Destination Wedding: Tropical Invitations

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September 9, 2016August 27, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Bermuda must be getting to me: I’ve been designing lots of invitations inspired by the tropics lately. And since it’s Friday, I thought you guys deserved a double feature!

Perfect for a destination wedding, or if you want your big day to feel like a getaway! And since most destination weddings happen in the winter, now is the time to get going on them!

When you’re planning destination nuptials, you might as well go all out, right? So whether you’re thinking palms or pineapples, both of these invitations feature hand-lettered brush scripts, colorful watercolor and playful illustrations, perfect for a big day at the beach!

My favorite thing about these invitations is that they don’t necessarily scream WEDDING, but they will definitely let your guests know they’re in for a fun filled day—which means they’re also perfect for any other kind of bash! They can be easily modified for a piña colada themed birthday party, a backyard luau or foliage-filled dinner party.

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Adrienne & Matt’s Pink and Gold Wedding Invitations

July 9, 2016April 26, 2016 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

obrien_1967

Adrienne is a classic bride planning a traditional ceremony and reception in the heart of small town Pennsylvania. Her vision for the big day was a formal affair in shades of white and ivory with accents of soft rose and warm metallics.

obrien_1943

Because her venue has a casual name, she wanted invitations that emphasized the formal nature of the day, which we accomplished with a formal filigree design motif and traditional typography. She also wanted to incorporate her future husband’s family crest, which I re-illustrated from an old photo and worked into their save the dates, flap of the pocket envelope, and the coasters which will adorn their reception tables (she also ordered extras to have on hand at home, which I love!).

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Once we had the design finished, I printed each piece by hand on my antique letterpress in a subtly metallic antique gold ink accompanied by a custom-mixed shade of pink. I love the mix of paper stocks that reflect her color scheme, employing my favorite bright white cotton paper from Crane, as well as rose inserts, sparkling gold envelopes and a lovely cream pocket to keep everything together.

obrien_1949

Floral Initials

July 2, 2015June 27, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

This project has been on my mind since I first started experimenting with paper flowers. I love letters and I love flowers, so why not combine them? Can’t think of one good reason, huh? Knew it.

Anyway, I started with a template of the letter, cut it out of chipboard, then added 2.5″ tall strips around the edges to make it three-dimensional. I filled the “box” with my handmade crepe-paper flowers, then added some extras and a bit of foliage to fill it out. I’m absolutely in love with the results!

I made this “H” for a friend, who displays it on her nightstand (her photo is below), but I can also see these initials hanging on a gallery wall, or as the centerpiece of the front table at a wedding! An ampersand is also available! Check them all out here.

you & me part 3: Reception Décor

August 9, 2010 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I’m not a huge flower person. I appreciate them when they bloom in our yard and all, but I’ve never been one to order flowers just to have them and there’s not a faux flower to be found in my home.

For a while, I was going with floral centerpieces for our wedding because, you know, that’s just what people do. The more I thought about it, the less enthused I became and so I started researching more exciting alternatives. Thank you design*sponge and Martha Stewart!

My solution? A cluster of letterpressed luminaries in the center of each table.

For the cake and gift table, I carried the ampersand theme (distilled from the you & me of our invites) throughout—I even found these great resin ampersands that I painted silver to coordinate.

When guests arrived, they picked up an envelope with their name on it that contained a card letterpress printed with a number, which coordinated with a table, which had the number printed on the luminaries.

Photos by Captured Moments photo & video.