Sarah chose a board that she called Equestrian Elegance and got to work designing an invitation that captured the spirit and style of the winning board. First up, the design that started it all!

And the GORGEOUS invitation (and I mean so gorgeous that I get all giddy…and start wanting to dream up an equestrian themed wedding) that the board inspired…

From Sarah Drake…

After seeing Tonia’s inspiration board, I thought that barn red and white combination were so subtle, like an equestrian inspired invite should be! I didn’t want to be too obviously horse-y!

It’s a booklet invite, which is always a great option for couples who need to add more elements to their invite. So many brides ask me how to neatly place everything in the envelope, which can be a challenge when you have separate reception cards, accommodations, maps… So, a booklet is a nice alternative to loose cards if that is important to a bride. One trick for money-saving is use the folder cover of the booklet as a program cover too. That way the bride isn’t paying for two separate covers if she’s planning on printing programs down the road. We just print double the amount needed, which is so much more cost effective than printing twice!

I also fell for her knitted items, and worked really hard to get the yarn element in the invite, without being too crafty ( I tried knitted, crocheted, then the simple wrap with a bit of a braid seemed to make the most sense, without taking the focus off the invite. I love a monogram, too, so I liked showing a simple type treatment here (again, subtle) within the wreath to tie it all together.

I mean are in you love yet? This is so unbelievably lovely and I seriously hope that it inspires a simple, tailored equestrian wedding design so that we can show it off on SMP! Thank you so much to the fabulously talented Sarah Drake for taking on the From Inspiration to Invitation Challenge. I would call it a ridiculously huge success!

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Post tags: Equestrian, From Inspiration to Invitation, horse, Sarah Drake
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Mr. Boddington’s also has a fabulous new line up of engagement/rehearsal dinner, bridal showers, and thank you notes… all just as sweet and chic as the wedding invitations.

A little bit about the collection from owner, Rebecca Schmidt Ruebensaal…

Through the past year, Mr. Boddington traveled around the globe collecting all sorts of musings to inspire his new collection: vintage wedding invitations from Bombay, typography from Shanghai, preppy fabrics from sailing camps in New England, pine needles from Eastern European forests… and the list goes on! He also bent an ear towards what the most fashionable brides chatted about in connection with their wedding correspondence… it appeared that they were chasing not only smart paper designs but those that may save them some pennies.

Wedding, engagement, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower invitations, save-the-dates and thank you notes are offered in both letterpress and flat matte printing. All letterpress is printed on one hundred percent cotton paper (tree-free), and the flat-matte using rich, slightly saturated color palettes. Envelope liners are hand-cut and tailored to each piece of correspondence.

It’s not easy to do playful and elegant… and it’s even harder to do it really well, but Mr. Boddington’s Studio has it down to an art. All of their work is sophisticated and fun… the silhouettes, the envelope liners, the fabulous fonts, I love every square inch of these charming little pieces.

So, get your bookmarks ready, Mr. Boggington’s (seriously adorable) new website and blog are full of even more invitation eye-candy. Enjoy!

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Post tags: Letterpress, Mr. Boddington's Studio, Vintage, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

To see all of the designs within the collection and get ordering information, click right here. Pieces run $43.75 for a set of 25 postcards. Thank you so much to Kimberly Chiu for sharing this new line with us. I know that readers are going to love the chic style of the designs paired with the totally digestible price points!

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Post tags: Papetierie, Postcards, Recycled
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

board by the fabulous Annie Packman on the Style Circle

To enter, head on over to the Style Circle and build a board around the theme of your choice. Make sure to title your board INVITATION CHALLENGE. Sarah will choose the big winner on Tuesday, October 27th so make sure to get started this weekend!  Can’t wait to see what all of you come up with!

Please note, this is a design challenge not a giveaway. The winner gets the HUGE honor of designing a piece to add to Sarah’s collection. Pretty big feather in your cap!

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Post tags:
Post categories: Contests, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Here are a few more samples from Sarah’s fabulous line, Simply. Colorful and sweet… just waiting for the perfect bride to take them home.

Check out many more of Sarah’s pretty paper creations right here.

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Post tags: Sarah Drake
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Appropriately called Love Invites, this collection is pretty, pretty in pink (which you know I love) and features a great collection of paper accoutrements…like little drink flags! They also have one of the designer’s favorite Voltaire quotes scrolled across really gorgeous paper which is madly, madly romantic in my opinion. Love, love, love.

Wiley Valentine is generously offering a 15% discount to all SMP readers on their new Love Invites collection. If you’re anything like me and heart all things pink…you should definitely jump all over this little treat!

Oh and one last little tidbit…you should definitely check out Wiley’s blog that just happens to be filled with SUCH great wedding and paper eye candy. Pure bliss for any girl.

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Post tags: Discount, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wiley Valentine
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Aren’t they stunning. The creamy paper, the gold calligraphy accents, the pure romance and elegance behind the style. These babies are fit for a princess! Oh and guess what…they are actually from Lisa’s White Label Collection which means that they are available for purchase! Woohoo!

So…because Lisa is just that awesome, she is extending SMP readers a 50% friends and family discount towards fine stationery orders! The offer is good through November, so you have a few weeks to order those thank you notes that we chatted about earlier! Make sure to enter the promo code below when you checkout.

Thank you so very much to the incredibly talented Lisa Hoffman of Ceci New York for stopping by today to share your invitation wisdom and style ideas. You are such a fun addition to SMP, always leaving me giddy with wedding inspirations!

We have yet another fun treat coming up next!

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Post tags: Ceci New York, Engraving, Glam, Hollywood, Hollywood Glam, Invitations, Lisa Hoffman, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

* * *

1. Think Ahead. Order your thank you notes early with your invitations. That way you are preparred as all your gifts come in.

2. Don’t procrastinate! As soon as you get your gift, remember to write your thank you note. That way your message will be sincere and of the moment. You don’t want your guests thinking you were tired of writing your notes and just quickly wrote out the same generic message to all.

3. Write in your own language. Don’t fake your way through it with over embellished words that you never use in real life. For example do not say “thank you for the fabulous blender if the word “fabulous” never typically comes out of your mouth. Be sincere and honest. Your guests will appreciate it so much more.

4. Keep track. You are going to be writing so many thank you notes over the course of your engagement it’s impossible to keep it all straight in your head. My advice is to keep separate guest lists from all your events (shower, wedding, engagement party) and document what each guest gave you at the time you receive it. If you do not instantly write them a note then chances are you will get confused with all the gifts coming in. And once you do send the note, make sure you check off a column on your list that you actually sent the note so you can remember later. (a. guest name b. gift name c. sent thank you note date) Tip – mind your manners- even if you do not receive a gift I believe it is still nice to write a personal note of thanks, thanking them for being someone special in your life and coming to your wedding to celebrate your big day. That will go a long way.

5. At a loss for words? The basic structure of a proper thank you note is as follows: -. thank the guest for the name of the gift. Make sure you state back what it was to personalize it even more. – mention how you use it (or plan to use it) in your daily life. – added bonus add a nice sentence stating that you can’t wait to have them over to share it with you and your new hubby. – if you’re sending before your wedding tell them how excited you are to be celebrating with them soon at the wedding. And if it’s after the wedding state how much it meant to you to have them at your wedding. – then sign with love

6. Timing. Etiquette states that you truthfully have up to a year after your wedding to send a thank you note (because technically guests have that much time too to send their gifts). However, as I mentioned above, I highly recommed staying on top of your thank you notes so they do not become a chore. Plus you do not want to come off ungrateful or worse have your guests inquiring if their gift made it to you OK! Chip away at your list by setting attainable goals for yourself. Maybe 10 a weekend or 5 on Monday nights. Whatever works for you. Pretty soon you will find yourself a writing pro! (and maybe you’ll even enjoy it)

7. Flat or folded? Yes there are choices when it comes to the type of thank you note you pick. The two main ones are flat cards or folded. TIP: Think about your writing style – do you write large or small. If you write big, probably best to go with a folding note card so you have more room.

However I completely encourage you all to be creative with your note writing. If you are having a destination wedding try picking up fun postcards from your chosen location. Or from your honeymoon. Another idea is to consider a different method other than paper. Send a photo postcard of you from the wedding. Take a big group photo of all yor guests and send that. It’s a great keepsake and your guests will love it!

To be inspired and view more thank you note ideas, please visit cecinewyork.com All design and artwork copyright 2009 Ceci New York, LLC.

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Post tags: Thank You Note Etiquette, Thank You Note Example, Thoughtful Words for Thank You Note
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Jennifer and Aamer’s Malibu wedding took place at the Adamson House this past May.

from Jennifer …

The inspiration for our wedding style was modern, fresh, and FUN! My fiancé and I didn’t want anything to feel too formal, and we wanted a wedding that really reflected us. Growing up in Southern California, my one requirement was that we HAD to get married by the beach.

Aamer and I are huge music fans, and we wanted to find a way to incorporate our love for music into our wedding. It all started with our invitations that were designed by Tifany at Gourmet Invitations. She came up with the fabulous idea of our invite actually being a CD! She also incorporated a sound wave design, which we carried over into other aspects of our wedding.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

CEREMONY
We were very fortunate in finding the Adamson House in Malibu!  It is a beautiful historical house right on the beach, with a gorgeous sycamore tree and garden.  Our pre-ceremony music was songs that we loved by bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Smiths ~ performed by a string quartet.  I chose to walk down the isle to Teardrop by Massive Attack, which had personal meaning to my groom and me. 

The wedding ceremony was performed by a dear friend of ours under the beautiful sycamore tree.  He did an excellent job of keeping it light and entertaining, while not detracting from the intimate and meaningful moments.  We wrote our own vows, which really personalized the ceremony.  At the end, we released doves in honor of my mother, who had recently passed away.  It was a very touching moment that we will never forget.

COLOR PALETTE
Our main color was burgundy, which we highlighted with a light pink.  Burgundy has always been my favorite color, and even though we had a spring wedding, I insisted that we still use a dark color.  It turned out that the burgundy really popped against the greenery at the Adamson House, which was an unexpected bonus!

FLOWERS
Our flowers were designed by Floral Art.  I carried a burgundy bouquet made from maroon cymbidium orchids, black calla lilies, baccara roses, and burgundy peonies.  I love the way the flowers looked with my white wedding dress.  The bridesmaids carried pink bouquets made from pink lisianthus, roses, and pink cymbidium orchids.  Aamer wore a miniature black calla lily, and the groomsmen wore miniature pink cymbidium orchids to match the bridesmaids bouquets.

Our cake was designed by Vanilla Bake Shop and was actually tiers of baby cupcakes, with a small cake on top.  To keep things fun, we used Batman and Wonder Woman to top it off!

My dress was designed by Rivini and available exclusively at Lili’s Bridal in Tarzana.  When the sales person showed it to me, I didn’t even want to try it on.  I had a completely different idea of the kind of dress that I wanted to wear.  However, once I reluctantly put it on, I never wanted to take it off!

We wanted a very clean and simple look to our centerpieces.  It took some time, but with the help of our fabulous wedding coordinator, Stephanie Lairson, we came up with the idea of submerging flowers in water.  The centerpieces consisted of 3 cylindrical glass hurricane vases in varying heights filled with submerged flowers, that alternated between black calla lilies pink cymbidium orchids, and burgundy cymbidium orchids.  They were all placed on a round dark wood tray and surrounded by votive candles

Our table numbers were actually names of our favorite bands.  One side had the band name written out with the sound wave design and the other side had a CD cover from that band.  The menus were done in our color palette with a burgundy back plate to help them pop against the white table linens.

We absolutely LOVED all of our vendors, but one key person in pulling everything together was Stephanie, our wedding consultant.  Our wedding day was flawless because of her help, ideas, and support.  We can not thank her enough for keeping things running so smoothly!

In addition, our photographers, Mark and Candice from Mark Brooke Photography, were absolutely fabulous!  They take fun and funky images, and are incredibly easy to work with. They did an amazing job making us and our day look flawless.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

MUSIC
Our music was of course a key factor.  We had a fantastic DJ, Richard Blade, who also served as our MC.  Together, we made sure the dance floor was full throughout the evening!

ADVICE
The one piece of advise that I have to give to brides planning their wedding, is to find ways to incorporate little things that reflect you as a couple.  Personalizing your wedding is what will make you and your guests really remember your special day.  Don’t feel like you have to follow any particular set of rules.  Just do what feels right to you, and remember to have fun!

Congratulations Jennifer and Aamer! We thank you so much for sharing your lovely day with us!!

* * *

For more fantastic weddings from today’s featured Little Black Book members, here are some links to their websites and blogs …

Gourmet Invitations … Blog and Website 

Stephanie Lairson … Website and Gallery

Vanilla Bake Shop … Website and Cake Gallery

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Post tags: Adamson House, California, Cupcakes, Doves, Gourmet Invitations, Malibu, Rivini, Vanilla Bake Shop
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Designers

Congratulations to the lucky, lucky bride that snagged these amazing invitations! I am in love with the letter style invitations and firmly believe that they are going to be a HUGE hit among style savvy brides. To see all of Sarah’s goodies…click right here!

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Post tags: Sarah Drake Invitations, Winner
Post categories: Contests, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

They sent us these gorgeous images from Bina and Andy’s wedding that are knock-your-socks-off sensational …

LOVE the henna-hands shot!

From the Bishop Photographers’ Blog, the beautiful bride, Bina said …

“We designed our own ceremony, fusing traditions from the East and the West, and selected the poems and songs with our friends and families’ help. We also wanted the parts of traditional weddings we most admire and that most represent our love to be part of the day!”

Yummy cupcakes by Cloud Nine Catering.

Andy, the groom, had to sing a song to retrieve each of his shoes!

The clear-tented reception outside the Coach Barn was simply gorgeous …

The beautiful florals are from A Schoolhouse Garden.

Aren’t these two just so-so-so cute!

Congratulations to Bina & Andy on a stunning wedding celebration!

To see all vendor credits, lots more of their wedding photos and some of the pre-wedding festivities at their Sangeet, head over to Daria & Andy’s brand-spanking new website and blog. When we say a blog is fantastic … you KNOW that we know what we’re talking about! BIG beautiful Vermont countryside weddings!

Thanks SO much to Daria Bishop Photographers for sharing the day!

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Post tags: Cloud Nine Catering, Daria Bishop Photographers, Henna, Hindu, Shelburne Farms, Vermont
Post categories: Contests, Inspiration Boards, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Photography

* * *

All About Bamboo…

For an instant way to add texture and the beauty of nature to your invitation designs, try incorporating natural bamboo papers. Not only is it completely environmentally friendly but it also adds a wonderfully chic element to your designs. Handmade paper stands out from the manufactured papers with their fibrous texture that is so appealing to the eye and to the touch. Your guests will be intriqued and will have trouble putting your invitations down!

Starting with the invitation above, this invitation takes it’s inspiration from the beauty of the underwater sea. Hand drawn coral and sea shells give a touch of elegance while the coral ink adds a pop of personality. Additional response and activities cards are designed to fit perfectly in the custom die cut pocket at top. Wrapped in woven bamboo paper for a chic textural dimension and finished in a gorgeous coral envelope with white hand calligraphy.

Next up, who doesn’t think of beautiful blue waters and romantic sunsets when you picture a wedding in Jamaica? My goal with this design was to capture that feeling of resort relaxation as you watch the tropical sunset go down. The juxtaposition between the natural woven bamboo outside and the reveal of the color intensity of my water color painting on the inside, represented both the beauty of Roundhill resort and the breathtaking views of nature’s surroundings. The painting is filled with a spectrum of blues and greens with accents of intense oranges for vibrancy. The painting is my interpretation of the bride’s dress detailing which I made my own for her invitation.

And finally, with a modern beach wedding, this design had to capture the essence of the Hamptons. Rolling dunes, sea grass, photography of the ocean all beckon guests to come away for a relaxing weekend. The cover is a custom illustration of an artistic interpretation of waves or natural wood grain, and the book is lined with a light bamboo woven paper and finished with a pocket in the back that holds the RSVP set. The gorgeous palette of blue and sand keeps it very beach chic.

* * *

I heart Lisa in a big way. Her invitations are so swoon worthy…with something totally new and hugely unique coming out every time I turn around! We have another ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS feature coming up from Lisa Hoffman of Ceci New York in just a bit!

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Post tags: Ceci New York, Lisa Hoffman, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

From Marilyn…

The story of our Save the Dates is quite simple. I love baking (especially cupcakes) and my fiance is a pastry chef at Nobu. We’re definitely foodie people and what better way of personalizing that than designing a fun std that represents us. After designing countless ideas, my fiance, Moony, casually mentioned a “nutritional facts” idea but with our wedding info instead and our idea was born. Cupcakes + Bride & Groom + Wedding Facts! Perfect. What a way to start off as a team, no?

Check out Marilyns ADORABLE site right here!

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Post tags: Save The Dates
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

The lucky bride that is going to receive 100 custom engraved placecards is, Kathryn!

Oh my goodness. My heart cracked into pieces when I saw willow. My fiance and I are getting married in a barn in Massachusetts in the middle of December and we’re hoping for lots of snow. I cannot think of anything more lovely than the thought of decorating our simple tables with these beautiful pieces of art, under flickering candlelight in the dead of winter. Please pick us!

Kathryn, I will be in touch soon!

And in other paper news, I wanted to let you guys know that the winner in the Minted Design Challenge is up on the site right now! And, if you click right here, you can read a quick little interview that I did for the fabulous brand.

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Post tags: Minted Design Challenge, oslo press
Post categories: Contests, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

So…thank you so very much to Emily for sharing her sister’s recent wedding with us. And to adding another brilliant etsy shop to our must have list! And of course, to the gorgeous bride and groom…thank you so much for giving us a window into your day. Style was literally bursting at the seams!!

photographs by Ellie Grover

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Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Ellie Grover, Frenchie & Flea
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Wedding Invitations & Stationery