Customizing Wedding Invitations On Shutterfly: A Step-By-Step Guide

Wedding invitations are a crucial part of your special day, offering guests a glimpse of the celebration to come. Shutterfly allows you to design your own wedding invitations, ensuring they are as unique as your wedding decor, venue, and dress. With Shutterfly, you can create custom wedding invitations that showcase your personal style and reflect the ambiance of your wedding. Whether you prefer a single photo, a collage, or a creative frame, Shutterfly offers templates to help you craft elegant and authentic invitations. Dive into the details and explore Shutterfly's tools to make your wedding stationery truly special.

Custom photo wedding invitations

Wedding invitations are a special part of your big day. They should be as unique as your wedding decor, venue, and dress. Shutterfly allows you to create custom photo wedding invitations that reflect your personal style and give your guests a glimpse of what to expect from your wedding.

Shutterfly offers designer single-photo wedding invitations in a variety of themes, such as the Glowing Bright template, where you can upload a custom photograph to express your love story and sense of style. A candid snapshot communicates a casual wedding vibe, while a professionally-produced photo suggests a more elegant affair. You can also use a photograph of a landscape or an image that represents your wedding theme. For instance, the Perfect Match template, featuring a custom photograph of pink rose bushes, creates a romantic vintage vibe, ideal for a vintage-inspired wedding.

If you want to include a photo but don't want it to take up the entire invitation, Shutterfly has frame templates like Ingrained Love, a rustic and romantic invitation with dedicated space for your wedding details. For a formal wedding, the Classic Romance suite includes a coordinated template for a wedding invitation, response card, enclosure card, and address label.

For those who want to showcase multiple photos, Shutterfly offers custom photo-on-photo templates, ideal for casual and cocktail-attire weddings. However, be mindful not to use too many photos or clashing images, as this can detract from the tone you want to set.

When creating custom photo wedding invitations, consider the location of the photo shoot and your attire, as these elements dictate the mood of the invitation. For instance, if you're having a formal country club wedding, a casual beach engagement photo might not be the best fit. Ultimately, the goal is to stay true to your personal style, choosing photos that feel authentic to you as a couple.

Using a single photograph

Shutterfly offers a variety of ways to customize wedding invitations using a single photograph. The company's printing services are best-in-class and guarantee 100% happiness.

Shutterfly has designer single-photo wedding invitations available in a variety of classic and contemporary themes. One such template is "Glowing Bright", which allows couples to upload a single photograph that captures their love story and unique sense of style. Another template, "A Perfect Match", features a custom photograph of pink rose bushes, creating a romantic vintage vibe ideal for any vintage-inspired wedding. This same template can also be used to create unique themes, such as Boho or beach-inspired wedding stationery.

In addition to using a custom photo of the bride and groom, couples can also use a photograph of a landscape or an image that represents their wedding theme or style. Shutterfly's online tools make it easy to upload designs or edit pre-designed templates, allowing couples to create invitations that truly reflect their personal style and the ambiance of their big day.

Creatively framed wedding invitations

Shutterfly offers a wide range of customisable wedding invitation designs, allowing you to create something special that reflects your unique style and wedding theme. You can incorporate your wedding colours, patterns, and personalised messages into your invitation design.

If you're looking to creatively frame your wedding invitations, there are several ways to go about it. Here are some ideas to get you started:

DIY Framed Wedding Invitations:

As suggested by ctrl + curate, you can turn your wedding invitations into a thoughtful gift or a decorative keepsake. You'll need a float frame and some styling props such as stamps, ribbons, or pressed flowers. Work in layers, arranging the pieces with double-sided tape or folded-over washi tape. Close the frame, and you have a sweet gift for your partner or a unique wedding present for a friend.

Pre-Made Invitation Frames:

If you're short on time or crafting isn't your forte, you can purchase pre-made wedding invitation frames. Amazon offers a wide range of options, including:

• Double invitation frames, such as the Lenox True Love or Wedgwood Vera Wang Infinity frames, which allow you to display your invitation alongside a wedding photo.
• Hinged picture frames, like the Lawrence Frames Verona Collection, which offer a simple way to display your invitation.
• Shadow boxes, such as the Muzilife 11x14 Shadow Box Picture Frame, are perfect for displaying your invitation alongside other memorabilia like wedding bouquets, pins, or medals.

Framed Wedding Invitation Suites:

If you want to go beyond framing just the invitation, consider creating a framed wedding invitation suite. This involves arranging and framing your invitation along with other wedding stationery, such as RSVP cards, bridal shower invitations, or thank-you cards. This creates a cohesive and stylish display that showcases the thought and effort put into your wedding planning.

Creative Framing Ideas:

When framing your wedding invitations, consider using unique frame styles such as floating frames, acrylic frames, brass frames, or even a hanging frame. You can also enhance the presentation by incorporating pressed flowers, ribbons, or other decorative elements within the frame.

Remember to choose a frame that complements your wedding theme and style, and don't be afraid to get creative! Framing your wedding invitations is a wonderful way to preserve and showcase them as a lasting memento of your special day.

Multiple photo wedding invitations

Wedding invitations with multiple photos are a great way to showcase your love story and add a personal touch to your wedding stationery. Here are some tips and ideas for creating stunning multiple photo wedding invitations using Shutterfly:

Choosing Photos for Your Wedding Invitations

When selecting photos for your wedding invitations, consider the overall aesthetic and theme of your wedding. Choose photos that reflect the tone and mood of the event, whether it's a fun and casual celebration or a more formal affair. Opt for high-quality, clear, and well-lit images where the couple is the focal point. Consider including a mix of formal posed portraits, casual candid shots, engagement photos, or even landscape shots that hold a special meaning for you.

Creative Ways to Incorporate Multiple Photos

There are several creative ways to include multiple photos in your wedding invitations:

• Collage-style layout: Arrange your photos in a collage or grid layout, telling a story through your images.
• Filmstrip design: Place several small photos in a filmstrip style with your wedding details in between each picture.
• Envelope liner: Use one of the photos as an envelope liner, adding a unique touch before guests even open the invitation.
• Cut-out shapes: Cut your photos into unique shapes, such as hearts or your initials, and attach them to the invitation.
• Overlay design: Create a layered effect by placing a transparent overlay with photos over the text or background.
• Polaroid-style: Add a white border and a caption to each photo to give them a playful Polaroid-style look.

Customization Options with Shutterfly

Shutterfly offers a range of customization options to design wedding invitations that truly reflect your personality and style. You can upload your photos and edit pre-designed wedding invitation templates or create your own design from scratch. Play with different themes, styles, sizes, wording, balance, and materials to make your invitations unique. Shutterfly's easy-to-use design tools allow you to see your ideas come to life.

Timing and Other Considerations

It's recommended to start designing your wedding invitations 8 to 12 months before your wedding day. This gives you ample time to perfect your stationery, including RSVP cards, bridal shower invitations, and thank-you cards. If you plan to use engagement photos, ensure you have them ready before finalizing your invitations. Additionally, consider creating a wedding website to include the URL and specific details for your guests.

When to send your wedding invitations

When it comes to wedding planning, timing is everything. Sending your wedding invitations at the right time is crucial to ensure your guests can attend and is an important part of sticking to your wedding timeline. Here is a detailed guide on when to send out your wedding invitations:

For Destination Weddings:

If you are planning a destination wedding, it is recommended to send out your save-the-dates and invitations earlier than traditional locations. Send your save-the-dates at least eight months in advance, and follow up with the invitations 3-4 months before the wedding. This gives your guests ample time to make travel arrangements and sort out their schedules.

For Local Weddings:

For local weddings, the standard timeline is a bit shorter. Send your save-the-dates 4-6 months in advance, and the invitations 2-4 months before the big day. This strikes a balance between giving your guests enough notice and not sending the invitations too early, which may cause guests to forget about the invite.

RSVP Deadlines:

When setting an RSVP deadline, aim for 3-4 weeks before the wedding. This gives you enough time to follow up with any late responses, finalise your seating chart, and share the final headcount with your venue and caterer.

Other Factors to Consider:

There are a few other factors to keep in mind when timing your wedding invitations:

• If you plan to match your save-the-dates with the rest of your wedding stationery, design them together 8-12 months in advance.
• For photo cards, wait until you have your engagement photos ready.
• Create a wedding website before sending your invitations so you can include the URL and specific details.
• If you haven't sent save-the-dates, it's a good idea to informally notify your guests of your wedding date as soon as possible, especially if your wedding is during a busy holiday season.

Frequently asked questions