Family Photo Shoot with Leah McCormick

Just before Imogen was born, we were lucky enough to squeeze in a family photo shoot with the AMAZING Leah McCormick...

We just got the photos back this week, and I couldn't resist sharing them - Leah did such a fabulous job capturing our family (and all accompanying silliness)...

The shoot was so relaxed and fun that even my husband Daniel, who is usually a bit grumbly about being made to participate in such shenanigans, had a great time - and was super pleased with the results...

Love her sense of composition and the way she captures light and color!

You would never guess that I was  incredibly exhausted and quite whale-ish at the time!

Leah does beautiful wedding photography as well - check out her work at www.byleah.com!

Tomfoolery Photo Booth Fun!

We wanted to say congrats to our friend and amazing product photographer Edyta Szyszlo who just launched Tomfoolery SF with her partner Jared this week.

We've had the chance to experience their ultra stylish open-air photo booth several times already and we're big fans of the fun backdrops and clever props.

Check out their playful website and be sure to book them for any social events you have big or small!

Congrats Edyta & Jared and best of luck with your exciting new venture!

Local Love: Photobooth SF

 Photobooth SF is a Tintype Polaroid-style studio located on Valencia Street here in San Francisco, offering beautiful vintage-looking photography. It's obvious we're big fans of anything vintage, so we fell in love with the idea immediately. It's nice to see something new and different pop up on the photography scene!

Aren't these moody photobooth images of our staff fabulous? They were taken by Photobooth SF at the Contemporary Jewish Museum last month for the Rit Lab event. For the event we brought stacks of letterpress prints and accessories to make one-of-a-kind photo frames and these images were the perfect addition.

You can book your sessions with Photobooth SF here or pop in their studio located in San Francisco's Mission district.

Photobooth SF 1193 Valencia Street @ 23rd. San Francisco, CA 94110 Open: Wed- Th 1-8, Fri – Sun 1-9 www.photoboothsf.com

Modern Kids Photography and Baby William

We're all still giddy about the birth of Sabrina's third baby, William. She had favorite photographer Sarah Wert of Modern Kids Photography capture the exciting first moments as a family of five and they turned out just beautifully. James and Alex waited so patiently for the arrival of their baby brother, so this photo of them is just perfect. We love how Sabrina decorated the nursery with colorful wall decals from Gosh and Golly, too.

Sabrina was sure to spend some quality time with the twins before the baby was born. Reading some of their favorite books is a great way to relax together, and offered some photo-worthy moments for Sarah. They also got a little playful by blowing up balloons for the big arrival.

William is too precious! We can definitely see the resemblance to his brothers.

We are so happy for Sabrina and her family. Thanks to Modern Kids for the beautiful photographs!

Real San Francisco Engagement

We've been dying to share photos from this sweet engagement for what seems like, forever! Remember this Sweet Paper Proposal on the blog last year? Well the photos are finally out and they're exactly what we imagined. Cameron and his lovely fiance were definitely a match made in - Muni? Check out the entire gallery over at Style Me Pretty with tell-all photos by Chris and Adrienne Scott.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Photos by Chris and Adrienne Scott

Holiday Cards with Edyta Szyszlo Photography

One of our favorite photographers Edyta Szyszlo has lent us a couple of her best bridal portraits to show off in our holiday photo card collection (check out these pretty new cards with Rikki Ward Photography). As newlyweds choosing a holiday card that is festive but matches your wedding portrait is key. It was so much fun pairing these couple photos with the best of our holiday cards. A favorite from last year (above) was Good Cheer in the bold fuchsia color palette. It works perfectly with the bright San Francisco backdrop!

This year we wanted to include more large scale photo designs, so this pretty Holiday Calligraphy card is perfect for showing off your pearly whites. Plus, the colors are customizable! Thanks Edyta for sharing your beautiful photography, and for newlyweds - order early and save 20%! Just use the code EARLYHOLIDAY at checkout!

Holiday Cards with Rikki Ward Photography

As members of the wedding industry and as seasoned stationers, we understand the true power of a good holiday photo card. For newlyweds, sending holiday cards is often the first time a couple mails greetings to loved ones as a new family - and many times is an introduction to their new lives together post-wedding. But instead of snapping a quick portrait in your back yard or by a handheld camera, we highly suggest newlyweds take advantage of their wedding photos and upload a favorite into one of our new holiday photo cards. We tested a few of our favorite newlywed portraits by Rikki Ward Photography and we're loving the various themes.

Pictured above: Classic Christmas

Pictured: Chalkboard

Pictured: Holiday Stripes

If you're in the bay area book a holiday photo session with Rikki! We're offering her clients a special discount on all holiday card orders - more on her blog here.

And don't forget about our holiday promo going on right now. Just enter EarlyHoliday at checkout and receive 20% off your order from now until 11/15.

Photos by Rikki Ward Photography

Kendel and Brian's San Francisco Wedding

When we featured Kendel and Brian's wedding earlier this summer we were dying to see more. Their stunning San Francisco event blew us away with outstanding views, impeccable reception decor and modern camp theme. 100 Layer Cake saved the day because their story about Kendel and Brian's wedding brought back all the wonderful memories of the  spectacular wedding.

These close-ups of their custom designed stationery reveal more of the modern details. Kendel and Brian wanted a modern campground look mixed with a little rustic charm, so we printed their invitations on wood veneer and paired them with a papaya striped reply card.

The team at Alison Events truly outdid themselves. This reception tent is breathtaking.

Their wedding suite was so popular we decided to offer it to all our customers. Hearts and Arrows can be customized to match your wedding colors and you can even request personalized place cards like the colorful cards shown above!

And what can we say about the floral arrangements by Brown Paper Design? Those bursting peach and fuchsia peonies scattered along the tables are pure perfection.

To see more beautiful photos, head over to 100 Layer Cake!

Photography by Jesse Leake Photography

Edyta's Blowout Birthday Bash

Last week we helped celebrate the 30th birthday of our favorite photographer Edyta Szyszlo! When she came to us months ago with the idea for her party invitations, she had us at "Physical." The wording, all created by the birthday girl herself, was a mashup of lyrics throughout three awesome decades. Her duplex paper fluorescent white and fuchsia letterpress printed beauties were also edged in a tie-dye style and hand painted with bold strips of colorful acrylic. They sure set the tone for a good time ahead.

The party took place at Workshop in San Francisco. Workshop is an amazing studio space dedicated to DIY projects for the public, and they offer classes from printmaking to canning. Check out their class schedule here.

This may be hard to believe, but Edyta handmade all her crepe paper decorations and party hats. How did she have the time? Nobody knows, but this girl can do it all.

The cake pop display was two-tiered and matched her decor. Scrumptious and stylish!

As the night went on, hungry guests got to snack on popcorn in cute personal sized grab-bags.

And it wouldn't be Edyta's party without the amazing new Tomfoolery Photobooth. This bold and colorful backdrop and open-air photobooth made for hilarious mementos from the night.

Where did she get those awesome photobooth props you ask? Hello!Lucky of course! And we've reduced the price so now you can get them for a steal. The Word Bubbles (set of 2) are $25 and Mustaches (set of 4) are only $35!

Happy happy birthday Edyta! Thanks again for hosting such a fabulous party. Can't wait to see what you come up with next! Xo, the H!L team.

Real Wedding: Haley and James

This real wedding was introduced to us by our wholesale manager, Heather. She shared these images of her friends Haley and James' California wedding and we were immediately overcome with giddy wedding bliss. From all the perfect DIY details to the pure beauty of the bride and groom, this wedding is simply magical.

We must start off with the colorful photography by multi-talented Kate Miss. Her blog is a great source of inspiration so we were excited to hear she was the photographer at this wedding. Next, how about these amazing life sized tissue flowers? It sets the perfect backdrop for an already beautiful venue (Northstar in Tahoe, CA). Full instructions can be found over at Design Sponge.

One of our favorite details has to be the yarn wrapped vases that the bride and her bridesmaids made from our Handmade Weddings book. Since Haley and James' wedding day was all about color, they fit in nicely amongst the rest of the display.

Isn't this a good looking group of women? All the bridesmaids dresses are vintage. Love how the colors of the dresses coordinate with the decor!

The brides beautiful dress was custom made by San Francisco based designer Kajan Padraig. We love the delicate lace sleeves!

This is what weddings are all about. Having fun with your loved ones.

Thanks to Heather for sharing these photos and thanks to the bride and groom for representing our yarn wrapped vases! We truly love to see our projects come to life. For more photos, head over to Kate Miss' blog For Me, For You.

Photography by Kate Miss

Good Company Grand Opening

Last month we celebrated the grand opening of Good Company, a brand new wedding studio we're thrilled to be a part of. Our co-partners in the studio include photographer Lisa Lefkowitz, the dynamic wedding planners at Downey Street Events, florist Sharla Flock Designs, and hair/makeup artist Meaganne McCandess. Meg Messina photographed the opening and did a great job at capturing the space and the crowd that night!

For the opening event, Eunice created these modern window garlands out of cut paper and sewed them together on her sewing machine. We love the way the light hit each shade of peach/pink.

We have a small retail space within the studio, so if you're on Sacramento street pop in and say hello.

It's clear Sharla Flock is an insanely talented because her floral arrangements blew us away.

Guests went home with perfectly wrapped cupcakes by Kara's Cupcakes. The wrapping coordinated quite nicely with the window display, don't you think?

Hello!Lucky staff enjoying the evening and some champagne.

Lisa Lefkowitz and a friend.

The crowd!

Thanks to everyone who attended the event. We're truly thrilled to be part of such an inspirational group of women. Stay tuned for more Good Company news!

Good Company is located on 3366 Sacramento street in San Francisco. 

Photography by Rikki Ward

You may remember Rikki Ward from her lovely photographs of our SF Made studio event in May. We were so impressed with her work we couldn't wait to share more. She has a knack for capturing the spirit of a couple on their wedding day, and is a true delight to work with. As a neighbor in San Francisco, she has the luxury of getting to travel to beautiful places and spaces for work. Her images covers all bases, from rustic outdoor events to traditional and modern weddings. We grabbed a few of our favorite shots, just to give you a peek at her incredible talent. Be sure to visit her  brand new website for more!

Thanks again Rikki for the fun photos of our SF Made event! Can't wait to see what you create next!

Featured: Wedding Row California

This week Wedding Row California wrote a wonderful post about letterpress printing at Hello!Lucky. With specific details about the creative process and gorgeous photography by Josh Gruetzmacher. We feel touched when people show such interest in the age-old printmaking method of letterpress, especially when they spend a whole afternoon learning the ins-and-outs.

Printmaker James is a fabulous tour guide, and showed Abigail (the author) and Josh the steps of creating a New York City Skyline letterpress wedding invitation from beginning to end.

To read the entire feature and to view more amazing photos, click here!

Sabrina's Weekend Snapshots

This weekend we enjoyed the sunshine by spending lots of time outside. The Yerba Buena Gardens are a delightful place to hang out on a sunny day. There's tons of fun things to do with kids or adults, but one of our favorites is to ride the Charles Looff Carousel.

 We went to the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building on Saturday and picked up some of our favorite snacks - peas!

 The market was bustling with visitors and bursting with fresh produce and fruit. I loved how the colors of these carrots blended together so I had to snap a picture.

After the market we rode the ferry to Sausalito. It was the perfect way to wind down after such a busy morning and the boys loved being on board the big boat.

Hope you all had a nice weekend!

Sabrina's Weekend Snapshots

My family and I spent the weekend in Healdsburg, CA visiting friends on their farm. It was a beautiful break from the city and the kids loved the farm animals!

Alex gardening.

Chickens!

James in his helmet holding a roly-poly bug.

The boys found this tiny little frog hanging out on a pole nearby. We loved the colors and pattern of its skin. Hope you all had a wonderful summer weekend!

Edyta Szyszlo Photography

This post has been long overdue and we couldn't be more proud to share our love and gratitude for Edyta Szyszlo Photography. You've seen her name mentioned in posts before but today we're revealing her true art. Edyta started collaborating with us last summer before the release of our guest designer holiday collection. From the moment she stepped foot in our studio we were certain we couldn't lose her. Her fun-loving personality makes work seem like play and if you're the one in front of the lens - there's nothing to fear - Edyta will make you shine!

Some of our particular favorites are Edyta's engagement photo sessions. She's pursued the most eclectic San Francisco neighborhood backdrops and traveled far-and-wide for the perfect pictures.

You may recognize these images from a Michelle and Jacob's Real Wedding last year. Edyta's photo made the cover of their Just Married card and it sparked a whole new trend here at Hello!Lucky. Her commercial photography is just as outstanding as her wedding images, and you can tell we love it because our website is basically an Edyta shrine!

Glitter, stripes and a whole blend of colors. This is the reason we love Edyta! Many many thanks to our friend for making our products look amazing and for always bringing a smile to our faces! Visit Edyta Szyszlo Photography to book your next session today!

Real Wedding: Ashita and Mark

 This New York City wedding is definitely one to remember. Ashita and Mark shared their love with friends and family over two traditional celebrations, and both are equally stunning. Ashita's family oriented Hindu wedding ceremony incorporated bright hues of red and gold, with plenty of shimmering embellishments. Their second ceremony inside the Angel Orensanz Foundation for Contemporary Art provided a breathtaking backdrop for the couple's "I do's." Of course such a beautiful wedding deserves beautiful recognition, and Inside Weddings was sure to deliver. You can read their adorable story here, and browse through the entire collection of photos (including our Visit New York City invitation!).

Congratulations Ashita and Mark! Visit Inside Weddings for more!

Photography by Stak Photographer Duo

Real Wedding: Cari and Jason

This beautiful New York City wedding was featured in Martha Stewart's brand new Real Weddings special issue! Cari and Jason's crisp black and white theme demonstrated all the classic and traditional elements of weddings we love, along with a few personal touches. The couple chose to use our New York City Skyline  invitation suite and incorporated the icons throughout their decor. Martha Stewart's Bride's Guide gives an inside look into the event, with exclusive photos of the setup and all the delicious treats. The Statue of Liberty chocolates by Edward Marc Chocolatier really topped it off!

Two-toned black and white cookies were given to guests, sealed with custom skyline labels.

We also printed a large scale New York Skyline poster to act as a guestbook for the wedding. It's such a fun and memorable keepsake!

Congratulations to Cari and Jason! For more photos of this classic New York City celebration, click here!

Photography by Charlotte Jenks Lewis

Joseph Scheer photography

There's something eerily beautiful about these rare moths photographed by Joseph Scheer. We can't help but feel mesmerized by the bold patterns, textures, and striking color palettes. Each creature has their own unique markings, some even look like they were painted with watercolors. With so much natural beauty created in this universe, we're feeling super inspired!

You can view more of this amazing work by Joseph Scheer over at Ruby Beets!

Today's Bride

These photos from Nancy Liu Chin's Anatomy of Today's Bride for Today's Bride SF are to die for! We were approached by Nancy awhile ago in efforts to come up with a classic and whimsical invitation and day-of paper suite for her ultra-sweet photo shoot. It was a piece of cake once she shared her inspiration with us, and knowing which amazing vendors were also on board, we knew it would be a hit.

You can see our working files below. We were really into mismatched patterns and folded cards. If you look closely, the invitation reads Christian & Dior, tres chic!

Visit Nancy's Brown Bag to view Anatomy of Today's Bride Part I and Part II, and watch the amazing video by Luke Goodman here!

Photography by Kevin Chin