Choosing the Perfect Invitation Cards with Basic Invite
So this post is about bridal shower and wedding cards… why am I writing about them?
First things first, a few thoughts on marriage!
(Or if you can’t wait to shop, jump to the end for a discount code. 😉)
This summer, life as I knew it changed dramatically. After 7 years in the urban jungle of Hong Kong, I’ve moved back (for the year, but who knows what God has in store!) to small-town Canada. And I’m loving it. I’m beyond thankful for this year to slow down, rest, create, and pursue a new God dream alongside a Masters in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology. But that’s not to say the change has been entirely easy.
Hong Kong is one of the most dense cities in the world and is full of adventurous, ambitious people — and many of them are single. Being single in your 30s and even 40s is normal. During my nearly seven years in Hong Kong, I only went to five weddings and four of them were for couples in their 30s. But you know what God can do?
Wonderful things.
Recently I received an email from Basic Invite to review their new bridal shower and wedding invitations. At first I wasn’t sure it would be relevant — after all, I’m not looking for any at the moment and neither are any of my closest friends. Marriage is a topic that we regularly discuss and pray together about though. Because while we’re not married — or even dating — at the moment, it’s so important to keep a tender heart before the Lord and trust that his plan is best. To talk with him about all our hopes, dreams, fears in this area and see how he leads us. (And sidenote, I’ve seen testimony after testimony of God writing beautiful love stories for my friends in their 30s and beyond. In fact, one of my best and most eligible guy friends just got engaged at 43! If you’re reading this and need a sign to trust God, may this be it :)).
So what’s not been easy? I felt quite normal being single in my 30s in Hong Kong, but in small-town Canada it’s sort of the opposite. As I’ve started to visit new churches and make friends these past few weeks, I’ve already met three couples in their 20s who are getting married before the end of the summer! To be honest there have been some discouraging moments (like ‘I’d like to fall in love too, God?') but honestly what else is there to do but give it to God and wait. May we say no to anger and bitterness — truly our God is for us!
So I reviewed the invitations from Basic Invite with this heartset:
The cards are beautiful — I love beauty and design, and it’s really fun to take a look at designs and think about what I might choose
I have faith that one day I will need to look at these cards either for myself or a friend — what great fun that I can have this ‘head start’
Want to explore too? Keep reading!
So what is Basic Invite?
Basic Invite is an online invitation company that specializes in highly customizable wedding stationary.
What’s special about Basic Invite?
Colour section: Basic Invite offers customers over 180 colour options with instant previews online. As well, they have over 40 different envelope colour options. All the envelopes are peel and seal.
Foil options: Foil cards are available in gold, silver, and rose gold. Customers can choose flat or raised foil on all of Basic Invite’s foil designs.
Sample review: A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience so it makes sense that couples want to double check all their selections! Customers can order a printed sample of their actual invitation before they place the final order.
Address capturing service: Need an easy way to gather your guests addresses? Basic Invite offers an address capturing service that allows customers to share a link on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media to request their friends and family’s addresses. The addresses are stored in the customer’s account and can be selected during the design process. As well, Basic Invite offers recipient address printing at no cost on all card orders, and can even ship the cards for you for a fee.
Global reach: It’s not always easy to find US-based stationary companies that ship abroad for a reasonable fee. I did a test check out and shipping 100 cards and envelopes outside North America was under $30 for International Rush (4-5 day) shipping. Countries they ship to include:
Alaska and Hawaii
All US Military bases (on any continent)
American Samoa
Guam
The Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Puerto Rico
The Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Cayman Islands
Costa Rica
Denmark
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Germany
Greece
India
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Mexico
New Zealand
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Russia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Samoa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
United Kingdom
United States
U.S. Virgin Islands
My favourite cards and why
Whenever people ask if I have a ring or dress design in mind, I say not really. There are loads of beautiful designs out there! I think it’ll really depend on the situation. (How about you — if you’re looking, do you have something set in mind or open to various possibilities?)
But browsing today, if I had to choose one, I’d probably choose this Mystic Mountains design. I love the calm feel and the colours, but honestly my love life has been very ‘mountainous.’ As in I always wanted an adventurous love life but definitely went in some wrong directions before I realized God’s guidance is best and he’s helped me overcome some steep valleys and scale some beautiful new peaks. I won’t ever be at the altar without a heart full of thanks that my God has helped me overcome so much. So a little deep perhaps but that’s why this is my number one pick.
We don’t need to overspiritualize things but this Fairytale Leaves invitation reminds me of the Palm Sunday illustrations in children’s bibles. I love the bright, cheery vibe and it feels like a reminder that Jesus is happy about the upcoming union. My number two pick.
I think I’m very colourful in person — in my dress sense and my animated way of speaking hah. So perhaps my friends wouldn’t expect me to choose a minimal invitation… and then could be surprised at the actual extravaganza (haha whether it’s extra or not). So I also really like the Minimal Magnifique, Sweet Grass, Desert Chic, and Grape Peonies invitations. I would prefer not to have too much black on my invitation (fine for the text but not for the art) so I’d look to adjust the black art bits to a brighter colour.
The Lilac Dip Dye design is lovely — such a nice homemade feel! If I was having a more rustic, outdoorsy sort of wedding, I might pick this one.
And who doesn’t love florals? The Mauve Medley, Garland Delight, and Spanish Florals designs are beautifully done.
Shop and share!
This August, Basic Invite is offering 15% off their fall wedding shower invitations and their tea party bridal shower invites with coupon code: 15FF51. If you’re in the market for invitations, take a look or pass on the code to your friends/family who might be interested!
For more info on Basic Invite, visit them on their socials @basicinvite:
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