Well, these save the dates are quite romantic! Created for her own upcoming wedding by Erin of Grace + Ardor Co., these illustrated European-inspired watercolor save the dates feature a gorgeous custom watercolor illustration of the reception venue, hand-torn deckle edges, and a gorgeous wax seal. And I love that Erin chose to go with a large scale format for her save the dates – all the better to show off that beautiful illustration!

From Erin: My fiancé, John, and I are getting married this September, and planning and designing a wedding has been something I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a little girl. I spent the first few months of our engagement really researching and refining my aesthetic. Once I had that in place, I decided to collaborate with a fellow designer (and one of my bridesmaids), Tracey, to create my Save the Dates.

Our wedding is going to be very soft, romantic, and European-inspired. Blush pinks and neutrals, lots of foliage, some deep merlot tones, and mixed metals are in the palette. The ceremony will be held at Bryn Athyn Cathedral in Pennsylvania: a gorgeous Early Gothic style structure set amongst beautiful gardens. Located next to that is the stunning Cairnwood Estate, in which our reception will take place.

I also collaborated with an illustrator, Cheryl Geiger Sheeler, for the beautiful watercolor painting of Cairnwood Estate. This was scanned in to the computer and printed on Epson Watercolor Paper. We tore the edges of the paper by hand to give it a deckled edge, and the illustration bled off the edge to add to the natural, handmade feel.

For impact, the scale was larger than a traditional Save the Date at 8.75 x 15 inches, folding down into a Crane Lettra A9 envelope. The fold was secured with an antique gold olive branch wax seal. I wanted to save the beautiful impression that calligraphy gives for our main wedding stationery, so I decided to create address labels that wrapped around the side of the envelope as an elegant alternative. Everything came together so wonderfully, and I especially love the handcrafted details. I cannot wait until our big day in September to celebrate our love for each other!

Thanks Erin!

Design: Grace + Ardor Co.

Watercolor Illustration: Cheryl Geiger Sheeler

Check out the Designer Rolodex for more tal­ented wed­ding invi­ta­tion design­ers and the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Erin Doyle, Grace + Ardor Co.