Martha Stewart Weddings

Classic Wedding Invitations for Traditional Brides and Grooms

By Shira Savada
March 08, 2012
Credit: Trevor Dixon

Call on your guests with a timeless invite.

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Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography

While incorporating modern and contemporary details into different elements of your wedding can make the day undeniably cool, there are certain times when tradition wins out. If you're of the mindset that classic options seem to beat all others, go with your gut and choose something timeless—especially true when it comes to your wedding stationery. The following invitation suites may all keep a foot in the past, but they still work well for today's weddings. Calligraphy, elegant typefaces, tried and true printing methods, and subdued colors are just a few of the many design features that make classic stationery so versatile.

Whatever you do, don't confuse "classic" with "stuffy." Some traditional invite details are trending right now, like monograms, envelopes closed with custom wax seals, and calligraphed addresses guiding the beautiful bundles to mailboxes across the globe. Ciarra Claire combined all three of these ideas in this suite, also adding ornate illustrations of the moldings and details found at the chateau where the wedding would take place. Back in the day, guests couldn't look up a location on the internet, so this is a timeless way to give your loved ones a sneak peek of what's to come.

Whether your entire wedding will be kept classic or you just want the invitations (which are often held on to as mementos) to stand the test of time, you can't go wrong with these stationery suite designs. Ahead, our favorite traditional-invite inspiration, some that may look quite similar to your parents' paper goods and others that have a fresh spin but still stand the test of time.

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Customized Touches

Credit: Sarah Falugo
20 Pretty Envelope Liners That Dressed Up Wedding Invitation Suites

This bride ordered a classic invite and complementary components through Minted, and then made it her own with a floral envelope liner and a golden wax seal.

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For Each Guest

Credit: Heather Waraksa

These invites took the form of personalized letters, meaning each guest received an invitation to the wedding with their name on top. Hand-calligraphed and letterpressed on parchment-like paper by Written Word Calligraphy and Design, they were tucked into envelopes lined with a watercolor of the destination.

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Cute and Classic

Credit: Michelle Beller Photography
The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Fonts

Thinking of going with a classic approach to your stationery but want to avoid anything too formal? Take a cue from this suite by Lazaro Press and mix a modern style of calligraphy with a sans serif font and a few illustrated icons. Dark gold ink and square-shaped cards kept the look current.

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A Floral Design

Credit: Liz Banfield

Here's an example of how colorful can still be traditional, even when a floral pattern is involved. Spot calligraphy by Curlicue Designs Calligraphy added a grandiosity to the suite, which otherwise featured a serif font that's capitalized. Michael McCormick bundled the pieces he created with a belly band finished off with a wax seal in an antique gold. It's Old-World, in a new way.

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Bold Type

Credit: Shawn Connell / Christian Oth Studio

Modern and classic work together. The layout of these invitations was kept clean and simple, then Bella Figura letterpressed the details on luxe white paper.

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Deckled Edges

Credit: Heather Payne Photography
Trending Now: Deckle-Edge Wedding Invitations

Old-school touches like handmade paper or deckled-edges, where the paper is torn in an elegant way, are the epitome of classic style. Choose a sophisticated font (or two) like Poste and Co. did here and keep it to single-color letterpress for a straightforward approach.

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On Its Side

Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography

Written Word Calligraphy and Design created this warm gray and dusty blue suite using only calligraphy. The font-free layout, with a touch of gold and silk ribbon accents, felt super classic. The fact that it was folded to look like a letter made it even better.

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Sophisticated Script

Credit: Amelia Johnson Photography
The Loveliest Watercolor Wedding Invitations

Scriptura converted a watercolored crest created by the bride into a monogram for the invitations, which were calligraphed by Maria Helena using mushroom-colored ink. The end result was soft and elegant, and thanks to a slew of vintage postage, it also felt like a true classic.

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Edged and Illustrated

Credit: Anticipate Invitations

We love this combination of crisp, beveled edges and whimsical illustrations. Anticipate Invitations used a watercolored crest designed by the bride's father, Michael G. Imber, to further personalize this sage green and white set, which boasted watercolored borders and a velvet ribbon to tie it all together.

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Back in the Day

Credit: Tie That Binds
10 Things You Should Know Before Addressing, Assembling, and Mailing Your Wedding Invitations

Here's an artful suite with a handmade feel, courtesy of Tie That Binds. Every piece was letterpress printed—even the mailing envelope flaps and reply envelopes. The suite was wrapped in handmade silk-thread paper and tied with gold string and a wax seal. This feels like something you'd get back in the day, when mail was delivered on horseback.

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Green and Gold

Credit: Greg Finck
25 Lucite Wedding Ideas for the Minimalist Couple

Classic doesn't mean you can't use color. Gold ink, green accents, and even a sheet of Lucite came together on this suite, and Hilary Ng illustrated a chinoiserie painting to showcase a predominant theme of the celebration. 

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A True Classic

Credit: Jose Villa

This invitation is about as classic as you can get. Penned by master calligrapher Bernard Maisner, the flourished style fills the space of each card (and envelope) in a way that's romantic, formal, and just so special.

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Inspired by Italy

Credit: Larissa Cleveland Photography

This wedding took place in San Francisco, but we're getting major Italian vibes from it. Yonder Designs incorporated illustrated greenery, deckled edges, a wax seal, and the marbled paper lining the outer envelope.

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A Botanical Accent

Credit: Kate Headley
9 Special Touches That Will Dress Up Your Stationery

Cheree Berry Paper's stationery suite included a wildflower pressed over the invitation itself, which was letterpressed in gray ink on soft white paper. Incorporating elegant, natural elements gives stationery a tactile, layered feel.

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Birds of a Feather

Credit: John Dolan

This suite was a total collaboration between Happy Menocal and Bernard Maisner, who used lovebirds on nearly every piece. Having a motif makes everything feel cohesive and thoughtful.

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Dearly Beloved

Credit: Anne Robin Calligraphy + Design

We've said it before and we'll say it again: There's something so special about receiving an invitation with your name on the top. When your calligrapher—in this case it was Anne Robin Calligraphy + Design—creates the invitation in letter format, it's easy enough to print them out with each person's name on top. To bring the vibe home, wrap it with gold thread and seal it with wax.

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A Traditional Method

Credit: Aaron Delesie
26 Monogram Wedding Ideas We Love

Connor created a bespoke monogram in three metallic shades, then engraved each invitation with that motif plus simple script outlining the details of the day. The involved method (in which the design is etched on to a metal plate in reverse and then covered with ink and impressed onto the paper with a 3,000-pound weight!) signals your wedding will be a formal affair.

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Something Blue

Credit: Ryan Ray
30 Unique Ways to Use Vellum Throughout Your Wedding

The go-to materials of yesteryear—quality paper, vellum, wax seals, and calligraphy, come together in a fresh and current way in this invitation suite by Chelsea Petaja.

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Masculine and Monogrammed

Credit: Abby Jiu Photography

Cheree Berry Paper designed this interlocking monogram on this stationery suite. The golden beveled edges added dimension and a healthy dose of shine. And what's more classic than gold?

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On a Diagonal

Credit: Heather Waraksa

Sesame Letterpress & Design and Happy Menocal took a classic approach and turned it on its side—quite literally. This calligraphed, letterpressed invitation was set on an angle and printed in a cobalt blue ink. Slanting your calligraphy will surely wow your guests when they open the envelope (this one was penned by Virginia Lucas Hart).

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Pink and Blue

Credit: Ally and Bobby Fine Art Photography
38 Pink Wedding Centerpieces We Love

Ballet pink and powder blue are a perfect pair, and roses are a wedding staple, so bringing them all together, just like Sage Paper Co. did here, ensures a classic design.

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All the Blues

Credit: Ashley Seawell Photography

Sticking with a single color—or slight variations of the hue—is a stately way to design a stationery suite. We love the classic border on the save-the-date by Lowcountry Paper Co., and how the blue calligraphy that's letterpressed on the invitation feels so luxurious. Adding matching blue postage and ribbon details to your day-of paper goods brings it all together and makes for one timeless group of paperie.

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Flower Power

Credit: Sally Pinera
Gorgeous Floral Wedding Invitations

Botanical illustrations by Stephanie Fishwick added color to this otherwise simple suite, giving the classic layout a fresh update.

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Going Green

Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography

An evergreen ink isn't as stark as black, but it can be just as classic. On this letterpressed suite, Sloane Harmony Design used it for the monogram, the text, and the thin border printed onto each card.

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Stone Style

Credit: Christian Oth Studio
39 Elegant Marbled Wedding Ideas

A subtle pattern can have a big impact. Here, it's a black-and-white marble design on the envelopes and vellum wrap around the invitation. Amber Moon Design only added one more color—gold—for a regal touch, and an illustrated motif (to symbolize the setting) and calligraphy (for a level of formality).

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