Wedding invitation designs develop
JAKARTA (JP): A reporter of the Jakarta-based Jakarta-Jakarta magazine recently distributed an unlicensed four-page mini newspaper. He wasn't arrested -- even though the Indonesian press law requires all media to have a publishing permit. No, he wasn't well connected or even lucky, what he handed out was an invitation to his wedding.
Designed to look like a newspaper, the invitation didn't explicitly announce the date, place or time of the wedding. Recipients had to carefully read the entire paper to get the essential information. The bogus paper included stories about the bride and the groom, including how they met.
Ten years ago this imaginative invitation would not have been acceptable. Then, wedding invitations were usually boring. The customary gold lettering printed on white cardboard, although the Chinese did use red paper.
Now, designs have developed so much that sending an invitation on a ceramic plate isn't considered eccentric.
Ira Widjaja Saputra, from the Wishing Well printing company in South Jakarta, and Dea Azis, the owner and designer of a wedding invitation company, both said that wedding invitations are now more colorful and varied.
"Wedding invitations are not conservative anymore, they come in all colors, sizes, designs and on various kinds of paper," Ira told The Jakarta Post. She added that the development is partly due to foreign influences.
"Wedding invitations have become more modern and have more emphasis on graphic design," said Dea.
Invitations come in the forms of flowers, circles and are folded in ways that it grab the recipient's attention. Some others are garnished with ribbons and photos, or are printed on paper which has an ikat or lace motif.
There are no guidelines in the wedding invitation business. People can design their invitations anyway they like.
"Sometimes they come to me with a model and ask me to make an invitation based on the sample. Sometimes they have no idea at all and I give them suggestions," said Dea.
"Some people have a special theme for their wedding party. For example, if they decorate their party with a lot of violet- colored flowers, I can make a violet invitation. Or if they like a particular color, I can make the invitation based on what they like," said Ira, adding that her company also provides samples for clients to choose from.
Ira said most people don't want to use designs that have already been done. Therefore her clients usually insist she modify her samples to add a personal touch.
Dea, a two-year veteran of the invitation business, said most clients still prefer simple invitations.
The price depends on the size, type of paper, the number of invitations printed and the complexity of a design, both professionals said.
The lowest price is Rp 3,500 (about US$1.54) per set, which consists of an invitation, an envelope and a thank you note.
"If it is a big size, say 30 X 30 centimeters, and formed in a flower shape, the minimum price could be around Rp 7,000 per set," explained Ira.
Ira also provides blank cards for couples who want to compose their own invitations.
"These blank invitations save money. An invitation like this," she said, pointing to a blank card that measured 25 by 25 centimeters "could cost Rp 7,000 per set, because it is big and has quite complicated design."
"But because I have mass produced them, the price gets down to Rp 4,000. The price includes the printing. What people don't like is that it is mass produced so many people may have the same invitation," Ira said. She is, however, optimistic that the cards have a large market.
Both Ira and Dea said they read local and foreign magazines for inspiration. They also learn from invitations made by other people.
"There is no copyright on wedding invitations. We can copy the designs of others and vice versa. But of course we don't copy others just like that. We use their designs to develop our own," Ira assured. (als)