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

New Susy Jack* for Hello!Lucky Wedding

 One of the things we take pride in most here at Hello!Lucky is our enthusiasm for working with talented artists and designers aside from our own. Combining forces with brilliant minds gives us a great pleasure, and there is no shortage of brilliant minds out there. As you saw this past holiday season, we paired up with 16 various artists around the world for our curated custom holiday collection, and it was quite a hit. Not only were we exposed to the extraordinary design skills of our favorite illustrators, but their designs were made available for our customers to enjoy. Since the holiday collection launched last year, we knew we were in the midst of some potential lifetime friends, one being the insanely gifted Susy Jack*. Her classic patterns and bold color palettes make up the perfect combination for a modern wedding invitation, and we're here to bring you just that! Six brand new, completely exclusive, letterpress and flat printed wedding invitations, save the dates, and day-of stationery, all for you!

Bohemian (above)

Meet Susy Jack*. A lover of textiles and paper, Susy's career took flight after her collection on Etsy made a splash in the design world. Now, you'll find her paper products and home accessories in stores all over the world. We asked Susy a few questions about her new wedding suite for Hello!Lucky:

What was your inspiration for this collection? 

My inspiration for this collection was to bring my most-loved motifs from decorative arts into a fresh, inviting, welcoming and stylish new place. I grew up in a house full of vintage and antique items. I was surrounded by decorative objects and they were a huge influence on my own creativity. I thought that exploring the place where art and craftsmanship meet, and combining that with a modern approach to style, was a great starting point for a wedding collection.

What was your process like?

My process is actually very mental--I spend a lot of time thinking before I get down to work. Often I'll perceive what I want something to look like before it even hits paper. I don't do a whole lot of sketching outwardly but in my mind. I sketch all day and play with ideas. Usually my sketchbooks are more filled with words than drawings; when I sit down to work, I often have words in mind instead of images. I'll want something to evoke humor, or love, or happiness or a combination of emotions and ideas.

 Cross Stitch

                       "Each suite is like a mini-collection, which I hope the bride will see as her very own."

 Daisy

     "I love overlapping patterns, and the idea of using a different pattern for each piece in the suite is so much fun." 

 Duchesse

 What usually sparks a design idea for you?

I'm an inspiration omnivore, which helps when you live in the middle of New York City. Usually an idea is sparked by browsing a flea market, museum or other place that's full of textural objects from bygone days but I also love the latest fashion and art. I try to get out and about and take in a lot of the real world: what people are wearing, what exhibits are happening. I love looking closely at something and figuring out what exactly it is that I like about it or what makes me interested in it. Then I start to work on my own new ideas. It's always amazing to see how looking closely, paying attention and being in the moment can make things come to life, creatively. It can be difficult to remember to stop and actually look more closely at something for a quiet, thoughtful moment, see it in all it's dimensions, experience it. I love doing that. It's always worth the time.

Feathers

"It's always amazing to see how looking closely, paying attention and being in the moment can make things come to life, creatively."

Tropic

To view the entire Susy Jack* collection and read more about her inspiration, click here!

 Photos by Edyta Szyszlo

Inspired by: Meadow

If you are looking for springtime wedding details, look no further! We've collected various projects and images of wedding decor and paper goods that will fit perfectly with the cheerful season about to bloom. The source for our inspiration is of course our Meadow wedding invitation designed for Hello!Lucky by EIEIO. The simple grassy illustration looks great in shades of green or yellow, and is a stunner letterpress printed. When browsing the Martha Stewart website for Easter craft ideas, we stumbled upon this adorable candle DIY and thought it would make a fantastic centerpiece at a Meadow inspired wedding. All it takes are some blades of grass, a strong adhesive, and some dollar store candles and you've got an inexpensive yet totally chic table display.

We also love these botanical stenciled tablecloths featured on Design*Sponge.

This wheat grass table setting with printed place cards makes for a classic and clean display. We found this one on Pinterest, among tons of other ideas!

This wedding found on Green Wedding Shoes doesn't have tons of fancy decor, but the simple nature of the location still matches the theme perfectly.

Can't wait for spring to arrive! To view our Meadow wedding invitation, click here.

Martha Stewart Weddings

By now you most likely know about Eunice and Daniel's wedding featured in Martha Stewart Weddings back in 2010. The excitement was radiating around our studio, and we still relish in the memory of such an honor of appearing on the cover. Martha Stewart is one of the most inspiring bridal information destinations [along with endless craft and recipe ideas] so we feel blessed to be a small part of it every now and then. It's such a thrill to see weddings we have worked on appear in the Bride's Guide or even inside the shiny pages of the magazine, and because we love the Martha Stewart collection so much, we wanted to revisit all those moments of pleasure by bringing the real weddings to you.

Eunice and Daniel started the trend by customizing our Woodland Damask wedding invitations (designed by Joel Dewberry).

 Recently, Megan and Alex's wedding was featured including one of our newest destination invitations Visit Martha's Vineyard (designed by Lab Partners).

We also created these program fans incorporating an illustrated version of their reception spot The Beach Plum Inn. You can really see the resemblance!

 

And of course, a New England wedding isn't quite complete without fresh oysters. We love the display atop this rustic mini fishing boat.

 Jenny and Ben's fairytale Sonoma wedding was a favorite last year, especially their custom created wedding invitations and programs. Their feature in MSW really highlighted their charming characteristics and artistic creations for the ceremony. We love that they weren't afraid to incorporate bright colors!

We can't forget about Jean and Devin's whimsical wedding. The true inspiration for our Big Day invitation suite, this couple's witty wording set the tone for one lovely [big!] day.

With the help of our friends at Alison Events, lots of crafty details made this intimate barn yard setting pop with color.

 

Real Wedding: Kathryn And Joe

This wedding has been on our minds and in our hearts for months now, so we're thrilled to finally bring you the details of the event! Kathryn and Joe's glamorous San Francisco wedding has to be one of the most classic weddings we've seen yet. (Check it out on Martha Stewart Weddings!) Set in the heart of the city at the art deco designed venue Bimbo's 365 Club, this wedding was definitely not short on style. Kathryn is the founder and creative director of Dream a Little Dream Events, so without question, her wedding would be a show stopper. We love the classy details she and Joe chose - from all white flowers to fur shawls donned by her and the bridal party. And check out that sparkling backdrop for the ceremony!

Eunice worked her magic on the wedding stationery, which included the invitation suite, table numbers, programs, menus, matchbook favors - the list goes on!  Kathryn and Joe had always enjoyed live music at Bimbo's so a New Year's Eve blowout was a no-brainer for them and creating a design to flatter such a classic San Francisco landmark was a dream come true for us.  The art deco themed invitation suite took cues from vintage concert posters and album covers with a clean black, white and silver color palette.  We called on a neighbor silk screen shop to help out with the impressive tri-fold invitation and the ever-amazing Michele Papineau added the final flourish with calligraphy addresses.

Since Kathryn and Joe are avid music lovers, it was only fitting to create table signs with names of their favorite albums.  This was no ordinary wedding of course, so we created unique artwork for every album.. that's forty-one tables!  The couple had such fun coming up with names that they ended up keeping the cards and framing them as artwork in their home!

One photo doesn't do it justice so below are a few of our working files.  Eunice really knocked it out of the park with this one, now we all want copies!

In keeping with the music theme, the escort cards were custom designed to resemble concert tickets with each guests name printed along with their table assignment and corresponding illustrations.

A classic takeaway from a music venue, each guest left with custom matchboxes as favors.

Congratulations Kathryn and Joe and cheers to a new year and a new life together! View more photos here.

Wedding photography by Kate Harrison Photography

How to Assemble your Wedding Invitations Video

How to Assemble Your Wedding Invitations from Hello!Lucky on Vimeo.

And now for a feature presentation! We're over the moon about this next installment of DIY videos and the first to debut is "How to Assemble Your Wedding Invitations." This short film gives detailed instructions about how to put your paper materials together tastefully and efficiently. You'll know just what to do once you receive your pretty blue boxes in the mail. Check out all of our feature films on Vimeo and stay tuned for more DIY to come!

On Press: Midsummer

This week On Press is the two-color Midsummer wedding invitation design on white duplex paper with rounded corners (yes, we offer corner rounding!).

After their first color run, the invitations on the feed table are ready for their second color.

The invite rests securely in the guides to be pressed into the polymer plate.

 ...on the delivery table after the second color run.

Look at the beautiful impression! Duplex paper (220lb) is double the thickness of our standard 110lb paper and leaves a much deeper impression. We do offer duplex paper for all letterpress invitations for an extra cost, just be sure to ask!

 Anna meticulously rounds each corner.

 And here is the finished product! If you are interested in corner rounding or duplex paper for your invitations, just give us a call at (415) 355-0008, we'd love to hear from you!

Evolution of a Design: Seagulls

One of the joys of working in a design studio is getting to see our ideas come to life on paper. Seagulls has been a favorite invitation for quite some time, but it's the little changes that makes this design unique. It fits perfectly with outdoor beach weddings and oceanside events, and with a personal touch, it's great for any event.

The soft pool and stone colorway creates a casual vibe, but customizing the fonts and ink colors can really make a bold statement.

And simply removing an icon makes for a fresh, clean composition.

This save the date was inspired by the original design, but simplified to match the couples' nautical New York wedding.

Fly fishermen Erin and Joseph wanted to incorporate icons that represented their favorite hobby, so the fish were the perfect fix.

And as the seasons change, this early autumn invitation designed for Jennifer and Pat offers a more comfortable style. If you like any of the designs you see here, just give us a call and we can give you more ordering information!

Check our our evolution of Heartland and Big Day!

New Wedding Invitations!

C'est magnifique! More new wedding invitation designs have arrived! Last week we revealed our new modern and classic wedding designs, and today we're excited to share our new delicate floral suites. We are certain you'll fall in love with French Bow, inspired by darling French patisseries and delicate details.

Romantic Garden has similar qualities, offering a simpler yet elegant composition. And we must say, these designs look très jolie letterpress printed!

Photos by Edyta Szyszlo

New Wedding Designs: Visit Series

We know you've all been anxiously awaiting new destination wedding invitations by Lab Partners exclusively for Hello!Lucky, well wait no longer! We're proudly introducing four new American destinations to the collection: Martha's Vineyard, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.! Each design delicately captures the characteristics of its location, and the iconic features they have to offer. The nautical charm of Martha's Vineyard shines through in this suite. We're especially loving the map-like layout of the double-sided save the date. Having so many boutique towns in that area, this design fits all types.

Our west coast brides will be at ease with the new Visit Seattle invitation. Mount Rainier looks down upon the pacific oceanfront and among all the shoppers of Pike Place Market. Seattle's rainy reputation doesn't hold us back, cause we are loving the wooded wonderland of the Pacific Northwest.

Bells will be ringing in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell that is! Our Visit Philadelphia suite is packed with iconic landmarks and monuments. Placed among the beautiful Delaware River, this invitation has all the perfect elements.

And finally, our nations capital Washington D.C. looking sharp among the classic cherry blossoms and historical architecture. This invitation has local love birds sitting pretty.

Many many thanks to Lab Partners for these fantastic new collections!

Photos by Edyta Szyszlo

Real Wedding: Tara and Ryker

Valentine's Day isn't over yet! This wedding, featured on Green Wedding Shoes, is the ultimate heart inspired celebration. Tara and Ryker wed on a rainy day in Los Angeles, but the downpour definitely didn't dampen their hearts. The couple chose to use our Big Day invitations, but swapped the bridge icon for a little heart, matching their wedding details perfectly. Along with some custom hand drawn save the dates by a friend, their stationery set a playful mood right from the beginning.

 It's always fun to see a bride and groom carry on their theme in creative ways. The bride said she looked to Pinterest for ideas and mixed various DIY projects with splurge items to pull off her look. We'd say she did a fantastic job!

Are you thinking what we're thinking? That gold sequin table cloth by la tavola is aaaamazing!

There's no doubt we'll be adding these images to our Big Day Inspiration Board on Pinterest. It's just too fitting!

Congratulations Tara and Ryker!

Photography by Michèle M. Waite

Event and Floral Design by Carter and Cook Event Co.

New Wedding Invitations!

Get ready to dazzle your guests with these new sophisticated wedding suites. We triggered our traditional instincts when coming up with our latest collection, and are certain these designs will leave a lasting impression. Marquee, inspired by the glamour of the roaring 1920s, pulls out all the stops with its vintage embellishments and architectural borders.

Fillmore focuses on clean, classic lines and simple icons, perfect for a contemporary wedding. Plus, the invitation is double-sided to add a little flare to the entire suite. Customize the ink colors to match your wedding details and your big day will instantly fall into place. And remember, envelope liners are always available as an extra, so feel free to ask us about details!

 Photos by Edyta Szyszlo

Featured: Perfect Wedding Magazine

Check it out! Hello!Lucky's wedding invitations are featured in this month's issue of the UK publication Perfect Wedding!

They put together a great collection of rustic wedding invitations, including our Lavender Harvest suite.

And their romantic wedding roundup features our Shangri-La invitation and rsvp. Oo, la la!

New Designs and Heart Inspired Wedding Suites

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! In just a few days we will be showering our loved ones with handmade notes and heart-shaped treats. While brainstorming ideas for our valentines, we looked to our wedding stationery for inspiration. Lots of our invitations include hearts in the design, so we are excited to show them all together. We also figured now would be the perfect time to release our newest wedding invitation suites! Love Knot ties together perfectly (pun intended!) with the whimsical hand drawn details and bright fuchsia accents. These colors are customizable so you can match your wedding details!

Pixel Perfect brings out the gamer in all of us. Inspired by 8-bit design, this suite brings high score to a whole new level.

Sweetheart, inspired by 1950s retro paraphernalia, has lots of love to share. Not to mention, polka dots are very chic right now!

Of course we have to include the Big Day save the date. The heart icon is easy to recreate throughout your wedding just like Katie and Ashley did in their wedding.

It's Mother Theresa that said it best, "Love begins at home" so we couldn't imagine a better invitation that says just that. Our Home Sweet Home invitation suite designed by the unstoppable Julia Rothman will have you cozying on up to your honey in no time.

 Photos by Edyta Szyszlo

New Wedding Design Available Now!

Get ready to tie the knot with our playful new wedding invitation! As promised, we have lots of exciting new designs coming to the Hello!Lucky collection, and here's one that you can now get your hands on. Outdoor enthusiasts will breathe easy with the Rolling Acres suite. It's the ultimate combination for a summer wedding, or customize the colors to fit an autumn event. Originally designed as a birthday party invitation, this design works for any occasion!

We'll be releasing more designs soon, so be sure to check back!

 Photo by Edyta Szyszlo Photography

Rustic Wedding Inspiration Board

Cowboy boots and mason jars. We love the little touches that set the tone for a rustic barnyard wedding. We put together an inspiration board full of details and accents that will help get your guests in a down home mood. For more inspiration check out our Elegant Equestrian board on Pinterest, where many of these images were pulled from. We’ll be doing more theme weeks on our blog in the future - if there’s a theme you’d like us to focus on let us know in the comments!

We also asked you (via Facebook & Twitter) what you thought made for the best rustic wedding decor. Here’s what you told us: Sharla - Sheriff badges with wedding date & couples names to adorn cowboy hats. Napkins from brown western bandanas. Wedding favors from my wedding. Ruth Anne - Burlap definitely!!!! One True Love Vintage Rentals - Chippy paint cabinets + farm tables! Juliann - Baby's breath + lace...swoon! Pomp & Plumage - Wheat fields, chalkboards, paper straws and twinkly lights....love. Shana - Mismatched chairs & burlap tables runners.

Image Credits: 1. Bridesmaids Ruffle Dresses: Crush Cul De Sac  2. Champagne and Kraft Paper Flags: Style Me Pretty 3. Tartan Wrap and Big Bow: Alexan Events  4. Wheat Boutnniere: Wedding Bee 5. Coral and Peach Flowers: Crush Cul De Sac   6. Peach Cake: Martha Stewart Weddings 7. Horse Ribbons: Velvet Strawberries  8. Strawberry and Peach Vodka Popsicles: Endless Simmer 9. Flowers: Martha Stewart Weddings 10. Our Kind of Horse: Style Me Pretty 11. Pendelton Blankets: Country Living 12. Groomsmen: Men of Habit 

Rustic Farm Week: Real Weddings Roundup

It's Rustic Farm week at Hello!Lucky! We're dedicating this week's blog posts to all things country chic. There are some unbeatable farm destinations in California, but brides from across the country (and overseas!) contributed to our roundup. Today we're piecing together a collection of the most heartwarming farm weddings from our Real Weddings archives. We love it when couples match their wedding invitations with their venue and decor, and as you can see below, these weddings are all about country comfort.

 Kathleen and Seth's Barndiva wedding in Healdsburg, CA charmed us with their youthful band and warm red accents.

Erin and Nick also customized our Heartland invitation to match their summer wedding in Sonoma. We love how they hand made their place cards with tags, ribbon, and hung them on chicken wire. Doesn't get more farm friendly than that!

Our hearts flutter every time we see photos of Lisa and Rory's classic English wedding. Their table signs were an homage to local pub signs with silly plays on words like "The Stumbled Inn" and "The Drunken Duck."

The organic and picturesque landscape of Sonoma Valley always makes for a charming event. Lily and Andrew wed underneath the most enormous oak tree, which provided just enough shade from the hot summer sun. Guests took their seats atop hay bails - what a cute way to incorporate farm decor!

Their farm animal table numbers and bright floral arrangements reflect the summer wedding perfectly.

It's always impressive when couples come up with unique place card holders. Heather and Tom knocked our socks off with these apple place cards. When we found out Heather's childhood home had it's own apple orchard, we knew it would be an adorable wedding! Equipped with a farm house, pond and lush east coast greenery, they really could do no wrong.

And last but not least, this custom designed wedding invitation suite for Erin and Jeremy tops the cake. The couple wed in Calistoga in 2010 and took country wedding style to the max. Our favorite part is the Kansas City barbeque feast invitation hosted by the groom's parents. Sounds like a hootin' good time!

Click on each photo to see the full post!

Inspired by: Wedding Invitation Suites

With wedding season about to kick off, we're gearing up for some amazing additions to our collection. Wedding invitations serve as the first source of inspiration for the big day, and with all the pieces in check, you can really start to see all the details come to life. Frequently we find ourselves browsing through the photo database for inspiration drawn from particular invitations, and we wanted to share a place where you can do the same. Whether your wedding has a rustic farm theme, a sleek and modern theme, or a whimsical and playful theme, these photos will have you planning in no time! Click on the photos for a larger view!

Southern Belle (above) and its darling motifs will make that sweet southern wedding that much more charming. The delicate watercolors by Anne Smith are calling for lots of floral garland and white daisies!

 Rolling Acres is just right for a summer celebration. And the pennant liners (available soon!) will add a festive flare to your party invitation.

Figs has more rustic and natural qualities. Perfect for an outdoor wedding where locally sourced food and flowers are the focus.

We love the crisp and clean details of the Desert Skyline invitation suite. Bouquets of succulents and dried flowers arranged among rough wooded tables would complement this style beautifully.

Heartland is another favorite and best for the down-home country weddings we all dream about. We've seen lots of brides customize the colors and layout of this design, but it always stands out with some amazing farm-chic accessories.

 Big Day is one of our most popular suites, with its playful wording and simplistic hand-drawn icons, it's definitely a party starter. We've replaced the Golden Gate Bridge icon with other simple motifs, and it's still just as sweet!

We can't imagine a Cape Cod wedding without lots of nautical accompaniments. This maritime suite designed by Anne Smith was made just for our brides ready to wed by the ocean air.

A custom design gallery with all of our invitation suites is in the making, along with lots of brand new designs. Do you have a favorite style or wish we would create a wedding suite around a certain theme? Let us know in the comments!

All photos by Edyta Szyszlo

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!

Real Wedding: Beth and Julian

We can think of fewer ways to start a married life together than with the sun shining and the whole city laid out beneath you! These photos taken by Marianne Taylor so beautifully capture the setting for the midsummer wedding of Beth and Julian.

The venue for the ceremony took place at the upper deck of the National Theatre on the south Bank of the Thames which boasts views of the whole city from East to West across the river. We also agree with Beth's choice of invitation as she opted for our London Skyline design but chose to have it in a soft coral and stone combination which looked beautiful.

After the ceremony the guests were treated to a ride through central London on a vintage Routemaster double-decker bus to the reception at one of Soho's most established and best-loved restaurants, Kettner's in Romily Street.

Here the table stationery carried-on the skyline theme with each table being designated by an iconic London building. We're not sure if being sent to the tower ever held such happy connotations!

We would like to wish Beth and Julian all the very best for their future together; may the city always be theirs!