09/13/2012

Oliver’s Pirate Theme Birthday Party Invitations

I was completely obsessed with the idea of pirate treasure as a young child, so naturally I love the idea of a pirate-theme birthday party. Â Designer Megan McKean created these fun pirate map-inspired invitations for a sixth birthday party â€“ complete with an illustrated treasure map and burned edges sure to inspire a child’s imagination to run wild. Â So fun!

From Megan: The client wanted an invitation for her son’s pirate themed 6th birthday. Incorporating ships, banners, and frames inspired by old maps, the illustration was digitally printed onto card. Each invitation was hand torn, stained, and the edges burned, to create a sense of excitement and adventure for the attendees. Dark gold envelopes and a nautical star seal were the finishing elements.

Also created with the invitations were two custom illustrations, one for the birthday boy Oliver as a keepsake of his special day, and a Treasure Map for younger brother Isiah, so he wouldn’t feel left out amidst all of the birthday celebrations.

Thanks so much Megan!

Photo Credits: Megan McKean

09/13/2012

Peach + Turquoise Under the Sea Baby Shower Invitations

I’m bound to love a baby shower invitation that combines a painterly watercolor feel with beautiful hand lettering, but add in a sweet “Under the Sea” theme and illustrated mama and baby whales and I’m completely sold. Â Event Designer Rachel of Woolston Grace WeddingsÂ worked with graphic designerÂ Meghan Hopkins SokoraiÂ to create these incredibly adorable invitations for the baby shower of Rachel’s business partner. Â So sweet!

From Rachel: When my business partner Jen Woolston of Woolston Grace Weddings got pregnant, planning her baby shower became a top priority. Set for a sunny day in June the invitations and decor were inspired by the shower’s destination, a beautiful waterfront home in Rumson, New Jersey. We enlisted the design expertise of Brooklyn graphic designer, Meghan Hopkins Sokorai. With the request for a whale theme and peach and turquoise color scheme, Meghan honored our ideas and ran with them. Her mama and baby whales became the faces of the shower.

The three piece invitations were printed on Long Island by Caro Printing Co. and packaged in white envelopes with custom designed address labels. Each shower guest was asked to complete their wishes for baby and greeted with a whale adorned straw. It truly was a whale of a good time!

Thanks so much Rachel!

Event Design: Woolston Grace Weddings
Invitation Design: Meghan Hopkins Sokorai
Invitation Printing: Caro Printing Co.

Photo Credits: Kate Connolly Photography

09/12/2012

Wedding Stationery Inspiration: Wood + Faux Bois

Summer is quickly fading away as the first official day of fall approaches in a few weeks. While I’ll miss many things about the summer months, autumn always makes for some of the most beautiful weddings, with built-in color palettes and landscapes perfect for rustic affairs. Today’s day-of wedding stationery inspiration has me ready for the rich, warm textures of the season, a favorite of which which is wood. You can get a natural, textured feel in your paper goods using the real thing (Think engraved wood table numbers and veneer place cards!) or faux bois (That’s wood grain printed paper! Letterpress menu cards, anyone?). Alright fall, you are now officially welcome. â€” Kelly

Photo by Jen Huang, Menu by Poppies & Posies via Once Wed

Photo by Lauren Crew Photography (left), Photo by Steve Steinhardt via Southern Weddings (right)

Photo by Flourish Studio Photography, Menu by Flourish Letterpress via Green Wedding Shoes

Photo by Nathan Peel Photography, Menu by Five Dot Design via Style Me Pretty

Ceremony Program and Wedding Stationery by Bell’occhio via Martha Stewart Weddings (left) Wedding Stationery by Ditto Paper via Martha Stewart Weddings (right)

Photo by Brandon Scott Photography, Table Number by Oslo Press

Menu by Elum (left) Place Cards via Martha Stewart Weddings (right)

Favor Tags by Maida Vale

Photo by Diana M. Lott Photography via Wedding Wire (left), DIY Place Cards via Martha Moments (right)

{images via their respective sources}

09/12/2012

Pretty + Paper

Paul Vincent Photography (left); Amy and Blake’s Classic Calligraphy wedding invitations by Atheneum Creative,Â PenDance Calligraphy, and Sideshow PressÂ (right)

Photo Credits: Paul Vincent Photography andÂ Chelsea Davis Photography

09/11/2012

Sarah + Jonathan’s German-Inspired Wedding Invitations

I love wedding invitations that incorporate texture in addition to color and pattern, which is definitely the case in Sarah and Jonathan’s wedding invitations by Jami ofÂ Imaj Design. Â The invitation suite was inspired by the bride and groom’s travel to Germany, with a beautiful patterned envelope liner based on the pattern of a traditional German folk style dress. Â So pretty!

From Jami: The bride and groom had a color palette of green, purple and off-white. They wanted something that felt like Texas, but with a hint of German flare. This couple travels quite a bit to Germany. As I sat with the mother of the bride, she showed me a really fun photo of the groom in lederhosen and the bride in a traditional German folk style dress on one of their trips. I was immediately inspired by the pattern on her dress and created a signature pattern that was used as a liner, backer on the invitation and incorporated into the wedding program.

For the invitation suite, we wanted to pull-in a natural element while also maintaining a degree of sophistication. I chose to use a fantastic light brown paper with natural grooves and texture for the main invitation and an off-white Italian paper with its own impressive texture for the accommodations and rsvp cards.

The entire suite was letterpress printed in their signature green color and tied-up with off-white double-scalloped lace. As for the typography, I used a wonderful mixture of serif and script (our friend Debi Sementelli’s Belluccia font for the script). Each envelope was addressed with green calligraphy by our friend Nicole Black with The Left-Handed Calligrapher.

Thanks so much Jami!

Design:Â Imaj Design

Envelope Calligraphy: Nicole Black ofÂ The Left-Handed Calligrapher

Check out theÂ Designer RolodexÂ for more talÂentedÂ wedÂding inviÂtaÂtion designÂersÂ andÂ theÂ real inviÂtaÂtions galleryÂ for moreÂ wedding invitation ideas!

Photo Credits: Imaj Design