Because a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Your love story is beautiful — so why not put it front and center on your invitations? Photo wedding invitations are one of the best ways to get your guests excited about your day because they provide a uniquely personal flair.
The beauty of having your pictures in the wedding invitations is that they are perfect for any style of wedding. Formal couples can give guests a preview of the elegance they’re planning for their big day with bold black-and-white photography and portrait-style poses. Outdoorsy couples can share a shot of them enjoying their favorite spot, and modern couples can play with bold poses and unusual photography styles.
No matter what style of photo invitation you choose, they all serve to remind your guests what your big day is about: coming together to celebrate a couple in love.
How to Choose the Right Pictures for Your Wedding Invitation
Because photos are such powerful communicators, choosing the right shot is just as important as the invitation design you select. You’ll want to select a picture that captures the vibe of your celebration, that works with the color scheme of your big day, and that has enough breathing room to still be easy for your guests to read.
Here are some of our top tips for creating a beautiful photo wedding invitation.
- Plan your photoshoot: Though photo wedding invitations can look effortless, a lot of behind-the-scenes planning goes into getting the perfect shot. If you are newly engaged, you can use your engagement photoshoot as a chance to get shots for your invitation. Or, if the vibe of your wedding is different from your engagement photos, you may need to schedule a dedicated photoshoot to get the images you need for your invitation. Either way, be sure to think about the location, wardrobe, and the shots you want your photographer to capture.
- Get inspired by Minted’s designs before your photoshoot: One of the best ways to create a beautiful photo wedding invitation is to get an idea of what style of invitation you like before you step in front of the camera. Browsing through Minted’s library of photo invitation designs can help you understand what type of shots you’ll need to ask your photographer to take of you and your future spouse. It is also a great way to get an idea of how you and your partner can pose to capture a shot that matches the tone of your big day.
- Match your photo to your wedding theme: Most photo wedding invitations feature very little color of their own. (Our designers want your picture to shine, after all!) This means that your picture will need to do the heavy lifting when it comes to capturing the essence of your wedding. The easiest way to do this is to schedule your photoshoot after you decide on your venue and your wedding color palette. This will allow you to shoot in a location that matches your theme. It can also help you and your future spouse choose outfits in colors and styles that match your wedding vibe. For example, a picture of you two at the beach will work wonders for a destination, beach, or summer wedding!
- Choose pictures that go well with your wedding invitation design: Trying to fit a landscape photo into a design that calls for a square or vertical image may lead to an off-balance composition. When choosing your photo, take cues from Minted’s talented independent designers. The couple’s shots shown on the wedding invitations can spark some ideas. This will also ensure that the design elements will work with your photo instead of against it.
- Make sure the information on your wedding invitation is clear: Placing text over photos can be an easy way for your invitation wording to get lost in translation. You’ll want to make sure that the colors present in your photo work with the typography style and placement of your design. Fine-line typography may get lost over a busy background and white or light-colored lettering may disappear into lighter colors. So pay careful attention to ensuring your information is easy to understand. We recommend getting a second pair of eyes on your design if possible before you place your final order.
- Choose a black and white photo for a classic feel: Black and white photography is a beautiful way to create a timeless and elegant look for your wedding invitation. Almost all of Minted’s photo wedding invitation styles will pair nicely with black and white shots — so adjusting your favorite picture to be black and white is a great way to make it work into your favorite design.
- Pick a picture that reflects your personality: If a photo is worth a thousand words, you want to make sure that it communicates the right thousand! If you and your spouse-to-be are the life of the party, use this as a chance to put your fun-loving nature on full display. Or, if you are nature lovers, go for a picture that shows the two of you in your favorite environment. Photo wedding invitations are meant to be personal, so make sure that the shot you choose really feels like you.
- Get creative with your photo: If you and your partner aren’t the types to do traditional portraits, have fun with your image selection! You can choose a shot of your hands clasped together, the two of you walking away from the camera, dancing, or even a dramatic silhouette. You can also use photo invitations to showcase something other than a picture of you. Maybe you have a favorite shot of the area you’ll be hosting the ceremony in or want to feature a picture of the wildflowers you’ll be using in your floral arrangement. The sky’s the limit!
Matching Wedding Invitation Suites
When it comes to photo wedding invitations, your invitation suite is where the talent of your designer gets put on full display. Minted’s independent designers have all crafted a thoughtfully curated selection of RSVP cards, enclosure cards, direction cards, belly bands, and envelopes with free addressing that play on the design elements of your invitations.
The best part? We only ever charge you for what you need. That way you can build a beautifully cohesive invitation suite that gives your guests the information that they need to know, and nothing that they don’t.
Minted’s Matching Stationery
In addition to helping couples build beautiful invitation suites, Minted makes it easy to create a cohesive look across all of your wedding stationery. Many of our photo wedding invitation designs come complete with a range of additional physical and digital stationery including wedding websites, reception cards, wedding programs, and more.
Stationery is a great way to showcase more of your favorite photos of you and your future spouse, or can be used to incorporate additional layers of your accent colors. The design options are endless.
Wedding Invitation Customization
Minted’s Custom Design Services can build a custom invitation design around your favorite photo. Once you submit a request form, our team will help you build a creative brief that captures your vision — whether that’s creating a layout and color scheme that works with a special image or adding custom illustrations on top of photos. From there, you’ll get a quote for the project and will have a chance to meet with your dedicated designer to learn more about their creative process. Then, we’ll work together with you to make sure every detail is just right before beginning the printing process.
Free Samples of Your Photo Wedding Invitations
Minted is committed to making sure you fall in love with your wedding invitations. You can request a free sample if you can’t decide what color scheme pairs best with your photo or if you want to see how your favorite picture will look on different paper types.
If you’re unsure where to start, we also offer curated sample kits that come complete with color swatches, examples of our foil and letterpress printing styles, a few of our different papers, and more.
