Real Wedding: Bailey and Erik

Weddings at the Bear Flag Farm can never disappoint. The beautiful couple Bailey and Erik said their vows among some of the most breathtaking scenery, and their wedding details were just as perfect. Our Lavender Harvest invitation suite was a nice introduction to the event, especially because of the lush lavender field nearby.

In addition to the crazy gorgeous location, Bear Flag Farm also coordinated the design and florals for the event. The succulents add a deep texture to these cheerful bouquets, making them a lovely addition to the decor.

It was important to the couple that fresh, delicious foods were incorporated into their big day. With cuisine by Alex's Catering in Vallejo, everything was complete!

Congratulations Bailey and Erik! To view more images of their wedding, head over to Style Me Pretty.

Photos by One Love Photography

Real Wedding: Karen and Dan

This wedding featured on Wedding Chicks last month keeps reminding us of how a wedding should be. It is simple but colorful, traditional but unique, and casual but exquisite. Karen and Dan's Marin Headlands wedding took place this summer at the Headlands Center for the Arts, creating a gorgeous and almost secluded setting for their big day. We're really liking the way the couple mixed modern elements with rustic accessories, like these amazing booths at the ceremony. The splashes of yellow popping up throughout their event kept things bright and fun.

Lucky Luxe printed their vintage inspired handkerchief invitations, all in various color palettes.

To keep guests and themselves amused, the couple wanted their RSVP cards in the form of a madlib, so we were thrilled they chose us to custom design the cards. What a great way to get geared up for a big party!

We also printed their menu cards, place cards, and food signage with a simple flourished border.

Such an incredible spread. The catering was provided by Katie Powers Catering and included some sentimental treats from the couple's past.

Sending a big congratulations to Karen and Dan! Many well wishes to you in your future as husband and wife.

Photos by Greg Slick Photography

Wedding Inspiration Pin Boards

Wedding season may be coming to an end soon, but we know how important it is to plan ahead. Seasonal trends will come and go but once you've chosen your wedding invitations it's easy to create a complete look. We're still busy pinning inspiration around some of our most popular wedding invitation designs. Our Pinterest Wedding Inspiration Boards are a great way to develop a look without aimlessly scrolling through image after image. Whether you're having a bright modern wedding or a rustic, natural wedding, our inspiration boards have lots to offer. Above is a mini collage of our favorite images from our Big Day Inspiration Board. This wedding invitation speaks loudly to our fans, and with the whimsical wording and bold typeface it's a shoe-in for a splashy event.

Photo credits clockwise from top left: Drink Straws / Favor Bags / Wedding Shoes / Big Day Wedding Invitation + Save the Date / Heart Programs

Our Lavender Harvest wedding invitation has all the sweet and delicate details that make a rustic wedding look elegant. Designed by Shelley Laband, its colorful illustrations make coordinating wedding details a cinch. Check out the Lavender Harvest Inspiration Board for more matching decor ideas and lovely photos.

Photo credits clockwise from top left: Lavender Harvest wedding suite / Lavender Boutonniers / Wedding Photo / Lavender Cake / Lavender Lemonade 

A Most Curious Wedding Fair

Saturdays at the historic York Hall in London's East End may usually be associated with boxing matches and Turkish baths but last weekend it was the venue for the first Most Curious Wedding Fair in London. Rather than the 3-day events this was just a single afternoon but after the doors opened the hall very swiftly filled-up.

It was lovely to see so many small independent traders there nearly all with something unique and charming on display all with a distinctly vintage theme. For our own booth we created a fold-out screen in calico and then hand-drew picture frames onto them and mounted the invitations onto acetate sheets which we attached using upholstery tacks secured by a small cork at the back. Larger suites of invitations we just laid-out on the table in the front for the guests to handle to feel the quality of the cardstock.

Among the many stands that took our eye were this fantastic paper artist called Suzi McLaughlin who creates the most exquisite works from folded paper and laser-cutting. We just adored the simplicity of the bouquet made from printed paper.

For an equally beautiful keep-sake Suzi also makes 3d books where the pages are folded over and have a cloud of butterflies (or anything else you may want) flocking out of them. Or this beautifully simple open book with a simple corsage. Just stunning!

Entertainment was provided on the stage throughout the afternoon with ballerina models giving a fashion show of vintage dresses, music from The Old Time String Band and from a couple of very saucy burlesque dancers! It was good to be at a show where there was most certainly something for grooms!

There were a couple of bakers and caterers that caught our eye. Christina at Feast Food certainly did both with her wonderful dress, fantastic display of delicious-looking goodies and the lovely old kitchen dresser . They cater any event and can provide the crockery and service to if needs be!

Pom Poms of a different sort from BeauButtons who create these fantastic bouquets from vintage buttons and notions; a truly inspired way to put Granny's old button box to good use and to serve as a lasting memento to all those much-loved dresses and coats.

A couple of wonderful characters couldn't fail but to catch our eye! For those of you wanting a totally unique service provided at your wedding, look no further than Reginald Spleen and his travelling snuff bar. Like a living cameo from a 19th Century state fair Mr. Spleen brings a wide selection of this delicacy from tobacco-free lemon snuff to deep, rich 'knock your socks off' Cafe Noir...the taste of which stays with the taker for several hours...trust me!

Lastly we couldn't help but mention Pearls and Swine and its particularly colourful designer Bink. From all the wonderful fascinators and headpieces on her stall she chose this spectacular fruity model - and we are all very glad she did as it kept a smile on our faces all afternoon!

Congratulations to Gemma and Becky from Most Curious for putting-on such a pleasurable and successful event - here's to the next one!

Photography Credit: Alex Dimopoulos of My Love Story

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

The Lab Event - A Success!

We had a blast at The Lab Event last weekend and wanted to share a few pics of the jaw dropping vignettes that filled the barrel room at Cline Cellars.   Guests were able to stroll through these themed areas gathering ideas, inspiration and even some sweet treats like monogrammed cookies and (I-can't-believe-these-are-vegan) cupcakes!

One of our vignettes had a "Toasted Marshmallow" theme with warm brown tones, gold accents and plenty of rustic wood and twig textures.  The menus had a burlap-inspired pattern framing text and a floral sprig and was letterpressed on a recycled cotton card stock.  We're so happy with the way everything turned out, we plan to offer the entire suite on our website soon.  Stay tuned!

How cool is that chandelier?  Its made from branches, Christmas lights and a few Ikea light fixtures... someone please DIY and let us know how it turns out!

Jen Musty from Batter Bakery blew us away with all her delectable desserts like Meyer Lemon shortbread cookies and Key Lime tarts.

The lovely ladies from The Collection Event Studio, styled a fantastic booth full of vintage flair and wedding inspiration galore!

The best part of the project was meeting so many amazing and talented vendors that we can't wait to work with again!

One more day for the Lab Giveaway!

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Don't forget! You have one more day to participate in our giveaway for the Lab Event! We're offering 2 FREE tickets to the best wedding event of the new year! All you have to do is comment below telling us why you would like, love, or absolutely NEED to be there! It's taking place at Cline Cellars, this Saturday, January 14th from 5-9pm. We'll choose a winner tomorrow at 3:00 (PST)! Good luck!

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Mark your calendars!

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We're thrilled to be a part of the upcoming Lab Event taking place January 14th, 2012 at the Cline Cellars in Sonoma, and after Monday night's inspiring kickoff party at The Collection ES our heads are bursting with fab ideas for the event. Stay tuned here for more information or you can visit their soon-to-be-released blog. Tickets will go fast so be sure to book in advance! Looking forward to seeing you all there!

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(above: The Collection ES, below: Cline Cellars in spring)

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Tickets available here!

TILT Wedding Fair this Sunday!

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Calling all brides, grooms, wedding fanatics, and friends! We are delighted to be a part of the TILT Wedding Fair taking place this Sunday, and we want you to join! TILT is hosting this years not-your-average wedding fair at Swarm Gallery in Oakland, and it will be bustling with local designers, vendors, and event extraordinaires. If you're dreaming of a unique wedding and looking for a place to start, you definitely shouldn't miss this event! We will be there mingling with the guests and offering first hand information about our invitations (and maybe even a take-home souvenir??!). Check out the list of fellow exhibitors here!

Tickets are available here or you can get them at the door.

The event, Sunday September 25th, is 12:00pm - 4:00pm at the Swarm Gallery, 560 Second Street, Oakland, CA

See you there!

Beautiful Brooklyn Cakes

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It's hard to avoid drooling over every photo we see of amazing wedding cakes. Brides and grooms are getting so creative these days, and with all the talented bakeries in the world, almost anything is possible! Brooklyn-based Nine Cakes is just one of many talented cake designers currently creating some truly stunning (and delicious!) work.

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Their cakes are fun and original, and totally scrumptious looking.

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Nine Cakes is located at 155 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231. If you live in the area, check them out!

Real Wedding: Michelle and Jacob

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Just married! We recently had the pleasure of designing a "Just Married!" photo card for Michelle and Jacob's private June celebration. This one couldn't be any more playful! The whimsical watercolor, precious pinks and tell-all photograph just screams pure joy.

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Michelle and Jacob wed at the San Francisco City Hall, accompanied by 15 close family and friends. The photographer, our dear friend Edyta Szyszlo, shot these utterly romantic images of the big day, and their reception at Bar Jules in Hayes Valley (below). We're loving the simplicity of the event, and the casual/comfortable setting for their reception. Just the right amount of table decor paired with classic dinnerware makes for an effortless yet chic display.

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All photos by Edyta Szyszlo.

Dreamy Candies at Andie's Specialty Sweets

Remember the sweet little sugar buttons we featured a while back? Andie's Specialty Sweets in Los Angeles has broadened their beautiful repertoire to include these gorgeous goodies:

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Absolutely adore these acorns. And they're chocolate filled, with a cocoa bean in the center!

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And this edible sugar skeleton key is fabulous! Reminds us of our Whimsy Save the Date.

Be sure to visit the Etsy Shop, here and find more sweet sculpted delights.

Sweet vintage button designs!

Swooning over these particularly gorgeous edible sugar buttons from andiespecialtysweets.

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They come in chocolate for those who like a little kick, and a little more of a rustic feel.

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They make us recall of one our sweetest custom save the date designs— a  darling variation on Big Day!  Drop us a line if you're interested in this design for your wedding:

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Marzipan, anyone?

We were just thinking about how much we love marzipan. So tasty, so gastronomically superior to fondant.

But marzipan is one of those things that can be done really well, or can just as easily fall off the wagon into the territory of hyper-kitsch. We would like to see some cake makers bring back the art of marzipan sculpture. See how charming marzipan can be?

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How 'bout them apples!?

Aren't they just edible?! (Why yes, yes they are.)

Perhaps they could be made in the style of our new Heirloom Harvest, or Lavender Harvest wedding invitation suites?

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Marzipan photos found via Room Candy.

Lovely DIY Cake Stands!

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Check out these lovely cake stands that you (yes, you!) can make with just a teeny bit of effort!

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We love how sweet, yet modern, they look...

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They're from table legs, plywood, and dollhouse trim!

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We found these on You Are My Fave and the tutorial can be found in Bee in Our Bonnet...

25 Year Anniversary: Tina & Rudy

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We are always so pleased to be a part of our client's celebrations - especially a celebration like this one.  Tina & Rudy renewed their vows after 25 years of marriage! The happy couple then...

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and now!

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A few pieces of stationery we did for their gorgeous event...

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See all the details here!

The Humble, Well-Loved Whoopie Pie

We have a special fondness for whoopie pies at Hello!Lucky. A couple of years back one of our printers, Aaron, had a bake-off with one of our designers, who shall remain nameless. Whoopie pies were the winner— but we wouldn't say that there was any actual competition. Just fun and fabulous home-baked whoopie pies! whoppie1

These dapper down-home delicacies, from WannaHavaCookie.com were mentioned in the New York Times, and most closely resemble the no-frills whoopie pies that Aaron crafted.  The recipe, passed on from generations of Pennsylvania Dutch-ish lineage, is closely guarded among Aaron's sylvan clan.  But we imagine that the WannaHavaCookie whoopies are fairly close to the "real thing."

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Being a purist, Aaron would probably view these red-velvet variants as an abomination, but we bet they'd be pretty darn tasty.

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Even a holiday whoopie pie with peppermint filling! We could go for that!  WannaHavaCookie charmingly touts that whoopie pies would make great wedding favors. And we might just agree!  But could they make a black-tie whoopie pie?