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Wedding Invitations for your Kilkea Castle Celebration

Kilkea Castle Wedding Invitations

Venue Focus – Kilkea Castle, Co. Kildare, Ireland

There’s nothing like saying “I do” at an Irish castle, and Kilkea Castle in County Kildare offers a setting that’s as enchanting as it is timeless. The 12th-century castle, surrounded by lush green landscapes, towering turrets, and centuries of history, is one of Ireland’s most iconic wedding venues. When it comes to creating the perfect wedding invitations for your Kilkea Castle celebration, you want to capture the grandeur, magic, and spirit of this historic setting. Here’s how to design wedding invitations that will inspire your guests and set the stage for a celebration they’ll never forget.

Embrace Celtic and Castle Motifs

Ireland is a land rich in Celtic heritage, and Kilkea Castle is a historical gem filled with ancient charm. To reflect the ambiance of your castle venue, consider incorporating Celtic motifs and castle-inspired details into your wedding invitations. Look for traditional knot patterns, interwoven designs, and even subtle illustrations of Kilkea Castle itself to give your invitations a distinctly Irish feel.

A touch of Celtic knotwork on the borders or corners of your invitation card, or a hand-drawn depiction of Kilkea Castle, can serve as an elegant and unique nod to the venue. This creates a sense of timeless romance, blending history and culture into your wedding aesthetic.

Celtic Wedding Invitation

Choose Luxurious Materials and Finishes

Kilkea Castle is a venue where opulence meets tradition, and your invitations should reflect that level of refinement. Choose high-quality paper with textured finishes, like linen or cotton, which give a tactile richness that stands out. Letterpress and foil stamping are excellent choices for an elevated finish, and gold or metallic accents work beautifully with a castle theme.

A subtle embossing effect, especially when used with symbols like a coat of arms or the Kilkea Castle logo, will bring an extra layer of sophistication. You might even consider using a vellum overlay for a misty, enchanted look reminiscent of the Irish countryside.

Kilkea Castle Wedding Invitations

Incorporate Colors Inspired by Kilkea’s Landscape

The breathtaking Irish countryside around Kilkea Castle offers endless inspiration for your color palette. Shades of emerald green, soft grays, ivory, and gold beautifully evoke the castle’s verdant surroundings and historic stone walls. Green speaks to Ireland’s rolling hills and woodlands, while gray and ivory reflect the castle’s architectural elegance.

If you’re hosting a fall wedding, incorporate warm hues like rust, deep burgundy, or mustard. For a spring celebration, consider blush pinks and soft lavenders to echo the blooming Irish gardens. Whatever season you choose, subtle colour touches in your invitation suite can transport your guests to Kilkea even before they arrive.

Kilkea Castle Hotel Ireland Wedding save the dates

Include Irish Language or Poetry

Nothing says romance quite like a few words of Irish. Include a short Irish phrase or quote to give a meaningful, personal touch to your invitations. Phrases like “Grá go deo” (Love forever) or “Mo ghrá thú” (You are my love) can be beautifully inscribed as a header, footer, or callout within the invitation. 

Consider including a verse from Irish poetry, perhaps from W.B. Yeats, whose evocative lines reflect Ireland’s natural beauty and spirit. An Irish blessing is also a lovely addition that conveys warmth and goodwill for the journey ahead.

Create a Custom Wax Seal

A wax seal adds an element of regal elegance to your wedding invitations. Create a custom seal with your initials, a Celtic symbol, or a crest that represents Kilkea Castle or your family. Choose colors like gold, deep green, or dark blue to match the overall aesthetic of your invitations.

This seal can be placed on the envelope closure or as a decorative element within the invitation suite. Guests will love the feel of opening something that’s both timeless and unique, a fitting introduction to your castle celebration.

Personalised Wax Seal Stamp
Kate & Brian – Borgo di Tragliata

Add a Personal Welcome Note with Details

Since many of your guests may be traveling from afar, make them feel welcome with a personal note enclosed with your invitation. You could include a brief history of Kilkea Castle, a small itinerary of pre-wedding events, or recommendations for nearby attractions.

Consider adding a map of the area surrounding Kilkea Castle, complete with landmarks like the local village of Castledermot or the picturesque Wicklow Mountains. Adding a personal touch helps make guests feel like they’re in for a well-thought-out experience.

Consider Digital RSVP Options for Convenience

Kilkea Castle’s serene surroundings make it ideal for a destination wedding, which often means that many of your guests may be traveling internationally. Including a digital RSVP option, such as a QR code that directs them to your wedding website, can be convenient and efficient. This modern touch will help you keep track of your headcount, dietary preferences, and any other details, without sacrificing the charm of your printed invitation.

Consider Digital RSVP Options for Convenience

Your wedding invitation is more than just an announcement; it’s the first chapter in your Kilkea Castle love story. Whether you embrace Celtic-inspired designs, luxurious materials, or poetic Irish touches, the right invitation will capture the magic of your Kilkea celebration and build excitement for the unforgettable day ahead.

By blending the castle’s majestic atmosphere with personal details, your invitations can truly transport your guests, setting the tone for a fairy-tale wedding in Ireland. Let your Kilkea Castle invitations be as magical and timeless as your love story.

Kilkea Castle Wedding Invitations

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How to choose your Wedding Invitation Wording

How to Choose your Wedding Invitation Wording

Yay you’re getting married and you’ve started looking at wedding invitations… then you realise there are so many different wording options. Let’s chat about the different options for wedding invitation wording and I’ll give you some samples. Let’s look at what you need to consider.

Who is hosting the wedding?

When you consider wedding invitation wording samples, first think about who is hosting the wedding. The bride and groom, the brides parents, the grooms parents, both sets of parents, or it can be anybody else you want to include.

Sample of wedding invitation wording:

  1. {Bride’s Name} and {Groom’s Name} are getting married. This is an example of wedding invitation wording casual and is used when the couple are hosting. Check out the Emily Collection for this example wording.
  2. {Bride’s Name} and {Groom’s Name} together with their families invite you to celebrate their marriage. Check out the Alexandra and Pippa Collections for this example wording
  3. Together with their families {Bride’s Name} and {Groom’s Name} invite you to celebrate their marriage. Check out the Sara Collection for this example wording.
  4. Mr and Mrs {Father of the Bride’s Name} request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter {Bride’s Name} to {Groom’s Name}. This is an example of wedding invitation wording formal and is used when the parents are hosting the wedding. Check out the Petite Fleur Collection for this example wording.

Names of the Couple

There is formal wedding invitation wording etiquette but depending on the style of your wedding will decide is this is right for you or not. Traditionally the bride’s name is printed first but you can go against tradition and print the groom’s name first. For same sex marriages you have the choice of who you want to choose to print first – many couples choose whichever they think sounds best for both of their names.

The location of the wedding

Always include the location of the ceremony, traditionally the full address would be included but it is now acceptable to include the ceremony location name and the general area as people can find the location themselves.

The Date and Times

You can choose the formal style of wording by including the full date and time or you can mix it up with full text writing, for example TWENTY SECOND OF APRIL or using roman numerals is another very elegant idea.

Reception Details

The format for the reception details follows a similar style to the ceremony location. You should include the name of the location and either it’s full address or it’s general location address. Be sure to also include the time the reception starts at and the expected finish time.

RSVP details

You have a few options when it comes to rsvp wedding invitation wording. Many couples choose an RSVP card which goes out with an addressed envelope with their invitation. The second option is to include the RSVP details on the bottom of the invitation or the third option is to include the RSVP website details on a details insert card. Whichever you choose is up to you and all are totally acceptable ways of including your RSVP details.

Details Cards

The details card can include many items of information, some of which I’ve listed below. Have a think about the most important information you want your guests to know and include this on the wedding details card. The wording of your wedding details card can include items like those listed below.

  • Inviting children
  • Accommodation
  • Directions
  • Gift List
  • Website RSVP
  • Dress Code
  • Dietary Requirements
  • Transportation

There are many options for wedding invitation wording and you will find the one that matches your style best, as a couple and for your wedding. Never worry if your wording is different to someone else’s as there is no right or wrong, there’s just you and your wedding! For more wedding inspiration check out my instagram page.

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Wedding Invitations – Deckled Edges….

What is Deckled Edges on Paper Blog Post

Let’s talk paper design.

Our choice here at Hello Snowflake Designs for wedding stationery paper is the beautiful off-white Aquarelle watercolour card. The reason this is our favourite is because of the fabulous texture and luxurious feel to this card stock. Wedding invitations deserve to be printed on the best fine-art paper and the way the design and ink forms on watercolour paper is just beautiful!

Emily Wedding Stationery Range
The Emily Wedding Stationery Range with a straight edge

Our wedding invitations come in two different edge selections and you might be confused about what they are and which to choose. So let’s discuss paper edges so you can confidently make your choice!

Straight Edges

A straight edge is self explanatory – it is exactly what it says – the edges of your invitations are cut straight and the corners are square. This edge is often chosen for more modern invitation styles. By modern I don’t mean bright colours and flashy styles, I mean rustic, boho, pastel, formal instead of less modern which might be called antique, traditional or fine-art.

Emily Wedding Menu Front
The Emily Wedding Menu with a straight edge

Deckled Edges

Traditionally paper was handmade in a deckle frame. Deckled edges are produced when this handmade paper doesn’t form straight because of the process of how the paper forms within the deckle. In order to have a straight edge a cut is used.

On wedding stationery deckled edges produce a beautiful fine-art finish. Although we are not hand-making our paper the effect of deckled edges can be produced using our watercolour paper and it looks stunning.

There are two effects that we produce and offer, I like to call them a hard deckled edge and a soft deckled edge. These are descriptions that I’ve made up but I think they explain each effect very well.

Soft Deckled Edges

We offer wedding invitations with a deckled edge that has a softer feather to it on the front of the invitations. This type of edge looks beautiful and classic and is perfect for a traditional style of wedding invitation. Check out this example with our Petite Fleur wedding invitation.

Petite Fleur Wedding Invitation
The Petite Fleur Wedding Invitation with a soft deckle edge

Hard Deckled Edges

What I term as a hard deckled edge is a wedding invitation with a rougher feather finish on the front. This type of finish looks amazing with rustic or boho style invitation. This Hanna wedding invitation below is finished with a hard deckled edge. Can you see the difference? It has a rougher, less refined look to it.

Hanna Wedding Invitation
The Hanna Wedding Invitation with a hard deckle edge

Handmade

All of our invitations are handmade which means each one has its own character and finish. This is what makes them unique and a thing of beauty – not a mass produced commercial item.

Which edge will you choose? Chat to us to book in your wedding invitations and get excited about your big day.