When Bhavika Shah started Beyond Design seven years ago, there was a dearth in the Indian market for eclectic wedding invitations. Fresh from her Master's degree from Savannah College, USA, strongly rooted in innovation, she began her journey from her small bedroom study. Today, Beyond Design takes pride in being associated with the Jindals , Narangs, Taj Group of Hotels, Aditya Birla group among other elite individuals and corporate clients.

We talked to Bhavika about her journey and the latest trends in the wedding invitation market

You have designed some really out-of-the-box invitations, tell us about the one of the most interesting and innovative designs?

We designed one invitation hand crafted from raw silk and board. We wanted to give it another twist. It had three inserts so we decided to put a central motif in each, join them with a plastic sheet. So when they overlapped, they formed a symbol.

Another fun and very interesting card we have done was using letter-pressing. The inserts were printed on fine board paper for a sturdy, solid look. The design was then emphasized with the 'letterpress' printing technique, a rare and unique style of printing on bold yellow.

Where do you think the Indian wedding invitation market is heading?

Since people are now well traveled, their tastes are getting more evolved. The cards have become simpler yet classic rather than pop ups and lot of bling.

What inspires you?

Inspiration is all around me. Whether it is a scribble on the wall, saree motifs, carpet patterns, ancient paintings or the architecture, Indian culture is rich with ideas. I strongly believe in the worth of home grown ideas that can be portrayed in international style rather than copying the west.

What do you specialize in apart from wedding invitations?

We have found our niche in wedding cards, event design, coffee table books, packaging, brochures, websites and even baby shower boxes announcements.

What trends are you seeing in wedding invitations?

'Tree of life' is very popular. Though it's been done a lot, it is being done with a twist. We did a take on tree of life with a unique orientation and shower of gold foil. We are also working on saree motifs and trying to achieve them on metallic sheets and silk finish paper. White and gold, beige and gold are some of the popular colors.

What is going to be the next big thing?

Utility based cards are certainly the next big thing. Things like the card in a box that can later be used as photo frame, or an authentic miniature or Mughal painting on a card that can be removed and framed later.