Real Wedding: Caroline and Blair

This real wedding is definitely one of our favorites. Once Caroline and Blair decided to tie the knot in wine country, they turned their beautiful Calistoga wedding into a wine lovers paradise. Set with deep red florals and classic decor, the event was truly one to remember. For their save the dates, each guest received a bottle of wine fit with a custom label and a vintage prescription inspired card.

The wedding invitation suite included prohibition-inspired letterpress invites, custom designed match books and place cards, and even a dictionary of wines to prepare all the guests for what Northern California has to offer. So many fabulous keepsakes!

Of course the natural beauty of Calistoga, CA (even in December!) created the perfect backdrop for such an event. Alison Events had their finest ladies work to create the ultimate romantic environment. The photos of their wine cave ceremony completely blew us away!

Caroline and Blair's dream day carried on into the night with a stunning reception, full of fine spirits and dancing. Oh how we love cozy winter weddings!

Check out the entire post and more photos on Style Me Pretty!

Photos by Jesse Leake Photography 

Real Wedding: Ashita and Mark

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

Congratulations Ashita and Mark! Visit Inside Weddings for more!

Photography by Stak Photographer Duo

Real Wedding: Christine and Eugene

The San Francisco ferry building is one of our favorite historical destinations in this city. During the week and weekends the ferry building is bustling with locals and tourists alike, all gallivanting throughout the markets and shops. But when the crowds clear out and an intimate wedding is arranged, it transforms into one of the most beautiful indoor venues we know. Christine and Eugene said their "I do's" last October underneath the shimmering arches of lights, and their photos reveal the quintessential San Francisco we call home.

The couple chose to use our San Francisco Skyline invitation in a beautiful charcoal and curry combination. Plus, the customizable address labels gave guests a sneak peek at the venue.

 For their day-of stationery, bright curry colored escort cards guided guests to the most elegant table arrangements...

...and the bright yellow tulips and yellow linens brightened up the dimly-lit room.

Oh, how we adore a classic San Francisco wedding. To view more photos of the event, visit Elizabeth Anne Designs. Congratulations Christine and Eugene!

Photography by Julie Mikos

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.

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: 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

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!

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: Jamie and Justin in Mexico!

Although we've had a streak of decent summer weather in San Francisco this week, we wouldn't say that our city is a warm destination, by any means. You might find an ocean breeze and sandy beaches, but nothing like this Mexican gem. Jamie and Justin decided that they would travel far and wide to find their perfect wedding destination spot. And boy, from the looks of these photos they hit the bulls eye!

The couple chose Le Reve Hotel and Spa in Playa del Carmen (just south of Cancun) to hold the special event. Equipped with a perfect beach, delightful cabanas and a relaxing hammock, what else do you need? Well, a few of their closest friends and family and a deluxe reception wouldn't hurt :-)

Hello!Lucky designed and printed these Mexi-style details cards and place cards to match the green theme of the setting. The place cards were wrapped around individually sized bottles of hot sauce as a favor, as if the summer sun wasn't hot enough!

Our dear friends over at Alison Events helped make this dream wedding come alive. They sure know how to put the perfect touches on such a fun event!

There is no doubt we will be visiting Le Reve for some R&R some day in the future. Congratulations to Jamie and Justin!

All photos by Paco and Betty

Real Wedding: Jacob and Kristen

Talk about a good ol' time! This Indiana barn wedding featured on Style Me Pretty sums up all there is about summer goodness. From yard games to lemonade, suspenders to leather boots, the rustic and fashionable details have us gushing with joy. And it's no lie that we've seen a fair share of barn venues, but never something this pristine.

It's always fun to see images of our paper products used in weddings, but it's rare that we see our Big Day inspired paddle fans in action! These lovely ladies sure know the right way to stay cool on a hot day!

All photos by Austin Warnock Photography

Real Wedding: Jenny and Ben

There is nothing we love more than collaborating with our clients - especially when they are as creative and inspiring as Jenny and Ben. Jenny  is a poet and artist and started the design process by bringing in some mixed media collages she had created using paint and colored papers. We took her vision and transformed it into pieces that we could reproduce for her guests; the process involved several revisions and mock-ups as we refined all the details -- it was a true artistic collaboration.

The final invitation was contained in a kraft box, whose lid we gold-leafed by hand. The box was tied with hand-braided rope made out of a variety of fabrics. The invitation itself was simple and classic - embossed in gold foil and edged in gold on duplex cotton card stock.

Included in the invitation was a prayer card that guests could decorate (it was enclosed in a muslin bag that also contained scraps of patterned papers and a glue stick).

The collages that the guests sent back with their RSVPs were pretty amazing and very creative. They were displayed on a board at the wedding for all the guests to enjoy their handiwork.

Escort cards were calligraphied by Michele Papineau and displayed with gold thread.

The venue, Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, was decorated with brilliant hues of gold and pink.

Congrats to Jenny and Ben!! For more photos of this stunning event, please click here.

Photos by Jesse Leake and Julia Kostreva.

Real Wedding: Ingrid and Howard

The setting of a wedding can really enhance the mood of a celebration, especially when it takes place somewhere as breathtaking as the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito! Ingrid and Howard's summery and stylish wedding just screams happiness - how could anyone feel otherwise when you're hanging out in a field of lavender and loveliness?!

The couple chose our Woodland Damask letterpress invitation - doesn't it fit nicely with the bridal party?

Love the collection of vintage stamps and the stunning calligraphy by Michele Papineau.

Check out more photos of Ingrid and Howard's wedding (along with an adorable video!) at Style Me Pretty!

All photos by Jose Villa

Lucky Goat Family Farms

Over 4th of July weekend (um, yes, it took me awhile to get around to this post!), I attended a really lovely cheese making workshop at Lucky Goat Family Farm in Big Sur.  Milking a goat, was somewhat intimidating at first, but in the end, and after some man-handling that this particular goat was very patient about, pretty fun!

And the baby goats are le cute!

Turns out that super delicious goat cheese is actually not terribly difficult to make (or so it seemed under the capable direction of Sequoia Chappellet and her mom, our instructors. Of course, they've been making cheese for 27 years, so I'm not sure if I'd get the same results in my own kitchen!)

We decorated our cheese with edible flowers picked from their garden.  Mine was a little nod to Fourth of July with a fireworks motif!

The work of our various artistes!  Who knew that cheese decorating could be so creatively fulfilling?

The workshop ended with a cheese tasting that was SO delicious - it doesn't really get much better than goat cheese paired with fresh baked bread from Big Sur Bakery (which is, by the way, not to be missed if you ever find yourself down that way), a delicious wine from the family winery and other delicacies!

Note to brides out there looking for a really lovely rustic venue:

Lucky Goat Family Farm is available for wedding rentals (they have a beautiful artist's loft that opens out onto a perfect spot for an outdoor celebration) and there are several houses available as vacation rentals on the property that would be a great place for friends and family to stay!  Alas, I did a terrible job of getting any photos of the space but trust me, it's lovely and well worth a look!