Using English and Italian in a Wedding Invitation

A bride recently approached us about making her a bilingual letterpress wedding invitation for her destination wedding in the summer. Using English and Italian we elegantly included both languages on the same wedding invitation card using the design from our Rana 1 invitation set.

Wherever your wedding is being held, if some of your guests native language is not English, it is probably a good idea to find a wedding invitation printer that is capable of providing a translation service for your wedding invitation. It is important that all of your guests can read your exciting wedding announcement.

This is what Caterina’s invite looks like:

While it follows a similar design to the Rana 1 letterpress wedding invitation, there is a remarkable elegance in this bilingual invitation style.

Maybe it is the appeal of a destination wedding in Italy, or maybe it is because I love big Italian families, but just seeing this wedding invitation makes me excited for this marriage celebration!

If you are in need of professional translation services or are interested in a bilingual wedding invitation, there is nothing that we love more than helping you achieve those dreams. All of our letterpress wedding invitation design gallery items can be converted to bilingual invitations, all you have to do is ask.

Blessings on your marriage Caterina and Andrew!

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

I love letterpress printing. When it comes to wedding invitations, there really is no better way to set the tone and generate authentic excitement from your guests than by choosing letterpress. The texture, the unique designs, the matching envelopes (and sometimes liners) combine in a scrumptious aesthetic that is supreme among invitations.

However, I also understand that many boutique letterpress printers do charge a premium for their services, and in this economy they can become expensive (though they not have to be!).

So what’s a bride to do? If you really love letterpress printing, but cannot afford a full invitation set, consider having your wedding vows printed with letterpress. This way you can frame them and display them for years to come. They can be a constant reminder of the love, commitment and respect you each have for each other, and will look absolutely gorgeous too.

If you and your spouse to be are feeling adventurous, it would be a wonderful treat for your guests to have your wedding vows printed with letterpress and included along with your thank you cards. If the thought of sending your vows to everyone may seem a little much, it is always possible to include them only in the letters to your closest friends and relatives.

This way, you can share your feelings and give your guests something to remember your marriage celebration by, a small, stunning pledge filled with memories and joy.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

As I was surfing the bride-o-sphere looking for hot new trends in wedding and invitation designs, I came across an article about David Tutera, an expert wedding planner. He was named on of the Top 25 Trendsetters of the year by Modern Bride Magazine, and is known as being “THE name in event planning.”

He made a list of the top five wedding and bridal trends and the easy ways to integrate them into your marriage celebration. Because everyone can use some free expert advice, I decided to give you just the important details below:

Detailing

Brides are getting more involved in the selections of their bridal party fashion. Either by selecting non-traditional wedding gown styles and colors (you do not have to settle on plain white), or choosing ornate lace and beading designs, attention to detail in every aspect of the wedding ceremony is a growing trend.

Letterpress Printing

You guessed it! Bridal parties are now more than ever requesting the classic texture and unique impression that only letterpress wedding invitations can provide. A growing trend that seems to be motivated by society’s overflow of junk mail and mundane printed materials, letterpress invitations set the tone for the wedding and separate you from the pack (of other brides-to-be that is). As an added piece of flare, think about carrying the invitation motif onto the envelopes. As always, consider tying the wedding party colors together with the invitation set.

Multiple Course Meals vs. Hors d’oeuvers

In and attempt to curb the growing cost of servers and the age old routine of multi-course seated meals, many brides are turning to an enjoyable, yet unconventional, new dinner arrangement. This wedding season more couples are planning to have hors d’oeuvers and self-serve buffets. An extra twist that is always met with enthusiasm is skipping the expensive cake and adding a desert bar with a variety of different delicious delights.

Less Opulence and More Streamlined

Maybe because the economy is strained or 21^st century brides are becoming more DIY savvy, modern weddings are looking a little less decadent and more simple, elegant and practical.

Matching Bridal Colors

A simple idea that many brides neglect is matching their bridal party colors with the season or venue. It is very easy to request flower arrangements that match the bridal party dresses, invitation sets that compliment the ceremony color scheme and wedding favors that flatter your table arrangements.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Letterpress wedding invitations are a beautiful addition to any marriage celebration. In terms of generating a heartfelt first impression upon your guests, letterpress invitations are a must have. There is no substitute that comes close to the unique style, texture, formal appearance and design.

However, some brides to be shy away from fulfilling their dreams of having that perfect invitation because the costs are seemingly too high. Which I might add, is understandable considering the lack of information that most letterpress printers, wedding planners and blogs provide. But I am here to tell you that this myth of letterpress printing costing an arm and a leg is simply untrue.

I feel so strongly about letterpress invitations being affordable, that I came up with 4 easy steps that can help reduce the costs of your invitation sets.

1) Shop Around

Don’t forget that not all printers charge the same price for the same services. Call around or look at a couple different printers websites and see what they are offering at what price. Also, I suggest requesting a printed sample from the printer before you order. This can end up saving you a lot of time, energy and money.

2) DIY or Digital When Possible

Not everything in the invitation set has to be letterpress (digital printing is a less-expensive alternative) or printed by the printer. Making your own envelope liners and inserting them is a really simple way to potentially save a lot of money, and it is so easy to do! So if you have the time but not the money, think about making some of elements of the invitation set yourself.

3) Look for Package Deals

Some printers offer special offers that include a complete letterpress invitation set that will end up costing you far less than if you ordered each piece separately. Search online or call the printers in your area to find out what kind of offers are available.

4) Enlist the Help of Family and Friends

You are not alone in this process. Have your relatives help you search for deals online or ask your married friends where they had their invitations printed. Have an addressing party where your friends (hopefully the ones with good handwriting ) get together and help you through the long process of addressing each envelope. Likewise, do not feel shy in asking for help with the making or stuffing the envelope liners. As a group effort, everything becomes easier and a lot more fun too.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Brides to be and members of the marriage celebration, today as I was searching for some letterpress wedding invitation material online I came across an amazing new article. Apparently Pantone, the folks that bring us those amazing color charts and new color schemes every season, have been at the creation wheel again. There is a new iPhone application called myPantone,  Portable Color Memory!

As I often remind everyone, I absolutely love colors. New ones, old ones, mixtures, vibrant or otherwise, I simply cannot have enough color in my life. This application allows those do it yourself brides to carry with them their entire Pantone color library, build their own color palettes while focusing on specific color themes and ideas, and most importantly you can share your custom color creations with friends, family or colleagues.

myPantone brings together the formal design styles of Pantone colors with the hands on approach of the 21^st century brides that like to play a central role in planning their wedding. If you see a color you like, you can take a picture of it, find the corresponding Pantone color, and take that straight to the florists, dress shop or printers. Just be sure to compare your iPhone image to the Pantone solid formula guide when selecting the ink color for your invitations. This is particularly important since your electronic display may interpret the color differently.

This really takes the guess work out of picking the exact colors you like, and matching them to the designs, shapes and themes that you want for your wedding invitation set.

The applications for this app are endless. So what are you waiting for, go get some colors!

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.