Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog

Style Me Pretty by William Arthur Giveaway Winner!

Abby Larson — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:00:09 +0000

Yep, it’s time to announce the big winner in our first ever Style Me Pretty by William Arthur Giveaway and we couldn’t be more excited. If you missed the announcement, you can check out our latest and greatest right here. You see at SMP we believe that it’s the invitation, that first moment of pretty that your guests receive, that will always set the tone for the kind of wedding that you are going to host. From that perfect piece of paper, you will be introducing your friends and family to the gorgeousness that is yet to come and it will forever be the first impression for the day that you’ve worked so hard to plan. As far as we’re concerned here at SMP, the invitation is as important as the beautiful gown that you don, the perfect photographer you choose, the flowers you help design.

Which is exactly why we are giddy as schoolgirls to debut our collection with William Arthur. And why we’re excited to start bringing more and more paper inspirations from different designers around the globe to the pages of SMP. Our first invitation spotlight feature will be this Friday and will shine a pretty light on our favorite garden inspired paper goodies…so mark your calendars!

Okay, I know. We’ve made you wait long enough. So without further ado. The winner of the SMP by William Arthur Giveaway, chosen completely at random using random.org, is…Jennifer who said:

“Destination! Our wedding will be in Hawaii at a Waikiki ocean front hotel I love how it is has a classic and elegant look, yet still evokes the ocean/beach feel with the Turquoise edge and without the typical seashell icon. We are hoping for a wedding that is exactly that – elegant with a hint of destination.”

A huge congratulations to Jennifer who has snagged herself 100 invitations from our collection along with a feature on Facebook AND right here on the pages of SMP!

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Post tags: Giveaway, Invitations, style me pretty by william arthur, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, William Arthur
Post categories: The Blog, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Wedding Paper Divas + Style Me Pretty

Abby Larson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:00:49 +0000

Yep. You read that right! We’ve teamed up with one of the greatest resources for brides of all time…Wedding Paper Divas. The site that allows super style savvy brides to choose from literally hundreds of invitations (many from some of the industries top designers) all without leaving the comfort of your sofa. And although the concept itself is nothing short of genius, we do understand that sifting thru that many adorable invites can be, well, overwhelming. So, we’ve gone and done the heavy lifting for you. Pretty great, right?

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been poring over each and every invitation featured on Wedding Paper Divas. And although it was tough (I know, our life is really hard), we’ve picked our absolute favorites for you, perfect for any bride who really cares about style. From the invitation up.

So if you’re in the market for save the dates, wedding invitations, menus, programs, thank you notes (and oh man the options are endless)…today is your lucky day. ALL of the picks on our personal WPD page have the SMP stamp of approval. Which basically means that we can see each and every invitation kicking off a gorgeous wedding that you would see right here on our blog.

From simple and traditional to whimsical, modern and even a bit cheeky…we seriously heart our little collection of favorites and we hope that you do too!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Save The Dates, Thank You Notes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Paper Divas
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

From Inspiration to Invitation by Paisley Quill

Abby Larson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:00:59 +0000

You guys are all probably familiar with our From Inspiration to Reality feature, right? You know, where we turn one of your inspiration boards into a real life photoshoot, chock-a-block full of steal-worthy ideas. Well, we took that idea in a slightly different direction with today’s From Inspiration to INVITATION feature, with Molly Myers of Paisley Quill steering this super creative wheel. A few months back, Molly asked each of you to help her decide between two fabulous inspiration boards and from your comments, she would choose one lucky bride to receive a custom letterpress wedding invitation suite inspired by the chosen board. So cool, right. Well, we’re back today with Molly’s finished project and when I tell you that it’s good, I am pretty much coining the understatement of the year.

And here is the invitation that the board inspired…

{click here to see lots more pics}

From Paisley Quill…I chose Katie to be the lucky winner of this giveaway because, I personally love the retro look and colors of the board, even thought it wasn’t the popular choice. But is seems like she really has an eye for detail and appreciates those subtle design elements that could easily be incorporated into an invitation. Her wedding is a weekend long event at a camp in Oregon. It is a very fun and natural setting that compliments all of that green!

After speaking with Katie further, She really liked the image of the pine trees on the milk bottle, that is kind of where the whole concept started. I hand drew the trees and floral images. I wanted to do a fun, swirly font to compliment the swirls on the tray that she liked, so I contacted Debi Zeinert of the Blooming Quill for the calligraphy. She was kind enough to donate her services for all of the calligraphy you see in this suite. I had Andrew of Heritage Printers do the letterpress, and one of my favorites, the red edge painting!

Katie had seen some of the timelines that I have done in the past on my blog and requested that we do that instead of a regular reception card. It is the longest timeline I have done, but by far my favorite and it is an added personal touch for the bride and groom.

I wanted to incorporate some of the other colors that Katie liked, such as the plums and pinks. I did this with the envelopes liners. Using images from nature, such as wood grain, florals and ferns. The finishing touch were the vintage stamps. I had so much fun picking out ones that would match!

I also crafted some accessories especially for the shoot. Drink stirrers in the same patterns as the envelope liners and s’more kits, complete with your own roasting tools!

Invitation Designer: Molly Myers, Paisley Quill or BLOG / Printer: Andrew Harrison, Utley Borthers / Calligraphy: Debi Zeinert, The Blooming Quill

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Post tags: Camp, From Inspiration to Invitation, Letterpress, Molly Myers, Paisley Quill, Red and Green, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: From Inspiration to Reality

Brand New Look by Chewing the Cud

Abby Larson — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:32:00 +0000

Do you remember that commercial where the girl is trying on shoes and she ever so timidly pulls off her boots, then her socks. Then slips her very shy foot into a perfect slingback. Well, that’s exactly how we feel on SMP today. We’ve found ourselves a pretty, simple, clean, new look and although we are a little bit nervous to unveil it…we couldn’t be more proud. We feel like we’ve put on our big girl pants with a logo that will stand the test of time, a header that is as clean and easy to navigate as possible and a backdrop for the perfect pictures that our vendors send us. And it feels GREAT.

So before we get started for the day, I wanted to send a HUGE shout out to Viola at Chewing the Cud, who gave us our shiny new style. I like to brag about Viola a lot on SMP because I think she is one of those designers that just gets it. Here’s a look at her brand spanking new line of eco-chic (and totally afforadable) line of wedding invitations…

You can see more from this collection, which is all printed on recycled or tree-free paper with soy-based inks, on Viola’s gorgeous website. That she also just redesigned. And it’s GORGEOUS. So, thank you so much to Viola and to all the readers that gave us feedback to make this happen!

Oh and we have a day of pretty coming up so fasten your seat belts!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chewing The Cud, eco, Eco Friendly, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Wedding Invitations by Wiley Valentine + Discount

Abby Larson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:01:09 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve featured one of Wiley Valentine’s perfect creations. I heart Wiley in a big way and have always been a huge fan of their completely gorgeous, and yet totally approachable designs. And this one, that is inspired by pure girliness, is all about the gorgeous. Before we share the invitation, though, here is the inspiration behind the new design…

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

Wedding Invitation Trends by Lisa Hoffman

Abby Larson — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:00:40 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve hosted Lisa Hoffman, owner and designer behind the unbelievably fabulous Ceci New York. But, she’s back in full force today with a really awesome trend that is making for some seriously gorgeous wedding invitations. No need to blab on and on, I’ll just pass the torch over to Lisa!

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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.

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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!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ceci New York, Lisa Hoffman, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

Wedding Invitations by Regas NY

Abby Larson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:59:44 +0000

You guys might remember this unbelievably great wedding in Palm Beach that we featured a couple of months back. Well, one of the very best thing about the wedding was the incredible paper details that the bride and her graphic designer put together. I swooned for a solid month after the wedding, just thinking about how great everything was.

Well, lucky for us, the designer behind all of those paper perfections has recently launched her own wedding invitation line, Regas NY, and she’s chosen SMP to have a first look!

Ummm, how gorgeous are those? The invitation on the top literally gives me butterflies. The fabulous designer, Meredith (who in my opinion is the next big thing in invitation design), shared a few of the details about the new collection with us…

There are 27 beautifully-designed paper patterns that can be matched with each of your bridesmaids personalities and styles. The paper is block-printed by hand in Japan, mounted on thick card stock, and paired with a complementary envelope.

Meredith also designs personalized stationery that can be flat-printed or letterpressed with a monogram, your full name or a single initial in 7 different ink colors and utilizes that same incredible Japanese paper.

Definitely spend some time checking out the Regas NY site as it’s filled to the brim with some of Meredith’s favorite designs!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Regas NY, Stationery, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery

One Invitation, Four Ways by Chewing the Cud

Abby Larson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:35 +0000

Well, I am just soaking up the sun in the Cayman Islands (not really, we’ve been “working” the whole time…I guess, if you call sitting in on a series of incredible forums “working”) loving every bit of my SMP vacation. And, I am so happy that my blog is in really good hands today as the FABULOUS Viola of chewing the cud is guest writing today!

So, let’s all welcome the lovely and talented Viola Sutanto!

* * *

Hi everyone, I’m excited to be guest blogging for Style Me Pretty. My name is Viola Sutanto and I am the owner of chewing the cud, a concept design and stationery studio based in San Francisco.

One of the most common questions I get from brides who plan to design their own invitations is “Where do I start?”. There are so many factors that could make or break an invitation: colors, typography, scale, illustration, paper choices, printing… and the list goes on. I thought it would be fun to start off my first post by sharing how color and typography (font choices) can really impact an invitation vastly. Here is an example of the same invitation design, executed in 4 different fonts and color choices.

Starting at the top left, the first uses classic scripts and muted color tones, this would be appropriate for an formal, elegant wedding. The second, on the top right, features modern, clean, simple typography with cheery colors. Perhaps an outdoor, less formal soirée. The third, on the bottom left, uses jewel tones and ornamental type with flourishes that would give a hint of an opulent ballroom affair. And finally, on the bottom right, bold typography and earthy tones are perfect for a semi-casual wedding, perhaps at the park or in the garden.

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Viola is SO right. One invitation can be personalized to fit so many different styles of weddings by simply changing hte color palette and the font choices. It’s often hard to visualize what your invite would look like if you changed the template design, so ask your designer (or have the store contact the designer) to do a mock-up. You might have to pay a little bit, but it’s worth every penny.

Viola is back in a bit with so much more eye candy and inspiration!

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Post tags: Chewing The Cud, Viola Sutanto, Wedding Invitations & Stationery
Post categories: Wedding Invitations & Stationery