Imagine a Downton Abbey era garden party by the ocean. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, that’s exactly what Nichole of Coral Pheasant had in mind when creating these classic ocean-inspired wedding invitations! The entire suite is letterpress printed in a restrained slate blue, with classic typography and the most gorgeous envelope liner of painted waves crashing on the shore. So beautiful!

From Nichole: Kara and Victor were married by the sea this past August in Groton, Connecticut. Kara grew up spending her summers on the Connecticut shoreline and her love of the ocean and its energy greatly guided the direction of her wedding invitations. The grandeur of the Branford House is what drew them to the venue, but it was important to Kara and Victor that their wedding was formal and sophisticated – and by no means stuffy. A Downton Abbey era garden party by the ocean with clean lines and classic colors.

Kara shared with me that she wanted her guests to leave their wedding thinking “Wow! That wedding was beautiful, comfortable and fun. And the food was awesome!” While I couldn’t ensure the delicious food, I was totally game to get her guests excited about her wedding – and that’s just what their paper story did!

The typography of the invitation was classic and very considered, balancing a serif font with a charming script. The suite was letterpress printed in slate blue on 110# Crane’s Lettra and the main invitation and outer envelope flap were edged in the same slate blue, adding a restrained graphic pop. The envelope liner of painted waves crashing on the shore is a nod to Kara’s love of the ocean and the venue’s seaside location.

Additional, subtle color was layered in through colored envelopes: a light dusty blue for the outer envelope and a soft grey for the reply envelope. Illustrations of lavender sprigs and the printed stamps on the outer envelope add just the right touch of gaiety making this suite extra sweet. If you look closely, you’ll see that the printed stamps relate back to the ocean with illustrations of a shell and a lighthouse, along with their wedding date bordered by lavender sprigs.

Thanks Nichole!

Stationery Design and Styling: Coral Pheasant

Coral Pheasant is a member of the Designer Rolodex – you can see more of Nichole’s beautiful work right here or visit the real wedding invitations gallery for more invitation inspiration!

Photo Credits: Coral Pheasant