Pretty in Pink

Welcome back, everyone! It's a new week and a fresh start - today, we're inspired by pretty pink details. So fresh, timeless, and romantic!

Two beautiful inspirational photos from A Creative Mint

Marie Antoinette-inspired pink wedding details by About Details Details via Pink Blossom List.

Woodland Damask pink wedding invitation by Joel Dewberry for Hello!Lucky.

Lacy floor and pink slippers via Concrete & Honey

Ruffled J. Crew cardigan - perfect for bridesmaids...

Pretty pink cake via Ruby Press

DIY bouquet favor box from Once Wed

Beautiful shoes and birdcage photo shoot from the Cherry Blossom Girl

Peony photograph from Futuro Woman

Enjoy!

DIY paper flowers and pom poms

Lately we've been loving paper flowers and pom poms (both of which we used in Eunice's wedding to fabulous effect!) -- especially making them out of unexpected and ingenious household and vintage paper finds, like these sewing pattern flowers via Country Living's recent "Trash to Treasure" blog post.

These hanging paper flowers are made of out paper bags - yes, paper bags! Click here for simple how-to instructions.  These would be great strung together in a garland, too!

And how about these lovely dyed coffee filters garlands by  Pamela Garrison which we first spotted via Creature Comforts?  (For smaller ones, use colorful cupcake cups!)

These hanging paper flowers are made from old catalogues (may we suggest Anthropologie catalogues?) from Zakkia Life via Creature Comforts -- click here for super simple DIY instructions.

Modern Creative Bridal Fair

 

We recently blogged about the fabulous Stacy McCain, and are thrilled to be participating in a bridal fair she's organizing with Dekker Photography on February 26th, featuring a collection of wonderful vendors, including Magnolia Floral Design, Cake Work, Best Beverage Catering, Amy Kuschel,  Got Light?, and Papineau Calligraphy.

The party will be on Thursday the 26th of February from 6-9pm and will be a low-key, intimate affair (unlike many of the large, impersonal bridal fairs out there!). There will be an open bar, delicious catering, live music and beautiful decor. So come on by, have some food and drinks with us and have fun! Tickets are available at

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/55135

San Francisco Wedding Fair

Last week we had the pleasure participating in the annual San Francisco Wedding Fair. It was a fabulous event, with delicious food catered by the Four Seasons and a wonderful group of wedding vendors. Above, some of our favorite people: Stacy McCain of Stacy McCain Event Planning, Lisa Neighbors of Blonde Tulip Photography, and Stephanie Watanabe of Atelier Joya.

Good friend and fellow designer Stacy Pancake and her assistant Nicole debuted Stacy's beautiful new, minimalist and gorgeous letterpress wedding invitation collection.

The effervescent Mary Jo Bowling, Editor-in-Chief of the new San Francisco Bride's magazine was there celebrating their inaugural issue!

Floramor Studios  create a series of over-the-top floral displays representing different decades in history (this one is from the 1900's). Love the ostrich feathers!

Event planner Kathy Goodman of Well Rehearsed created a sunny display featuring a yellow parasol and edible cupcake pops!

Showcasing their ultra-modern style was Hartmann Studios furniture rental.

Friend and collaborator Michele Papineau displayed had her impeccable handwriting on display!

And of course, we were there showcasing our wedding invitations, including new designs by Joel Dewberry and EIEIO (stay tuned for more details!).  It was a fun day, and a great resource for Bay Area brides! See everyone again next year!

ISES Top Design

We were thrilled to work with the talented Morgan Doan to create this uber-chic table design for the ISES Top Design competition yesterday. Morgan worked with Blueprint Studio Collection to create the custom-upholstered chairs and table cloth in slate grey.

Hunt Littlefield ceated the gorgeous architectural floral displays, including a stunning orchid chandelier!

We created coordinating letterpress menus in a citrus green and slate grey (using one of our new designs created in collaboration with pattern designer Joel Dewberry), displayed in Japanese book cloth photo frames created by bookbinder Stephanie Haney.

And (drum roll, please!), we won the award for Top Design! Congratulations, Morgan and everyone on the design team!

2009 Preview Party!

We recently held our 2009 Stationery Preview party and are thrilled to report that it was a huge success!  We collaborated with some of the most amazing wedding vendors in the Bay Area to transform our working letterpress studio into a beautiful event space complete with red carpet!  Above, the fab Morgan Doan, event planner extraordinaire and mastermind behind this event, and Sabrina chatting by the welcome table.  Our sponsor booklet featured our new Sparrow design by Joel Dewberry.

Guests arriving...it was a fantastic crowd - some of the best and brightest in weddings...

The studio on its way to being transformed. Got Light? did an amazing job with the lighting and draping - we were truly blown away by the difference a little "pipe and drape" made.  The back-lit bar was provided by Blueprint Studio Collection and Wildflower Linens provided the lovely table clothes. DJ John Jow turned the place into a mini-nightclub with his expert music mixing.

Jane Hammond Events provided the seriously delicious hors d'oeuvres, including bite-sized crab cakes, empinadas, and mushroom tartlets and the most amazing brownies of all time.  Andronico's Market provided the excellent wine (selected by the talented Jeffrey Porter).

We made these little buffet signs - the holder was just a standard restaurant sign holder that we spray-painted a matte pink and the orchid pattern on the sign is from one of our new collaborations with Joel Dewberry.

One of the things we were celebrating was the launch of our latest invitation collections including a collaborations with EIEIO, Joel Dewberry, Julia Rothman, and the always amazing Lab Partners.  They did a destination series featuring New York, San Francisco, Hawaii and London (London and New York pictured above).  We've already gotten such and incredible response, we're already thinking about adding some new destinations to the line!

Sharla Flock designed the gorgeous floral arrangments - we love her subtle use of color and texture.

She used pieces from our large collection of flea market found vases and bowls to create an eclectic look.

One of our talented printers, James, did demonstrations of the letterpress printing technique.

We were also celebrating the launch of our new website which we are SO excited about.  The dapper Mr. Daniel James of Three Rings and brilliant event planner, Lisa Feldman, check out the new look.

We had a whole selection of our work on display - this was a variation on our popular Cherry Blossom design - including fan programs, and round menus designed to fit into the dinner plates.  We were also introducing our new digital printing option - an excellent (and fast!) alternative to letterpress (or a budget-friendly way to augment beautiful letterpress invitations).

Gorgeous photography by Allure West.

Thank you so much to all our incredible partners in this event and to everyone who came out for the party!

Real Wedding: Danielle Spinetta & Greg Piché

We recently did fabulous invitations and day-of paper for our friend and fellow card maker, Danielle Spinetta of Tallulah.  She and her husband, Greg Piché, were married at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, and had a fun vintage movie theme - Foreign Cinema has a giant wall for projecting movies (so cool!) - they showed Grease and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid during the reception. Love it!

Photography by Beth Hurley and Deb Mindel of Greg Piché Photography.

Danielle had her save-the-dates printed at the amazing Hatch Show Print and asked us to do the rest of the pieces in a similar show poster style (an aesthetic we happen to love, so needless to say it was a great pleasure to work on). Here's the menu (above)...

The place cards were inspired by vintage movie ticket stubs...

We designed these great custom cocktail napkins from For Your Party - such an adorable detail - served alongside these delicious looking glasses of huckleberry lemonade.

Love these Hooray! flags made by So Inviting (she also made the flag for the cake)...

The truffle cake was made by  I Dream of Cake

Love the earthy modern look of Foreign Cinema.  The giant letters in the background were made by Madeline Edwards. Congratulations, Danielle & Greg!

BAWN Event at Flood Mansion

We were thrilled to co-sponsor a cocktail party and networking event hosted by the Bay Area Wedding Network (BAWN) last week at the glorious Flood Mansion in San Francisco. This is one of the city's iconic wedding venues, perched on a hill top in elegant Pacific Heights, with sweeping views over the bay.

Co-sponsor McCall Associates designed this lovely table setting featuring orchids and bamboo, and a gorgeous citrus colored linens from Wildflower Linens.

Here's a detail of the decorative touches they added to the backs of the chairs - lovely!

Everyone had a grand time, including the effervescent Kathy Goodman of Well Rehearsed!

Gorgeous modern cake by True Confections.

Lovely chocolates by Coco Délice - their chocolates can be customized with a monogram or design and come in a range of adorable favor boxes!

Finally, Curtis & Johan of Perfect Circle Photography did a beautiful job documenting the event.

Real Wedding: Heather and Tom

We are so excited to share these amazing photos of Heather and Tom's wedding this past August! We met Heather and Tom when they approached us to work with them on their wedding stationery.  When we heard they were getting married at Heather's dad's home in Cape Cod (where Heather grew up), we were smitten.  Oh, did we neglect to mention Heather's childhood home is an amazing 11-acre property with an apple orchard, pond and a farm house built sometime in the late 1700s?  Obviously, we drew heaps of inspiration from their venue and designed their wedding stationery accordingly - the save the dates and invitations were designed with vintage fruit crate packaging in mind.

Heather looked stunning in French chantilly gown by Liancarlo with a floral motif resembling apple blossoms.

A vibrant color palette of oranges, reds, greens, yellows and pinks was evident throughout.

Guests were greeted with vodka spiked Arnold Palmers (iced tea and lemonade) and Heather walked down the aisle to "You are My Sunshine"  performed by Uni and her Ukelele who also played during the cocktail hour.

We worked with the delightful Allison of Pineapple Productions on these seating cards which Allison threaded onto bamboo skewers and inserted into mini macintosh apples.

Allison writes:

The party tent, provided by UnderCover Tents, featured lanterns in various abstract shapes in the spectrum of late summer colors -- pomegranate red, spicy orange, mango yellow and deep raspberry.  Tables were dressed in linens in the same color palette.

Guests lounged on hay bale "sofas" draped with colorful quilt and outdoor pillows all placed under an heirloom apple tree.  We used upturned antique cranberry crates as occasional tables.  Hanging votives and staked lanterns were placed throughout the property.

Guests danced (and sang) the night away to Sticky Fingers, a Rolling Stones cover band.

Beautiful photos courtesy of Kristin Spencer Photography.  Check out more photos here.

Catering:   The Lobster Trap

Cake:   Delicious Desserts

Flowers:  E. Sandwich Florist

Congratulations Heather and Tom!

Sharla Flock Designs

We first encountered Sharla Flock's exquisite floral arrangements at our friend Serena's San Francisco wedding (and later learned that she's been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings and other leading magazines, natch!).

This natural table-top arrangement goes perfectly with the vintage-inspired vase and votives!

We just love her subtle, creative use of color and texture...

Check out Sharla's beautiful portfolio and website here.

Real Wedding: Mary-Kevin and Patrick

This week we're thrilled share these gorgeous pictures of the wedding of Mary-Kevin (founder of Luxe Paperie) and her husband, Patrick. The wedding took place on July 19 in La Jolla, California. The bride wore a beautiful gown by Jenny Yoo, and used pink peonies in her hair and bouquet. The groom wore a summer suit from J. Crew and an orchid.

The ceremony took place at Calumet Park in La Jolla, with a garden party at the lovely Darlington House. Each guest received a program and a fan decorated with a pretty DIY patterned flag that said "Welcome."

The reception was on a veranda surrounded by lovely rose bushes...

Mary-Kevin used lots of DIY details throughout the celebration. She writes:

We also made our favors, which were kraft boxes filled with salt water taffy from my most favorite sweet shop...Marini's at the beach in Santa Cruz.  We tied the boxes with brown and white baker's twine and a tag that we made using a custom rubber stamp and white tags that you can purchase at any office supply store.  My mom also participated in the diy fun...she made the beautiful champagne colored silk shantung runners that were used on the dining tables!

Mary-Kevin's stunning (and, we're sure, delicious!) cake was by Miette Patisserie, one of our favorite bakeries in San Francisco:

Mary-Kevin used our Cherry Blossom wedding invitation with calligraphy by the talented Crystal Kluge. We provided patterned papers and images from the invite, which she used to make custom rubber stamps and other DIY details.

An avid collector of milk glass, the bride used several stunning pieces to present the cake and other baked goods/sweets. The couple asked guests to fill out "Wish" tickets - such a cute idea!

These fabulous photos were taken by Carrie McCluskey.

Congratulations, Mary-Kevin and Patrick!

Real Wedding: Julia and Mathew

We were thrilled to receive photos from friend and collaborator Julia's recent wedding, beautifully shot by Jennifer Causey.  Julia and Mathew were married at The Oaks on Long Island, a beautiful estate on the water.

The classic green and white color scheme was carried throughout. We love that Julia bucked tradition and had her bridesmaids select their own dresses in various shades of green.

The wedding was full of handcrafted details featuring Julia's illustrations, of course!

Julia herself looked radiantly happy in a dress from David's Bridal and a hairpiece from ban.do.

Congratulations to Julia and Mathew! It looked like an amazing evening.

Two Girls and Some Flowers

The name really says it all; if "Fourteen People, Some Ink and a Handful of Vintage Presses" wasn't such a mouthful we may be tempted to take a leaf from their book! We learned of these two talented floral artists from a client who staged her wedding in the sculpture galley at Woburn Abbey and who subsequently sang their praises. Their service both on and in the run-up to the day were exemplary and a look at their website indeed bears testament to he beautiful work that they produce.

The way they coordinated the flowers with delicate cake design taken from antique engravings is just sheer genius!

The beautiful hand-tied bouquet of roses and peonies in soft pastel tones would be the perfect choice for a bride wanting a classic, traditional look but the girls are equally competent at creating understated, modern elegance as seen in the striking bouquet of green Calla lilies or gorgeous orchid buttonhole(below).

The two girls are based in Arlesey, Bedfordshire SG15 6SW and can be contacted via e-mail: info@two-girls-and-some-flowers.co.uk or Telephone: Julia: 07732 403 072 or Jenny: 07952 649 829

Jude Miller & Crepe Paper Flowers

We love making crepe paper flowers, but artist Jude Miller takes our breath away with her delicate and intricately detailed work (via Oh Joy!).

The incredible realism and the delicate colors and details are simply stunning. So inspiring...

Her headpieces are to die for...and imagine having her fashion a gorgeous bridal bouquet that you could keep long past your wedding day!

If you're in the Bay Area and would like to learn how to make your very own crepe paper flowers, Castle in the Air in Berkeley offers a great class and carries beautiful duplex crepe paper that they import from Germany that's an absolute dream to work with, as well as all the supplies you might need to create a veritable garden of delightful paper flora.

It's a wonderful way to add floral details to your wedding design - they make great boutonnieres, table setting decor (think place cards holders, a little blossom tucked into a napkin...), hair pieces...the possibilities are endless!

One Love Campaign

We're thrilled to be participating in The One Love Campaign, a new initiative to promote same sex marriage which launched this week. Originating from the recent California same sex marriage ruling and San Francisco's status as a leading destination for same sex weddings, the Campaign's mission is create a national movement to raise awareness and support for all couples of decide to tie the knot.

The Campaign will showcase select high profile Bay Area businesses, of which Hello!Lucky is one, who offer a full range of luxury services for relationships, weddings, events and honeymoons for all couples tying the knot.

The One Love Campaign includes a select list of high profile local businesses representing the first group of vendors openly promoting their services to all gay & straight couples getting married. The One Love Campaign Preferred Businesses offering Wedding Services include:

Hello!Lucky: Hello!Lucky is a specialty design firm, creating vintage-inspired, artisan-printed custom letterpress, social stationary, and wedding invitations. www.hellolucky.com. In honor of The One Love Campaign, Hello!Lucky will donate 5% of each One Love client package to SF Pride, sfpride.org.

One Life, LLC: One Life, LLC established by renowned relationship expert Ali Berlin (the aforementioned co-founder of The One Love Campaign), is a San Francisco based company dedicated to visionary relationships, innovative global service and the active expression of conscious love. As One Life’s passionate leader, Berlin offers both private custom coaching and exclusive wedding officiating services for progressive couples and individuals. www.aliberlin.com In honor of the One Love Campaign, One Life will donate 10% of all One Love affiliated client services to the client’s choice of SF Pride, sfpride.org or SF LGBT Center, sfcenter.org.

Paula LeDuc Fine Catering: For twenty-eight years, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering has pushed the boundaries of what is possible, by creating unique and unforgettable events for each client and their guests. Create, celebrate, experience ~ the extraordinary. www.paulaleduc.com. In honor of the One Love Campaign, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering will donate 5% of your total event catering to the client’s choice of SF Pride, sfpride.org or SF LGBT Center, sfcenter.org.

Alison Events: With a fresh take on weddings, Alison Events doesn't just lead couples down the aisle, but helps them create unique, authentic and inspiring wedding experiences. With a down-to-earth planning process and a sophisticated take on style, we will help you create the wedding of your dreams and enjoy the process along the way. www.alisonevents.com. In honor of the One Love Campaign, Alison Events will donate 2% of each package purchased to SF Pride sfpride.org.

Lisa Lefkowitz Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz has been documenting unions since 1999 and has earned a national reputation for her luminous images and sensitive style. Her approach to weddings is photojournalistic in spirit; she unobtrusively captures each moment as it unfolds. Lisa’s work has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Elegant Bride and Bride’s magazines, as well as many other publications. www.lisalefkowitz.com. In honor of the One Love Campaign, Lisa Lefkowitz Photography will donate 2% of each package purchased to SF Pride sfpride.org.

The Claremont Resort & Spa: Perched majestically on a pristine mountainside in the Berkeley Hills, standing watch over the glistening Golden Gates of The San Francisco Bay, The Claremont Resort & Spa is a San Francisco Bay Area landmark focused on preserving its tradition while conserving the future. From Signature Journeys at Spa Claremont and fitness classes at the newly renovated Club at the Claremont to exquisite Four-Diamond restaurants and the famous Bay Area views, The Claremont is a tradition, an entitlement of generations and America's quintessential grand resort. Please contact The Claremont for special packages. www.claremontresort.com

Mulberry Photography: Mulberry Photography specializes in fashion inspired weddings and portrait photography. Led by husband and wife team Albert and Tari Lewis, these two accomplished professional photographers have made Mulberry Photography an innovative and highly recognized company, with a style that is unmatched in the industry. Mulberry Photography has studio offices in Lake Tahoe & Palm Springs, but travel globally to shoot. www.mulberryphoto.com. In honor of the One Love Campaign, Mulberry Photography will donate 2% of each One Love package during 2008 to SF Pride, sfpride.org or SF LGBT Center, sfcenter.org.

TRuEStyle: TRuEStyle offers expert personal styling for fashionable weddings and everyday elegance. Founded by Teresa Kuhl, TRuEStyle translates each couple’s unique taste into a sophisticated and polished look with a flare all their own. www.truestylesf.com. In honor of The One Love Campaign, TRuEStyle will donate 5% of One Love client services to SF Pride, sfpride.org.

Sillapere: Sillapere is a San Francisco-based style lab, inventing parties and celebrations with irresistible sassiness and enduring sophistication. While providing the highest quality of service and design to clients, Sillapere also uses creativity to instill cutting-edge style with a strong commitment to sustainability for our planet. We believe in celebrating love and designing weddings that allow people to connect at a deeper level. www.sillapere.com. In honor of The One Love Campaign, Sillapere will donate 2% of all One Love packages to the client’s choice of SF Pride, sfpride.org or SF LGBT Center, sfcenter.org.

New Wedding Inspiration Boards

We're thrilled to announce a new wedding inspiration board area of our website, where you can browse through pretty, creative ideas for coordinating all the design elements of your wedding.

The boards cover a wide variety of themes and were created by the lovely and inspiring Kathryn of Snippet & Ink; they (of course!) feature our letterpress wedding invitations and paper. There are lots of fresh ideas for other wedding vendors, as well - just click on any of the images within the boards to link to its source (note the images shown above are just excerpts - click here to browse the full boards). Happy browsing!

Fall Wedding by Jubilee Lau Events

Many thanks to Jubilee Lau of Jubilee Lau Events for sharing these gorgeous photos of a Fall-themed wedding she designed last year at Thomas Fogarty Winery, a stunning Bay Area venue in the Santa Cruz mountains with views extending in every direction. Jubilee collaborated with floral designer Nancy Liu Chin to create stunning floral arrangements featuring pumpkins and squashes with flowers spilling out of them. They used oranges, golds, and reds in the color palette, which coordinated with the green winery surroundings. The couple, Julie and Jay, looked stunning, too, and the entire event was filled with joy (as a wedding should be)! Congratulations to the couple, and the Jubilee and Nancy for creating an unforgettable event!

 Photographs courtesy of Gene Higa.

Fork & Spoon Productions

We are in awe of the talent, creativity, and skill of San Francisco-based event production company Fork & Spoon Productions. Proprieters Jennifer Spiegel and Jonathan Biel are a dream team, offering world-class, mouth-watering food (both honed their skills with Wolfgang Puck), gorgeous flowers, and impeccable event design that is straight out of Martha Stewart Weddings (Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is a client).

Jennifer and Jonathan are a rare mix of both visionary and down-to-earth - no theme or concept is beyond their grasp (we had a blast collaborating with them last year on an Iceland-themed birthday party, complete with ice sculptures and Viking-inspired invitations!). What's more, given that they are both full-service and consummate professionals, you can just sit back, relax and enjoy a splendid event!

The Designer Wedding Show

Most bridal fairs tend to be overwhelming, replete with bad wedding singers and puff-sleeved bridal wear, so we generally try to avoid them like a bride-to-be avoids Ben & Jerry's. We make an exception for London's Designer Wedding Show, held this past weekend in Battersea Park.

The Designer Wedding Show is a wonderful feast/fantasy for the bride-to-be, and a tolerable weekend afternoon for grooms. (Note: We have suggested that the organizers add a groom's salon, where one can tip back a pint and watch football while the ladies try on gowns. We are still awaiting a response.)

Some highlights: gorgeous wedding flowers and table centrepieces from eminent florist Jamie Aston; exquisitely detailed gowns by Sassi Holford and Barcelona-based coutourier Pronovias; fun, 50's-inspired frocks by relative newcomer Candy Anthony (who herself is a traffic-stopping style icon); effortlessly elegant gowns by celeb couturier Bruce Oldfield; and stunning hats by our favorite London milliner, Rachel Trevor-Morgan. Of course, we were there, too debuting our latest custom designs for our letterpress wedding invitations.

The next show is in October 2008 - mark your calendars!

Real Wedding: Kelly & Erich

Kelly & Erich's Art Deco-inspired wedding at Gaia Arts Center, Berkeley, was nothing short of glamorous. Kelly, a manager at Hello!Lucky, has a sophisticated 1940's and 50's-inspired style and dry, quick wit (think Tina Fey). Both were incorporated in her letterpress wedding invitations and save the dates, which featured custom-illustrated silhouettes of a toaster, the couple, and their faithful dog, Montana.

Kelly looked stunning in a beautiful tea-length dress with her hair tied in a fabulous side bun. The crisp palette of black, white, and yellow was carried through all the details, from calla lily bouquets by family friend Irene Birch to Uncle Billy's home-made cupcakes. Silhouettes of Kelly and Erich graced custom-printed cocktail napkins by For Your Party, as well as signage for the men's (Erich) and ladies' (Kelly) rooms by Hello!Lucky.

Congratulations, Kelly & Erich!

Photographs courtesy of Akiko Photography.