Work with me on your custom suite
Today I am so excited to share one of my favorite wedding invitation suites I’ve had the pleasure of working on thus far. Gretchen and Stephen’s wedding was held in the fall of 2014, but let’s face it: I’m kind of terrible when it comes to keeping up this blog. It probably looks like there’s no one home and that’s a small business no-no, but there’s just a million other things that need my time and attention. But now that I’ve hired some help (more updates soon, I promise!) I’m hopeful that I can start to REALLY utilize this little internet-corner of mine and turn it into a space where I’m able to share my latest work, helpful and educational resources for brides and grooms, photos from real client weddings, and whatever bits and baubles happen to pop in my brain that deserve sharing. But first, let’s look at one of my most popular suites to date!
This invitation suite is really near and dear to my heart. Like Carly, Gretchen was one of the very first brides who trusted me when I was just a tiny stationer in a big wedding paper sea (I like to think of those as my happiest baby pufferfish days). She didn’t mind that I didn’t have an expansive portfolio yet, and she didn’t bat an eye when I didn’t have a whole lot of experience with gold foil; her paper dream. I feel so grateful that she took a chance on me.
As a wedding stationer, let me tell you that client trust is one of the most rewarding feelings. Through invitations and stationery we have the ability to set the very first tone for a wedding day — the initial touch point. Guests hang our work on their fridges and bulletin boards; clients frame them and, if we’re a perfect fit, cherish them always. Creating heirloom quality wedding invitations is near and dear to my heart, and that’s why it’s the foundation of the Paper & Honey mission.
So: let’s get to the good stuff! I had the honor and excitement of having this suite featured on my favorite blog Oh So Beautiful Paper.
Gretchen, along with her fiancé Stephen, had dreams of their wedding reflecting togetherness, family, and love. Their number one priority was a stunning custom invitation suite to kick it all off! Held in Hartland, Michigan, the wedding itself was equal parts classic and a tiny bit vintage. While Gretchen is an event planner, it took a little bit of time to transition from the aesthetic she had originally envisioned — bold vintage graphics, heavy and differentiating typography, an autumn color palette — to her elegant and elevated final suite. The evolution was night and day, and her suite is delicate and just the right amount of whimsical.
Calligraphy, a hand illustrated map, and gold foil stamping is a recipe after my own heart. As the design itself is fairly sweet and simple, we brought in texture through the use of felt paper and a gold brush liner to imitate the tablecloths spread out at the reception. Gretchen and Stephen wanted their wedding day to be warm and welcoming, so we kept the calligraphy fun and modern rather than sticking to more traditional Copperplate styles.
Gold foil stamping can be pretty trendy nowadays as far as stationery goes, but a neutral color palette keeps the suite romantic and timeless. For her soft grey envelopes accented by delicate white calligraphy, Gretchen worked one on one with Flowers by LJP to curate Michigan-themed vintage stamps. The perfect finishing touch!
The map card might be my favorite aspect to the suite. Gretchen and Stephen married at the historic Hartland Music Hall and held their reception at Waldenwoods, and both were a joy to illustrate! This area of Michigan is beautiful, with lots of rolling countryside and spring-fed lakes. Waldenwoods claims to have a fairy-tale setting — I hope this suite did them justice!
Woohoo!
I’m so excited to continue sharing custom Paper & Honey wedding invitations and suites. Check out the portfolio for more custom work and contact me if you’d like to chat about creating invitations of your very own. I’d be over the moon to hear from you.
Until next time! xo
Work with me on your custom suite
Photos taken by Andrea Pesce Photography for Paper & Honey LLC
