Fonts are more than just words on a page. Every font conveys a different mood or feeling. They add personality to the invitation, and they make a subconscious impression and create an emotional connection to the event.
Because the party starts when the invitation arrives, I tell my clients to make that first impression a good one. By using fonts creatively and finding the perfect font for each invitation, I aim to create anticipation and excitement for each client’s event.
There are thousands upon thousands of fonts. So when I design a new custom invitation, how do I find the best fonts for my client? The most important thing to determine is how the couple or guest of honor wants to portray him or herself to the guests.
Are the bride and groom proper, conventional and traditional? Is the bat mitzvah girl friendly, easygoing and carefree? When choosing fonts for an invitation, understanding the couple’s or guest of honor’s personality is more important than knowing where the event will take place or what kind of attire the guests will be wearing.
Once I get a sense for the personalities of the guest(s) of honor, I then find out the type of event my client is planning. Is it a daytime event or an evening affair? Is it at a country club or in a hotel ballroom? Is the attire casual or formal? The answers to these questions, coupled with an understanding of the feeling I’m trying to convey, will guide my font selection.
A stylish script font that I’m using on a wedding invitation I’m currently designing is called “BeautifulES.” The bride wanted a “simple but elegant” invitation to convey her personality and the feel of her wedding. The invitation is being printed on a warm white linen panel card in a simple centered design, but this font transforms the invitation from simple and basic to simple and elegant.
Another font I use frequently is Papyrus (see blue sample below). It is a perfect font for bar and bat mitzvah and Jewish wedding invitations because it gives a feeling of tradition. It looks like it’s been written on thousand-year-old parchment paper, similar to that of the Torah, the centerpiece of the Jewish religion. 
The font sets the tone for the invitation and the event itself. It subconsciously tells the recipient a little about the bride and groom, bar or bat mitzvah child, or guest of honor.
So whether you are a modern lady or traditional gentleman, a fun and flirty party girl or a high rolling businessman, a woman with uncanny elegance and grace, or a down-to-earth country guy, I can design the perfect invitation to fit your event with the perfect fonts to portray your personality.
In my next post, I’ll show you some of my favorite fonts and how to combine them to add visual interest. I’ll also show you the difference between serif and sans serif fonts. Stay tuned! 