When most people think of luxury wedding stationery, they picture the usual suspects: advanced printing methods like embossing or letterpress, a zillion insert cards, maybe even a silk ribbon wrap / vellum overlay / wax seal trio moment that took three days to assemble.

And honestly? I love those suites. But here’s another view that I solidly stand behind: more does not always mean better. The most elevated suites aren’t the most crowded. They’re the most considered.

If you want paper that feels high-end, these are the five design choices that make the biggest difference.

1. WEIGHT > LAYERS

One thick, gorgeous piece of paper will always feel better than five flimsy ones.

The fastest way to elevate your suite is to upgrade your paper. Texture and weight do more to communicate quality than all the inserts in the world. Think textured stock or double-thick cards. They don’t shout. They just feel expensive.

2. SHAPE = INSTANT ELEVATION

Want to feel editorial fast? Change the shape.

A die-cut detail. Rounded corners. A shaped menu that looks like it belongs in a magazine spread. These elements make the suite feel designed, not just printed.

3. WHITESPACE IS A POWER MOVE

Nothing says confidence like space.

The fastest way to make a suite feel cluttered is to try to fill every inch of it. The fastest way to make it feel expensive is to let it breathe.

Design is just as much about what you leave out as what you put in. Margins matter. Line spacing matters. Negative space creates calm, clarity, and a refined feel.

4. COLOR WITH INTENTION

Luxury palettes don’t beg for attention, they just belong.

You don’t need a rainbow of accent colors. The most refined suites often rely on one strong tone—navy, black, gold, deep green—or stay tonal and let texture do the talking.

5. EMBELLISHMENTS SHOULD EARN THEIR SPOT

Luxury isn’t about using every upgrade. It’s about choosing the ones that make sense. You don’t have to have wax seals, ribbons, double envelopes, die-cut tags, and vellum jackets  all at once.

The most elevated suites use embellishments sparingly and intentionally. One well-placed detail will always feel more thoughtful than ten stacked on top of each other.  Let the extras be extra meaningful.

Proof It Works: The Crest Styled Shoot

We used every one of these principles in a styled shoot at The Crest, a historic venue in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, full of character and calm elegance.

• The suite was simple, clean, and quietly confident.
• The round, triple-layer menus felt sculptural on the table.
• The gold champagne tags added that subtle “ooh, what is this?” moment.

No loud colors. No over-the-top embellishments. Just thoughtful design that fit the space, the story, and the energy of the day. That’s how you do luxury without doing the most.

WANT TO SEE HOW EVERY DETAIL CAME TOGETHER?

While we focused on paper, this shoot was a full team effort and every vendor brought the same intentional, elevated energy to their part of the day. The result? A wedding design that felt cohesive, confident, and completely dialed in.

From the sculptural florals to the soft glam styling, from the layered table design to the coffee cart (yes please!) every touchpoint told the same story: luxury doesn’t have to be loud.

Scroll through the images below to see how it all came to life and to get inspired by some of the most thoughtful vendors that the North Carolina Triad has to offer.

Final Thoughts

If you want your invitations to feel expensive, don’t chase every print method or Pinterest trend. Choose fewer things. Choose them well.  Design with intention. And let every detail earn its place.

Want a suite that doesn’t need to shout to be unforgettable?  I know a girl.