Envelopments ~ Make Yours Unique: Custom Wedding Invitations

The whole idea behind working with a designer to create a custom wedding invitation is to put some of your personality in it, to convey some of your own unique style, or to preview what will be the celebration of the year by incorporating elements of the venue. Not only does the Envelopments^® line we carry have everything you’ll need to make your wedding invitations exactly the way you want them, but we are ready, willing and able to help you create an invitation that is a keepsake.

Here are some stand-out design inspirations from Envelopments:

The Sarah & Edwynn ensemble plays on the popular vintage theme, using unique artwork, graphic elements, and an unconventional layout using five different fonts. Because there is so much visual interest in the graphic design elements, you can be low-key with the paper goods. Using Envelopmentsstocks in a restricted palette of tone-on-tone blues (Navajo, Indigo and Aruba) and whites (Dove and White Micah) allows for the organized chaos in the layout.

A summer wedding calls for a fresh palette like the Karina & Jordan design. A light feeling of airiness with minimal type design was the goal by accenting the ensemble with curvy calligraphic elements. Keeping the color story in soft greens and ivories, and combining a variety of matte and metallic stocks, creates a subtle balance of visual highs and lows. Because texture is huge in 2011, try the fabric-like weave of a Magnolia Pocket Fold^® enclosure.

Yellow has been a vital color for the past few months. Envelopments recently unveiled Soleil, a vibrant matte stock that guarantees sunshine on your special day. In the Carolyn & William invitation, the perfect contrast was created using a bright Soleil Pocket Fold® enclosure against various black and white Envelopments patterns.

The Jocelyn & Holden ensemble features a preppy palette of green and blue. A combination of stripes, banners and calligraphy ornaments creates a visual theme for the event. Check out the tattoo-inspired script font. The dynamic shape of the Twist Card is perfect to display a photograph of the couple on the front and a handwritten note on the back.

The marriage of neutral and bright colors plays well off each other in the Bethany & Douglas featured sample. Imagine the groom wearing a crisp khaki suit with a bold orange tie. You can see the love of paper unfold in this gorgeous wedding invitation.

Is it wrong to fall in love with a font? The Lizette & Anthony featured sample has typography with intricate details in each character that demand to be oversized. The monochromatic palette of crèmes and soft blues can stand up to the visual impact of the bold graphic design without edging over the top.

The Angelique & Bradley featured sample is a tight representation of a wedding invitation. This custom scored Z-card has the invitation printed on the left panel, the reception information in the center and the response set mounted onto the right panel. A simple panel card has a great impact using graphics on a Save the Date announcement. A soft set of Dove-SWI96 and Magnolia-REP96 Favor Containers add that darling touch to an elegant event.

This one is for those adventurous couples who aren’t afraid of color. The Darla & Kevin featured sample incorporates the brightness of Magnolia-BLO17 and Reef, which are carried through the printed panels as typography.

Whether you’re looking for something simply chic or over-the-top, whether your aesthetic is minimalistic or you’re a die-hard maximalist, if you prefer a restricted palette or defy all rules of color theory, Envelopments has a solution for your wedding ensemble.

You can see more of this fabulous line of Envelopments card stocks, pocket folds, envelopes and more to create your custom invitations and define your moment by visiting Salutations in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Envelopments | Photos © Envelopments}

Teaching Kids the Art of the Thank-You Note

Want to raise gracious kids? Then teach them the art of the thank-you note. It’s never too early to start. Even toddlers can draw a thank-you picture for their birthday presents or a sleepover at Grandma’s house. For older kids, it’s a great opportunity to turn off the video games and pick up an ancient tool known as a pen.

The supplies needed vary according to age and type of note. For little ones, offer fun paper and art supplies. Let their imaginations create the right message. For older and more sophisticated purposes, nice stationery and a sleek writing utensil will be more appropriate. The most important element is that it relays a sincere note of gratitude.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Meagan of Defining Motherhood | Photo © Meagan Church}

William Arthur Fall Stationery Promotion

In business for more than 60 years, William Arthur is widely considered one of the finest makers of luxury stationery, including unique wedding invitations, baby announcements, personalized stationery, holiday greeting cards and holiday photo cards.

Contact Stone Hill Paperie for your appointment to take advantage of this great offer.

{William Arthur | Image © William Arthur}

The Red Envelope: How Hand-Written Letters Changed One Woman’s Life

In February 2009, Lyn S. received a red envelope in the mail. It didn’t hold the typical Valentine greeting, rather something better than she could’ve imagined. Within that envelope were old handwritten letters from a relative long since passed—one who Lyn had always wanted to learn more about and further understand. That relative was her father.

Lyn’s dad passed away when she was only four years old. “Over the years, I tried to get a feel for him from snippets of conversations and by talking to relatives. His true personality remained somewhat of a mystery,” Lyn explained. But everything changed with that red envelope.

“That package was possibly one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received,” she said. “I’m grateful to my Aunt Carol for recognizing the importance of sharing it. I’ve gained so many insights…. I learned about his work, visits with friends, dinners and parenting…. In short, I was left with the most accurate sense of his bright personality I could have ever hoped for.”

The package also contained messages from other family members, including her grandmother, siblings and mom. It has worked as a time capsule, transporting its readers back to a previous time and place. “A few weeks later my mother and I shared an afternoon reading the letters together. Afterwards she told me she had been concerned that they would bring back sad memories. Instead, they brought her past back into focus, and she was happy to have had the opportunity to revisit it.”

As a result of these letters, Lyn and her family have been inspired to write their own letters because, as Lyn said, “The truth is, your everyday life might seem ordinary to you, but to future generations, it may just prove to be precious.”

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Meagan of Defining Motherhood | Photo © Meagan Church}

Dauphine Press End of Summer Sale on Wedding Orders

Dauphine Press offers award-winning eco-friendly letterpress wedding invitations & save the dates. Free letterpress envelopes with every order!
Contact Stone Hill Paperie for your appointment.

{Dauphine Press | Image © Dauphine Press}

Wedding Personality

You have the ring, you’ve probably chosen the dress and you can envision the perfect cake. Whether or not you realize it, your style choices give your big day its own personality. From flowers to fonts and everything in between, find your personal wedding style and let it guide all aspects of the wedding, including invitations.

Custom invitations allow you to choose as many details as you like to help establish the wedding personality. Selecting the perfect paper color and weight, font style and color, embellishments, envelope color, wording, and more will set the tone. And remember to coordinate all your printed materials, such as ceremony programs, menus, table cards, favor boxes, thank you notes and more so your day comes across as intentional and not schizophrenic.

Decisions lurk around every corner when you plan a wedding, so don’t get overwhelmed when choosing between classic cream or midnight blue invites. Be comfortable in your style and create a more complete wedding personality, and less of one that resembles Crazy Aunt Maggie.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Meagan of Defining Motherhood | Photos © Green Tree Photography}

Smock ~ Profile

Smock is an eco stationery line specializing in luxury letterpress goods. Handmade in an Upstate New York artisan print shop by a company with a passion for fine art letterpress printing, Smock’s collection is produced with a commitment to making truly beautiful handcrafted stationery and paper goods for all occasions.

Smock was the first print shop in the United States to offer printing on a luxury bamboo paper. They developed this paper with the help of a historic European paper mill, because they wanted a truly sustainable paper that happened to be gorgeous ~ and is it ever.

Smock’s designs are the work of Amy Graham Stigler, whose unique sense of style is informed by her art history background and her love for vintage wallpapers, hand-lettering, vintage ephemera, antique embroidered linens, and slightly tattered architecture.

About Smock’s Environmental Commitment

Smock is a true environmental letterpress and stationery line – in addition to printing on sustainable bamboo and 100% post consumer recycled papers, Smock is also wind powered, a member of Green America’s Green Business Network and donates 1% of sales to environmental causes as a member of 1% For the Planet. Smock offers free bus passes to employees to help encourage use of public transit and subsidizes 20-week Community Supported Agriculture memberships with a local organic farm. Smock regularly partners with organizations such as the Amazon Conservation Association, the Pesticide Action Network, and American Forests to help promote environmental causes that affect the globe.

You can see more of this fabulous line of custom letterpressed wedding invitations by visiting Stone Hill Paperie in Skippack, Pennsylvania.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Smock | Photo © Smock}

Q & A: Save the Dates and RSVP’s

Q: I am planning a 50^th birthday bash for my husband. How far in advance should I send out save-the-date cards and then the actual invitations? Since there will be food and drinks served at the party, is it proper to send an RSVP card with the invitation?

A: To help ensure a great celebration, it is always good to give your guests a heads up so they can plan to attend. For more casual affairs (such as birthday, retirement or bachelor parties), a simple notification 6 to 8 weeks prior to the event will suffice. This could come in the form of an email, so you can save the big stationery purchase for the invites themselves instead of having to split the budget among save-the-date cards, invitations and RSVP cards. If a save-the-date has been sent, then invites would go out 3 to 4 weeks before the party. For planning purposes, it is best to have guests RSVP in some form. A phone or email reply would be fine. Or you can opt for a regrets only response where guests contact you only if they do not plan to attend (though this method isn’t recommended if your guest list is comprised of several absent-minded individuals who may forget to call if they cannot attend).

Now, for more formal events such as weddings, a save-the-date card should be mailed 4 to 12 months before the big day. And RSVP cards should always be included with the invitations that go out 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding.

For more help with save-the-dates, invitations, and RSVP cards, call Amy at Stone Hill Paperie to schedule an appointment at 484.802.2645.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Meagan of Defining Motherhood | Photos © Green Tree Photography}