Creating A Wedding Welcome Board: Microsoft Word Magic

Wedding welcome signs are a great way to greet your guests in style and make a great first impression. They can be decorative, informative, and even funny, setting the tone for your wedding and giving your guests a glimpse into the overall aesthetic of your special day. Welcome signs can also be functional, providing guests with important information such as the wedding hashtag, itinerary, or requests for an unplugged ceremony. When creating a wedding welcome sign, you can choose from a variety of materials, including wood, acrylic, chalkboards, and mirrors. You can also decorate your sign with flowers, illustrations, or other creative elements that reflect your personality and theme. In this article, we will discuss the different types of wedding welcome signs, design ideas, and the information you may want to include to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your guests.

Choosing a font and colour scheme that matches your wedding aesthetic

If you're creating your welcome board on Microsoft Word, you can choose from a variety of fonts and colours available within the program. You can also download and install new fonts to use in Word.

• Consider your wedding season and location: The time of year and location of your wedding can influence your colour choices. For example, soft pastel colours like blush, blue, and cream are romantic and can be perfect for a spring wedding, while bolder colours like hunter green, cream, black, gold, and rust are ideal for an upscale city wedding.
• Reflect your personal style: Choose colours that you personally like and that reflect your style. Look at the colours you surround yourself with in your wardrobe and home decor. These colours are likely ones that you'll be happy with and that can help guide your wedding colour palette.
• Think about the vibe you want to create: If you're going for a fun and lively atmosphere, consider eye-catching colours like bright pink, turquoise, red, or yellow. If you prefer something timeless and understated, classic tones like navy blue, black, ivory, and metallic silver or gold might be a better fit.
• Use a colour wheel: If you need help deciding on colours that go well together, refer to a colour wheel. Typically, colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel pair well together, as they combine cool and warm tones. Colours that are similar and share a primary colour, like peacock blue and sage green, can also create a harmonious combination.
• Incorporate your wedding theme: If you have a specific wedding theme, such as a beach or garden theme, choose colours that complement it. For example, light grey and sand colours are popular neutrals for a beach theme, while soft blues and greens might be more suitable for a garden setting.
• Add accent colours: In addition to your main colours, consider adding one or two accent colours to your palette. These can be used sparingly throughout your welcome board and other wedding decor to create visual interest.
• Be flexible: You don't need to match every colour exactly. A tonal colour palette with slight variations can often look more sophisticated than a perfectly matchy-matchy one.
• Incorporate your colours in different ways: Your wedding colour palette can be incorporated into various elements of your welcome board and other wedding decor, such as the font colour, background colour, illustrations, or decorations.
• Experiment with different combinations: Don't be afraid to experiment with different colour combinations until you find the perfect match for your wedding aesthetic.

Adding illustrations or photos of the happy couple

Adding a personal touch to your wedding welcome board, such as illustrations or photos of you and your partner, is a great way to convert your decorative piece into a masterpiece. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Opt for a Professional Illustration

If you're seeking a sophisticated and elegant aesthetic, consider commissioning an artist to paint a portrait of you and your future spouse. This illustration can be a beautiful foreshadowing of your upcoming celebration. For instance, you could have a drawing of the two of you dressed in your wedding attire, posing at your venue. Not only will this add a unique touch to your welcome board, but it will also be a wonderful keepsake to cherish for years to come.

Showcase a Cute Couple Portrait

Do you have adorable couple portraits from your engagement photoshoot that you absolutely love? Well, your wedding welcome board is the perfect place to showcase them! There's no better way to introduce your loved ones to your special day than with a sweet shot that captures the love between you and your partner. To enhance the impact of the image, consider adding a colourful floral arrangement or a bed of blossoms beneath it.

Embrace a Whimsical Cartoon

If you want to add a touch of whimsy and fun to your wedding welcome board, consider opting for a cartoon illustration of the happy couple. This can be a lighthearted and playful way to greet your guests. You can even incorporate elements of your wedding attire or venue into the cartoon to make it more personalised. A cartoon illustration is sure to bring a smile to the faces of your guests and set a cheerful tone for the festivities.

Create a Photo Collage

Instead of a single photo, why not create a collage of memorable moments shared between the happy couple? This idea is especially endearing if you include photos from different stages of your relationship, from the early days of dating to your engagement. A photo collage will not only showcase the depth of your love but also serve as a heartwarming welcome for your guests. It's a wonderful way to celebrate your journey together and get everyone excited for the celebration ahead.

Incorporate a Monogram or Crest

If you're looking for a more subtle way to include illustrations of the happy couple, consider creating a custom monogram or crest that combines your initials or features symbols representing your relationship. This elegant touch can be incorporated into the overall design of the welcome board, adding a sense of sophistication and personalisation. It's a great way to capture the essence of your love story and make your nuptials feel extra special.

Including the couple's names, wedding date and a welcome message

A wedding welcome board is an excellent way to greet your guests and set the tone for your celebration. It is often the first point of contact for your guests, providing essential information such as the couple's names, the wedding date, and event details. Here are some tips and ideas for creating a memorable welcome board using Microsoft Word:

Traditional Wedding Welcome Board:

If you're planning a classic and elegant wedding, a traditional welcome board will be a perfect fit. You can use Word to design a sophisticated board with ornate frames and beautifully scripted fonts. Play around with different font styles and sizes to achieve the desired look. Use Word's drawing tools to create ornate borders or frames for your text.

Modern Wedding Welcome Board:

For a contemporary or minimalist theme, opt for a modern welcome board. Use clean lines, bold typography, and unconventional materials like clear acrylic or metal. With Word's shape and text formatting tools, you can create sleek and stylish designs. Consider using columns and text boxes to arrange your content and add a modern twist.

DIY Wedding Welcome Board:

Adding personal touches to your wedding? Consider creating a DIY welcome board. You can design and print your board using Word. Start by selecting a suitable font that aligns with your wedding theme. Then, create your message, including the couple's names, wedding date, and a warm welcome message. You can even include wedding hashtags or social media handles. Use Word's layout tools to arrange your content attractively.

Rustic Wedding Welcome Board:

For a rustic-themed wedding, incorporate natural elements like twine and wildflowers into your welcome board. You can use Word to design a board with earthy tones and hand-drawn elements. Include illustrations or clipart that complement your rustic decor.

Vintage Wedding Welcome Board:

If you're dreaming of a vintage-inspired celebration, create a welcome board with an antique frame or distressed finish. Use soft pastel colours and vintage-inspired fonts to capture the romantic essence. Word offers a variety of artistic effects and texture options to help you achieve the desired vintage look.

Floral Wedding Welcome Board:

If your wedding is filled with flowers, reflect that in your welcome board. Adorn your board with illustrations or clipart of fresh blooms. Select fonts that complement the elegance and whimsy of your floral arrangements. You can even incorporate floral borders or frames around your text.

Destination Wedding Welcome Board:

For a destination wedding, your welcome board can showcase the unique location. Include elements like maps, iconic landmarks, or local motifs. Word's online collection of images and shapes can provide you with a variety of options to choose from.

Incorporating Personal Touches:

Add a unique touch to your welcome board by incorporating elements that reflect your love story or shared interests. Include meaningful quotes, lyrics, or symbols that represent your journey as a couple. You can even include a short message or story about how you met.

Ensuring Clear and Readable Text:

When designing your welcome board, ensure that the text is clear and easy to read from a distance. Avoid intricate fonts or small font sizes. Use Word's formatting tools to adjust the font size and spacing for optimal readability.

Placement of the Welcome Board:

Strategically place your welcome board near the entrance or in the main foyer where guests will first arrive. This ensures a warm welcome and helps them navigate the venue easily. You can also display a welcome board near the reception area to guide guests to their assigned tables.

Asking guests to be fully present by putting away their phones

To make a wedding welcome board on Word, you can search for templates online. These templates can be customised with your wedding details and colours. You can also add motifs, illustrations, and photos to your welcome board.

"Welcome family and friends! We’ve hired a photographer to capture how this moment looks with their camera, so you can capture how it feels with your hearts. Please put away your phones and cameras so that you can be fully present with us during our ceremony."

"We’ve asked a professional photographer to capture this special moment so that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy it with us. Our beautiful images will be available after the wedding. Please turn off your phones and cameras and enjoy being fully present in this moment with us."

"The bride and groom kindly request an unplugged ceremony. Please turn off all devices and enjoy being fully present in this moment with us."

"The greatest gift you can give us today is to be truly present, so please turn off all phones and cameras and enjoy this special moment with us."

"Please turn off your cameras and devices until after the ceremony. We want to see your lovely faces and happy smiles!"

"Please switch off your devices and stow them away—we’d love to see your smiles aiming our way."

Adding the wedding hashtag and other important information

The wedding welcome board is a great place to include your wedding hashtag, if you have one. This will encourage guests to use the hashtag when posting about your special day on social media, allowing you to easily find and see all the posts from your guests. Simply add the hashtag symbol (#) followed by your chosen phrase. For example, if your names are John and Jane and your wedding date is 10/10/2024, you could use the hashtag #JohnandJane10102024.

In addition to the hashtag, you may want to include other important information on your welcome board. This could include the couple's names, the wedding date, and a warm message of welcome. You could also add practical information such as cell phone guidelines, especially if you're having an unplugged ceremony where you request that guests refrain from using their devices.

If you're having a large wedding or your venue has multiple event spaces, you might want to include a directional sign to help guests find their way. This could be a simple arrow pointing in the right direction or a more detailed map of the venue. Another idea is to include the itinerary or schedule of the day's events, so guests know what to expect and can arrive on time for each part of the celebration.

Finally, you might want to include a fun or personalised message on your welcome board that reflects your personality and theme. This could be a humorous quote, a romantic message, or even a playful instruction like "Have fun!" Ultimately, the content and design of your wedding welcome board are up to you, so feel free to get creative and make it your own!

Frequently asked questions