Wedding invitations

When it’s time to plan one of life’s truly important events, such as your wedding, you want every part—not just the big moment—to stand out in a way people will care about. Letterpress invitations, featuring well-known designs like the Viall and Stauffer (both well-liked in this area), deliver a mix of feeling and style that’s difficult to find with other options. These aren’t just cards you send; they become a thing you and your guests can keep long after the day ends.

If you compare letterpress to standard printing, you’ll notice it’s the touch—the deep, real impression left in firm cotton paper—that sets it apart. Each detail is pressed down with serious pressure, creating a result you can actually feel. While this process usually calls for both good machines and people who know what they’re doing, options such as the Malta and Caleania suites still manage to show how simple words, when pressed deeply into paper, can have a strong effect.

When a studio works with letterpress, the main step is putting custom sheets or plates into the press. The person running the machine will often mix inks by hand, which lets them match your colors with care. Each part is put through the machine by itself, so the strong force used changes the feel or look slightly from one piece to the next. No two invitations ever turn out exactly the same, which means your invitation or full set will always be unique to you.

Usually, when you think about paper for a letterpress invitation, you’ll want to use thick, soft cotton paper. Its surface takes the deep press very well, bringing out both nature and quality in the finished product. Sometimes, people like the look of deckled (hand-torn) edges, which add just a bit of classic style or help the set feel more personal, as if it was made only for you.

Do you want your invitation to look ordered and clear, or are you drawn to more open layouts? About a third of couples pick framed designs, which can help your invitation carry a feeling of structure. For example, the Goundry design—which regularly ranks among the top options—uses frames to good effect, showing why many see it as a good match for letterpress.

If you want the best possible result, plan ahead. Usually, you’ll need to order your invitations about four to six months before your wedding. If you’re getting married during a busy season, give yourself even more time. The process for letterpress takes longer than digital, since you go through several steps: design, choosing details (like edge painting or custom names), and final production.

How can you ensure your invitation is truly yours? Today, letterpress isn’t just about skill—it’s about personal style as well. Over half of couples use a “portrait” direction, while a smaller group chooses “landscape.” Most people stick with designs that use text and do not show photos, which helps give a timeless, clear look. You can add even more of yourself to the set by choosing your favorite paper thickness, asking for special ink mixes, picking edge painting, or adding a monogram—a small mark that can stay important long after the event.

For anyone needing an announcement that is as real as it is special, letterpress offers a mix of story, feel, and self-expression that you don’t get from digital. If you want your invitation to truly make a mark both to the eye and the touch, this choice deserves a real look.