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When it comes to your wedding, you want to stamp your own personal style on every aspect of the day. In the business world, they call this "branding." In the wedding world, the branding begins and ends with your stationery. You can use your stationery to pull together the entire look of your wedding. Just select a color, monogram, and font, then run with them.

Here we offer 10 hot ideas to help you create a suite of wedding stationery that's as unique as the two of you.

1. Gold Is the New Black

Gold has made a comeback in fashion and accessories. This luxe metal is now popping up in wedding stationery too. Lisa Hoffman, owner of Ceci New York, a custom stationery boutique, has created invites using gold papers, gold engraving, and gold-lined envelopes.

Branding 101: Wear gold heels, use gold utensils, and dip cocktail glasses in gold-dusted sugar.

2. Vintage Flair

When it comes to design, couples want a vintage look. Karen Bartolomei, owner of Grapevine in Boston, designs vintage-style invitations inspired by Parisian soap label art, Givenchy couture, and swirl or damask patterns.

Branding 101: Give your cake baker a copy of your invitation and then ask them to decorate the cake using a similar design.

More from The Knot: Top 10 most common stationery mistakes

3. Eco-Friendly Elements

Earth-conscious couples don't need to sacrifice style to have eco-friendly stationery. If you like the look of letterpress, 100-percent cotton paper -- the choice of most stationers, including Saima Khan, creator of Saima Says Design in Washington, DC -- works beautifully. Other green options: recycled or seed-embedded paper, wood veneers, and soy-based ink.

Branding 101: An excellent option is to choose a caterer who uses locally grown or organic ingredients to create their menus.

4. Postcard Save-the-Dates

To create the mood for a vintage-inspired wedding, Khan creates save-the-dates fashioned after classic posters in the form of postcards. Not only does this make for easy mailing, but it can also be a wonderful way to set the tone for a destination wedding. Maren Ogden, owner of the letterpress stationer Elizabeth and Homer in Utah, likes the laid-back vibe of the postcard look for something fun and different. She then adds letterpress to the back for a more formal touch.

Branding 101: Name all your reception tables after places you've been together using a postcard from each of the destinations.

5. Modern Monograms

Monograms are getting a makeover. Khan sees them becoming more thematic, with stylistic elements like elaborate ampersands. Rather than a simple font, consider using intertwined initials for an updated look.

Branding 101: Instead of stamping your monogram on every flat surface, do so tastefully and limit yourself to two or three places.

6. Escort Card Cocktails

For a small wedding, Hoffman loves the idea of escort cards hanging off of a cocktail's swizzle stick. Ask your caterer to have the waiters stationed with trays at the entrance; that way, guests will be able to pick up their drink and discover their seat at the same time.

Branding 101: Keep the vibe intimate. Instead of the standard chicken or beef, allow guests to take their pick off an a la carte menu.

7. Gray Is the New Brown
One color trend that we love: steel gray. This ultra-cool color can be used in a modern way teamed with robin's egg blue or raspberry pink. The look is softer than chocolate brown, but it's still stylish enough to carry through a contemporary wedding style.

Branding 101: Dress your maids in steel gray with a robin's egg blue sash. Add gray to the flowers with dusty miller or silver brunia.

More from The Knot: 30 ways to wow your wedding guests

8. Classic Patterns, Unexpected Colors

Modern couples are putting a new spin on the traditional invite by using bright, bold colors. For a formal wedding, an invitation that features a damask- or brocade-inspired print could appear in fuchsia, light blue, or black.

Branding 101: Consider dressing your bridesmaids in different yet coordinating colors and patterns for a look that is mixed-and-matched.

9. Easy RSVPs

To save paper and make it easier on guests, wedding stationers attach stamped response cards to the invite with perforated edges so you tear the card off and mail it -- a small detail with big style.

Branding 101: Perforated reply cards are just the beginning. Don't forget to create a wedding website where guests can get updated on all the wedding details -- another cool wow factor.

10. Custom-Made Stamps

Hoffman designs postage stamps to match your invitation design using a pattern, monogram, or motif. These custom stamps add a unique touch and eliminate excess stamps since you can customize the amount.

Branding 101: Take a cue from your stamps; pull your monogram or motif into designs for cocktail napkins, favor tags, and place cards.

-- Christa Vagnozzi

© 2012 The Knot. All rights reserved.