Elegant Beachy Wedding Invitations

Engagement photos taken at the beach, of course!

Surfboard at the surf

Sandy textured lokta paper was used for the invitation layer and the wrap

Note the hearts... in Germany and San Diego

Combining the beach and elegance into a wedding invitation can be a delightful challenge. The texture of sand, the shades of blue, the shimmer of sun on the water. Even better than that? This couple's precious story!
Katie came to the San Diego area from Germany as an exchange student for her junior year of high school and that is where they met and dated for a few months. The friends she made that year stayed close to her heart and as the years went by she came back to visit quite a few times. It was during one of those trips that she and Grant reconnected, began dating in that long-distance fashion (Skype!), and truly fell in love.
But back to the invitations! A special way to keep the beachy blues in play was to use a watercolor of a beach photo for the map pocket-liner as well as the backside of the invitation extra pieces (i.e. rsvp card, welcome party card).

Wine Not? A Birthday Party Theme

 

She's turning 50. He's turning 60. So "Wine Not?" do it up right in the Napa Valley wine country. It will be the perfect setting for four full days of recreation, wine tasting and celebrating this couple and their BIG birthdays. Rustic and playful were two words that this client used to describe the vibe she wanted in a save-the-date. A corkscrew in a logo and wine drop stains bring in the event location and theme even more. The formal invitation is coming soon!

Movie Poster Save-the-Date

With all the talk about the Academy Awards I guess I had movies on my mind. It's a destination wedding in the Boston area in June for this couple. The bride is from St. Louis and so a Missouri reception is being planned for all those friends and relatives that can't make it to Boston but still want to celebrate with the bride and groom. When I was asked to come up with a Save-the-Date for this party that will be three months later, in September but not date actually specific, it was a challenge. So it's "Coming in September" and eventually they'll pin the exact date down and the invitations will go out.

Great photography by the groom. He helped me to come up with the perfect photo to use for their movie poster save-the-date! Yes, he really took all of their engagement photos with a clicker in his hand!

Picnic Save the Dates!

A set of wooden flatware wrapped in a napkin and tied with twine. Of course the recipients will save-the-date!

A matchbook style tag has all the pertinent info

Nestled in their boxes and ready to go!

Let me start by telling you that this couple met on a park bench in Boston Common. Randomly, a couple years later Joe found a lovely pendant to give to Kristen that captured a scene similar to theirs. Super talented Papercut artist Tina Tarnoff made the pendant using a print of her original papercut piece called "Divine Intervention". I was able to use it as a part of their logo on the tag. I can't believe how perfect it is! Check out her shop on Etsy.

Have you seen the Eco-friendly wooden flatware out there? I have, and I've seen pieces stamped with the cutest of phrases like "dig in", "eat more cake" and so perfect for a wedding "spread the love". Darling! For a French Picnic themed wedding this seemed like the perfect way to go, stamping the flatware with "Save the Date", "June 8, 2013" and this couples names "Kristen & Joe". The lavender gingham is perfectly picnic-y and reasonably priced too. Stems of lavender as well as the color lavender will be part of the wedding and picnic reception decor. I can't wait to see it all come together!

A School Calendar Save the Date

Calendars are a perfect way to get the "Save the Date" point across, especially when the wedding date happens to coincide with another special date or holiday. This fun engaged couple is getting married on Father's Day in 2012 so we thought this calendar idea would be the perfect Save the Date for them. And the school theme? Well, they met at school (college), they both work at schools and the wedding will take place at an old school! I'm already finding school ideas for their reception. They are not "too cool for school"!

Beverage Label Save the Date

Well, the clients liked the label the best so I made some final tweaks and they are out the door tomorrow! Having dark envelopes meant a coordinating mail label was needed. It's certainly not the standard fare that is found when one opens their mailbox so this save the date should be fun even before it is opened!

Destination Save the Date, Save the Week!

Planning ahead big time! This 50th birthday celebration is set for January of 2013. Yes, 2013. It might seem a bit early to send these out but the celebration will be in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and will last an entire week! Not only do the friends and family have to save the date but also save the week, the time off, the money, make sure their passports are up to date and so on.

So, will my client choose the calendar style or the beer label style? And as you can see I've already been playing around with a raffia palapa for a possible final invitation!

Wood you Save-the-Date?

Big love for this birch wood paper! Can you see the wood grain? I was so excited that I could print on it. And I think it turned out to be a very fun way to use it as the text side of a woodsy save-the-date postcard. But I was a bit too nervous to mail it naked so it is clothed in an envelope. But that adorable couple sort of steals the show, don't they?

Black & White and Saving the Date

A trip to the post office to ship these babies out is the next thing on the to-do list, but I had to post them first. They are just a hint of what's to come. And by that I mean the next thing to arrive in the guests' mailboxes, the formal invitation, and then the celebration on the wedding day of my cousin and her man. Some damask, some birds, some romance! The wedding venue, Lionscrest, looks stunning in pictures and I bet it will be even more so in person.