How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Invitation Design + Free Download & Giveaway!

Set the stage for an incredible wedding with the perfect invite — artist and former FP designer Lital Gold gives the scoop + offers you the chance to win!

“Your wedding invitation is the face of your event,” says designer Lital Gold, and she couldn’t be more spot-on. But what may sound like a simple process all too often whirlpools into a mind-boggling experience, full of this color or that color? This font or that one? Cream or bright white? When it comes to your invites — and wedding paper suite in general — the options are truly endless, and oftentimes overwhelming for a couple also attempting to make decisions on food, flowers and music. This is where working with a skilled designer is key, collaborating with someone who can translate your vision into a cohesive, gorgeous set of wedding details that tell the story of your love. Someone like Lital.

A former FP designer, Lital now works out of her South Philly studio — creating everything from textile designs to the coveted wedding stationery we’re discussing on the day I pay a visit to the sunny, brightly-hued space in which she creates. Passionate about her work and clearly versatile in her execution, the proof of her talent is evident in the skateboard decks, prints, and fabric samples that speckle the walls. And in the many beautifully designed invitations announcing the weddings of the now-married couples she’s worked with, on display throughout the space.

Today, Lital is kindly sharing her story and her tips for choosing the perfect wedding invitation design. Scroll through to learn more about her and to take a peek into her creative space. Then, be sure to hit up the bottom of the post for a free download, custom designed by Lital herself, and to enter for your chance to win a wedding invitation design of your own!

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Hi Lital, thank you so much for speaking with me! Can you tell our readers about yourself? Where did you grow up and how did you discover your love for illustration and design?

I’m a print designer and illustrator. I was born and raised in sunny Israel, in a small city right next to Tel Aviv, a minute drive from the sea. My father is a graphic designer. As a kid, I used to spend summer vacations helping him at his studio. I loved hanging out in that space with all the colors around me, drawing for hours and watching him work. I found it very relaxing and inspiring and knew that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. It made the vision very clear. I went to an arts-focused high school in Tel Aviv, which really helped me in developing my painting skills. I served in the army for two years and then took my first trip to India. There, I discovered the endless world of textile and print and knew that was something I wanted to develop as well. I moved to the USA in 2010, originally to join the print and color team at Free People and I’ve been living in Philadelphia ever since!

Do you feel as though moving to Philadelphia influenced your artwork in any way?

Absolutely. This magical adventure has opened my mind to so many things. It has given me such a huge opportunity to start building my brand and develop something new from scratch, in a new place, where I have no family or friends. The move challenged me in many different ways and the biggest one was creatively. It naturally changed my style and made me work harder and want to prove to myself that I can do it. It made me want to develop a discipline and to find my true artistic handwriting.

More than anything, it gave me movement. Not only physical movement by moving to a new place, but an emotional movement that is directly connected to the place that I create from. It was exciting and inspiring and that feeling definitely influenced my work. The last thing that has really inspired me is all of the awesome, amazing new people I’ve met here. Every one of them has a part in this adventure and I’m very thankful for them. Love all of my new friends!!

How do you structure your day? Give us a day in the life of Lital:

Being an independent artist is a challenge because you are the one who creates the structure and it’s all up to you. I always try to keep it balanced. Every night, I make a list of things to do the next day and structure it out, since every day is a little bit different.

After waking up and doing some morning stuff, I dedicate about an hour to online research and inspiration. I watch runway shows, check blogs that I love, find new trends to work with and write down ideas or make some quick sketches in my sketchbook. Then, I start work for my clients. I usually work on 2-4 different projects at the same time, and make designs for different industries (fashion, interior, graphic, accessories). The fun thing about it is that they are all very different and require different styles of work. It never gets boring! It takes up half of the day, sometimes more. I always make sure to leave couple of hours to work on my own work. I usually paint, work on my own collection or create new projects for myself. It’s a good way to create balance with the other kinds of work I do.

I usually go outside at some point; especially since the studio space is in the house. I either go out for a walk or to the gym, hang out with some friends or see live music. Since my husband is a musician there’s always music around me, it makes everything so much better!

Top 5 songs you listen to while you work?

* Lola Marsh – Sirens
* Depeche Mode – Walking in My Shoes
* Velvet Underground – Sunday Morning
* Temple of the Dog – Interstate Love Song
* Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother (on repeat)

You’ve lent your hand to so many different projects, subjects, and surfaces — everything from skateboard decks, to textile design, to fashion illustration — is there a particular medium or type of work you love most? 

It’s hard to choose just one, since there are so many options and so many mediums I love working with. I love drawing and designing patterns and I love to see them come to life as a cute top, luggage or a piece of jewelry. It sits under one umbrella, called ‘surface design’, and that’s basically what I love to do, it has no limits. If I had to choose one, I’d say fabric and fashion, because of the movement and because it creates a personal relationship between body, material, and color. For me this is the best combination.

What are 5 things that can always be found on your desk?

*Crystals – I always have one or more crystals on my desk. Having them there gives the space good vibes and helps me focus. Also, sometimes when I just zone-out for a minute, I’d much rather stare at the crystals than at my phone.

*Shiva and Parvati wood sculpture – during one of my trips to India, I found these two colorful-wood sculptures from the market. They have bright colors and cute little patterns on them and their aesthetic inspires me. I also love the story about Shiva and Parvati.

*Books – there’s always at least one book on my desk or sometimes a magazine. I love doing an on-line research but books have a bigger affect on me usually, and I like to keep this kind of source as accessible as possible.

*Pictures of my family and friends – because I miss them so much and seeing their faces makes me smile!

*A small speaker that plays good music all day long.

I loved seeing the various wedding invitation suites you’ve created for couples that were dotted around your studio. What is your favorite part of the design process when working with a couple?

When I work with couples on a customized invitation, I like to hear their story first. How they met each other, what kind of things they like to do together, if they have pets, favorite kinds of music. It helps me build my own story for them and to tell it through line and color.

The first invitation I designed was for a friend of mine a couple of years ago. She was looking for a handmade design, something special and unique that would fit their personalities. She needed more than just an invitation, too. She had escort cards, RSVP cards, thank you cards; I made everything for her by hand. For me the amazing thing about that project was having the chance to be a part of their special day by turning their love story into something visual. It was a great honor and this is still my favorite part of the process.

The wedding invitation is the “face” of the event. It represents the announcement for the celebration and it is basically the first communication between the guests and the couple and that’s the representation of the event. It tells the story and I think it’s a great way to make the celebration original.

Do you have any advice for couples trying to plan out their invitation suites? What is one thing you wish every couple knew about working with a designer?

Honesty and communication are the key. Of course you should go with a designer that has the style you are looking for, but clear communication is the biggest thing in the process. Creating wedding stationary is a private thing and I think that you should feel 100% comfortable with the person you work with. As long as the communication is clear, the work process is fun and the result is amazing, everybody’s happy!

Another thing to keep in mind is that the more specific you are the better. It’s totally fine if you don’t necessarily have a clear vision of what you want — that’s why you work with a designer. They should be able to come up with the perfect design/ideas for you.

One thing that can really help is if you know what you absolutely don’t want in the invitation — colors you don’t like, style that you don’t feel good about, etc. The more you are focused, the easier it will be for the designer to answer your needs. If you’re thinking about making a wedding set, which is always recommended, take the time to think about ‘unusual’ things that can be very special. Almost everything is possible to make these days and it’s worth the thought. And if you are happy with the result, make sure to tell your friends and give the credit to the designer, this is always nice!

When working with me as their designer, couples have a few different options when it comes to choosing a design. They can either choose from an existing design (which is cheaper than a custom design) or choose an original design that I will make especially for them, from scratch. With the existing designs, I can change fonts and some of the colors. I have some designs where I can illustrate the couple’s faces or pets. It looks very cute!

Couples also have the option to make a wedding set that includes the main invite, RSVP card, thank you card, save-the-date card and table numbers or they can purchase everything separately, according to what they need.

I offer a wide range of designs at different prices and I’ll be more than happy to create any kind of card for any occasion.

What’s next for you? What do you hope to accomplish in the next year, both personally and professionally?

This year I’m planning to launch the collection that I’ve been working on for the past year and start my own little business. I love being in an endless creative process and I want to develop it and discover new things within it. I hope to work even harder, learn new things and face new challenges, meet and work with new people and keep finding new inspiration everyday.

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Thank you so much Lital!

+ Are you getting married soon? Lital is kindly giving away an invitation design to one lucky reader! To enter, visit her Etsy shop and leave a comment here with your wedding date. A winner will be chosen at random one week from today! Good Luck!

Follow Lital on Instagram and be sure to check out her website and Etsy shop!

Follow FPJulie onFP Me and Instagram

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Amber
8 years ago

Love this post! June 4, 2016 :)

8 years ago

You create the most Gorgeous Designs! Thank you for sharing. My fiance and I are getting married on 8/16/16!

Best Wishes,
Susan : )

The Weaver Of Words…..give me 15 words and I’ll tell you a tale
http://www.averyfairytale.wordpress.com

Kayleigh
8 years ago

September 10,2016!

8 years ago

In love with your designs, Lital. I would be honored to have you design our invitations! Wedding date is 10/14/16. Fingers crossed!!! <3 Victoria

tigermlk.art@gmail.com

8 years ago

August 13th, 2016

:)

Sydney
8 years ago

So creative and colorful! Love love love! Our wedding date is October 22, 2016! Ahh

Blanca
8 years ago

February 27 ☺

Michele
8 years ago

Getting married 5/21/2016!

Amber
8 years ago

8-6-16!!! <3

Jackie
8 years ago

9-3-16! :)

Lital
8 years ago

Thanks and CONGRATS everybody Can’t wait to work with you on your invitation design! xoxo

Nikita
8 years ago

29-1-16 ^_^

Pauline
8 years ago

10.01.16 ❤️

Jasmine
8 years ago

August 6 2016!

Amanda Caskey
8 years ago

I love your colorful whimsical designs! My fiancé and I are getting married this December and have not started our invitations yet! 12/20/2015, we sure could use any help we can get.

Selena
8 years ago

07-03-16 :-)

Shawna
8 years ago

Lovely work!!
Our wedding date is 9.24.16

Blessings:)

Mor
8 years ago

Wow! I’m in love with your designs! So colorful ❤
Our wedding date is 6-April-2016
Wish me luck!

Mara
8 years ago

little your work is beautiful!!! Thomas and I are getting married at a beachside orchard in California next August. August 27th, 2016 to be exact! We are acupuncturists that are into meditation and wine, and we really hope we are chosen to win this sweepstake :-)

Becky Green
8 years ago

I love your designs!! We are getting married in Dartmouth, Devon (England) on 3rd September 2016 and would love to win the competition. Fingers crossed xx

Caroline
8 years ago

Such beautiful and whimsical designs! I would love to have these for my special day, 4/16/16

Jen
8 years ago

Your invitations are absolutely stunning!!!!! My fiance and I are getting married July 4th, 2016 :)

8 years ago

I really like how these invitations pull away from the traditional format and look. Love the design on these too! Thanks for sharing!

8 years ago

Love your designs! We are getting married June 25, 2016 :}

Abigail
8 years ago

March 25, 2016! ^_^