Nearlyweds often put a lot of thought into their wedding invitation design – and with good reason! The wedding invite is the guest’s first “touch” of the wonderous event to come. But what may be given less thought — but can be equally as important — are the menu card designs.
Menu cards, those handy paper products that let the guest know what they’ll be eating at the wedding reception, is another chance for the now-wed couple to continue the theme – or story — first begun with the wedding invite. It’s an opportunity to tell the guests more about you as a couple.
There are a couple of major ways your menu card can do this:
Aesthetics
Of course, the way your menu card is designed is a crucial element into what your menu card helps portray. Often, menu cards pick up on the theme first introduced in the wedding invitation, taking stylistic elements from the paper invitation and incorporating them again in the menu, albeit likely in a simplified fashion.
Here are some creative ideas that you might have included on your wedding invitation that you could re-incorporate into your wedding menu cards:
- A custom crest or monogram
- Calligraphy
- Vintage stamps
- The same color palette
- Fonts
- Watercolor
Alternatively, the menu card may leave the wedding invitation design behind altogether and instead pick up on a major element of the wedding reception itself, matching the overall theme of the wedding. When talking with your menu card designer, think about the elements of your wedding that are most important to you (or rather, what we call your “Passion Points”). You can brainstorm how to incorporate those elements into the actual menu card.
Examples:
- Your wedding dress or suit tie: incorporate lace, pattern, texture, or other such details.
- Inspiration images: if you have a theme already picked out, provide a set of inspirational images to your designer to help guide them to what you like.
Another option in designing your menu card could be to incorporate a more personal element of your life as a couple. For example, you could include an illustrated portrait of your pet. Think of those things that are near and dear to both of you and how you might be able to include that in your menu card story!
Meal Choices
What you choose to serve to your guests can speak just as powerfully as your menu’s aesthetics. For example, if you’re a couple that loves to travel, choosing a menu that reflects your favorite destination could be a subtle nod to that fact.
At PalmWood, we had a couple that chose each course based on their own personal story together. For example, the appetizer was based on their first date; their main entrée incorporated their favorite meal; and their dessert was the same as when the groom proposed. On the back of each menu, these items were explained. This thought-filled menu helped tell the story of the couple as powerfully as any other element of the wedding.
At PalmWood, we believe that paying attention to the details is what helps make a wedding unique and meaningful – and one way to do this is through your wedding menu cards! We hope these ideas have helped spark inspiration for your own wedding. Time to get designing!
Pin this post!
