Real Wedding: Katie & Justin

Think pink! We were thrilled to be part of Katie & Justin's wedding, featured today on Green Wedding Shoes. We had so much fun designing this custom suite, which included a few of our current obsessions - neon and edging. We worked with the couple's navy and fuchsia palate to create a modern yet elegant design (calligraphy by Michele Papineau).

The couple selected the Majestic Halls, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Built in 1921 as the former Los Angeles Bank of America, the building retains many of its original historic and ornate details. Katie and Justin fell in love with these architectural elements that made the space feel unique to downtown Los Angeles.

Aren't the flowers stunning? Katie and Justin wanted a pink ombre effect and The Little Branch executed their vision perfectly. Each table had various distressed bronze buckets filled with fuchsia, pink or blush flowers. The bride’s bouquet was comprised of a variety of deep pink flowers, including roses, and tied with a navy ribbon.

Katie's dress was Halston Heritage, her shoes were RED Valentino and her stole was vintage, purchased from a local flea market. Justin's suit was from Hugo Boss.

The ring pillow was made by Katie's mom using our how to guide! We love the addition of the pom pom border.

In addition to the invitation suite, we also created matching day of materials: menus, place cards, table numbers and programs.

Congratulations Katie and Justin! To see more of this gorgeous wedding, please click here.

All photos by Erin Hearts Court. Wedding coordination by Kristeen LeBrot.

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

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

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.

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!

Real Wedding: Jessica and Lawrence

We're still completely captivated by this wedding featured on Style Me Pretty last week. The bride and groom stunned us with their romantic details, and all-together charm.

Jessica and Lawrence wed in a little garden at the Gore Palace in Waltham, a town outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The setting definitely set the mood for their dreamy garden wedding, with tall hedges and outstanding floral displays by Le Reve.

The Nouveau Peonies inspired programs also matched perfectly with the event. The bridesmaids all wore shades of pink, adding just the right amount of color to the natural setting.

Nouveau Peonies made another appearance at the table setting, with fresh sprigs and dreamy gold accents. Delish!

Congratulations Jessica and Lawrence! We wish you both a world of happiness!

All photography by Ashley O'Dell

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!

One more day for the Lab Giveaway!

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!

Real Wedding: Carolyn and Ben

There are endless destinations that make great wedding venues in the bay area, and we never tire of browsing the beautiful scenery and indulging in the rustic charm each place has to offer. But this venue's classic architecture and sophisticated style has us feeling city-stricken and in love. Carolyn and Ben wed at the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom in downtown San Francisco amongst dear friends and family. The event, which takes classic beauty and tradition to a new level, turned out exquisitely.

The couple chose to use our San Francisco Skyline invitation and day-of materials in a crisp black/white to capture the simple yet striking characteristics of their decor.

The floral arrangements by Chestnut and Vine graced each table with fresh scents and bright whites.

Congratulations Carolyn and Ben!

Check out the entire gallery on Style Me Pretty here!

All photography by Meg Perotti

Lisa and Rory, Behind the Scenes!

Now that you've all seen the stunning photos of Lisa and Rory's wedding, we wanted to show you some exclusive behind-the-scenes images of our team putting it all together!

Above is the original proof that we created for Lisa and Rory's reception invitation. The two-sided letterpress invitations were printed on duplex paper (220lb) and hole-drilled for the balloon and ribbon attachments. Because Lisa and Rory already had such brilliant ideas, working with them was a cinch!

Their day-of materials were just as fun to assemble as their wedding invitations. The paddle program fans were die cut on our antique Heidelberg press, then attached one-by-one with wooden handles.

The pub sign table numbers and cheese markers were each cut out by hand, given tremendous care and patience! The tiny cheese markers looked dashing atop their cheese wheel cake. We see a new trend approaching!

Perhaps the most intricate and delicate piece we've created is the tiny silhouette "cake" topper, also cut out of paper by hand. And yes, it fit on a toothpick! It's the little details like this that make us love working on custom weddings.

Real Wedding: Lisa and Rory

We couldn't be happier to share the extraordinary wedding of our friends Lisa and Rory. Since we first met the happy couple (what seems like ages ago!) we've been dying to see photos of their big day, and we are not surprised to see how beautifully it came together. Lisa and Rory wed at The Olde Bell in Hurley, England amongst historic timber framed buildings and lush greenery. It was the perfect venue for their rustic, vintage inspired wedding. Their story is featured on Martha Stewart's Brides Guide today (yes, we're jumping with joy!) where you can read more about their ideal I-do's.

It was such a pleasure designing their invitation suite! So much detail and care went into creating the perfect set, and they match perfectly with the scenery. In order to accommodate the space of the venue, the couple sent two sets of invitations, some for both reception and ceremony, and others to just the reception. The ceremony invitations were screen printed on floral handkerchiefs and tied to letterpress printed card stock. The reception invitations were a bit more playful, including a balloon to inflate reading the details of the party! It definitely set the mood for the night, and we love that they incorporated the balloons in their day-of decorations.

Photographer Chloé Browne of Caught the Light Photography did a fantastic job capturing the whimsical spirit of the celebration. With such a beautiful bride and groom, it must have been a piece of cake!

At the reception, the table numbers stood above glowing floral arrangements by Chantal Flores Design. The signs were inspired by British pub names, and each had a unique and rustic illustration to top it off.

Variable printed place cards were looped with ribbon and attached to knick-knacks that match the table theme. The pig made an appearance at the Pig and Whistle Table, and the crown at The Royal Wee. Oh so clever!

Their not-so-traditional wedding cake was made up of different cheese wheels! Who doesn't love cheese and fresh fruit? It was finished with a hand-cut paper cake topper by yours truly!

Each guest received a printed paddle fan with the details of the ceremony. It may not always be warm in England, but luckily the couple ended up with fabulous weather for their day!

Say Fromage supplied a photobooth for the event, and the photos were assembled by guests into a scrapbook. It's such a great way for friends and family to leave notes and memories! The couple also included our chalkboard word bubbles and various props to spruce things up.

Congratulations to Lisa and Rory!

Check out the entire Martha Stewart Weddings feature here!

Credits:

WEDDING DESIGNER & PLANNER: Mary Lee Herrington of Forever & Ever Events (http://www.foreverandeverevents.com) PHOTOGRAPHER: Chloé Browne of Caught the Light Photography (http://www.caughtthelight.com) STATIONERY, SIGNAGE & PHOTO BOOTH PROPS: Hello Lucky (http://www.hellolucky.com) VENUE: The Olde Bell (http://www.theoldebell.co.uk/) FLORIST: Chantal Flores Design (http://www.chantalfloresdesign.co.uk/) GOWN: Britta Kjerkegaard of The Couture Gallery (http://www.thecouturegallery.com/html/tcg.html) SHOES: Christian Louboutin (http://www.christianlouboutin.com/) FURNITURE HIRE: Theme Traders (http://www.themetraders.com/) HAY BALES: Holdshott Farm Shop (http://www.pfo-shop.co.uk) MUSIC: New Hot Cross Band, represented by Sternberg Clarke (http://www.sternbergclarke.co.uk/) CEREMONY SINGER: Sara Al-Qaiwani, bridesmaid PHOTO BOOTH: Say Fromage (http://www.sayfromage.co.uk/) MAKEUP/HAIR: Kaz Fernando (http://www.kazfernandomakeup.co.uk/) CHEESE CAKE TOWER: Tastes Delicatessen (http://www.tastesdeli.co.uk) LIGHTING/DJ: Gosh Management (http://www.thegoshgroup.co.uk/)

Real Wedding: Devorah and Carlo

It's hard to imagine a more beautiful couple getting married in a more beautiful place. Devorah and Carlo conquered both coasts of the country before wedding at the Trentadue Winery in Sonoma County. Catherine Hall captured every delicate detail of their big day among the beautiful California backdrop. With a warm summer night and a lively band, the event was sure to be magical! We also loved reading the story about how each side of the family contributed an heirloom or tradition, and how simple and comfortable the proposal was.

We had the pleasure of printing the couples wedding invitations and table stationery, and adore their warm and rustic decor. Congratulations Devorah and Carlo!

All photos by Catherine Hall Photography

Mark your calendars!

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!

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

Tickets available here!

Say Cheese! The Best of Photobooths

(via Ruffled)

Photobooths are so popular right now, and with good reason - who doesn't love hamming it up for the camera with costumes, props and a bunch of very close friends?  They're especially great at weddings to capture your guests at their finest.  Our favorites make creative use of festive props, brilliant backdrops and a whole lot of sassy attitude.

The gorgeous paper decorations in these Smilebooth photos make us absolutely swoon!

Fabulous props are definite must-haves (we all love a good wooden mustache) and the sillier the better as with this great snap from Studiobooth.

This snazzy photobooth set up found on Oh Happy Day, is a Francophile's dream come true.  Je t'aime!

And last but not least, H!L gets into the action at the TILT wedding fair in September.  Leslie and Lia took a little break to jump into the Magnolia Photo Booth and test drive some natty costumes.  To the Batmobile ladies!

Polkadot Photography

We're thrilled to share the gorgeous new website of our dear friend, Hayley Durack. Welcome to the world, Polkadot Photography! Hayley is a genius at capturing those natural, authentic moments that happen when you think no one is watching. We especially love these shots of a bride and groom before their big moment... each getting ready in their own way!

Let's face it, we don't all feel like supermodels in front of the lens, but Hayley is a genius at making people feel comfortable and beautiful - exactly what you want on your wedding day. Her portfolio is also just popping with engagement and wedding photos as well as kids, families and our personal favorite, four-legged friends!

Is September too early to start planning for holiday photo cards? We think not!

TILT Wedding Fair this Sunday!

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!

Real Wedding: Kathleen and Seth

Since we often meet couples in the first stages of their wedding plans, its always such a thrill to see how it all comes together in the end.  The adorable Kathleen and Seth were married at Barndiva in Healdsburg, California and our Heartland wedding invitation suite coordinated perfectly with the rustic elegance of the celebration.

We'd love to have this dapper group of young musicians at our next soiree, do they take special requests? We're in the mood for some Monday melodies!

You can find more images of the wedding here!

All photos by Matt Edge Photography