Fête à Detroit | The War Memorial
I am so excited to be sharing today’s blog post and letterpress invites with you! I feel like I have just been waiting for this gallery to hit my inbox just to relive this day (and the gorgeous War Memorial) as much as possible. Back in May, my incredible friend Ashley of Festoons and Flourishes hosted the first annual Fête à Detroit: a wedding planners’ salon.
Designing and hosting an event just for planners and other wedding professionals has been a dream of hers for a very long time. I’m so grateful to not only have been witness to her big dreams and schemes (and girlfriend schemes BIG), but to be the designer for the event’s invitations and various other paper goods.
And the best part? I actually got to get dolled up and attend myself — spending time with old friends and colleagues, and meeting new friendors whom I’d only known through the internet. A total gift. (Not to mention my first Rent the Runway experience and hair & makeup by Kyle Ann Design had me feeling like a certified snack.)
Fête à Detroit was held at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. A historic estate set against the backdrop of Lake Saint Clair, the apple blossoms were in bloom that day and all was well. Even though it was a million degrees while we were setting up, it felt like the epitome of a refreshing spring day in Metro Detroit. Niki Marie Photography captured it all perfectly, and the video below by Brian & Stacey makes me feel some kinda way.
Ashley is my favorite kind of wedding planner: thoughtful, intentional, and tasteful, with exquisite attention to detail. Whenever we work together on our shared client weddings or various events, Ashley always send over an intricate inspiration board where she does her best to pour all the ideas out of her brain and onto paper (well, screen — but that doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?).
While she does a fantastic job curating this inspiration, and the mood board is certainly stunning, it doesn’t hold a candle to an actual Festoons and Flourishes event. Ashley has such an exquisite talent for creating a deliciously warm, welcoming, and beautiful environment, and Fête à Detroit was no exception.
“Salon” is defined as “a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation.” Fitting, right?
The invites and paper goods
Old Parisian salons inspired Fête à Detroit and its invitations. I’m always thrilled incorporate my love for deep letterpress, interesting texture, and an inspiring color palette! The invites were letterpress printed in a sage green ink on a buttery yellow handmade paper. This isn’t your mama’s handmade paper, though — it’s actually embedded with plantable wildflower seeds! I love how the torn deckle edge adds to the suite’s old-world feeling.
We used dusty rose envelopes and incorporated an antique motif through curated vintage postage (I think I’ve finally decided the crane is my favorite) and old photographs sourced through the New York Public Library. These photos were taken at the end of the 19th century and digitally colored. Underneath the photos you can see typography detailing that they were taken by the Detroit Photographic Co. on Belle Isle, a tiny island off of the Detroit River, making them all the more authentic and perfect for what Fête stands for.
As a wedding stationer, I have the ability to ship my invites all over the world. This means I can collaborate with anyone, anywhere! But it also means that I rarely get to have those “in-person” moments. I rarely meet my couples face-to-face, and rarely do I get to participate in the styling of my paper.
But at Fête? Girlfriend got to go hard and do it all HERSELF! What a treat! With the help of Meaghan from Birch Affair, we styled the invites, menus, and conversation cards. So much fun. Huge thanks to Niki Marie for capturing some of the behind-the-scenes moments!
Keep scrolling and view the beauty of this day for yourself. Already looking forward to next year’s wedding planner’s salon! xo
Want letterpress invites for your wedding or event? Let’s chat.
The vendors who made it all possible:
Planning & design: Festoons and Flourishes | Venue & catering: The War Memorial | Photography: Niki Marie Photography | Invitation suite, menus, conversation cards, & styling: Paper & Honey® | Cake & Desserts: Sweet Heather Anne | Videography: Brian & Stacey | Florist: All Grand Events | Furniture rentals: Detroit Chiavari Event Rentals | Tabletop rentals: Event Source | Hair & makeup: Kyle Ann Design | Harpist: Chanah Ambuter | Photo booth: Mammoth Party | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen | Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes
