Style Me Pretty

Wedding Invitations on Etsy

As I am sure most of you know, I am a HUGE fan of all things Etsy. It's such an incredible environment for buyers to support local artists and find something that is truly unique. Yesterday, someone mentioned using Etsy's Dear Emma shop for their wedding invitations, which of course, prompted me to spend WAY too much time pouring over the invitations featured....

I definitely found some pretty great little shops that are doing really beautiful, innovative things with wedding invitations. And, the best part is that they are completely affordable! This set by Cheer Up runs for $1.75 / piece for seating cards and save the dates, to about $3.00 per set for wedding invitations...

I also loved the work by Pink Lily Press...

These designs run about $5 per complete set, which is great seeing that you get the invitation with outer envelope, inner envelope, a belly band of sorts and choice of response postcard or standard response card. Coordinating save the dates, reception cards or additional inserts are also insanely affordable, starting at about $.75 per piece.

So, after spending quite a bit of time on the Etsy site today, I am thinking that we should start an Etsy Picks section on Style Me Pretty. Let's start with Etsy Wedding Invitation Picks...if you already have a favorite shop OR you don't mind going through the invitation section to find your favorite designers, I'd love to hear from you! Just leave a comment with a link to your favorite Etsy invitation shop and I will get started on the Etsy Wedding Invitation gallery!

Real Wedding

I wanted to write a quick follow-up to yesterday's Wedding Paper Divas feature. One of our readers, Anna, sent me a pic of the invitations that she ordered from the site that ultimately inspired the details for her entire wedding! Here are the finished invitations...

The green and black is SO smart, so sophisticated. Anna did an absolutely beautiful job carrying this palette through her entire wedding...

all photos by Ann Hamilton

Anna used the words Rustic, Modern and Chic to define her wedding style and she articulated her vision to perfection.Anna has set up a bio site that documents all of her inspirations and ideas, then shows how they came to fruition. She created inspiration boards for every part of her wedding...from her flowers to the fashions. In doing this, she was able to translate her style to each vendor and ended up with a wedding that was her own unique vision.

If you have an hour or so (because the bio site is that good) check out Anna's Project Wedding Bio Page. It's filled with stunning inspirations, gorgeous real wedding images, song lists and even a DIY project. It's a pretty  amazing tool for anyone who is planning their wedding!

Wedding Paper Divas

I get a lot of emails from brides requesting chic, but affordable invitations. In my opinion, the BEST source for budget friendly but oh-so-fabulous invitations is Wedding Paper Divas. Hands down. They have a huge array of lower, to mid-priced invitations that are incredibly sophisticated design-wise and give you the chance to infuse your wedding stationery with color, personality and most of all...style!

I have to say, I am floored by the selections of styles that Wedding Paper Divas feature. From the whimsical and brightly colored, to the more sophisticated and elegant...there literally is something for every personality, within every budget, from about $1.50 a piece to $15 a piece depending on the printing method you choose.

Without a doubt though, my favorite invitations on the Wedding Paper Divas site are those designed by Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy! and Nanauka Joy. She has such a beautiful design sense...one part vintage chic, one part complete sophistication and her line of invitations for WPD is spot on perfection...

You can see all of Joy's GORGEOUS designs right here!

Wedding Invitations by Copper Willow

A few weeks ago, the girls at Copper Willow sent me the most beautiful wedding invitation samples...simple, unfussy designs letterpressed on beautiful cotton papers. It's amazing to me how far wedding invitations have come and Copper Willow is no different. Their style is organic, but incredibly chic. It's approachable, but luxurious.

Copper Willow is a completely eco-friendly letterpress studio specializing in calligraphy, unique designs, custom illustrations, hand made and green papers. They will happily create something completely couture for you, based on your colors, design sense and overall wedding style.

If you are looking for something a bit more DIY, they also have a line of imprintables that are just beautiful...the Patina Vintage Modern line would be perfect for a budget-friendly invitation paired with a simple, printed response card from Paper-Source.

Also, a quick thank you to Marissa, an SMP reader, for initially introducing me to Copper Willow!

Printing Your Own Wedding Invitations

There are so many ways to work within a budget when it comes to wedding invitations...if you are working with a flexible budget, finding a great custom designer or ordering out of a pretty letterpress or engraved album is absolutely worth it. There is just something so luxurious and easy in going about it this way.

With that said, there are great...really, really great ways, to design a beautiful invitation on a budget!

Companies like Paper Source have great invitation kits that allow you to purchase a pretty suite of papers and envelopes, print your own invitations, then assemble the finished project. If you are willing to put in a little leg work, you can save quite a bit of money! And, if you are a bit resourceful, you can save even more by ordering through Waste Not Paper, the wholesale portion of Paper-Source. You will need a wholesale account to do this and you will have to order in bulk, so the best way would be to work with your area store on this.

If you are willing to really get your hands dirty, you should skip the kits all together as a lot of the cost is built into the manufacturing of these pre-made pieces. Places like Paper-Source and Paper-Papers sell gorgeous card stock and envelopes that can be hugely customized into drop dead gorgeous invitations. The curious collection at Paper-Papers is particularly beautiful.

(these are some fun designs that I "whipped" together...forgive the picture quality! The first was actually used for my wedding program. The second is for my sister-in-law's bachelorette party...the cute frame was made by Heidi at Spitfiregirl Design)

Here are some tips if you are printing your own invitations...

*If you aren't an artist or graphic designer, the best way to do add decor elements is by using high-end clip art...Dover makes clip art books that have beautiful Victorian flourishes, pretty vintage icons, florals and branches, the options are endless. They come with a CD that  you can just put right into your computer. You can also use pretty rubber stamps to add a bit of flair.

*Use a program like Adobe Illustrator to create your invitations. Although it might take a little while to figure out, it will ultimately allow you to play around more with the general design. You can download free versions on the Adobe website.

*Choose your fonts carefully. You generally want to use 2 fonts on each invitation...a script and a block. Check out My Fonts or Linotype for a great selection. These will usually cost around $20-$30 to purchase but you can use them on all of your stationery needs.

*Think about the pieces you need...most people generally want an Invitation, a Response Card and perhaps a Reception Card. Make sure you order enough paper for mess-ups as printing each piece can often result in a few wasted pieces. I always order at least 25 extra pieces of each card stock size. To save even more $$, order sheets of larger paper, then cut them down to the right size.

*To really take the invitation suite to the next level...think details. I like to layer my printed card stock on top of a different color so that it appears to have a border around it and it seems thicker and more luxurious. That means that I have to cut about 1/4" off of each side using a basic rotary cutter, then paste the top sheet onto the base using the amazing 3M tape gun. Time consuming, yes. But, the end result seems more unique and definitely more high-end.

*Wrap it up! I also like to wrap each invitation suite (invitation in front with response and reception cards in back)  with a really pretty ribbon. No bows or anything as they usually get crushed in the envelope, just a single wrap secured using my scotch tape gun in the back. You can also use pretty strips of wrapping or scrapbooking paper to do this. My favorite look for an invitation (and perhaps the easiest to achieve) is a simple white card stock, layered on a chocolate or black stock, then wrapped with a gorgeous graphic belly band. Simple & Chic.

Although designing and printing your own invitations can take a serious time commitment and can often be frustrating if you are a novice, if you give yourself room for error and enough time to practice, this is a GREAT way to infuse your invitation with personality and that handmade touch. If it still seems a bit too intense for you, I have some tips on ordering out of an album coming up in a future The Look For Less feature!

Wedding Invitations by Louella Press

We have a few more tips from my friends at Louella Press...

3. Sharing your thoughts: the design process.

Because your invitations will be an exciting preview of what’s to come, they should absolutely tie into the feel and décor of your day. The right invitation design for your beach wedding should inspire guests to pull out their chic sundresses and crisp khakis, without you having to say it (although you’ll probably want to reiterate… Your fiancé’s buddy “Boomer” may not pick up on the invitation nuances). A wedding inspiration board, something like the gorgeous examples Abby posts on SMP, is the perfect first step when sharing what you want with your graphic designer. If you’re not inclined to pull everything together on one board, showing a few favorite pages torn from wedding magazines or ideas found on blogs will also be a great start. Try to also come up with words to describe your wedding; whimsical, elegant, formal, earthy, etc. This will help guide your designer when matching the look of the invite to the overall style of the day.

Also talk to your designer about any specific shapes, sizes, fonts or graphic elements that you love, pointing to examples from her or his portfolio or invitations you’ve seen in the past. If you’re not dead-set on any of the above elements and you’ve found the right designer, your inspiration examples should be enough of a jumping off point for creating a first proof.

4. An insider tip: trust in your designer’s talent.

So you searched high and low for the right designer, you found her and you shared all of your hopes and dreams for your wedding stationery… Now let her run with it! After all, her talent is what ultimately led you to hire her. After many years of experience, we find that our brides are the happiest when they give us guidance, and then let us create an original design. This way we’re free to search out new fonts, try new graphic elements and find the perfect combinations for each stationery set we design. If you commit yourself to an exact layout before your designer has a chance to come up with something unique, your invitation may not reach its fullest potential. In other words, it’s okay to let us work for our custom design fee… That’s what we love to do!

5. Keep in touch!

From here, the process should be easy and fun. You’ll see two or three proof rounds (being sure to carefully proofread each one), give feedback on what you love and don’t love about the design and — voilá! A completely original wedding stationery suite to call your own. Your only remaining tasks will be to send them out, field phone calls from all your family and friends who LOVE the invitation, and make sure to have your wedding photographer take lots and lots of photos! And one more thought; once the big day is over and you have those photos in hand, send a few to your designer. It’s an absolute thrill for us to see how our brides each used the stationery in her own unique way!

Thanks so much to the girls at Louella for sharing these great tips on working with a custom designer! Later today, I am going to offer my tips for creating and printing invitations on your own, ordering out of an album and working within a budget in our Look for Less feature!

 

Wedding Invitations by Louella Press

I am so excited about today's post. My sweet friends at Louella Press have offered to give us their tips for working with a custom invitation designer. Having worked with so many brides, I know how completely daunting the task of choosing and ordering your invitations can be...from working within your budget, to settling on a designer, a printing process, fonts, colors, whew!

So, the girls at Louella are breaking it down for us!

A few tips for working with a custom designer from the ladies (and gentleman) at Two Paperdolls and Louella Press. 

1. Finding “the one.”

By far and away, the most important part of choosing custom designed wedding stationery is finding the right designer to fulfill your vision. Unless you have recommendations from trusted friends who have used a designer they like, the first stop in your search should be the Internet… shocking, we know! You might first search invitation designers whose work caught your eye in wedding magazines and on blogs. Even if they work primarily out of albums, a quick email inquiry will tell you if, like us here at Louella, they also do custom design. 

If you don’t have anyone in particular in mind, sites like SMP’s Little Black Book, The Knot or a good old-fashioned Google search can help you seek out designers in your area. Keep in mind that, though, it’s helpful to meet face-to-face, it’s not out of the question to work with a designer on the opposite coast through phone and email. 

Once you’ve found a few potentials, peruse their websites for examples of past work. Pay attention to the quality of the website itself, as it can be an indication of the type of design and level of professionalism that you can expect. When you’ve narrowed it down to one or two designers or studios whose work you’re most interested in, make the call to set up an initial appointment or design consultation… This appointment should always be free of cost or commitment.

2. Taking the plunge: the initial appointment.

The goal of your initial appointment with a designer is to find out if your vision fits in with her or his design aesthetic, and to get a better idea of the process and costs involved. 

While your invitation will theoretically be a bit different than anything the designer has done before, you will still want to look through their portfolio for themes that parallel your own style. If you’re looking for something modern and simplistic, and you find that their work is mostly ornate with lots of flourish and embellishment, this may not be the designer for you. But don’t hesitate to describe what you’re looking for if you don’t see something that appeals to you right away. The designer may be able to show you something that varies from his or her typical work, or come up with ideas that excite you. 

The initial appointment is also an important time for broaching the “B-word”… Budget! If you have a number in mind, share it with the designer and find out what she or he could do for that cost. If not, ask the designer for an average or starting price, and be sure to find out what that price includes. Keep in mind that the invitation budget does not normally include “day of items” like menus, programs and place cards, though you may want to explore the options for those items as well. Having the whole coordinating suite from invite to program can be a fun and special detail for you and your guests to remember. 

The first meeting is also a good time to find out a few details about the process. How many initial proofs will they show you? How many proof rounds are included in the price, and how much will additional proofs cost? What kind of timing is involved in both the design and production? You’ll want to mail your invitations six to eight weeks ahead of time, so be sure that the designer knows your mail-out date. 

Once you’re satisfied that you’ve found “the one” make your deposit (this normally comes in the form of a design-fee that is credited towards your final balance) and begin preparing any ideas that you’d like to pass along to your designer.

Stay tuned for more tips from the girls at Louella!!

Wedding Invitations by Smock, II

Amy Stigler, designer of the fab new line of wedding invitations, Smock, has been sweet enough to share with us the inspirations behind her gorgeous designs...

From Amy...

Without sounding cliche, I do glean inspiration from just about everything.  I am constantly snapping photos or drawing quick sketches of visuals that inspire me.  I would say that much of my  inspiration for the Smock wedding line came directly from nature. But I do try to offer a stylized 'reading' of natural objects -- using line, shape & color to give the natural elements a bit of a  graphic or modern edge.

Also, since I was trained as an art historian, I spend much time looking at historical imagery and objects ('high' and 'low').  I often look to decorative objects, such as architectural details or antique silverware engravings, for motif inspiration.

Color is a huge source of inspiration for me (and a huge source of contemplation). I spent much time choosing the wedding line colors -- as I was determined that they were spot on. Right now, I love what I call 'dusty' or colors that are a wee-bit muted.

Lettering styles and combinations and general text layout is something else I spent some time considering.  I really love to play with negative space and airiness when it comes to text.  And I tend to gravitate more toward lettering styles that have a historical or classic or hand-scripted feel which may have to do with my love of vintage books & letters.  Oh, and I love incorporating hand- lettering.  It just gives it that timeless, sophisticated, custom feel which just feels so perfect for a special invitation.

As I designed the Smock wedding line I really thought about pattern...how I could create and combine patterns in a way that could be both modern and traditional.  I also wanted the clients to be able to really customize their designs so it is perfectly suited to their wedding and the patterns really do give each design nearly limitless possibilities.

Wedding Invitations by Smock

Speaking of wedding stationery, I am so excited to introduce you guys to Smock...a brand new line of sustainable letterpress, recently launched at the National Stationery Show. Designed by Amy Graham Stigler who also founded Snow & Graham (a company that I have loved since the moment I saw their work, nearly 5 years ago), the invitations are pretty and sophisticated and yet, they are totally eco-chic. Love that.

In a nutshell, Smock designs are letterpressed sustainably on bamboo paper...they are the first print shop in the U.S. to print on a luxury bamboo paper, developing the process with a historic paper mill in Europe. Here is how the girls at Smock put it...

"For bamboo paper, imagine the best-looking cotton paper. Then imagine something even nicer, but without the pesticides. We are really truly believers in environmental printing too -- we do more than use eco inks on paper. We donate 1% of sales to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet. We are wind-powered. We subsidize 20-week Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships with a local organic farm for our employees. We have long-term environmental goals."

I love supporting businesses like this. It means that not only can you buy something that you would be proud to stamp and send, but something that you would be proud to tell all of your friends about. Of course, letterpress doesn't come cheap, so if you love the idea but not the price, check out their absolutely gorgeous, sustainable thank you cards...perfect for post-wedding notes, or a gift to your bridesmaids.

Stay tuned, Amy Graham Stigler is stopping by to share the inspiration behind these designs with us!

Wedding Stationery by Whitney English

What better way to start the week than with a really great giveaway!?

Today is all about wedding stationery. In honor of her new line of Save the Dates, Whitney English, one of my dear friends and favorite stationery designers, is hosting a giveaway for Style Me Pretty readers!

All you have to do is write a comment, letting us know what your favorite wedding color combination is and you'll be entered to win. The winner will be chosen randomly and will receive 100 digital photo cards, 50 personalized note cards plus a 50% off coupon that can be applied at a later date. These little gems were recently released at the National Stationery Show and aren't even available in stores yet. The photo cards are perfect for save the dates, though if you've already sent yours out, you can also use them for thank you cards, even holiday cards. How great is that?

The contest ends this Friday, June 6th at midnight. We will announce the winner the following Monday. In the meantime, check out Whitney's brand new website and coordinating blog!

Wedding Calligraphy by Laura Hooper, III

I know that our readers are working with a huge array of budgets, particularly when it comes to the "add-ons" like calligraphy. Lucky for us, Laura Hooper has been kind enough to offer some cost saving tips on working with a calligrapher...

More from Laura...

Allocating Your Budget: First and foremost I think it is really important to try to factor calligraphy into your invitation budget. Many girls forget to do this and that is where you encounter the budget problems. They spend $10-$15 dollars a set on invitations and don’t factor in $2-$3 for calligraphy (per invitation). Go in knowing that the rate for an envelope in pointed pen is going to cost around $3 per invitation. If you are doing inner envelopes, factor in another $1.50 per piece.

Quick Tip...When you are at your invitation session, perhaps choose a slightly less expensive set, so that you have room for calligraphy in your budget. Everyone says this, and that is because it is true: that the envelope is the first thing that your guests will see of your wedding, and they should always be hand lettered.

Working with New Talent: If you do not have room in your budget for an experienced calligrapher, you can likely find someone just starting out in the business. They typically will have lower prices, but just know that even if you request a sample, it does not mean that your order will consistently look as good as that sample throughout. The more experience a calligrapher has, the more consistent they will be. Brides should ask for references from calligraphers who offer budget calligraphy, so that they can confirm with previous clients the quality of the lettering throughout the order.

Quick Tip...Contact area art schools to find students who have experience in calligraphy. Typically, art students will charge you much less than someone who has been in business a long time.

Help from Friends & Family: If you have no room in the budget at all, enlist your mom, aunt, or a friend with nice hand writing to do the addressing for you. You can purchase an inexpensive light box at any Michael’s store, and use guidelines to be sure the lines are straight.   Practice makes perfect, so make sure they do a few practice runs on some spare paper…not your expensive invitation envelopes.

Overall it is really important to figure out what is most important to you when it comes to your invitations, and how much you are willing to spend on all the aspects of the invitations, including calligraphy, in advance. That way there are no surprises later!

Thank you so much to Laura for sharing these brilliant tips with us!

Wedding Calligraphy by Laura Hooper, II

I honestly believe that (if your budget allows) calligraphy can add so much to a wedding. From a beautifully designed envelope, to perfect place cards...calligraphy adds a touch of femininity and art to your look. Thus, I wanted to share a few more tips from Laura Hooper about incorporating calligraphy into your wedding style...

Think Creatively: I have done some pretty interesting pieces in calligraphy. Most recently, I did an order for a wedding in San Diego, CA for calligraphy on Lucite tiles. They were dark red, and the calligraphy was painted on in gold ink. They looked amazing. They were displayed on the wall with a light behind them so they lit up. The table numbers were matching, they were larger red panels with the names of golf courses as table names instead of numbers. I have also done sanddollars, compasses, and Spanish tiles as placecards as well. 

In addition to envelopes and placecards, you can do all your table signs, bar signs, and miscellaneous signs in calligraphy. Also, you can incorporate camera ready artwork into your invitations, menus and programs. I do a lot of work for menus and programs.  I also like to do personalized photo mattes, and I have a lot of requests to get wedding vows and poetry written in calligraphy as well.

We have a bit more to come...Calligraphy, The Look for Less!

Wedding Calligraphy by Laura Hooper

The National Stationery Show is right around the corner and it has me dreaming about letterpress on squishy paper, engraving so delicate it seems to just float on the page and of course, the prettiest calligraphy a girl could ever want.

Laura Hooper of Laura Hooper Calligraphy is one of my favorite calligraphy artists...her work is sweet and sophisticated, and yet it's completely approachable. Lucky for us, Laura has totally revamped her website and the calligraphy candy is just off the charts...

Spend some time checking out Laura's new site, exploring the MANY options available for different price points and different personalities. For those of you who are a little clueless when it comes to calligraphy, Laura has agreed to give us some of her best tips...

Finding and Booking a Calligrapher: You should definitely book your calligrapher in advance. Because we do everything by hand, we have a limited number of clients we can take on in a given time period. You should at least start looking when you order your invitations, that way, by the time the envelopes are done, your calligrapher may have space available in their schedule.  A normal turnaround time can be anywhere from 1-4 weeks that I have seen. In the busy season, my turnaround is about 2-3 weeks depending on the size of the order and the number of jobs in my queue.

Popular Services: I offer a full range of services, from envelope addressing, placecards, invitation design, invitation printing, custom hand drawn maps, monogram design, etc. I also provide stuffing, stamping and mailing for an additional fee as well. The possibilities are really endless. I enjoy doing unique projects, I am sure most other calligraphers do as well, so if you have an idea, let us know.

Average Rates: The rate for an experienced calligrapher using pointed pen techniques can range from $2-$7 per envelope.  You can get very nice calligraphy for $2.50 an outer envelope in a range of contemporary, popular, and classic styles on my website, and then I have several more intricate styles at higher price points, so that I can appeal to brides in different budget categories.

Be sure you know what you are buying. Many calligraphers use a felt pen or an italic pen and this does not give nice thick and thin lines. Maybe that is okay with you, but just know in advance what you are ordering so that when you receive your order back you are 100% pleased with it.

Also, you aren’t limited to calligraphers in your area only, so don’t settle! I work with girls all over the US, even Canada, the UK and Italy, so search the web for someone whose style appeals to you, and contact them for availability.

We have more to come, so stay tuned!

Hello! Lucky Save the Dates

It's time to announce the winners in the Hello! Lucky save the date giveaway!! We had such a wonderful response to the contest...thank you to everyone for their thoughtful answers and beautiful inspirations.

As an effort to show their gratitude, Hello! Lucky would like to offer 25% off their save the dates to all of those who entered! Simply refer to the SMP contest with your email address and your comment, and your discount will be honored!

And now for the winners, from Hello! Lucky...

First Place Winner: Joanna - Rustic garden casual theme inspired by the nature of the Chesapeake Bay:

My ideal wedding style is rustic garden casual. We are getting married a year from June at an Inn outside of St. Michaels, MD, which overlooks the water. The Inn dates back to the 17th century and has been renovated, but still reflects the colonial style of this historic fishing town. The barn on the site has yet to be renovated and the fading red paint on grey, old barn wood is a perfect place for pictures!

The Inn itself is pale yellow, so it’s guiding our color choices. Our other color inspirations are blue as in the Chesapeake Bay and our treasured blue crabs and green for nature. Right now we’re leaning towards mostly ivory with pale green, yellow and blue accent colors.

I’m a “green-collar” worker, so I’m excited to incorporate as many environmentally friendly options into the wedding as possible. Natural elements also work well with the wedding colors. I want to highlight the Chesapeake Bay through its stunning nature – birds, flowers and other wildlife. Also, since most of our guests will be coming from out of town, we want to make them feel at home and let them know about all of the fun things to do in the area, like shopping for antiques, crabbing, bike rides, and the Maritime Museum. My fiancé and I are still in the inspiration stages now, but I’m excited to pull together our dream wedding.

We love the image the 17th century yellow inn and old red barn, and the idea of incorporating design elements inspired by the flora and fauna of the Chesapeake Bay. We also love Lynn's vision of having a green wedding and would love to incorporate natural and recycled materials into the design!

Runners up: We'd like to offer runners-up free custom design services in addition to the 25% off we are offering to all entrants!

1) Mimi - Airline theme

We loved all the thoughtful details of this wedding, including using "Fly Me to the Moon" as the first dance! We can envision so many great save the date ideas for this, including vintage travel posters, luggage labels, or tags. We would love to design for this wedding!

2) Jenn - Sailor Jerry Tattoo inspired design.

We love the image of the swallow and heart and the banner "i carry your heart." So sweet!

3) Stacy Hamilton - Kentucky wedding with a vintage horseshoe motif

We love the idea of getting married at the Winner's Circle of a race track, adore the color palette, and love the idea of the vintage candy buffet!

* * *

Thank you so much to our readers for making this contest happen! I am thrilled to say that Hello! Lucky is going to design save the dates based on our winner's concepts, regardless of whether or not they place an order, and they are going to make sure that you guys get to see the finished product. Can't wait!

Wedding Invitations by Inkbox Design Boutique

I recently got an email from Lisa at Inkbox Design Boutique about her new collection of oh-so-chic wedding invitations. When I checked out her online portfolio, I knew that I HAD to share these little works of art with you guys...

Ummmm.....how great are these invitations? Lisa has a full online portfolio with tons of incredibly cute designs (not all wedding related but totally inspired nonetheless). It seems like each element, from the accoutrements to the presentation, is thought out to perfection. I've said it a million times on this blog, but it really is the details that take a wedding to the next level of style...and Lisa is ALL about the details.

Wedding Invitations by Hello! Lucky

In light of today's contest, I thought it would be fun to explore the Hello! Lucky site a little bit. If you haven't already, check out their incredibly chic and inspiring blog, filled with samples of their own work as well as great real weddings and fun finds...

They also have a brilliant etiquette section that has tips like...

Give yourself breathing room by ordering extra invitations. These can serve as keepsakes and as reference for your florist, officiant, wedding planner, and anyone else involved.

Ask the post office to hand cancel the invitations when they're ready to be mailed. Stamping machines can be brutal-especially for delicate elements such as wax seals

The biggest taboo is stating outright on the wedding invitation where you registered. If you're not sending save the dates, at least include a separate card with the invitation that gives the address of your wedding website.

So, aside from all of the really beautiful products they sell (like gift wrap that would add a splash of color and a hint of pattern to your wedding favors), the Hello! Lucky site also has fun little treats that can really help inspire you to create a completely chic wedding!

Save the Dates by Hello! Lucky

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Since we've had such a nice time with our TWO weeks of Unique Weddings, it seemed almost sad to just start the day with a regular post. Instead, I figured we could all use a little contest pick-me-up!!

The OH-SO-TALENTED girls over at Hello! Lucky are giving away 100 letterpress Save the Date cards to one lucky Style Me Pretty reader! Pretty good contest, isn't it?

Here's the deal...simply answer the following three questions in our comments section from now until this Friday, May 2, and you will be entered to win a set of 100, single color, letterpress save the dates. To give you an idea of just how great this giveaway is, these would normally run you close to $400!

Okay, here are your questions...

How would you describe your ideal wedding style (modern, vintage, etc.)?

What color palettes are you loving right now?

What motifs or themes do you envision being part of your wedding?

Can't wait to hear what your feedback is...there is nothing better for a small business than hearing direct market feedback so that they can create products that you will love. The girls at Hello! Lucky will choose their favorite answer as the winner!

Wedding Invitations by Chewing the Cud, II

I've had a few emails from readers lately, requesting more budget-friendly features on SMP. I know that we have a really wide range of readers out there, so I want to make sure that everyone is getting a little something that can truly inspire elements for their own unique wedding.

So, in an effort to really reach out to all of our brides, I am going to start offering a "Look for Less" style feature on many of our posts. Today, Viola from Chewing the Cud, is offering her tips on working with a budget when it comes to your invitations...

From Viola at Chewing the Cud...

--Combine your information into one component (for example, include the reception information on the main invitation, rather than purchasing a separate card)

--Eliminate the response envelope by creating an RSVP postcard.

--Figure out if some of the information be communicated online? Directions, things to do etc. are perfect for your wedding website.

--Offer a trade with your designer...if you have a unique skill, offer to swap services...I did this with my photographer and it worked out great!

--If you are working with a designer, have him/her create a template for you, then print menus, place-cards etc at home. Companies like Paper-Source are perfect to find cute, coordinating papers that are easy to print at home.

--Play the bride card and gather all your crafty girlfriends (and boyfriends) for a crafternoon!

Thank you so much to Viola for sharing these great tips. I think that the one thing that I really want to convey on SMP is that even if you are working on a budget, you can still work with great designers, photographers and planners to help you execute your vision. It just might take a little bit of imagination and working outside the box.

Look for Less Tip...Figure out where you place value in your wedding...is it the flowers? the invitations? the food? Then, rearrange your budget so that the emphasis is on what you love...skimp on the rest!

Wedding Invitations by Chewing the Cud

As some of you might know from previous posts, I am a huge, huge fan of Chewing the Cud, a graphic design company out in San Francisco. The designer, Viola, has an eye that translates into the most innovative and beautiful ideas, each with a quirky spirit that is easy to love.

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Viola has been collaborating with Flybird Press on a wedding invitation line...that is launching online TODAY!

You absolutely have to check out the new Chewing the Cud Wedding site. They offer two lines to choose from, the signature collection and the bespoke collection. The signature line features 14 unique designs that you can customize to make your own, while the bespoke line allows you to start from scratch, creating a couture invitations that reflects your own vision and the unique personality of your wedding.

I know you guys are going to love this invitation line and I am certain that Viola and her beautiful work will be the next big thing!

Paper Goods by Yellow Owl Workshop

I get a lot of emails from wonderful designers all of whom are creating beautiful elements for any wedding. But honestly, I only pick those that I truly love  (and that I know you will love) for features on SMP. When Christine of Yellow Owl Workshop emailed me (just yesterday) some pictures of her absolutely gorgeous, handmade journals, I stopped the presses on our weekly schedule to show you these little works of art...

These are actually cotton watercolor books, which make great wedding gifts, but instead I think that they are absolutely perfect for a guestbook. Each book is adorned with dozens of potato print birds, so every journal will contain a different flight pattern....a complete one of a kind.

Christine also designs wonderfully unique and perhaps even quirky (in the best way possible) wedding stationery...

Each piece is designed to suit the personality of the couple...a forever keepsake that is a true reflection of your day. Thank you so much to Christine for sending me these beautiful ideas! If you are in need of a little inspiration, definitely check out the Yellow Owl Workshop site and Christine's coordinating blog!

Wedding Stationery by Cotton Idea Studio

Thank you so much to Mindy for sharing the last two days of gorgeous weddings with us! As an invitation designer, with Laguna Beach's cutest paper boutique, Mindy has a knack for all things beautiful. And her online shop is no different!

Every bride knows that writing pretty thank you notes are a must...which is why I love having a set of my own personalized stationery. With all of the showers and gifts that you will be getting, customized note cards rank among the top wedding must-haves. If you have a set of stationery that you love, chance are, you'll be a much happier thank-you-note-writing fool...

And, there is NO rule that says the bride must write all of the thank you notes! Get your hubby going on them as well, with his own set of stationery!

And finally, coming from someone in the wedding invitation business, I know that bridesmaids LOVE their own stationery just as much as we do. What a perfect and personalized bridesmaid gift!

So, spend some time perusing the Cotton Idea Studio website for some brilliant finds. Even if you aren't looking for stationery, they do have some oh-so-cute details like letterpress coasters, great note sets and beautiful letterpress calendars.

Wedding Invitations by Robin Beth

Robin sent me this second inspiration board, based on her lovely teal invitation suite, Moderno...

Clockwise from top left - Boutonnière on Brides.com, Maple Sugar Favors on Martha Stewart Weddings, Jewelry on Martha Stewart Weddings, Bridesmaid Dress on Brides.com, Cake on theknot.com, Tablescape on weddingstyle.com, Moderno Suite by Robin Beth Designs

The Moderno Suite Is a modern design, but has a very organic feel. It is letterpress printed on 100% cotton cardstock, backed with a dark chocolate textured cardstock, uses a modern hand silk-screened Japanese decorative paper and is wrapped with micro suede tape.

I love when designers share their own tips, based on their own experience, with brides. I've asked Robin to share with us some ideas to consider when choosing or designing your wedding invitation...

As many people have said before, the invitation can really set the tone for the event.  When it comes time to choose invitations, most brides have already created their inspiration boards, chosen their colors and styles, picked their location, flowers, fashion and almost everything else.

Just as I use the incredible decorative papers that I find as my source of inspiration to create the invitation designs, so should you use the overall design of your wedding to help you choose your invitations. Whether it is a decorative paper, unique typefaces (and I mean more than one), ink colors, ribbons or other embellishments, all of it can help to make sure your invitations perfectly represent who you and your fiancé are and what your wedding day means to you. 

When a guest opens your invitation, it should invoke a feeling of what you are about as a couple and what the event will be like.  Make sure to include elements of your invitations on your inspiration boards and you will know very easily if they fit in with your style.  Most of all, don¹t be afraid to have fun and let your own personal style shine through with your invitations!

Thank you so much, Robin, for sharing this with us!!

Wedding Invitations by Robin Beth

I met Robin about three years ago when she was launching her first line of handmade letterpress invitations, Robin Beth Designs. Robin's attention to detail is truly unmatched, her styles are beautiful and her love of letterpress is shown in every piece that she creates. Robin is as sweet and as talented as they come, so when she sent me this oh-so-pretty inspiration board based on one of her new designs, I had to share!

Clockwise from top left - Flowers and lipstick on Martha Stewart Weddings, Strawberries and Wine on brides.com, Bridesmaids Dresses on Martha Stewart Weddings, Prismatic Invitation by Robin Beth Designs, Place setting on Martha Stewart Weddings, Red Bowl on brides.com, Return Address by Robin Beth Designs, Floral Vase on brides.com

Robin designed this board around that gorgeous marbled invitation in the center image...The Prismatic Suite. This suite is letterpress printed on 100% cotton cardstock, backed with metallic layers and uses a hand marbled decorative papers.

Robin let the fun, multicolored aspect of the marbled papers guide her inspiration...and the result, sweet sophistication. I love it!

Wedding Invitations by Red Bliss

And speaking of absolutely beautiful things, Christine at RedBliss, just sent me a link to the new gallery on their gorgeous website, showcasing entire celebrations that truly begin with a beautiful invitation. Each wedding that Christine features is such a fairytale and simply a stunning way to showcase her little works of art.

How beautiful is this classic, Fall inspired chocolate invitation. The silk box with the autumn leaf sets the tone in a way that is translated through each and every detail. Plus, I love elegant barn receptions so I was kind of taken with this look from the moment I saw it...

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, this wedding is classic opulence. That pink invitation is just too pretty for words and the details of this luxurious party...ummm, wow!

This green and soft yellow palette is so lovely, kind of French Country style. I love the use of greenery and the understated elegance of the patterned linens...

This wedding is STUNNING. First of all, that green invitation is just perfect in its simplicity. Paired with the lavish, overflowing florals and the modern square tables, it's perfection...

There are SO many more weddings to devour on Christine's new site. Although some are a bit more extravagant than the average bride might design, they are complete and utter inspiration. Plus, the color palettes, the details and of course, the INVITATIONS...are just pure eye candy.

Wedding Invitations by Oblation Papers

Green is in people. It seems that all elements of design, from high end interiors to wedding styling, is moving towards a cleaner, more environmentally sound approach. And, with designers now making it so easy to go green without sacrificing style, why NOT incorporate eco-chic elements into your wedding.

Oblation Papers & Press has been a long time love of mine. If you've ever seen their work in person, you know how luxurious the papers are, how gorgeous the letterpress work is and how absolutely delightful their designs are...

And just look at the process that is involved in creating these invitations...it's absolutely incredible!

I've asked the team at Oblation Papers & Press to write up a bit about their amazing invitations and the process behind each design...

Oblation Papers & Press is an old world letterpress print shop and urban paper mill. We use traditional techniques to produce 100% cotton sheets of paper by hand. Our paper is strong, acid free, and produced from remnants from the garment industry. It also happens to be perfectly suited for antique letterpress printing.

We consciously price our invitations lower than others in the premium letterpress market. Our work starts at about $6 for an invitation and $3.5 for a response set. All of our work is made to order. We offer design services, we accept custom artwork, and we encourage couples to create wedding invitations that are unique to them.

We recently released new wedding designs featuring large-format invitations, bright white handmade paper, and bright white envelopes. Our new Prairie Flower design mixes saffron colored botanical silhouettes and calligraphic swashes with simple modern text and open space. A delightful combination that is perfectly suited for the nature inspired couple.

Remember... as always, we make our tree-free cotton paper by hand in Portland, Oregon using remnants from the garment industry. Our envelopes are made with 100% post-consumer fiber. We letterpress using soy-based inks whenever possible. We encourage customers to use single envelopes and reply postcards-- two simple options to lighten your invitation suite's footprint on our earth.

Our staff is dedicated to environmentally friendly practices. Whether we're bringing our own mugs across the street to our favorite latte spot, or feeding our lunch leftovers to the worm in our worm composting bin, we're genuine about improving the health of our planet.

Thank you SO much to Oblation Papers for sharing these behind-the-scenes details with us, and for giving us a sneak peek at your new designs!!
 

Thank You Notes by Sarah Drake

I have been a long time fan of Sarah Drake's stunning invitations. Her work is absolutely stunning in it's simplicity and modern feel. And, she's recently launched a couture correspondence line that is just beautiful...

Each of the five original nature-based designs are letterpress printed on heavy 100% cotton paper with hand-lined cotton envelopes. Sarah let me know that the large size (4 1/8 x 6 1/4") is perfect for a thank you note or well wishes, and the smaller size (2 1/2 x 3 1/2") is made for personalized gift tags or calling cards. Pricing is $585 for 100 large cards and envelopes and $360 for 100 small cards and envelopes.

You can order these perfect notes online, where you have a choice of font, ink color and liner color. If it's a little outside of your budget, let your friends know that stationery is a MUST for any bride and that these make a great pooled shower gift!

So, if Sarah's great new notes aren't enough, she also has this insanely gorgeous blog that I had to share with you...

Sarah's blog, breathe upon, is still pretty new so there aren't a ton of posts but it's great to see a bit of her own inspirations. I always love to see where different designers find their creativity. Sarah also has some great resources listed on her site that you should check out!

Wedding Invitations by Bella Figura

Andrea, over at Bella Figura, emailed me images of their new letterpressed invitations and I must say...they are absolutely beautiful!

Bella Figura has a handful of new designs, all of which are equally lovely. The colors that they chose are just perfect...not too bright, and yet not too subtle. Perfect for the modern bride. They have more designs online so definitely check them out when you have some time!

Green Wedding Invitations

I have been a long time admirer of Twig and Fig, a letterpress designer in the Bay Area. Their work is so organic and lovely, the quality is truly impeccable. So, when Suzie approached me about writing an article for Style Me Pretty, I jumped at the chance!

I have talked about planning an eco-friendly wedding in the past, but feel like it's important to keep discussing new and chic ways to make green choices during a time in your life when it's just so easy. Suzie has been sweet enough to share with us Twig and Fig's own green ideas when it comes to invitation design and is giving us some tips on purchasing eco-chic paper goods.

From Suzie at Twig and Fig....

Inviting Green

To Green or not to Green with your invites? Feeling reticent about making aesthetic sacrifices? Fret not lovely brides who treasure luxury and opulence. Supporting a sustainable earth doesn't mean restricting your stationery choices to hemp products, recycled cardboard and stringy fibers; often the very image one conjures when thinking Eco. Just like many aspects of a wedding, your invitations can be made beautiful in the many shades of Green.

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Being green here at Twig & Fig is not only part our essence, but an easy direction for us; as the most beautiful papers we've fallen in love with happen to be in keeping with sound enviro-practices.  Being based in the renowned environmental nexus of Berkeley, California, we are cradled by a community acutely attuned to how sensitive our earth is, and innovating ways to treat her well. Understanding the elements of the invitation creation process can help choose where you can contribute to creating less waste in your own experience. Here's a breakdown of the design, paper, printing and packaging aspects of keeping things earth friendly.

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-Our design starts with a paper-free process; all of our proofs produced via electronic delivery (PDFs). This allows clients to exchange files for sharing with family and decision makers freely while keeping print-outs to the necessary minimum. Always recommend a pdf proof, instead of a paper proof.

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-The papers onto which we print are all made from yummy cotton; never wood pulp. Even better, our boutique cotton papers are made from re-purposed cast-offs from the textile industry, thus salvaging them from becoming refuse. Cotton naturally works best with letterpress printing, as its loft is so cushy, it receives the best, deepest impressions from the raised printing plates. Go cotton when you can!

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-As for printing, the hand-fed letterpress method itself is inherently eco-friendly. Starting with the press itself, we have revitalized a beautiful cast-iron machine from 1890s. The photopolymer printing plates we employ do not require harsh chemicals and require minimal processing unlike metal plates. Our hand-fed press uses less than a teaspoon of ink for the average invitation suite and we've found a way to use merely drops of cleanup liquid. (Rubber-based inks are of the lowest impact possible for printing; rated even lower than Soy). Hand-feeding (as opposed to automatic paper-feed) and an efficient press-operator greatly diminish paper waste; typically just 2 to 5% of the order. This is remarkable compared to the offset process. So, if your budget allows...opt for handfed letterpress.

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-As a final step, we package our finished pieces in re-useable, unfinished wooden boxes reducing the need for excess packing materials. These boxes are made just beautifully enough to encourage an extended life of re-use for storing, re-gifting, etc rather than to be tossed. Always ask your designer (or have the store ask) to please package your invitations as minimally as possibly, while still keeping them safe and protected. Re-use any excess packaging materials.

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-Of course, sourcing a designer locally is always a good way to go. There are wonderfully eco-minded creative invitation designers and printers who are closer than you think. Check out the referrals available via websites such as Greenopia (www.greenopia.com) where we were recently recognized as a Green provider of services.

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Your choices can happily and beautifully exist within a Green process, as we do at Twig & Fig—with only the greatest of benefits and results from mindfully-placed selections.

Save the Dates

My best friend in the entire world, Katie, got married a few months ago and I have to say, it was one of the best weddings that I have ever been to. Katie has this sense of style about her that is so unique and personal. She is crazy and quirky, but she is also extremely family oriented and loyal...and her wedding was just that.

Before I share with you the photos from the wedding though, I wanted to post a picture of her engagement shots that we used to create her Save the Dates. They are so stinking cute, you are going to looooove them....

All photos by Carissa Byers

Ummm, yeah. How great are those? For some of her engagement shots, Katie convinced the manager at this vintage theater to change the billboard for her to reflect her save the date info. For the actual save the dates, we bought some super heavy letterpress style paper (with just a touch of texture) and cut it down to 4 x 6" pieces. We printed the top photo on one side (using our home printer, an Epson R180), then set up the back as a postcard with basic information on the left side and the address on the right. It was SO easy and SO unbelievably cute.

We probably spent a total of $100 on supplies, the engagement photo was done for free because Katie bought a complete wedding package from the photographer, and the postage was less because we sent them as postcards. Pretty great, huh?

Stay tuned though...this super chic, but affordable theme stayed true through the entirety of Katie's wedding and I have lots of pretty pictures to show you!

Wedding Invitations by Peculiar Pair Press

A few more photos from Peculiar Pair Press for you to enjoy...

I love the color palette on the above design...the deep red paired with the charcoal is so classic. And this next one is simply so unique, I had to post it...

And finally, this next one is a bit of a