Save the Dates

Getting Started | A Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper

Friday, July 30th, 2010

So I am completely behind the times but … check what i just learned  ♥  whoop whoop!  Okay, SO not impressive.  I can’t believe I’m only just learning this little html trick.  Oh, well!  I’m sure you will see them frequent posts from now on.  Onto the post!  A Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper featured this great expert advice article on my Kate Parker Wedding about how to begin even thinking about your wedding stationery.  This expert advice article delves into three important questions to answer when dealing with wedding invites – where? when? and who?  Check out the expert advice below and read the full expert advice article on my Kate Parker Wedding!

You’re getting married! The excitement for your wedding is growing every day. As tempting as it is to start thinking about how your two names look together on paper, there are a few things that have to be done first.

Before you’re ready to design your invitations, you will have to envision the event — everything from its overall style to its size to its season — in order to create the perfect wedding stationery wardrobe for you.

Found the perfect venue? Picked a date? Made your guest list? Once all of this has been crossed off your to-do list, then we can start creating your perfect wedding invitation suite. Why?

WHERE: The location of your weddings plays a vital role is the style of your event. The invitation for a wedding at a seaside manor would be very different for one in a beautiful old barn. The formality of the event also comes into play here. Black tie would be outlandish (if very unique) at a backyard cookout, right? The decor, location and size of the venue helps set the overall style foundation for the invitation.

WHEN: Are you getting married in the spring or in the fall? The colors and materials used in your and your attendants’ attire are dictated by the season. You probably wouldn’t want a cool-toned, wintry stationery ensemble if you’re getting married in July. Some colors and material choices are classic and can carry across multiple seasons. Just keep the spirit of the season in mind when thinking about options. And what time is your wedding? Early afternoon and evening seem to be the most popular.

WHO: How many people are you hoping will share your big day with you? 50 or 500? Each couple and family will get one invitation. Individuals and guests who are invited with a date also receive one each. So think about your guest list in terms of couples, families and individuals and there’s your number. Then add 25. It is always better to have a few extras since it is expensive to order reprints later. à deux’s minimum order is 100.

Pre-wedding paper is also a consideration. Are you sending out engagement announcements or save the dates? Do you want those to match the primary invitation? The earlier you engage your stationer, the better.

A Deux Bespoke Bridal Paper

website: www.adeuxbridal.com

my Kate Parker Wedding Directory: A Deux

Rocky Mountain Save the Dates from Gus & Ruby Lettpress

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

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We’ve had the pleasure of teaming up with Rebecca and Nick, a local couple who will be marrying in Rebecca’s parents’ home town of Colorado Springs this September, to create their custom wedding invitation suite. The final details of their invitation are being decided before we go to print, but in the meantime we wanted to show off their super cool save the dates.

The location for their September nuptials is The Broadmoor - an historic grand hotel at the foot of the Rockies. The lodge where Rebecca and Nick will celebrate is complete with plaid walls and antlers mounted on the fireplace; we drew inspiration from the antlers for the save the date and are planning on using some of the other details for the invitation suite. We printed antlers in the background of the main card For this piece, we printed using transparent white ink; the result is basically blind printing, but the white adds just a touch of sheen so that the light reflects beautifully off of the paper. All of the type was printed in navy ink and we adhered the monarch sized piece to a navy backing for an added punch of color and some dimension. Finally, we created a simple accommodations card and a put the package into a lovely Arturo envelope (Crane doesn’t make a monarch envelope in their Lettra, but the Arturo matched perfectly!) to complete the suite.

So… the greatest part of this whole process (aside from having super happy clients!) was getting to have the piece styled and photographed by Meagan Gilpatrick of Maine Seasons Events and Brea McDonald of Brea McDonald Photography. Megan showed up with her own set of antlers, a horseshoe, a gorgeous sterling silverware box and some textured fabrics. Sam and I stood in the background and let the ladies get to work. Here are the ridiculously gorgeous results:

Check back soon for photos of the rest of this amazing invitation suite and more custom work also photographed by Brea and styled by Meagan.

Gus & Ruby Letterpress is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding, an online wedding planning tool for engaged couples.  To learn more about Gus & Ruby Letterpress’ amazing work, please feel free to visit their website and their directory on my Kate Parker Wedding:

Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Letterpress on my Kate Parker Wedding