Minimalist Black and White Hand Lettered Wedding Invitations

When an artist with a minimalist, yet elevated, aesthetic enlists you to design her wedding invitations, you know they are going to pack a punch! These gorgeous minimalist black and white hand lettered wedding invitations by Grace Niu are bold, yet refined and modern all at the same time! We’re loving the interplay between her thin monoline hand lettering and the carefully curated serif and san-serif typeface selections. Add in bold black envelopes with white brush lettering, and you’ve got one seriously gorgeous modern wedding invitation suite.

Minimalist Black and White Handlettered Wedding Invitations by Grace Niu

From Grace: I’m truly excited to share this invitation suite! Christina, the bride, came to me with a beautiful inspiration board full of very minimally designed invitations. She also wanted to incorporate hand lettering in a way that would complement the minimalist look she wanted. Christina is an artist and loves a good minimalist aesthetic, and absolutely loves black and white. Her wedding vision was a ton of black and white elements paired with lush greenery, yet all kept very simple, quiet and beautiful.

Minimalist Black and White Handlettered Wedding Invitations by Grace Niu

The invitation design incorporates thin modern hand-lettering and a mix of sans-serif and serif fonts. For the reply and reception cards, I was able to play with some different layouts so that they were their own distinct pieces. Christina requested cute little animal icons for her meal choices, and I love how those turned out. I also love that we chose to rotate the “rsvp” lettering on the reply card to make it stand out a little from the rest of the suite.

Minimalist Black and White Handlettered Wedding Invitations by Grace Niu

I chose to print the suite on a felt textured paper because the design was already so minimal, and I wanted to bring in a little texture to keep it from being too flat. To complement the minimal black and white theme, I chose black envelopes and hand-lettered them with white ink in a modern style. This invitation suite was perfect for me to work on because it’s really indicative of my style as a designer – pairing modern hand-lettering with beautiful typography is something I pride myself on.

Minimalist Black and White Handlettered Wedding Invitations by Grace Niu

Thanks Grace!

Design, Calligraphy, & Production: Grace Niu

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

Photo Credits: Grace Niu

Happy Weekend!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! We’re doing something a bit non-traditional today – we’ll be sharing a St. Patrick’s Day mocktail recipe a bit later today! It’s green, has lots of fizz, and I think you’ll really like it. Otherwise, I’m just hoping the sun decides to stick around – and keeping my fingers crossed that the recent snow and freezing temperatures haven’t damaged the cherry blossoms too much! But in the meantime…

A Beautiful Mess Happy Mail

…a few links for your weekend!

A Beautiful Mess sent me a couple boxes from their fun monthly Happy Mail subscription (pictured above) – who doesn’t love getting happy and colorful mail each month?? You can sign up for your own subscription right here!

A breakdown of the proposed funding cuts in the Administration’s proposed 2018 budget. These funding cuts will eliminate jobs, reduce the capacity for U.S. leadership around the world, and create instability both at home and abroad. If you disagree with these funding cuts, please call your Senators and Representatives to let them know.

Loving these DIY rainbow streamer curtains for any time of year!

I need this brass planter in my life

This tissue paper backdrop is so much fun – and I love that it’s reusable

Have you heard about Hasbrouck House in Upstate New York? I want to go to there.

YES to copper wall art ledges (and they’re on sale!) 

An alternative to Guiness and Irish Coffee: The Whiskey Smash!

 

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Absolutely stunning French Chateau-inspired calligraphy wedding invitations

Belated birthday cards!

Whimsical poppy and eucalyptus wedding invitations

A Bittersweet Coffee Mocktail

Garlands are such a fun way to add color and texture to your wedding!

Such cute illustrations from Tog & Pini

 

Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week! xoxo

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations

You guys, I just CANNOT EVEN with these gorgeous calligraphed wedding invitations. Brandi of Brandi Smyth Photography teamed up with Shannon Inman of Paperglaze Calligraphy to create these absolutely stunning French Chateau inspired calligraphy wedding invitations for a wedding in southern Louisiana. Every single detail is just so beautiful, from the custom envelope liner to the beautiful deckle edge paper. And that gold wax seal! So much yes.

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

From Brandi: Pulling off a french chateau inspired wedding is not an easy task when you are in southern Louisiana. But boy do these invitations set the tone! Shannon with Paperglaze Calligraphy did an amazing job. She crafted a beautiful invitation suite for the couple, even going the extra mile and customizing the envelope liner with a french love poem. The wedding colors were very subdued and light, with mixes of ivory, soft blues and gold undertones. Shannon went with a navy blue ink to complement those colors and it turned out to be a beautiful choice! To top off the invitations they were sealed with a gold wax stamp and beautifully curated vintage stamps to perfectly complement the design.

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

Throughout the wedding there was a French “locks of love” theme. As guests arrived, instead of signing a traditional guest book, they signed small cards attached to locks and keys and placed them on a beautiful iron gate upon entering the ceremony site. From the French inspired food and beverage selections, to the floral arrangements and vows, it was a night to remember and you definitely did not feel like you were in Louisiana. Instead you escaped for a special celebration. The venue had beautiful tall cypress trees, gravel roads, ornate fountains, lush gardens, and the land around the venue appeared to having rolling hills, even a pond with ducks and geese. It was truly an enchanting evening. Shannon hand calligraphed invitation suite tied in beautifully with the aesthetic of the day and the theme was continued throughout each and every detail.

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

French Chateau Inspired Calligraphy Wedding Invitations by Paperglaze Calligraphy

Thanks Brandi and Shannon!

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

Calligraphy: Paperglaze Calligraphy

Wax Seal: Nostalgic Impressions

Vintage Stamps: Verde Studio

Ribbon: FrouFrou Chic

Photo Credits: Brandi Smyth Photography

Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! As I write this, snow and sleet are falling outside my office window after three straight days of 60-70 degree temperatures. What is UP with this crazy weather?? I’m just hoping the next few days of winter weather don’t hurt the cherry blossoms! I’ve spent the better part of the last few weeks working on something new and exciting that I can’t wait to share with all of you here! Soon, I hope! But in the meantime… 

International Women's Day by Dinara Mirtalipova

International Women’s Day illustration by Dinara Mirtalipova

…a few links for your weekend!

The prettiest dessert plates

Two printable designs from Hello!Lucky to celebrate Women’s History Month

Matcha Tiramisu for two

How cute is this rainbow blanket??

These honeycomb cake hats are totally genius.

Hey Congressman Chaffetz, stop interfering in local DC politics. We didn’t elect you, and we’re tired of your meddling. Also, you’re generally just the worst. 

Desperately in love with this green velvet and brass chair (also, this couch)

 

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

Romantic copper foil wedding invitations with one of the most beautiful envelope details I’ve EVER SEEN.

We went behind the stationery with 9th Letter Press

It can be tough to admit you did something wrong. Say you’re sorry with one of these cards!

Loving this elegant script font

The sweetest modern gold foil baby announcements

Beautiful calligraphy from Miranda Writes

Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Hello everyone! Boy, do I have some pretty calligraphy to share with you. It’s not often that I get that wish-I-could-plan-my-wedding-again feeling. But for sure, when I stumbled on the work of Miranda Griffiths of Miranda Writes — I wanted to jump right back into planning table cards and menus. Because geez, this is some beautiful lettering work. Let’s get straight to the good stuff, shall we? – Jen

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Here’s an awesome side note: When I reached out to Miranda, I found out her inspiration for starting calligraphy started right here! Yep, here’s what Miranda shared: “I started learning calligraphy after stumbling upon Oh So Beautiful Paper’s post featuring Primele Studio’s work.” How amazing is that! Great work inspiring more great work. That’s what it’s all about. And what a small world it is. That handmade paper she uses for these wedding place cards and menus —  so so pretty!

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

How did she jump from simply being inspired to creating calligraphy of her own? Miranda explains, “I then tried to replicate her writing style in my regular handwriting in college while taking tons of notes in class, not realizing that she wasn’t using a regular pen or marker — she was actually using calligraphy tools. From there I self-taught, mimicking styles I found on OSBP or Pinterest, and I’ve been lettering things ever since.”

(Also, can we pause for a moment on how I’d really love some gingerbread cobbler with vanilla ice cream — what a yummy menu!)

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Nothing beats a pretty calendar page, so I wanted to share Miranda’s take on this month (and hello, is anyone else shocked that it’s already March!). Why does Miranda love calligraphy? She shares, “I think the coolest part of calligraphy is that it’s handmade and 100% one of a kind, which brings a unique component to weddings and other events. My current favorite style is to write with a smaller pointed nib and create extremely thin-lined letters.”

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Miranda created these modern moving announcements and a return address stamp for when she and her husband moved into their first home. A custom calligraphy return address stamp is at the top of my list for when we have our very own home. It’s such a special way to put your stamp on any correspondence — and mark that this is your home.

Wedding Calligraphy Inspiration: Miranda Writes

Photo Credit: Spencer Studios Photography

A big thanks to Miranda for sharing her work! I wonder if her calligraphy is going to inspire the next new calligrapher — and the creative circle continues on. Amazing to think what can come out of some simple doodling.

See you back here soon!

All other images: Miranda Writes