Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Forget boring menus! The menu is a key element of any wedding reception, from informal picnic-inspired fêtes to formal black tie affairs. Today we’re rounding up a few creative wedding menu ideas, from glamorous mirrors to tropical leaves! – Annie

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

White calligraphy on a mirror adds instant glamour. | Photography: Mi Belle Photographers, Event Planning: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co. via Martha Stewart Weddings

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

How amazing is this combination of acrylic and moss?! | Photography: Dani Stephenson, Floral & Event Design: Jennifer Joyce Design, Calligraphy: Saffron Avenue via Dani Stephenson

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Love these cheerful illustrations. | Photography: Ned Jackson Photography, Menus: Happy Menocal via The Knot

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Play with texture. | Photography: Erin McGinn, Floral & Event Design: Greenlion Design, Calligraphy: Heather Belle Ink via Style Me Pretty

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

This wooden menu doubles as decor. | Photography: Onelove Photography, Floral & Event Design: JL Designs, Calligraphy: Tessa Shane via Hey Wedding Lady

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Draw inspiration from your surroundings. Gold calligraphy on tropical leaves, anyone? | Photography: Brandon Kidd Photography, Wedding Planner: LVL Weddings & Events, Floral Design: Wildheart, Calligraphy: Miss B Calligraphy via 100 Layer Cake

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Keep it classic with elegant calligraphy and textured paper. | Photography:Christina Lilly, Paper Goods: Claire Hudson with Pennys & Stamps via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Love the mix of illustrations and calligraphy. | Photography: Sposto Photography,  Coordination: Green Apple Event Co, Calligraphy: Luminous Lines via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Doing double duty as a menu and bread bag. | Photography:Pat Furey via Green Wedding Shoes

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Add color with watercolor frames. | Photography: Jen Huang, Florals & Styling: Poppies & Posies, Menus: Paperfinger via Paperfinger

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

Who needs dozens of menus when you can have one giant menu (with gorgeous calligraphy, might I add)? | Photography: Katie Stoops Photography, Event Planning: Bash, Please, Calligraphy: A Fabulous Fete via Studio DIY

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Creative Wedding Menu Ideas

No flying menus here! | Photography: Plum & Oak, Venue & Coordination: Quail Haven Farm, Calligraphy: Elli via Ruffled

p.s. More wedding menu inspiration right here!

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations

A bit of agate-inspired prettiness to brighten your Wednesday! Agate slices and jewel tones are having quite a moment these days, don’t you think? First these gorgeous purple-hued agate-inspired invitations a few weeks ago, and now these vibrant blue agate-inspired watercolor wedding invitations from Debbie Wong Design! The watercolor does a great job of mimicking the unique and varied nature of agate stones. And the hand painted watercolor is even more beautiful when paired with deckle edge paper and modern calligraphy in white ink!

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

From Debbie: The aesthetic and rich jewel tones of agate were the main inspiration for this invitation suite. Blue is incredibly versatile and a beautiful color to use year-round, no matter how seasonal trends may change.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Since agate stones come in so many different patterns, the background for the invitation and response card were also unique from one to another, due to the handmade nature of watercolors. Another unique element of agate slices that we wanted to highlight was the unique crystal design at the center of each stone.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

I decided modern calligraphy was an appropriate style to use for this fun invitation suite, and white ink was the perfect choice to stand out the most against the dark blue tones of the suite. The invitation suite was created on hand deckled cotton rag paper to get a gorgeous texture. Then, the invitation and the response card were tied together with a soft dusty blue silk ribbon from Silk and Willow, before inserting them into a light blue envelope.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Vintage stamps were another fun detail we incorporated. Blue stamps fit the theme, but we added a couple of brightly colored stamps to make the envelopes stand out in a fun and vibrant. A blueberry stamp was also incorporated, and this motif tied in with the menu card.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

The reception was going to be a cocktail style affair, so the menu items were hors d’oeuvres instead of a full seated dinner. The menu was also made on the same hand deckled cotton paper, with a little blueberry painted on the top as the header. We used watercolor to write the appetizer names onto these cards. I knew using watercolor would give the menu cards an organic look with the colors varying slightly from word to word.

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

We used actual agate slices as food labels for the stations at the reception. Brilliant white ink with modern calligraphy was used to match the invitation suite’s calligraphy. I purposely chose three distinctive looking agate stones for the appetizer cards, as no two agates are exact, just like a hand painting. This was such a fun project to orchestrate and I love how it came together!

Blue Agate-Inspired Watercolor Wedding Invitations by Debbie Wong Design

Thanks Debbie!

Design, calligraphy, & hand painting: Debbie Wong Design

Ribbon: Silk and Willow

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

Photo Credits: Debbie Wong

Festive Baby Shower Invitations with Foil Sprinkles!

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of featuring these absolutely GORGEOUS copper foil wedding invitations from Samantha and Whitney – the dynamic duo behind Gus & Ruby Letterpress â€“ and today we’re super excited to share Samantha’s festive baby shower invitations! The bold jewel tones and bright primary colors are such a fun take on a gender-neutral color palette, and of course I’m loving the sprinkle motif that Whitney incorporated throughout the invitation suite. So cheerful and summery! Congrats Sam!

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

From Samantha: Once again, Whitney designed this custom suite to invite friends to celebrate the arrival of my first baby. It is fun to have a business partner who is also a dear friend! She knows my aesthetic so well and it was such a gift to have her design these invitations for me.

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Because we didn’t know the gender of our baby, we used a fun palette of rich and bold jewel tones and some pops of bright primary colors and matte white foil to keep things feeling young but gender neutral. Those funky colors paired with a casual, hand-lettering inspired font made for a cheerful vibe for our summer fête.

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Fun wording set the tone for a laid-back event and spoke to our sense of humor about the wild journey of pregnancy. We even had a special nod to our pup Gus!

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

One of my favorite little details was that each invitation suite was wrapped in metallic twine with a tag announcing the baby’s due date. The whole bundle was then housed in a bright turquoise envelope with a patterned liner that was reminiscent of sprinkles. It was certainly a festive way to set the tone for the shower!

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

We kept the same aesthetic for the day-of stationery items as well. Individual menus were set at each table place setting so guests could see what was being served.

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

All pieces were printed on rich colored stocks and, as always, the pieces were lovingly foil printed by hand on our antique presses in New Hampshire.

Festive Baby Shower Invitations by Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Thanks Samantha & Whitney!

Design and Printing: Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Letterpress is a member of the Designer Rolodex â€“ check out more of their beautiful work right here or visit the real invi­ta­tions gallery for more wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Brea McDonald Photography for Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations

A wedding ten years in the making! A destination wedding in Palm Springs! We’re starting the week off with some seriously stunning calligraphy and cactus wedding invitations from Taryn of Twinkle & Toast for an epic wedding in the desert. Copper foil, a blind deboss palm frond, burgundy edge painting, custom calligraphy, and watercolor cactus illustrations throughout. Take a look for yourself below!

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

From Taryn: This custom invitation suite was designed for a real wedding for our fantastic couple, Ali and David. Our outgoing and much loved bride and groom have been together since they were fifteen. They survived high school, long distance through college, and various other ups and downs. Needless to say, they were ready to plan an epic soirée of a weekend for all their friends and family!

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

The couple resides in Chicago and planned a Palm Springs destination wedding (with over 200 guests!). Palm Springs holds a special place in the bride’s heart, as do details and clean design (she’s a hotel interior designer), so it was really important to her to set the tone with the invitation suite.

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

The inspiration was clean white, desert sophistication, with a touch of fun. The color palette was desert greens and burgundy jewel tones. The star of the suite was definitely the main invitation. We did a blind deboss of a palm design, copper foil printing, extra thick cotton paper, and a burgundy painted edge. This piece has so much weight and texture and really left an impact on their guests.

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

As a calligrapher as well as a stationer, the whole suite had custom calligraphy on all pieces. The envelope calligraphy called for pointed pen with a diluted burgundy gouache (for a watercolor effect). We pulled vintage cactus stamps, plus some soft pinks to echo her floral palette. We created a cactus watercolor painted envelope liner, and carried the cactus elements throughout.

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

From the very beginning, Ali really wanted a fun bellyband with the phrase “a weekend ten years in the making” to tie the entire wedding invitation suite together. Telling their story was important to us, and knowing them is to love them. This day has been highly anticipated and this party was certainly worth the wait!

Cactus and Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Twinkle and Toast

Thanks Taryn!

Calligraphy & Invitation Design: Twinkle & Toast

Floral: Catalina Neal

Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

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

Photo Credits: Society House

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

Hello friends! With Easter just around the corner, I thought it’d be fun to share some illustrations to get us in the bunny spirit. Although I will say, with my kiddos, bunnies are big *all* year round. They actually used to have bunnies in their last preschool, which was the cutest, and they’re now stuck on the idea of a bunny as their first pet (and yes, I think we may go for it this year!). But back to the illustration world, I am a big fan of Australian-based illustrator Clare Dunstan of Tog & Pini. It’s one of those times where you find yourself putting hearts next to half of the artist’s collection on Etsy. And scrolling deep into the artist’s Instagram. So let’s hop down to this peek into Tog & Pini, as I’m sure it’s going to capture many fans.  – Jen

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

Here’s a surprising fun fact about Clare. She didn’t even start drawing until she was 25! (How is that possible?!) She was always creative and as a child she sewed and made jewelry. Clare patterned her own teddy bears and made tiny doll’s house food out of clay. Then, on the professional side, she started out as a jeweler after studying gold and silver smithing. How did she jump from silver and gold to illustration? Clare shares, “After an unfortunate accident — setting the curtains above my work station alight — I turned to illustration as a safer pursuit for a dreamer!”

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

Just a little mermaid bunny for anyone else who lives with a child who loves anything related to mermaids.

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

So Clare turned to painting and drawing as her new passion, and it obviously suits her. Talk about an amazing late bloomer! She lives in Australia, so imagine the inspiration outside her window. And she works primarily in watercolor. “Being surrounded by such varied fauna has an obvious impact in my work,” shares Clare. She mostly draws on a little old antique desk that’s piled high with paints, pencils, papers, and photographers. “I’m a very messy worker!” she notes. Obviously, a lot of beauty comes out of that mess.

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

I love this illustration she did of meerkats. Clare lives in an outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia. “I have daily visiting native birds; a mob of pink Galahs, several sulphur-crested Cockatoos, and a pair of brightly coloured King Parrots,” she shares.

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

Here’s some bunny fabric in classic Easter colors, which you can find in her Etsy shop.

The World of Illustration: Tog and Pini

Clare is a true animal lover through and through. And she has pet rabbits (which surely inspired her sweet bunny illustrations.) She says, “We have two rescue dogs (who are hilarious), five guinea pigs and two rabbits that are a constant source of inspiration.”

And now I have some Easter baskets to plan. A big thanks to Clare Dunstan for sharing a peek into her work!

Photo Credits: Tog & Pini