The Card Co creates marriage invitations that are a real gem

"Invest in love" is the slogan of The Card Co, a Dubai firm specialising in bespoke wedding stationery. But is the romantic in you prepared to shell out up to US$50,000 (Dh183,660) for a wedding invitation?

The Card Co is creating what it believes is the world's most expensive wedding invitation, which will be made from 24-carat gold and have some kind of diamond feature, too, naturally.

It's certainly one way to impress the future in-laws.

"It's a special day," says Ramzi Razian, the owner of the company, speaking at his quaint little shop tucked away in the Dubai International Financial Centre.

"You have no idea of what we go through with the briefing," he says. "It's by appointment and we close the doors. The couple come along, they sit down and discuss their theme, the colours, how much they want to spend, if they want crystals, diamonds or gold."

The most expensive wedding invitation the company has created so far cost $15,000. It was a palette of gold engraved with guests' names and details of the wedding. The couple ordered six.

"It's pretty much like money in the bank," says Mr Razian. "It holds the value."

Now The Card Co is planning a range of invitations costing between $25,000 and $50,000.

"These will be pretty much flawless - gold, diamonds, the whole nine yards. We'll be working with one of the most expensive jewellers on earth," says Mr Razian.

But he will not reveal which jeweller.

The highest-spending customers are from Saudi Arabia, Mr Razian says. The demand is there for "couture hand-made invitation cards", he says, and the company is hoping to expand from its one site in Dubai to New York, New Delhi, London, Beirut and Riyadh.

rbundhun@thenational.ae

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