Before your guests see your gorgeous bridal gown, lush floral centerpieces and decadent six-tiered wedding cake, their first glimpse into your wedding day panache is the invitation, so it’s no surprise that many couples are choosing to think outside the box. Unique three-dimensional wedding invitations, serves as the official invite to your big day, but also stands as a work of art and treasured keepsake that everyone can hold on to for years to come.

“The beauty of a three-dimensional style—it always feels like a gift of some sort that truly connects your guests to your event from the moment they receive it in the mail,” says Cherese Rambaldi, owner and creative director of The Honour of Your Presence in Succasunna, NJ, (honourofyourpresence.com). “The idea is to create an experience for guests that connect their senses: sight, touch, smell.”

Unique Wedding Invitations

According to Maria Cerff, creative director for Lela New York (lelanewyork.com), a three-dimensional wedding invitation “reflects the couple’s wedding style by incorporating their colors, theme or telling the story of how they met or got engaged. We do this using custom graphics, different fabrics, box wedding invitations and 3-D details like crystal closures and other accents such as ribbons or special leaves or flowers.”

Cerff notes that inspiration can be taken from any element of a couple’s day to create a truly personalized design. “We recently did an amazing lace invitation with a crystal closure for one of our brides who was getting married in Capri, Italy. We drew inspiration from her beautiful couture wedding gown.”

Rambaldi was recently inspired by a couple’s garden locale to create  “a secret garden style invitation,” mailed in a wooden, walnut-color cigar box with a large feather butterfly attached to dogwood blossom branches that greeted the guest upon opening the package. In keeping with another bride’s butterfly motif, Rambaldi created an invite using a clear acrylic box. She then suspended white paper butterflies to the inside, creating a sort of mobile, while the invitation information was etched into a mirror glass base that reflected the butterflies above. “It was mailed in a beautifully wrapped mailer box filled with an organza fabric and closed with a band of thick satin ribbon. It was truly an experience for guests,” she explains.

Destination Wedding Invitations

Of course, destination weddings lend themselves well to three-dimensional designs. “I always ask a couple why that destination was chosen and there is always a story of why they love that region or beach, so we draw from their experiences to pull our elements,” says Rambaldi. She recently put a unique twist on the “message in a bottle” style, mailing the invite in a wooden bottle case with fish netting, shells, starfish and maps to complete the look. Another favorite was a Tuscan vineyard invitation that was mailed in a bed of grapevine branches with an amazing vintage grape bunch charm and old-style photographs of the Tuscan landscape.

Wedding Invitations For All Seasons

Couples can also incorporate their wedding day season into invitations. For winter wedding themes, a simple cinnamon stick tucked into the ribbon of an invite is a treat that delights both the eyes and nose. Flowers—whether real or faux—work well for spring and summer events. And a simple crystal brooch adds a touch of class whatever the season might be.

As for postage, sending out a three-dimensional invitation will always cost more than a traditional invite. Expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $4 per invite, depending on how they’re shipped. “All our fabric covered invitations are mailed out in a custom/USPS approved box or custom envelope mailer,” says Cerff.

Hand Delivered Wedding Invitations

Another option is hand delivery, says Rambaldi. “If most guests are local, you could round up your bridal party to make the delivery rounds. It does add that extra wow factor for royal treatment!” If you must mail them, she suggests sending a complete sample to yourself first. “This way you could double-check postage and make sure there aren’t any flaws with your packaging. Every invitation that leaves our studio endures this same test.”