LEFT: Invitation by Pendragon Newport

Innovations in Invitations

White and ecru heavy-weight cards with black, engraved ink: Peter Hopkins of Dalton, Massachusetts-based Crane & Co., calls them the "little black dress of wedding invitations." Yet even at Crane's, a bastion of tradition and formality in the personal stationery market, a sea of change is afoot regarding wedding invitations. "The idea of personalization has been building for several years now and is probably full-blown at this point," says Crane & Co. manager Leslie Reed. "What is resonating with brides is [making] invitations a little more individualistic and a little more personal."

Invitation designers who cater exclusively to the custom end of the market say that invitations can be completely unique reflections of people, places, and personalities. "True customization is the bride who decides, 'I want my St. Bernard on my invitations and I want them to be coasters and plates'-something that someone can use again," says Tami Macrafic, marketing manager for invitation-designer Francie Hill of North Mankato,Minnesota.

Wendy DeFeudis, founder and chief designer at Manhattan-based VeryWendy Design, works from couples' photographs to create "personalized fashion illustrations that capture the essence of who they are." The Milan-trained fashion designer says,"I offer something that is very untraditional; my customers are definitely the hip, stylish women that recognize something fashionable." In addition to invitations and stationery featuring highly stylized and colorful sketches or watercolors, DeFeudis also creates three-image portrait series of brides, highlighting what may well be the most fashionable day of their lives. Because invitations and increasingly popular "Save the Date" cards are.