How to Choose a Wedding Invitation Style That Matches Your Wedding Theme

As nearlyweds, several things will set the tone for your big day. From Pinterest boards and dog-eared magazine pages to saved blog posts and bookmarked Zola advice articles, there are a lot of resources you can use to create the day of your dreams. However, for your guests, the one thing that gives that first impression more than any other detail is your wedding invitation suite. 

Once your guests receive your invitation in the mail, they’ll know all the details, such as date, time, and location. However, the printed wedding set you select gives attendees a feel for the atmosphere. Bright florals can evoke a sense of whimsy and the outdoors, whereas a minimalistic design with a classic font presents an entirely different feel.

Your invites will get friends and family excited about your wedding, and finding a wedding invitation style that matches your wedding theme can seem complicated. To aid in your planning, our expert team designed a guide to help you pick an invitation design that aligns with your wedding vision. From selecting a Zola invitation suite to providing a seamless guest experience, here’s what they have to say.

Understanding the Connection Between Invitations and Wedding Themes

Color Evokes a Mood

Color psychology plays a significant role in setting the mood and conveying the desired atmosphere for a wedding theme. Different colors make people feel certain ways, so you can use this to your advantage.

Here are a few examples of how color impacts the mind:

• Red can create a bold and dramatic atmosphere with ties to romance.
• Orange represents enthusiasm, creativity, and warmth while adding energy.
• Yellow symbolizes happiness and creates a cheerful atmosphere.
• Blue brings calmness while giving a peaceful feel.
• Green adds a splash of nature and harmony.
• Purple symbolizes royalty and elegance with a twist of creativity.
• White signifies purity and new beginnings.
• Brown creates an inviting atmosphere.
• Black is a classic, luxurious choice.

Font and Images Set the Tone

The font is the typeface for your text, and just like color, typography can have a distinct purpose in aligning with a theme.

Here is a breakdown of the different types of fonts:

• Serif fonts have small decorative strokes often linked to tradition and formality.
• Sans-serif fonts lack flourishes and are frequently associated with modernity and simplicity. 
• Script fonts can resemble handwriting and convey creativity and elegance. They can also evoke a sense of whimsy.

Images like floral flourishes or graphic lines can also translate to your theme. Strong, geometric arches lean more Art Deco, while floral accents are perfect for a garden party. The lack of imagery can also signify a highly formal event.

Paper Gives Scale

Not only does the visual aspect of your wedding invitation suite set the tone, but how the paper feels can also give a clue to your theme. Triple thick and letterpress papers feel weightier, often signifying an upscale event—foil accents can usually add to the luxe vibe. Finishes, such as whether a paper is shiny, thick, or smooth, can also make a statement.

Here are a few paper and finish options Zola offers:

• Smooth - creamy surface, feels business-card thick
• Eggshell - feels like thick, soft construction paper
• Recycled - sturdy postcard feel with a smooth surface
• Pearlescent - light metallic sheen with a thick postcard feel
• Linen - mimics the look of linen, feels like a flexible postcard
• Natural - a leathery, rugged surface with a sturdy postcard feel
• Double Thick - slight bend, feels twice as thick as a credit card
• Triple Thick - hard notebook cover feeling, can't bend

Popular Wedding Themes and Their Matching Invitation Styles

Whether you’ve nailed down your wedding theme or are simply weighing your options, looking at invitation styles can help. Our experts perused our Zola stationery ecosystem so you could have wedding brand consistency on your big day. Getting it right from the start is essential, and here are a few favorite themes. 

Note: Feel free to go off-script to personalize your big day. These are just suggestions to get you thinking, so adapt the color, font, and paper stock options as you see fit.

Rustic Wedding Theme Invitations

• Design elements: wooden textures, twine, kraft paper, botanical illustrations
• Typography: handwritten fonts, casual scripts
• Colors: earth tones, forest greens, browns
• Embellishments: pressed flowers, burlap accents
• Paper stock: textured cotton, kraft paper (100lb)

Favorites from Zola:

• Allegra - greenery border with white berries
• Ingrid - carefully placed whispy roses
• Montagne - blue-toned mountain scene
• Essenza - green background with line florals
• Humbyrd - line drawn barn with photo (pictured below)

Formal Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: classic borders, monograms, traditional layouts
• Typography: serif fonts, calligraphy
• Colors: black, white, gold, silver, navy
• Embellishments: foil stamping, letterpress, wax seals
• Paper stock: pearl white, cotton cardstock (120lb)

Favorites from Zola:

• Ford - clean lines and bold lettering
• Daphnel - delicate, blue florals on white
• Azurite - plain with gold metallic border
• Juniper - stylized, floral border
• Brienno - minimal theme with large bow (full invitation suite pictured below)

Beach Theme Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: watercolor washes, illustrations of beach scenes
• Typography: flowing scripts, relaxed sans-serif fonts
• Colors: blues, aquas, corals, sandy neutrals
• Embellishments: vellum overlays, embossed seashell motifs
• Paper stock: smooth matte, lightweight options for destination mailing

Favorites from Zola:

• Luve - closeup of water and sand
• Kalispell - blue background with white typography
• Dacosta - liner beach and sky
• Menton - half arch featuring your photo
• Clearwater - beachy waves and colors (wedding suite pictured below)

Garden Theme Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: greenery flourishes, line drawings, or watercolors of flowers
• Typography: delicate scripts, relaxed sans-serif fonts
• Colors: greens, earthy neutrals, pastels, or bright tones
• Embellishments: embossed florals, pressed flowers
• Paper stock: recycled, textured cardstock

Favorites from Zola:

• Spasso - colorful, bold floral border
• Portree - hanging, drippy greenery
• Vicenza - gold foil flower accents
• Mirtillo - dark background with light floral accents
• Josette - line-drawn, whimsical florals (pictured below)

Minimalist Theme Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: clean lines, simple elements
• Typography: sans-serif fonts or restrained whimsical used sparingly
• Colors: neutrals, such as black, navy, brown, or tan
• Embellishments: vellum overlays, embossed lines, or none
• Paper stock: matte finish, crisp white or cream

Favorites from Zola:

• Cleveland - your image surrounded by statement text
• Stauffer - classic letterpress
• Creston - dark background with monogram
• Dakota - sage with gold foil leaves
• Hartington - names take center stage (stationery suite pictured below)

Retro Themed Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: should evoke a specific era
• Typography: era-specific, vintage fonts
• Colors: bold for ‘70s, whimsical for ‘80s, classic for ‘40s
• Embellishments: should give nods to the period
• Paper stock: foil stamping, letterpress, textured papers

Favorites from Zola:

• Mirela - vintage classic florals within a rigid border
• Key West - you-pick bold colors to fit any vibe
• Kauai - vertical watercolor lines for a '60s beach party feel
• Baker - geometric lines for an Art Deco affair
• Bellefleur - perfectly chunky for a classy '70s theme (pictured below)

Boho Themed Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: pampas grass illustrations, wildflowers, swirls or paisleys
• Typography: vintage-inspired, scripted fonts
• Colors: earthy tones, such as browns, terracotta, and sage
• Embellishments: silk ribbons, wax seals
• Paper stock: cotton or handmade paper, textured, recycled

Favorites from Zola:

• Felce - dark background with whimsical line flowers
• Cordova - simple floral spray
• Valentina - muted wildflower frame
• Cabo - simple palm with curved geometrics
• Monahan - pampas grass and other boho florals (invitation suite pictured below)

Cultural-themed Wedding Invitations

• Design elements: nods to the particular culture, such as highly ornate designs for an Indian wedding
• Typography: applies to your culture, include both decorative and plain fonts for readability’s sake
• Colors: brights or classic tones, depending on your heritage
• Embellishments: florals, strong elements
• Paper stock: triple thick, letterpress

Favorites from Zola:

• Sakura - cherry blossoms for a Japanese event
• Pyaar - classic arch seen in Eastern buildings
• Meili - Asian geometric details
• Suraya - folksy florals for an Eastern European vibe
• Sambac - henna-like design (pictured below)

6 Considerations When Matching Invitations to Themes

1. Look to your venue.

Are you getting married at a rustic barn but want an ultra-formal invitation? Sure, you could do it, but your venue may dictate the type of stationery suite. Feel free to play off of the rustic vibe of the barn, but you can skew a bit upscale with your decision. Your location is also great to look at if you’re feeling stuck. A particular flower growing on the property or a style of architecture can help pinpoint the perfect invitation suite.

2. Factor in the season. 

Did you know that Zola also offers inspiration for seasonal wedding invitations? Here are cues you can take from each season:

• Spring - consider florals and pastels
• Summer -  choose bold colors and imagery
• Fall - look to autumnal tones and an earthy feel
• Winter - crisp color palettes and holiday accents work

3. Consider your budget.

While the design may not impact your budget, some upgrades will. Foil, letterpress, and triple thick cards will increase the cost, as will extras such as belly bands and vellum sheets. Spend where it’s most important—the actual invitation itself.

4. Work within a timeline.

Plan accordingly, whether you’re getting married in a few weeks or a year. If you need to send out a save-the-date quickly, you can go digital or send a minimalistic one. A photo also works nicely if you don’t have a theme yet. However, your invitation needs to coordinate with your overall wedding theme.

5. Include family traditions.

If you have a lot of cultural elements in your wedding, use those cues to select an invitation. When in doubt, ask older family members for ideas of what symbolizes the family heritage you’d like to include.

6. Maintain consistency.

Everything from your wedding website to your floral centerpieces should work within the same theme to create a statement. So, whether physical or digital, keep the theme of your big day at the top of your mind.

Step-by-Step Process for Choosing Themed Invitations

1. Define your wedding aesthetic.

Your Pinterest board, venue, and style should give you clues. Other elements, such as hobbies, seasons, and family heritage, may also come into play.

2. Browse Zola’s themed collections.

You can browse in multiple ways when you head to Zola’s invitation shop. Here are a few things you can try to find the perfect wedding stationery set:

• Click on a style at the top, such as typography or vintage, to see theme-specific wedding invitations.
• Use the dropdown style tab, where you can select one type—such as modern or monogram—or further narrow your selections by choosing multiple factors, like floral and rustic. 
• Make your choices, and the field of wedding invitations will self-populate with your preferences. 
• Scroll through and click on the ones that interest you to discover more and view the whole collection.
• Choose the theme-specific invitations you like best from our Zola exclusive designs.

3. Customize your selection.

After selecting your favorite paper invitation, use the Zola customization tools to personalize your invite for wedding theme cohesion. You can simply input the details, such as your names, date, and location. Or you can further change the invitation to include different typefaces and colors. Elements, such as foil and paper type, are choices you’ll need to make.

4. Order a proof.

Misspellings and other errors can cost a lot if they’re on every invitation. So, be sure to order a proof to see the colors, check for accuracy, and feel the paper weight in person. Once you are happy with the proof, you can move to step 5.

5. Order other stationery pieces.

Along with placing your invitation order, you can add RSVP cards, detail enclosures, and thank you cards to use after the special day. Don’t forget other items, such as wedding menus and embellishments like stickers and belly bands. Just be sure that everything coordinates for a solid theme.

6. Use digital elements.

Of course, you should be working on your coordinating wedding website so your guests can find out more details. However, a true digital-physical hybrid wouldn’t be complete without the Zola-integrated RSVP system. Keep track of who is coming, who they’re bringing, and meal choices simply with Zola.

FAQ About Invitations and Wedding Themes

What if my partner and I prefer different invitation styles?

Zola’s style tool can help you narrow down invitations based on color, font, and style. Sit down together and find something that blends the best of you both.

How can I make my themed invitations stand out from others?

Choose something unique that stands out to you and your partner. The main thing to consider is adhering to your theme and staying true to yourselves, but you can personalize your suite with font colors, styles, and even a photo to make it more unique.

Is it acceptable to use digital invitations for formal/themed weddings?

A wedding typically requires a physical, mailed invitation. Even if you’re working with a short timeline, you can send a digital invitation followed by a physical post-wedding announcement. The most casual weddings can get away with digital-only, but order a few printed pieces for the family to have as a keepsake.

Can I mix multiple themes in my wedding invitations?

Of course, as long as those themes blend well. An excellent way to find exactly what you want is to use Zola’s style tool to hone in on what you like. If you want a formal boho event, click those boxes to see what appeals to you. You’re bound to find a beautifully blended invite to fix your multi-themed wedding.

How can I make sure my invitation colors match my wedding colors exactly?

All computer screens show colors differently, so ordering a printed proof is the best way to ensure cohesion. Also, ordering all of your invitation suite at the same time will keep your stationery set cohesive.

How much should I expect to spend on themed wedding invitations?

The cost depends on which invitation you select, how many guests you have, and how many pieces comprise your wedding invitation suite. Factors like paper quality, foiling, postage, and extras (think stickers and vellum sheets) will also increase your overall costs. The typical cost for invitations alone is $250-$300 for 100-150 pieces.

Zola: Your Place for Themed Wedding Invitations

Whether you’re having an intimate micro-wedding in your backyard or a luxe evening event at the country club, you deserve invitations that match your specific wedding theme. And Zola is here to help. From your save-the-dates to thank you cards, our beautifully designed wedding stationery suites have the parts and pieces you need to pull together your big day.

Our wedding website templates also help adhere to your theme so that you can have thematic elements no matter where your guests look. And don’t forget, we have wedding programs and wedding day signage to match. No matter your theme, Zola has you covered with the paper that packs a punch—and reinforces your theme for the day.