A Backyard Cocktail Party with St-Germain

Today I’m thrilled to share another installment in our Summer Cocktail Series with St-Germain! From Memorial Day to Labor Day, I equate summer with lots of BBQs and grilling. Now that we have a backyard – for the first time in more than 10 years! – I couldn’t resist the idea of a backyard cocktail party. We started with a color palette of red, peach, navy, and kraft paper, mixed up some delicious cocktails with our favorite liqueur (and our first mocktail!), and threw some food on the grill. Oh, and I may have gone a bit flower crazy with this one… but I think you’ll see why in just a bit!

Backyard Summer Cocktail Party with St-Germain by Oh So Beautiful Paper

Let’s start with the best part: the invitations! Katie from Idlewild Co. created a beautiful invitation using her hand lettering and an ombre painted background. Navy envelopes with white ink calligraphy from Michele of Meant to Be Calligraphy was the perfect finishing touch.

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Michele also created a beautiful calligraphy chalkboard cocktail menu, which I accented with a baby’s breath garland.

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I’m a big fan of sending guests home with a sweet treat. We kept it simple with chocolate chip cookies in kraft paper bags, again with Michele’s beautiful calligraphy in white ink.

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Sangria is the perfect summer drink, and easy to make in large batches! I’m absolutely in love with this fruity sangria recipe – which we’ll be sharing just a bit later.

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Blueberries and mint = two quintessential summer flavors. This shrub syrup makes for a perfect mocktail when combined with soda water!

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These melon, prosciutto, and mozzarella skewers reminded me of our trip to Italy a couple years ago. So delicious. And grilled watermelon salad? Yum!

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For the floral arrangements, I combined several of my favorite flowers in small mason jars. Red and white anemones, peach zinnia, dark red dahlias, lavender, queen anne’s lace, and dusty miller leaves. I also combined several handfuls of tiny chamomile flowers more visual impact. I was in complete flower heaven!

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Full cocktail and mocktail recipes are coming up in just a bit!

Invitations: Rocket Ink

Calligraphy: Meant to Be Calligraphy

Menu cards, place cards, and favor bags: Paper Source

Party & Floral Design: Oh So Beautiful Paper

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This post is brought to you in collaboration with St-Germain. All content, photos, recipes, and words are our own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

Irina + Daniel’s Nature-Inspired Baby Shower Invitations

We’ve seen quite a few nature-inspired wedding invitations recently, so why not a baby shower invitation? These invitations from Anastasia Marie feature dark green paper leaves and a tiny little paper pacifier accented with mint green washi tape. Too cute!

Layered Foliage Baby Shower Invitations by Anastasia Marie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (6)

From Anastasia: I created these baby shower invitations for some friends of mine; they wanted to have a nature-inspired shower with lots of green foliage. I cut out nine leaves out of dark green paper and one pacifier from a shimmery chartreuse paper for each set of invitations.

Layered Foliage Baby Shower Invitations by Anastasia Marie via Oh So Beautiful Paper (4)

The foliage pieces were secured with a dab of glue and a piece of mint green washi tape across the stem to make them look like they were taped down; the pacifier was hung from a piece of metallic silver string. The invitations were coordinated with recycled kraft envelopes and sealed with metallic silver circle stickers.

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Thanks Anastasia!

Photo Credits: Anastasia Marie

Lauren + Paul’s Rustic Screen Printed Fabric Wedding Invitations

There is something so romantic in these screen printed fabric invitations from designer Jessi Evans. Inspired by the natural beauty of the wedding venue, the invitation features a single color screen print on muslin fabric and fold-out enclosure, complete with farm-inspired illustrations. Sweet, simple, and ridiculously beautiful.

Rustic Fabric Barn Wedding Invitations by Jessi Evans via Oh So Beautiful Paper (5)

From Jessi: These screen printed fabric invitations were inspired by the natural beauty of the Pennsylvania farmland. I wanted to capture the raw essence of the wedding venue, while celebrating the simplicity of the countryside.

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The materials include a screen printed muslin invitation partnered with a three panel foldout that includes a detachable RSVP postcard printed on recycled, post-consumer paper stock in a milkweed color.

Rustic Fabric Barn Wedding Invitations by Jessi Evans via Oh So Beautiful Paper (1)

My favorite details include an illustration of the barn in which Lauren and Paul will be wed, their favorite song lyric, a wheat pattern and silhouettes of iconic farm animals. 

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Thanks Jessi!

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

Photo Credits: Jessi Evans

Quick Pick: Bowerbox Press

I don’t know much about chickens, being a city girl and all, but these prints from Bowerbox Press definitely bring a smile to my face. Who knew there were so many varieties? And such interesting plumage! Originally created as watercolor paintings, each print is digitally printed with a white border for easy framing. So fun!

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More over at Bowerbox Press!

Photo Credits: Bowerbox Press