Creating Beautiful Wedding Welcome Signs for My Friend’s Reception
Creating personalized wedding welcome signs for special occasions adds a unique charm that store-bought items just can’t match. When one of my dearest friends, Mickey, asked me to be a bridesmaids, I was so excited to stand beside her and to help her bring some of her Pinterest inspiration to real life. It was the perfect opportunity to blend our combined crafty skills for her beautiful celebration.
Mickey is herself a DIY queen and created most of the wedding decorations herself. We were both drawn to these floral wedding welcome signs we had seen on Pinterest. Utilizing our unique skillsets, Mickey would build the sign frames and I would design and apply the lettering.
The Sign Vision
Mickey wanted her welcome sign to reflect the love and joy of the occasion, welcoming guests in a memorable way. The wedding was held at her parent’s farm and required two unique wedding signs; one welcoming guests and the other thanking them. Mickey’s wedding colour was green but she wanted it to be colourful to stand out against their backdrop.
Tools of the Trade
To bring the vision to life, I utilized my Glowforge laser cutter for precision and my Cricut for the lettering.
The Process
- Building the Signs. Since Mickey was building the signs, I let her determine the size and measurements. She made sure that the flower box was low enough so that the flowers didn’t cover all the letters. Mickey also added a little chain to keep the frames from opening too wide.
- Designing the Signs: I created a few design ideas based on Mickey’s inspiration references. It was important that although the two signs would say different things, together they looked like a set. We decided on a combination of cursive text and a colourful serif font for the heading.
- Laser Cutting: I used my Glowforge to cut out the headline letters and the names using MDF wood. The laser precision is able to maintain the characteristics of unique fonts that wouldn’t be possible if done by hand. The thickness of the MDF also gives the letters a 3D look once attached to the signs, giving them a high end quality.
- Vinyl Lettering: For the cursive lettering and dates, I used my Cricut to cut black vinyl. Smaller text is harder to read when cut on a laser and can break easily when the shapes are too thin which is why I went with vinyl for these parts. I also felt it makes the headline text stand out by being the only 3D part.
- Painting and Assembly: After everything was cut, I painted the the laser cut letters and made sure who get the edges to hide the burnt edges. While the paint dried, I used my Cricut to cut out a stencil that I could use to perfectly align each word. I carefully applied the vinyl lettering and used double sided tape to attached the laser cut letters.
- Finishing Touches: One the day of the wedding, Mickey picked up a variety colourful flowers to use in the wedding welcome signs. With the signs in their location, we used mason jars filled with water to hold the flowers, placing the longer flowers around the edge to frame the letters.
The Final Welcome Sings
The final products turned out stunning! Each sign had its own personality, and they were the perfect welcome to guests arriving for the celebration.
Why Personalization Matters
Creating these wedding welcome signs reminded me of the importance of personalization in celebrations. It’s not just about decoration; it’s about making memories and adding meaningful touches. Mickey and I can proudly say we made these signs together, a beautiful reminder of all the other crazy projects we worked together on over the years.
If you’re looking to add a special touch to your next event, consider crafting your own decorations. Whether it’s welcome signs, table numbers, or custom favours, the effort you put in will surely be appreciated by your guests!
Happy crafting, and cheers to love and creativity!
Wedding Photography: Maria Denomme Photography
Sign Frames: Mickey Collins Fullerton
Lettering & Design: Tawny McFadyen
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Glowforge Laser, Cricut Air 2