Here at Dodeline, we are closing in on our 16th (WHOA) year creating custom wedding stationery for couples in Charleston, South Carolina and beyond. It’s incredible to see what’s changed over that time – both in what couples are looking for but also in technology and printing capabilities. Trends change and we pride ourselves on staying current but always remaining true to timeless design as well.
So, what are couples looking for in summer 2026? Given that we provide wedding paper design services for weddings all over the country, we think we’re the perfect ones to answer this question. Here are a few requests we’re seeing more and more.
Caption: An example of a trifold, gatefold invitation. You can see it both open and shut in the images above.
1. Trifold Invitations
Years ago, when we first started, “pockets” were all the rage. A pocket is usually a solid color cardstock piece that can be folded in multiple ways to hold the invitation and inserts inside. While we have seen interest in pockets picking back up again, the version in 2026 is slightly different.
Couples are interested in invitations that feel interactive, and an invitation that opens up with a “reveal” certainly fits the bill. Often we will do these as a “gatefold” which means that the piece opens down the middle of the front, similar to a gate.
This piece can be the invitation itself by printing the text directly on the center panel. Alternatively, you can have a separate invitation that is either glued into the trifold or kept loose.
Caption: A custom matchbox designed and produced by Dodeline Design.
2. Matchboxes
While napkins, cups and koozies are still popular, matchboxes are certainly the chosen favor for weddings in 2026. They are a great collectible piece for your guests and offer a lot of flexibility in design.
3. Custom Shapes
If you’ve looked at invitation inspiration at all in 2026, you’ll see that unique shapes are a huge player in custom wedding stationery. Everything from geometric looks to literal shapes like palm trees, oysters, lemons, and more. There is no limit to the imagination and the possibilities!
This is one area where the technology has really helped to make custom paper shapes possible for wedding paper design services. It’s much easier to accomplish now and therefore more affordable to make a unique paper shape part of your custom wedding stationery.
Caption: A colorful, custom invitation suite featuring a gatefold invitation as well as a custom shape reply card for online RSVPs.
4. Online RSVPs
While mailing back traditional RSVPs is still very much happening, more and more couples are option to direct guests to reply online. It has the bonus of saving cost on postage and allowing for (potentially) quicker responses.
This trend also fits well with #3 above because the RSVP card no longer has to be mail=able – you can opt to explore custom wedding paper design services to make this card stand out in a fun way.
5. Color
It’s been a minute since we’ve done an invitation all in one color scheme around here, especially a neutral one. Brides and grooms in 2026 are very much embracing COLOR and PERSONALITY!
6. A return to tradition
Now, we’re going to contradict ourselves. Despite everything we’ve said above, we are also seeing a trend among some clients of bringing in their mother’s invitation and requesting it to be very similar to that. Think black engraving on ecru paper, complete with a tissue paper overlay. Tradition never goes out of style!
In Conclusion
If you’re looking for wedding paper design services, you’re in the right place. We’ve been creating custom wedding stationery for over 15 years and we never tire of coming up with new and interesting ideas. What do you want to make? Reach out to us and let’s get started!
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