Black Wedding Invitations | A Guide from Birdhouse197

If we opened an envelope and found a black, tarot-inspired invitation inside, we'd know immediately we were going to a wedding that breaks the mould. And honestly, we'd be hyped.

Black is one of our classic combinations, and a lot of our work lives there. This is our guide to black wedding invitations: the designs we love most on black, what foil does to them, and what to do if you're worried it's too much.

'Til Death Do Us Part | Black Gothic Wedding Invitations

This is where it all started. 'Til Death Do Us Part has been around since 2019, a wedding invitation for couples who wanted their stationery to say forever and mean it differently. It's had various versions since, from our original skeletons to the updated Skeleton Lovers illustration that came later, and it became the foundation of what Birdhouse197 is today.

On black it's as direct as we get. Couples tell us it set the tone of their entire day before a single guest stepped through the door. One even had it tattooed, and we're endlessly honoured by that.

See the 'Til Death Do Us Part collection

Black and Gold Wedding Invitations

Foil on black genuinely earns its reputation. It's one of those things that's hard to capture in a photo or even on video, the way it catches and moves with the light just doesn't translate on a screen. Our Interlocking Rings save the date has the entire front foiled, one of only a handful of designs where we foil at that scale.

Black with gold foil on The Lovers Tarot is a personal favourite of ours. Instantly recognisable, a message spoken without any words. It's also what we chose for our own save the dates, gold foil on black in our Celestial Sun & Moon design, and it set the tone immediately.

We offer five foil finishes: gold, silver, copper, rose gold and iridescent. Gold reads opulent and a little vampiric. Silver reads cold and elegant. Iridescent reads otherworldly. Foiling only works on certain designs, so have a look through our foil wedding invitations or ask us if you've got your eye on something specific.

“Amazing quality prints (probably the nicest paper I have ever felt), foiling was amazing, designs are stunning, and a pleasure to work with!”
Rae S. | Read all our Google reviews

Black and White Wedding Invitations

No foil needed here. A white illustration on black lets the drawing do all the talking.

Star-Crossed Lovers is the one to look at first, bleeding hearts and crossed swords with genuine theatrical weight. Someone at a wedding fair once told us our stand reminded them of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, and we never forgot that.

Candle & Key | A Black Victorian Gatefold

Candle & Key started, like so many of our designs, with a biro doodle from Joshua. In black it's a little bit haunted house, a little bit Downton Abbey.

You can have your own silhouettes on the cover too. We draw them from a photo of the two of you, so every cover is different, and that's the point. See the custom silhouette gatefold.

Worried Black Is Too Much?

We do hear it now and then, usually from couples who love the look but don't want to scare off a more traditional family. We always respect that.

There's a lot of room to play with. Every design can be printed in any colour, and the same illustration in off white, ivory or kraft brown feels much softer. The meaning and the detail are still there.

Having said all of that, we do take it as something of a compliment when a customer tells us their aunty was outraged at the skeletons on their invites. That tends to mean we got it exactly right.

Envelopes and Samples

White envelopes are included, and black envelopes are available as an add-on if you want it black from the moment it lands on the doormat.

If photos aren't quite enough, our sample packs are the easiest way to hold a few of our real designs in your hands. We work to a 4 to 5 week lead time from order to delivery, including international orders.

Ready to Start?

Explore our gothic wedding invitations or tell us about your day and we'll take it from there.

George & Joshua