Destination weddings: A guide to luxury event invitations in California
Are you a bride-to-be looking for luxury event invitations in California? Or perhaps you’re engaged but still have no idea where to start when it comes to choosing your wedding stationery? If either of these sound like you, then you’ve come to the right place!
At Crimson Letters, I understand the importance of choosing the perfect wedding stationery. That’s why I have put together this guide to help you get a better understanding of what luxury wedding invitations available to you and why these really are the best way to kick-start your wedding celebrations.
Interested in the most exquisite wedding stationery in California? Looking for high-end custom designed, fine art wedding stationery? Please reach out and get in touch for more information. Have a look here at my full portfolio.
Above Collection, Botanical Elegance here. Photography by Alexandra Grace. Flowers by Ponderosa and Thyme.
This guide is designed for those living in California and the surrounding areas, or those who are planning a destination wedding on the Golden Coast. Perhaps you’re searching for the perfect custom designed, highly personalised wedding stationery. Whether you’re looking for tips and advice on why you should choose handmade wedding invitations, custom or semi-custom invitations or you’re searching for the perfect designer to create custom invitations – I’ve created the guide below to help you feel inspired!
Above Collection, Botanical Elegance here. Photography by Alexandra Grace. Flowers by Ponderosa and Thyme.
Why should you choose custom made luxury wedding invitations?
When you first get engaged your mind immediately jumps to choosing your bridal party, the guests, the venue, the food, the dress! But when you actually begin planning your big day you’ll quickly realise that one of the first important decisions you’ll have to make is choosing your wedding stationery. You’ll need to do this for your Save the Date cards, invitations, menu cards and any other wedding stationery you’ll require for the day.
Some brides leave the wedding invitations to the last minute to organise. Yet you need to reach out to your wedding stationery designer, way in advance. Especially for your save the dates. Think about booking your save the dates and wedding stationery about the same time as you book your venue, or wedding cake.
Despite this, it can be easy to underestimate the importance of this decision, especially with many brides hoping to cut their budget at this stage. But the truth is, choosing the right theme, save the date cards, wedding calligraphy and invitations is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make.
Below are just a few reasons why it’s so important you get this right and why handmade wedding invitations and luxury wedding stationery could be the perfect touch for your Californian wedding.
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You’re setting the tone for the day
Your wedding invitations are your guests’ first insight into your wedding day. Through your invitations you’ll be setting the tone for the theme, colour scheme, dress code and location. These act as a teaser for what’s to come on the big day, therefore you’ll want to make a good first impression. If you bought a Prada handbag as a gift, would you wrap it or present it in a plastic carrier bag? Shock horror! You’d want the outer box / wrapping to represent what’s inside.
Your wedding is the same.
Your wedding stationery is your identity on paper.
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You can use this theme throughout your day
What’s more, once you’ve settled on the style and theme of your wedding stationery, you can weave this throughout your day. Using the same beautiful style and calligraphy on your table numbers, menu cards and place settings helps to ensure every aspect is in-keeping with your chosen style. Make sure you ask your wedding stationery designer for how you can go about weaving your colour theme and style aesthetic throughout all of your wedding stationery and day of items.
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You want to create something you and your guests will cherish
Finally, you want to create a wedding invitation that you’ll love, but also something your guests will cherish. If it looks like you didn’t put much time or effort into your invitations your guest is likely to throw it in the bin as soon as they’ve added the date to their diary.
Create something beautiful and they’ll want to keep this as an heirloom forever.
Image via Crimson Letters Instagram.
Perhaps you’re planning a destination wedding and you’ve hired a stationery designer to create a custom designed watercolour map. Why not print that map onto tote bags or aprons that your guests can take home and use after your wedding as a keepsake? Find ways that you can add more meaning to your wedding stationery collateral.
Why custom designs make the perfect luxury event invitations for California weddings
California is known for it’s glitz and glamour, outstanding natural beauty, golden coastline, world-class wine and undeniable charm – and you’ll want your wedding day to reflect this. Such an enchanting place deserves an equally enchanting wedding invitation, don’t you think? And this is particularly true if you’re planning to send out Bay area wedding invitations!
By choosing to have a truly elegant custom design, you’ll show your guests that your big day is going to ooze sophistication and give them a feel for what a Californian wedding will be like. It also helps to incorporate your chosen venue and location into your wedding stationery.
So if you’re engaged to be married in The Golden State and you’re considering luxury event invitations in California (and you should be), there are so many places you can take your inspiration from. In need of a little help? Check out some exciting ideas and existing designs below.
Take inspiration from the natural beauty of California
Sun-kissed sands, towering forests and national parks in bloom, California is brimmed with natural beauty and you can use this to inspire your luxury wedding stationery. If you want to get married under a canopy of trees, choose serene wedding locales like the Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel. Working with your designer you can channel the botanical elegance of your surroundings in your custom luxury invitations.
Alternatively, you might want to say your vows on the stunning golden coastline choosing venues like the Four Seasons Resort, The Biltmore, in Santa Barbara. Here you can let the gentle sea breeze inspire your handmade wedding invitations.
View Above Collection, Icelandic Herald here. Photography by Alexander J Collins
Why not choose a vineyard
California is famous for its wine, but also for the stunning vineyards where it is produced. Become inspired by locations such as Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards, Malibu or Meadowood, Napa Valley. Choose wedding calligraphy that twists and turns like the grape vines and allow your invitations to embody the elegance and sophistication of a Californian vineyard. This will give your designer plenty to work with!
Photography by Auras Studios
It’s not just about the great outdoors
Some designers (Like Crimson Letters) will also take inspiration from the building or town where you’ll be saying your vows. If you’re considering custom invitations in Los Angeles there are plenty of beautiful buildings to inspire you. For example, Fairmount San Francisco is a dream wedding location and can be featured on your invitations, as is Legion of Honor Museum in California. Choosing a stunning venue like these will allow you to incorporate the buildings and its interior into your wedding stationery like in the examples below.
Photography by Marni Wishart
As you can see there are so many ways you can inspire your luxury event invitations in California. The beauty of the Golden State speaks for itself and allowing this to be translated into stunning luxury wedding stationery can add the perfect touch to your wedding day.
Final thoughts from Myself, the designer, Rubana here at Crimson Letters
I hope this guide has helped you to understand why bespoke wedding stationery is perfect for your exciting destination wedding! Here at Crimson Letters I take great pride in every design I create and put my heart and soul into every project.
I take inspiration from the sights around me to produce beautiful and immaculate artwork. I love working with my couples who are planning weddings around the world. Travel is a passion I share too, and I’m always to delighted to discuss destination wedding options with my clients.
If you would like to work together on creating elegant, luxury event invitations for California or any other exciting destination, do get in touch so we can discuss your vision.
Here are some more articles you can read:
Custom hand painted wedding stationery.
Read some testimonials, pop over to my About page.
Wedding invitation terminology read this glossary here.
Read this article for wedding stationery wording.
Bespoke wedding stationery and the process involved in leading a client through designing their wedding stationery.
Looking for some French inspiration? Look here at how I designed a custom wedding suite for a client with a destination wedding in Paris.
If you’d like to discover or look through more design, visit my Portfolio page.
Interested in London wedding invitations with a black tie influence? Read here.
Reasons why you should hire a wedding stationery designer.
20 luxury wedding venues in Italy
Bespoke watercolour wedding invitations
My abstract watercolour illustrations
