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Tailor Made

Make your mark with personalized invitations.

"In the world of wedding invitations, brides have always strived to be unique," says Melissa Wayte, owner of Paper Affair. The latest trends in invitations, save-the-dates and stationery include the use of custom fonts and monograms and personal motifs designed just for the bride, presenting her with a one-of-a-kind, creative element that reflects her and her husband-to-be, Wayte says.

Mixing meaningful symbols into your theme, Wayte explains, is one way to express yourself through your invitation. "A bride recently designed a custom monogram for her and her fiancé. The intertwined "A" and "S" became its own piece of art, and appeared not only on the invitations and thank you cards, but in other unexpected places, like the ice sculpture at the reception! They can now carry this symbol of their union into other realms of their life."

"Another bride was in search of an invitation that would blend beautifully with an aspen leaf—a design that symbolized the area where the bride was to say her "I do’s," Wayte adds, which was an ideal way to commemorate their chosen location.

Employing the skills of a calligrapher, graphic artist or designer can also prove beneficial in creating customized fonts that can be infused into other elements of your celebration, such as programs and menus, parties and showers, and the theme and décor for your ceremony and reception, says Wayte.

When it comes to being an original, look to personal experiences and meaningful components of your life for inspiration. By incorporating certain designs, themes, memories and motifs into the overall design scheme of your wedding, you’ll not only leave a lasting impression on guests, but you’ll live happily ever after with an eternal symbol of your love for each other.

• Bodey's blog