Watercolor Wedding Maps

Check out some examples of our work in the slideshow above, and if you’re interested in creating personalized watercolor wedding maps for your Big Day, please give us a shout! We have worked with couples nationwide to create personalized wedding maps for their wedding, even if it’s not here in Charleston. The sky’s the limit!

Watercolor Wedding Map

No matter the style of your wedding, custom wedding maps personalize the stationery in the perfect way. Especially if you’re planning a destination wedding, getting guests excited about the location(s) via a beautiful wedding map is a win-win! They’ll booking their flights and hotels in no time when you show them all there is to offer. Or, if you wait to unveil your map until the wedding weekend in welcome bags, they’ll have it conveniently on hand for exploring the wedding destination.


How the Design Process Works

One of the first things we’ll need to determine is how you plan to use the map. There are three possible times in the stationery process you might introduce it:

  1. Using a map as your save the date
  2. Including it as an insert inside your wedding invitation package (often with additional wedding details printed on the back)
  3. Printing it as a welcome itinerary to go to guests when they arrive

After determining how it will be used, it’s time to decide the locations which will need to appear on your map. There are a few considerations to keep in mind here:

  1. Obviously, if you are sending the map as a save the date, you have a lot less information finalized at that time than you do if you’re sending it as a welcome itinerary, so how “helpful” the map is may change a bit depending on what stage of planning you’re in.
  2. If you have any events to which only some guests are invited, you may or may not want to include that location on the map. If it is a venue like a restaurant that the excluded guests would just see as a landmark, then we’ll often include it, but if it’s a private venue that would not pass for a landmark, we don’t. That said, it’s your day so you decide!
  3. Sometimes all the locations are close to each other except for one outlier. In that case, we can either zoom out to include the full area to demonstrate that it’s a distance away, or we can zoom in on everything else and indicate the further out location with an arrow / distance notation (i.e. “Magnolia Gardens, 12 miles”).
  4. The map doesn’t have to be just your wedding specific landmarks. We’ve had people include where they got engaged, childhood homes, favorite places, etc.
  5. Get creative – it doesn’t have to be only the wedding city either. It can be fun to create maps that show all the places you’ve lived, traveled, and the like too as a super custom element in the invitations.

Once we’ve determined the logistic part of the map, it’s time to move on to the design.

The image above demonstrates what a huge variety in style, design, and color there can be in something as simple as a “wedding map.” As you peruse the slideshow above and this image, try to take note of the following items and see what you’re most drawn to:

  1. Map cards that are completely filled with color versus ones that have white space
  2. Maps that have roads versus ones that do not
  3. Maps that are very simple, i.e. only roads
  4. The color of the land and/or water – often, if it’s not a typical blue/green combination, we’ll use a wedding color here. That can help tie everything in your wedding invitation suite together.
  5. Compass or no compass? Surprisingly we find people usually have strong opinions on that!
  6. Colorful icons or one color (again, this is where thinking of the map in view of your whole invitation suite is helpful)

No matter where or how you decide to use a watercolor wedding map, your guests are sure to be thrilled to receive it! It gives them such a great idea about your event and the place to which they are being invited. Especially for Charleston weddings, your guests will be absolutely delighted to see they get to plan a trip to a beautiful, charming location as well as see a loved one tie the knot!


Your input in the design process is crucial and highly encouraged! We treat every watercolor wedding map project as a collaborative effort. You can specify everything from the style and color scheme to align with your wedding invitations or choose a traditional “blue water/green land” coloring. Whether it’s matching your wedding suite or opting for something uniquely you, the map will be designed to complement your wedding’s aesthetic beautifully.

Watercolor wedding maps can be versatile! You can use them as a unique save the date, include them in your wedding invitation package, or as a part of the welcome bags for your guests. Each option offers a different way to introduce your guests to the wedding location(s), help them navigate the event, or simply get them excited about the destination.

Choosing locations for your map depends on various factors, including the purpose of the map and the stage of your wedding planning. Consider including significant landmarks, venues for specific events, places of personal significance, or even a mix of locations that tell your story as a couple. We’ll guide you through selecting the right mix of locations to ensure your map is both meaningful and useful for your guests.

Yes, you can! Beyond wedding venues and event locations, your watercolor wedding map can feature places that hold special meaning to you as a couple, like where you got engaged, childhood homes, or favorite spots. It’s a fantastic way to share your story with your guests and make your wedding stationery even more personal and memorable.

When considering the style and design of your watercolor wedding map, think about how it will fit with the overall theme of your wedding and invitation suite. Decide whether you prefer a map filled with color or one with more white space, the inclusion of roads, simplicity versus detail, and any specific colors or icons you’d like. We’ll work with you to incorporate these elements, ensuring the map perfectly complements your wedding stationery.

For outlier locations, we have a couple of solutions. We can zoom out to show the distance on the map or focus on the main area and indicate the distant location with an arrow and distance notation. This way, we ensure all relevant locations are represented in a way that’s clear and aesthetically pleasing.

Including a compass on your watercolor wedding map is entirely up to you. Some couples feel strongly about having one for aesthetic or navigational reasons, while others prefer to omit it for a cleaner look. We’ll discuss your preferences to ensure the map aligns with your vision.

Definitely! If the traditional blue and green color scheme doesn’t suit your wedding, we can customize the land and water colors to match your wedding palette. This customization helps tie your watercolor wedding map seamlessly with your invitation suite and overall wedding theme, creating a cohesive look and feel.

A personalized watercolor wedding map not only adds a whimsical and fun touch to your wedding stationery but also serves a practical purpose. It excites guests about the destination, aids in navigation, and personalizes your event. Whether used as a save the date, part of the invitation suite, or in welcome bags, it’s a charming and informative gesture that your guests will appreciate and cherish.

Interested in a custom wedding map? Get in touch!