06/11/2013

Sarah + Jordan’s Illustrated Show Bill Wedding Invitations

Kentucky-based graphic designer Austin Dunbar is more used to designing concert postersÂ for Chromeo, Toro Y Moi, Cold War Kids, Xiu Xiu, and Tokyo Police Club than wedding invitations, but he was definitely up for the challenge! For Sarah and Jordan’s wedding invitations, Austin incorporated hand drawn illustrations that showcased their personalities and unique style. Too cute!

From Austin: Sarah and Jordan asked me to design the invitations for their upcoming wedding. They wanted something unique that showcased their personalities. Both are lots of fun and have quirky things that are staples to each of them. Jordan sports aÂ 5 o’clockÂ shadow and always wears a newsboy cap while Sarah has tattoos of ropes and swallows. I thought this imagery would be fun to illustrate and would reflect their lifestyle.

Watercolors, markers, kraft paper and hand drawn illustrations gave the piece a unique, light hearted feel. Having designed gig-posters for years, I wanted to invitation to look more like a show bill than a typical invitation.

Austin also sent over a couple of sneak peeks into his sketchbook for this project, which you can see below. So cool!

Thanks Austin!

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

Photo Credits: Austin Dunbar

06/11/2013

Alexis + Joseph’s Modern Hearts and Arrows Wedding Invitations

These days I’m drawn to bright and bold color in just about any form, and I’m loving the color palette in these modern wedding invitations from designer Renee Nicole! Mint green mixed with red, pink, and orange; who knew it was such a great combination? Renee paired the bright colors with heart and arrow details for a fresh and modern invitation design. Love!

From Renee:Â Hearts, arrows, and fresh typography: my three favorite elements of inspiration. When I first started brainstorming, I knew I wanted to create something fresh and modern. Something that I would be excited to have show up in my own mailbox. The end result: a colorful invitation set designed especially for the fun-loving couple planning a stylish (and unforgettable!) celebration.

The invitation and RSVP postcard looked even better printed on a luxurious felt-weave cardstock and held together by an accenting bellyband for the perfect touch.

Thanks Renee!

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

Photo Credits: Renee Nicole

06/10/2013

Amy + Brandon’s Modern Glam Sunburst Wedding Invitations

Happy Monday everyone! I’m thrilled to be starting the week with a gorgeous set of invitations with architecture-inspired details from Lisa at Missive! Lisa incorporated a beautiful gold foil starburst detail inspired by chandeliers at the wedding venue along with modern sans serif and script fonts. I love the combination of the gold foil with the bright red and aqua color palette. The entire suite is so pretty!

From Lisa: Amy and Brandon’s wedding suite was inspired by interior architectural details at their wedding venue. The chandeliers inside the venue had an interesting starlike pattern that Amy wanted to incorporate into her invitations, so I designed aÂ starburstÂ element which was carried through from her save the date to wedding invitations to thank you notes, where it appears as their new monogram.

Once I learned more about Amy’s vision for her venue decor â€” from a huge curtain of red and aqua fringe streamers and gold dot garland to jars filled with glowing candlelight, it was clear that her wedding invitation suite needed a glamorous feel. The invitations were letterpress printed in Amy’s bold wedding colors, a rich red and vivid aqua blue, complemented by the shiny goldÂ starbursts.

Modern sans-serif typefaces were paired with an exquisite, flourished script for all of the pieces in this suite. We upped the glam factor with envelopes in bright punchy colors, which were also foil stamped with the couples’ return address. This suite was all about sparkle and shine and I loved that the bride did not shy away from bold color and gleaming gold details!

In celebration of the new Missive website and online shop, Lisa has generously offered Oh So Beautiful PaperÂ readers an exclusive 20% discount for the month of June, including personalized letterpress stationery and calling cards! Just use promo code OSBP20 at checkout â€“ thanks so muchÂ Lisa!

Design + Letterpress Printing: Missive

Foil Stamping: Quality Letterpress

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

Photo Credits: Missive

06/07/2013

{happy weekend}

Hello friends. It was a sad week here in my Capitol Hill neighborhood of DC: Frager’s,Â our beloved hardware store (and 93-year old community institution), was destroyedÂ in a huge fire on Wednesday night. Thankfully everyone made it out of the store okay and the brick facade of the building survived the fire.Â The owners plan to rebuild and neighborhood businesses have offered temporary work for displaced employees, but I’m still reeling from the destruction.Â My husband and I moved to Capitol Hill in 2009, and Frager’s quickly became one of my favorite places on the Hill. That probably seems weird, but it’s so much more than a hardware store: my husband and I bought our first Christmas tree together from Frager’s. I’ve purchased enough paint that the guys behind the counter know Sophie by name. Frager’s supports local sports teams, employs neighborhood teens during the summer, and even hosts an egg hunt for little kids during Easter. I look forward to a future teenage Sophie getting her first part-time job there. I just can’t imagine Capitol Hill without Frager’s. Thankfully our neighborhood has a history of rallying together to help local families and businesses in need, and I’m looking forward to helping in any way that I can.

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