Wedding ceremonies these days are as varied as the couples who take that big step; from traditional church weddings to mid-air nuptials as the participants float underneath matching parachutes, the locations and modes of marrying are wonderfully diverse. Why not choose a wedding invitation which reflects the design and spirit of the occasion? Here are some considerations:

Where are you getting married? If you're having a traditional indoor wedding in a church, you may want to choose an equally traditional white embossed invitation with a religious theme. If your wedding is scheduled to take place in a sunny field surrounded by wildflowers, however, a more colorful invitation with a nature theme might be perfect.

What is the color scheme of the wedding? Many brides-to-be spend a lot of time and thought choosing bridesmaid's dresses, flowers, and other decorations for their wedding; why not let the wedding invitation reflect the chosen color scheme? A small, intimate evening wedding with deep burgundy bridesmaid gowns would benefit from beautifully decorative burgundy and gold engraved invitations with coordinating envelopes; an informal spring wedding could be reflected by cheerful pastel invitations.

Do you want to reflect a particular ethnic or religious background? Your family's cultural or religious history may include specific wedding traditions; why not reflect these in your wedding invitations? Traditional African designs, Greek or Russian Orthodox iconography, or simply elegant Asians designs could all be incorporated into unique wedding invitations. Pre-designed wedding invitations are becoming ever more diverse, but if you can't find an invitation that matches what you have in mind, you may be able to find a greeting card with a blank interior which you can adapt, or design one yourself.

Think about all your needs before you order your invitations.

For all wedding invitations, you need to include response cards and envelopes so your guests can RSVP. Also, decide whether it's okay for you to receive responses by email; if so, include your email address somewhere on the invitation or RSVP card. If you want the responses to arrive by snail mail, spend the extra money to put postage stamps on the return envelopes; it will increase your chances of getting responses, both yeses and no's, tremendously.

Are you having a pre-wedding supper for family and participants? If it's a formal affair, you may want place cards for the dinner. You may also want a wedding guest book and thank-you notes matching your invitations. Are you going to send announcements to people you don't plan to invite to the wedding? You might want to consider drafting them so they announce the wedding as having taken place, wait until after the ceremony to send them, and enclose a wedding photo as a small gift to the recipient.

Whatever your wedding plans, let your invitations and accessories reflect your plans for the ceremony itself. This small detail will help you define the day and make it even more memorable, for yourself and for all your guests.