“I think of an invitation as an introduction to a wedding,” says graphic designer Heather Baird Loya of Handmade by Heather in High Bridge (908-638-9910; handmadebyheather.com). “I want it to tell the couple’s story, to be unique—and most of all to be personal.” 

Her letterpress print, which is indented rather than raised like engraving, adds a novel touch. Loya sometimes wraps the invite, reply card, and inserts in a satin bow, tucked into a four-point envelope and sealed with wax as a final flourish. “When you unwrap a package this beautiful, it’s like getting a gift,” she says. “If each guest feels the festivity of the event when opening the invitation, I’ve done my job.”

Stephanie Somodi of Invitation Designs by Stephanie in Little Egg Harbor (609-812-1383; invitesbystephanie.com) calls her handmade invitations “little works of art.” For her, the invitation should “let your guests know this is no ordinary wedding and offer them a first glimpse into your event’s style.” Somodi creates multilayered invitations embellished with crystals, leaves, or snowflakes. “My invitations sometimes take a cue from the wedding gown, with sateen-finish cards and cream satin ribbons. It’s as if the bride is personally handing you your invitation.”

For Robin Kornett of Robin K Design in Hamilton (609-689-9199; robinkdesign.com), the invitation’s role is “to brand the event, to stand out in a sea of other weddings.” Her clients strive for the “wow factor”—and Kornett can definitely deliver wow. For one bride, a sure-to-be-opened box opened to a soft ivory silk envelope holding the invitation and inserts. A tag with the guest’s name hung from the clasp. For another, Kornett designed a scroll invitation printed in copper ink and mounted on beaded wooden dowels, sent out in an embellished copper tube.

All three stationers see contemporary carriers such as four-point envelopes, pocket folds, and tissue wraps dominating this season, because they so gracefully organize all the bits and pieces enclosed with today’s invitations. Brides are now focusing less on printing and more on design, packaging, and embellishments. The more beautiful and inventive the invitation, the more fun it is for guests to open. “It’s always so nice to find something unique in the mail,” says Kornett. “And who doesn’t love getting invited to a big party?"