The significance of a wedding invite cannot be overstated in ensuring the success of your celebration. Beyond just conveying essential information such as dates and details, invitation cards and save-the-dates play a crucial role in establishing the tone of the event and unifying your overall wedding theme. Moreover, invites whether physical or digital, offer a glimpse into your identity as a couple. If you have ever dreamt of a wedding invitation that is not just expertly crafted but also infused with artistic brilliance and the essence of your unique personality, then designer Itchha Talreja is the person to go to.
She has been creating deeply personal and memorable invites for the crème de la crème of India for a decade now. From classic to fanciful, minimalist and understated to whimsical and bold, her designs run the gamut for every taste, destination and venue. Talreja’s ultimate goal is to bring the couple’s story to life through beautiful, hand-crafted invites that leave a lasting impression.
In a tête-à-tête, the founder of Itchha Talreja Designs speaks on the evolution of invites and creating the perfect one for couples.
Let’s start from the beginning. How did you get into the business of designing wedding invites?
I am a graphic designer and worked mainly in the corporate segment and fashion magazines. But things changed when in 2015 when a friend who was based in Australia and getting married in Thailand asked me to design her wedding invite. It was a lot of fun. Things just rolled from there.
Who was the first celebrity client you designed for and how was the experience?
I designed a birthday invite for Saif Ali Khan at Pataudi Palace. It was my first encounter with a celebrity. But in spite of being one of the biggest stars in India he was very down to earth and a true gentleman. And the best thing was the fact that his ideas and my aesthetics really aligned. It was a digital invite with a crest of his royal family. He really liked it.
You designed the engagement invite for Parineeti and Raghav Chadha. How was that experience?
Parineeti is a perfectionist and there was a lot of back and forth. She wanted something very minimal. The event was at Raghav’s home. The décor team shared certain elements to be incorporated in the invite. So we designed a pastel invite with a fountain, lots of greenery and a glass house since the wedding was inside a glasshouse. We even did the Save The Date for her Udaipur wedding.
Rakul Preet and Jackky Bhagnani's wedding was one of the most talked about in recent times. How was it working with the couple? What was the brief for their invite?
Rakul and Jackky is the most fun couple I have worked with. Most celebrities have managers who give directions. But this couple was personally invested in the whole process - right from selecting the colours to the song for the invite. There was no absolutely drama. They met on the beach and their wedding too was on the beach. So they wanted to incorporate a beach vibe in their wedding invite. The song for the invite was something Jackky wrote for her.
And Aaliyah Kashyap?
She wanted something very personalised which involved her pets a dog and a cat. So we created an invite which was very young and edgy.
What is it that celebrities look for in their invites?
They usually want an invite which is highly personal and speaks a lot about who they are. That’s because people generally see them playing a character in a movie. So they want to create a personal story with their invite. Most celebrities these days want to go with pastel colours and keep things minimal. But personalisation is the biggest element in the invite.
How have the invites evolved over the years?
When we started designing invites it was all print. There were no video invites. We were among the first few to go digital with video invites. Over the years we have used paper, fiber, cardboard, wood, etc.
Video and static invites are hugely popular these days. A video invite is the first communication about the wedding which sets the theme. Then comes the static PDF invite. This is because older guests and those who are not tech-savvy find it difficult to read the text on a video which is a minute or max 80 seconds long. However, post-Covid print invites have made a comeback. Nothing beats the thrill of seeing a thoughtfully designed physical invite in the mail! We’ve been printing way more physical invites in the last two years. So it’s safe to say that print invites are back again.
Seed paper invites crafted from recycled materials is also getting popular. These are embedded with seeds that guests can plant post the celebrations resulting in gorgeous herbs and plants that leave a lasting impact.
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Which was the most challenging invite to design?
Every invite is a challenge to begin with, especially the ‘Save the Date’ and the logo. So I always tell my clients that the ‘Save the Date’ will take longer than the actual wedding invite. Every couple has a different design aesthetic – some love pastels, some want rich colours. The first few weeks is always a struggle. Once you understand their vibe, it’s all a cakewalk.
What is your process in designing an invite and how do you ensure that each invite is a true reflection of the couple's individuality?
It starts with meeting the couple to understand their preferences and liking. We also make them fill out a questionnaire that helps us understand them better. To be honest, we talk a lot to the couple. The more you talk, the more you understand. Once we have a clear picture of their liking we start sketching and showing them a few illustrations. The whole process takes a month. The idea is to create something that not only reflects their personality but also becomes a cherished keepsake.
Where do you take your inspiration from?
I travel a lot, almost 20 days in a month. So a lot of my inspiration comes from things I see in different countries, states and continents. I like to keep my designs natural and free flowing. With every invite I like to explore different ideas and themes. The ultimate inspiration is couple’s personal story and how they met along with their vibe. We usually experiment a lot with illustrations and try to make sure that no two invites look and feel the same.
Can you suggest what couples should look out for while designing their special day invites?
Keep it simple and minimal. Don’t crowd the invite with unnecessary details. In today’s digital age you don’t need to cram your invite with every small detail. Just the date, venue, time, name of the couple and the parents’ names are enough. And don’t wait till the last moment to approach the designer. Keep a month at least for the back and forth.
What's next for you?
I am designing an invite for a wedding in Budapest which is going to be very different for the work we have done so far. So I am really looking forward to that.