Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sent out 600 wedding invitations for their ceremony at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May, choosing to stick with a formal, minimalist design. The invitations were designed by London-based firm Barnard & Westwood—the same firm that designed the royal wedding invitations for Will and Kate in 2011—and feature dark, scripted writing on a thick card with gilded edges. While a formal invitation design wasn’t unexpected, the royal family did get a little more tech savvy for the upcoming nuptials: Guests were asked to R.S.V.P. via email.
Event invitation designers from across the U.S. recently gave us their input on the aesthetic of the royal wedding invitations. Stationery company Alpine Creative Group told us they wouldn’t change anything about the invitations, but other designers showed us what they would have done differently.
“I think with respect to the royal courts, the invitations had strict guidelines to follow, which doesn’t really allow for much creativity or personalization that make invitations truly special in today’s day and age. When we reimagined Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s invitations, we were inspired by Meghan’s modern style and sensibility, and wanted to put a unique spin on what’s expected. We believe she is going to shake things up a bit in the royal courts, so we followed suit.” —Ceci Johnson, founder and creative director, Ceci New York
“From an etiquette perspective, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding invitations are perfect. The engraving, gold gilding on the edges, and the personal touch of using American ink are all stunning. I love the thickness of the cardstock and the Prince of Wales’ badge that is printed in gold and burnished. Their wedding invitations are as formal and classic as you would expect from the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are the modern royal couple, so the one thing that I would change is the shape of the invitation. A die cut or laser cut invitation can be gilded as well, and by adding a different silhouette, it is still formal enough but gives a nod to their modern 'edge.’” —Tiffany Wunschl, etiquette expert and owner, Gourmet Invitations, Macomb, Michigan
San Francisco-based design marketplace Minted loved the look of the royal wedding invitations, but offered some suggestions for people looking to incorporate a royal-inspired look into their own wedding stationery. Suggestions include enhancing the bride and groom’s names by adding real gold foil and changing the print medium to allow names to stand out from supporting text; creating a custom foil-pressed monogram at the top of the invitation design; using a separate reception card with details and attire listed; and including an official R.S.V.P. card with the wedding invitation suite to allow guests to R.S.V.P. with items including the number of guests attending and meal selection.
Philadelphia-based Momental Designs provided another modern spin on the royal wedding invitation. The invites are made from hand-painted stock meant to resemble soft gray linen in all shades from light to dark, and feature an oversize bespoke crest crafted from loose calligraphy as a nod to tradition—but without the heaviness of a traditional crest. The company chose an oval shape to ensure the invitation feels romantic, but not overly serious. The suite is wrapped with a slightly distressed white floral pattern envelope liner.
“I love the tradition of incorporating the parent’s engraved seal in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding invitation. However, one of the fun things we do for our couples is to create a unique crest that symbolizes their personalities and unique traits about them as a couple. It’s fun to find out what makes them ‘tick’ and incorporate those elements into a design. This is an example of a crest we created for a couple who was getting married at the Swan House [at the Atlanta History Center] in front of an ivy wall that they loved. I painted ivy around a custom interlocking monogram and embossed it on the top of their invitation.”—Lisa Hladish, owner, Paper Daisies, Atlanta
