Why you should think of your wedding invitations like a love poem.

Poetry is a beautiful art form that has been shared between lovers for centuries. Its sonorous, highly specific yet simultaneously simplistic qualities can often hit straight to the heart, connecting with a reader in a way that other art forms cannot. So, why wouldn’t you think about your wedding invitations - which literally communicate a commitment of love between two people - like a love poem?

There are a few components that, in my mind (as a spoken word poet turned wedding stationery artist), make up a good poem. A good poem has beautiful, song-like language that just sounds good, yes. But it’s more than that! It should contain intimate, specific details that end up communicating so much more than if they were generic or overarching (the hit of “I love you” vs. “I love the way your feet twitch when you get excited”). A good poem also has an economy of words, where each word is carefully chosen to be included - or not included! And, it often has a sense of transformation or alchemization - where tragedy is turned to triumph, and the ugly is made beautiful in the telling.

If you want wedding invites that feel poignantly personal, that maybe bring your guests to tears, and that tell the story of your love (which you’ll need to practice for your actual wedding day), here’s how these elements of poetry can play into your invitations.

Beautiful, songlike language - This can look like alliteration or rhyme. Metaphor or simile. Painting a picture with words. Anything other than the usual “so and so requests the honor of your presence.” You are likely spending a lot of money making the invitation look beautiful - so shouldn’t it sound beautiful, too?

Specific details - While this can certainly come from the illustrations and artwork your designer includes, the actual words you choose can get personal as well. Think - quotes pulled from love letters or favorite phrases shared throughout your relationship. Nicknames you have for one another. Details about the venue you’ve chosen or the items you’ve added to the menu. Lyrics from your song. These details will connect to the heart of your guests, helping them feel who you are and how you want to tell you love story. And, if done right, it will also help them connect to their own love stories.

Economy of words - Keep it simple! You don’t want to cram up the page with a bunch of fluff, especially if you are working with a talented stationery artist whose work you want to showcase. Choose words that hold weight, and don’t worry so much about tradition. All you really need to tell people is who the wedding is for, where to be and when, and how to RSVP. The rest is up to your poetic genius!

Transformation - I don’t know about you, but to me, a good love story involves a beginning, middle and end, where the couple has to go through something together to emerge stronger and more united. Okay, I just described the story arc of every rom com ever - but really. While you don’t need to air out your dirty laundry on your wedding invitations (I highly suggest you don’t) there is beauty in sharing the journey you’ve been on together, in big or small ways. Perhaps this is something you save for your wedding day, or more so something that you think about it general (i.e. you don’t have to only share the rosy parts), but if there is a detail that alludes to the journey you’ve been on, know that it is certainly allowed to live in your wedding invitations. Which are, after all, little love poems sent out to all the people you care about, inviting them to celebrate your greatest work of art yet - your marriage.

How to Make Your Wedding Planning As Enjoyable As Your Wedding

PC: Georgie Morley Photography

When you’re planning a wedding, it can be so easy to put so much energy into perfecting this one big day, that you forget that your wedding is comprised of so much more than that. It’s all the days leading up to it - it’s the meetings with your planner, how you show up to conversations with your partner, it’s the dress shopping and the seating plan deciding.

When I was planning my own wedding I got really clear on wanting to enjoy THAT process, as much (as possible) as the wedding day itself. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about celebrating this great love story, so why would I want to take away from that for a second?

Of course stress will come, but here are some things I focused on to stay anchored in a positive, playful perspective while I was wedding planning, making the whole experience * almost * as enjoyable as the wedding day itself.

1. I journaled nearly every morning on how I wanted the experience to go - but in the past tense, as if it had already happened. This looked like “Our planning process has been full of ease and enjoyment, our wedding day went so smoothly and felt so us, I love getting to plan our wedding,” etc. This allowed me to reset the overwhelm, the stress, and the urgency that can often come with planning a large and incredibly meaningful event, and to step into the feeling that I wanted to be embodying during that time. It also means that I have a journal of spells that I can look back on with pride, knowing that I made that thing happen!

2. Whenever things got stressful or tense (and I’m human so they did) I stepped away. Took a break. Turned the computer off. Went for a walk. Did something else. I tried to make sure that when I was in an active state of wedding planning (making calls or working on a spreadsheet or talking with family) that I was in a good headspace. And if I ever found myself forcing something or worrying, I would step away from that thing until I was in a better space. Basic human psychology here, but somehow when you are involved in the planning of what is supposed to be the best day of your life, all that pressure can make our basic human psychology practices run right out the door.

3. I turned to the parts of the planning process that I enjoyed. I am not a spreadsheet girl, but I love a handmade gift. A piece of art. A thoughtful touch. So, making our stationery was such a joy for me, as was putting together our goodie bags (and making sure they wouldn’t just get thrown out or left in someone’s hotel room) as was making our signage. Find the thing that feels good to you, and carry it through the whole process.

4. On the wedding day, I really let myself let it all go. The plan for the day, my expectations, hell, even my dress’s integrity. I let them all go, and surrendered to what the day became, knowing that I had an amazing team behind me to steer the ship. It rained, our reception location flip flopped, my dress ripped at the end of the night, but because I had been practicing my perspective leading up to the wedding day, I was able to roll with it all, and truly have the best day of my life, with my favorite people and my now husband by my side. I wouldn’t have it any other way.