Monday, August 18, 2008

Inspired by.... Beautiful Invitations

Photos. Top Row, Left to Right: Bella Figura, Ceci New York, Hello Lucky!, Bella Figura; Center: Bella Figura; Bottom Row, Left to Right: Ceci New York, Bella Figura, Hello Lucky!
We love things that inspire our team!!! Beautiful things…handbags, dresses, fabric, letter pressed cards….the list could go on. We are starting a new series of “Things that inspire us” when we are planning one-of-a-kind weddings.

Our first inspiration has to be BEAUTIFUL INVITATIONS. We adore invitations that are stunning. Invitations set the tone for ‘what is to come.’ When guests receive their invitations it begins to tell the story of what the wedding will be like. One of the greatest comments I received once (…one I will never forget) was from an interior designer of an NBA player. He stopped me in the lobby during the wedding weekend and said, “I knew this was going to be a fabulous event when I felt the weight of the invitation. They are the most beautiful paper products I have ever seen.” He was correct, everything from the save the date to the wedding invitation to the luggage tags we sent the guests prior to their arrival at the hotel, everything was beautiful and told a story of what was to come. Lisa Hoffman of CECI New York was the artistic hand behind the work of the invitations. Please click here to see how brilliantly everything came together. You can also check out a past article in D Weddings to see some editorial work we have done with Lisa.

We also LOVE Alyssa Reeves of Paradise Design Co. She is based in Dallas and has an eye for amazing designs. She is very talented!!! When we have a bride who shares a love for beautiful invitations with us…. Our first call is to Alyssa. Currently we are working with her to create a beautiful one of a kind invitation that is made up of creams and golds. It is stunning and the invitation set is made up of embossing, letter pressing, flat printing, shiny and matte metallics, everything…. And it is STUNNING. The bride made a comment the other day that even men were commenting on how beautiful the save the dates were….THAT is when you know you’ve done a good job!!!

Invitations set the mood and make brides happy. It brings the element of design into the event that so many brides miss out on. It doesn’t have to be over the top expensive but it will take a larger chunk of the budget than most probably expect. I would say, based on an invitation list of 100, a custom designer would start around $2500 and go up from there. If your budget doesn’t allow for this, I would gather ideas and find a paper source to get heavy cardstock to print your invitations on…then find a local printer. Remember, your invitation sets the tone for your fabulous event!!! They are worth the splurge. ☺

Happy Designing!!!!


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