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/)

UK Shout Outs!

For all of our overseas readers, we have some delightful news! Our very own UK General Manager Iain Bartlett has been busy in the magazine world! He was recently quoted in Your London Wedding giving some helpful advice should rain fall on your wedding day. He's always had great ideas for quick fixes! And when you live in an area where the weather does not always cooperate, you must be ready for a plan B!

Iain also wrote a wonderful and creative spread for Cosmopolitan Bride about how to add a crafty detail to any invitation set. We love the idea of including a handmade touch to your invitations, even if it's simply a ribbon or button!

If you're in the UK don't forget to pick up your own copies! Cheers Iain!

Double-decker mugs

Spotted some cute double-decker bus mugs on a fun UK design store called Our Shop.  Naturally it made us think of our Visit London save the dates and wedding invitations.

Fancy a cup, eh?

Be sure to have a peek at all our destination wedding invitations. More cities coming soon!

Top Drawer Spring

Of all the trade shows we do throughout the year, London's Top Drawer is one of our favorites. There is so much fabulous, fresh design happening in the UK and Europe and this January's exhibition, which wrapped today, was another case in point.

This year, we were debuting our brand new line of letterpress greeting cards and gift wrap featuring illustrations by the amazing Julia Rothman, along with our own vintage-inspired designs. As always, our cards were well-received by our loyal fan-base of UK retailers, among them Magma Books, Castor & Pollux, Live Like This, and Liberty. Between visits, we managed to catch up with a few favorite designers, who never cease to inspire:

Petra Boase exhibited a range of fabulous new mugs featuring her colorful cut-paper and collage-inspired images. Petra is practically a household name in the UK (her cards can be found at Designer's Guild and many independent boutiques) and we hear that her cards are now available in the U.S. at Papyrus and Paper Source stores. It's about time! Petra also has a wonderful range of children's wear, tea towels, framed prints, and even lamp shades, all available at her adorable online shop.

We caught up with Fiona at Wu & Wu - since she started exhibiting at Top Drawer, we've been in awe of her note-perfect Chinese kitsch designs for everything from mugs and totes to wallets and this genius shoe-shine kit. We finally made the connection that she is the illustrator and designer behind the brilliant packaging for Blue Q's Miso Pretty line of cosmetics, which we've coveted for ages! It all makes sense now. Buy their fabulous products here.

We also discovered the wonderful French illustrator Miriam Derville, whose studio, Mimi'lou, produces amazing wall decals for children's rooms (we want to use them to decorate, period!). Check them out here.

And, of course, there was the always-inspiring Marimekko, debuting their Spring 2008 collection. We especially love these trees by Kristina Isola and these gorgeous pods by Erja Hirvi.