Environmentally Friendly Invitations

In this day and age when we are becoming more and more environmentally conscious, many brides and grooms have chosen to have  an “ eco friendly” or “green” wedding, but they still wish to send their guests a formal wedding invitation.  There are many different options that can be used.  It is, however, very important to know what to ask for when searching as not every invitation designer is aware of the many beautiful environmentally friendly paper and accessory options that are available.

For the paper/cardstock used for the invitation, a wide variety of Post Consumer Waste (PCW) Papers, recycled or tree free papers such as 100% cotton and Bamboo papers can be used.  Many of these papers are white, ivory or beige in colour, but you can always accessorize the invitation by using a variety of ink colours  (regular or soy based) and also accessorize with ribbons or dried flowers.

There are many recycled paper options that come in a variety of colours and textures both in matte and metallic finishes.  However, you should be aware that the percent of recyclable materials in these papers is only between 20-30% and the processes used to create/coat these papers/cardstocks release many waste products into our environment.

Another very unique and interesting option is to use seeded papers.  These papers are typically made of 100% PCW papers and are embedded with wildflower seeds.  The paper is planted under a thin layer of soil and after about 4-6 weeks of watering,  beautiful wildflowers will bloom!  The important thing to remember when printing on these papers is to never use printers with high heat such as laser printers because the heat will destroy the seeds.

A beautiful option when using 100% cotton papers is letterpress.  The paper/cardstock is usually nice and thick and the letterpress beautifully imprints your designs and text onto the paper.

Accessorizing with ribbon also adds a touch of colour and elegance to your invitation.  In addition to the usual satin, gros grain and chiffon ribbons there are also some very pretty eco friendly options such as cotton twill ribbon , cotton tape, raffia recycled paper ribbon and cotton cords.

If you have any further questions or need some help with your environmentally friendly invitation options, please feel free to contact me at 450-458-9509 or

anita@creative-expressions.com

Oh So Purple!

Purple is a very hot colour for 2010/2011.  It combines beautifully with white, ivory, silver, green and black.  It comes in many beautiful shades and design papers.  One of my most popular designs was a 4 x 9 bifold invitation.

This elegant invitation has a striking lavender swirl overlay, adorned with satin thistle ribbon and a sparkly crystal buckle. The satin corners within this invitation adds to its luxurious charm.

Wrapped in Mocha

This exquisite invitation utilizes a gorgeous textured Magnolia cardstock overlay and is wrapped with a mocha satin ribbon.  The invitation is printed on ivory pearlized cardstock and is accented with bronze metallic.  Three beautiful bronze accent medallions are incorporated on the front and inside of this invitation.

This classic Mocha and ivory invitation truly reflects the modern elegance of this wedding.  It was complimented with matching Menu/place cards at each setting and beautifully wrapped truffle boxes.

Black and White with a Flourish of Velvet

 This beautiful black and white gate fold design has a luxurious velvet floral overlay.  It is printed on the highest quality pearlized cardstock and accented with matching velvet corner decals.

This elegant invitation incorporated the couple's desire for a rich velvet texture while introducing their floral/damask theme.  It created a bold yet elegant introduction to their very special day.

Welcome to Creative Expressions Invitation Couture

Take a couple of moments to dive into the extraordinary world of fine papers, luxurious cardstocks, elegant ribbon work and dazzling crystals.  At Creative Expressions we only use the finest of materials imported from all over the world to create unique and exquisite invitation masterpieces.

Visit us often to view the ultimate in invitation couture and to join discussions in the latest trends and styles in stationery!