelope! It’s still hanging on my fridge!” It was humbling, and an honor to hear such kind words… but this scenario is not unique to my own invitation suite. My brides hear the same words echoed by their own beloved guests. If you take time to make these little envelopes a true joy and an undeniable reflection of your big day, they will absolutely be treasured—even after the wedding day is long gone.

This is what I love most about wedding invitations. They become a tangible legacy of your love story. Right now, during this precious season of engagement, the wedding day feels like the light at the end of the tunnel… an occasion you have dreamed about with utmost anticipation. But I’ll let you in on a little secret:

Your wedding day is just the beginning.

Consider the sacred vows you will make on the wedding day: for better or for worse, richer or poorer. Decades from now, you may not recall which color your linens were or whether your cake was buttercream or chocolate. You will remember the commitment you’ve made unto the person standing beside you. 

And let me tell you—years from now, you’ll want every tangible reminder of those sacred vows to be visible and concrete and real. In your home, you’ll want present and undeniable reminders of those precious words: your wedding ring forever sitting atop on your finger, your wedding invitation framed on the wall, a wedding photo album on your coffee table, your signature perfume still carrying the lingering fragrance of “I do.” You will want to point to that framed invitation and say: “That’s where it all began. That’s where I promised to love and serve my spouse.”

That’s why these little details are so important; they’re not just about the pretty photos. They’re about connecting your senses with a promise you made then, and must still uphold now.

In the “better” times, these tangible heirlooms will remind you of how beautifully your love has bloomed over the years. They’ll remind you of where it all began, and how exquisite the journey has been, and how much you’ve grown… individually, and as husband and wife. In the “worse” times, you’ll need tangible reminders of your vows more than ever. Let these heirlooms become a visual reminder of your promise to love and to cherish, to have and to hold—even through life’s darker days.

There is something transcendent about the items we can hold and connect back to a sacred event in our lives… a palpable connection to an untouchable transformation within ourselves. 

And when you and your spouse are old and wrinkled and looking back on a lifetime of faithful service to each other… you can still point to that invitation: the opening act of your lifelong commitment. You’ll let your children and grandchildren see what it means to honor those words, to stay true to those vows for better or for worse. One day, they’ll hang that same framed piece of paper in their own home: a legacy of lifelong love and undeterred commitment.

Are your hearts set on a lifetime of service to each other? Of a love story passed down through the generations? If so, investing in custom designed wedding invitations is worth every penny. Your wedding stationery is the opening statement of the most sacred occasion of your life, and a lasting heirloom for generations to come.

I believe your wedding day is a reflection of your love story, and of the greatest love story ever told. Custom designed wedding invitations can help tell that narrative, and will help keep your love story alive and palpable and tangible in the years ahead.

 

Much love,
Sarah 

 

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P.S. Be sure to check out this helpful post with ideas for preserving your wedding invitation long after the wedding day has come and gone!