Creating Art Deco Wedding Invites: A Step-By-Step Guide

Art Deco wedding invitations are a popular choice for couples looking to add a touch of vintage glamour to their big day. This timeless and elegant design style first emerged in the 1920s and has been a prevalent theme throughout the years, inspiring designers and consumers alike. Art Deco invitations typically feature bold lines, geometric shapes, and metallic accents, often in a black and gold colour scheme. Creating your own Art Deco invitations allows you to add a personal touch and set the tone for your wedding, whether you're going for a sophisticated black-tie event or a more casual affair.

Art Deco colour palettes

Colour Combinations

Black and gold is a hallmark colour duo in Art Deco design, but you can also experiment with unique pairings like white and gold foil or black and silver foil, which can shine like platinum. For a more understated look, opt for a flat-print version without the foil. If you want to add a touch of colour, consider using pastel shades like pinkish purple, baby blue, or mint green while still incorporating Deco design punches.

Metallics and Jewel Tones

Art Deco invitations often incorporate metallic finishes such as gold, silver, or copper to accentuate the geometric shapes and patterns. Deep jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, and ruby red can also add a touch of luxury and elegance. For a more subtle effect, use metallic shades like gold, silver, or bronze as accents rather than the main colours.

Base Colours

When creating an Art Deco colour palette, it's important to choose one or two main colours and then select one or two secondary colours, including a neutral shade, to support them. Black and white are popular base colours that can be used as a starting point, with metallic accents adding a touch of luxury.

Seasonal Inspiration

If you're having a fall or winter wedding, consider using richer, darker colours like burgundy, rust, or deep pine green. For a spring or summer wedding, opt for airy pastels like lilac, blush, or pale green. You can also take inspiration from the natural surroundings of your wedding venue, such as the ocean or a garden, and incorporate those colours into your palette.

Contrasting Colours

Don't be afraid to pair contrasting colours for a bold and unexpected look. For example, vivid red and soft blue, emerald green and coral, or navy blue and tangerine can create a vibrant and refined palette. You can also play with muted hues, like sandy shades or sage green, and let them take centre stage in your colour palette.

Monochromatic Schemes

A monochromatic colour palette can also be elegant and sophisticated. Using different shades of the same colour, like beige and off-white, or black, white, and blush, can create a modern and sleek aesthetic.

When designing your Art Deco wedding invitations, feel free to experiment with different colours and combinations to find the perfect palette that reflects your style and sets the tone for your special day.

Art Deco fonts

Art Deco wedding invitations are known for their bold and striking colour palettes, often featuring a black and white base with metallic accents such as gold, silver, or copper. These colours are usually paired with geometric patterns and symmetrical shapes, creating a sense of glamour, luxury, and sophistication.

When it comes to the fonts for your Art Deco wedding invitations, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are some popular Art Deco fonts that you can consider:

Park Lane NF, Coventry Garden NF, and Grenadier NF by Nick Curtis

These fonts capture the elegance and glamour of the Art Deco era and are perfect for adding a touch of sophistication to your invitations.

Acier Noir

Acier Noir is an Art Deco font that evokes the style of the 1920s. It was created by A.M. Cassandre, the only designer who created fonts in this style.

Marvin

Marvin is another Art Deco font that has been used in advertising, home decor, and fashion. It is a display type font, which means it is intended for headlines or short phrases rather than long blocks of text.

Futura

Futura is a font that evokes a similar style to Art Deco, as it was created in 1927. It can add an authentic touch to your invitations.

Gill Sans, ITC Willow, Century Gothic, Atlas Solid, and Broadway

These fonts are also classics from the Art Deco era and can be recognised from their use in popular culture, such as the American Horror Story title card.

Busorama

Although Busorama is an Art Deco font, it might be challenging to read, so it may be better suited for decorative purposes rather than the main text of your invitations.

Custom Fonts

If you're feeling creative, you can also design your own Art Deco font or customise an existing one to make your invitations truly unique.

Remember, Art Deco fonts are known for their bold and elegant style, so choose a font that reflects the glamour and sophistication of your wedding.

Art Deco quotes

Art Deco wedding invitations are a popular choice for couples wanting to add a touch of vintage glamour to their big day. The style first emerged in the 1920s and has endured due to its timeless elegance and adaptability.

When it comes to Art Deco quotes for wedding invitations, there are a few different approaches you can take. Here are some ideas to get you started:

The Great Gatsby Quotes

Given the Art Deco movement's association with the Roaring Twenties, it's no surprise that F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel *The Great Gatsby* is a popular source of inspiration for wedding quotes. Here are some examples:

• "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
• "And so we drifted on past the sparkling docks..."
• "There are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice."
• "I love her and that's the beginning and end of everything."

Vintage Love Quotes

You could also opt for more general vintage-inspired quotes about love and romance:

• "You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars." — E.E. Cummings
• "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." — Dr. Seuss
• "You have bewitched me, body and soul." — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
• "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope." — Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

Art Deco-Inspired Wording

Alternatively, you can reflect the Art Deco aesthetic in the wording and phrasing of your invitations. Here are some ideas to capture the spirit of the era:

• "You are cordially invited to our wedding celebration, where we shall dance the night away with flapper-style flair."
• "Join us for a night of jazz, cocktails, and celebration as we tie the knot in style."
• "It would be simply divine for you to join us as we exchange our vows."
• "Let the champagne flow and the feathers fly as we celebrate our love."

Art Deco patterns

Art Deco wedding invitations are a beautiful way to capture the aesthetic of the Roaring Twenties and add a touch of Jazz Age glamour to your wedding. The style is characterised by bold patterns, geometric shapes, and metallic accents, all of which come together to create a sense of luxury and elegance.

When it comes to Art Deco patterns, there are a few key elements that you can incorporate into your wedding invitations. Firstly, bold and striking motifs are essential. Think about including geometric shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles, often used in symmetrical patterns to create balance and harmony. Fans and sunbursts are also popular choices, adding movement and energy to the design.

Art Deco invitations often feature rich colour palettes. A bold combination of black and white is a hallmark of the style, with metallic accents such as gold, silver, or copper adding a touch of luxury. Deep blues, rich greens, and vibrant reds are also popular choices, paired with geometric patterns to create a sophisticated and elegant look.

To add a sense of glamour to your invitations, consider using shimmer paper with a metallic finish in shades of gold, silver, or bronze. Matte paper can also give your invitations a timeless and classic look, especially when paired with metallic or bold colours. For a truly luxurious feel, luxe velvet paper with a velvety finish can be used as an overlay, adding depth and sophistication.

Don't be afraid to play with different facets of the Art Deco style. You can incorporate metallics and motifs onto a clean backdrop, or opt for a more creative approach by using pastel colours with modernist Art Deco stamps in soft hues. Acrylic invitations are also a unique option, adorned with gold art and crisp white supporting cards.

Art Deco shapes

Art Deco is defined by its bold, geometric patterns and shapes. The movement emerged in the 1920s and flourished until the start of World War II in 1939. It is characterised by a streamlined, geometric aesthetic that emphasises symmetry and bold colours.

Art Deco wedding invitations often incorporate geometric shapes such as squares, triangles, circles, trapezoids, and rectangles. These shapes are used to create a sense of balance and harmony in the design. For example, an invitation with a bold, geometric border can be softened by using curved fonts and italics for the wording.

The colour scheme of Art Deco revolves around luxe metallics and bold colours. Gold, silver, and copper accents are common, adding a touch of glamour and luxury to the design. A modern take on Art Deco wedding invitations might feature a black and gold colour scheme, with the gilded foil frame encasing the event details. Alternatively, a vintage Art Deco invitation might use a soft colour palette of muted reds, oranges, blues, greens, and pinks, with gold accents.

Art Deco is also known for its use of decorative patterns and ornamentation. Invitations can feature repeating geometric patterns such as diamonds, scalloping, and fan shapes. These patterns add a sense of movement and energy to the design. Sunbursts and arches are also common motifs, creating a sense of elegance and sophistication.

Overall, Art Deco wedding invitations should evoke the glamour and elegance of the Art Deco era while reflecting the couple's personal style. Whether you choose a modern or vintage Art Deco invitation, the bold shapes and patterns will create a lasting impression on your guests.

Frequently asked questions