Abby featured the lovely Laura Hooper’s engagement party plus her sister’s equally awesome rehearsal dinner yesterday on Style Me Pretty … and as Abby said, we honestly can’t rave enough about Laura! Her calligraphy may be where it all started, but my-oh-my-goodness … the places she’s gone!

Our sincere congrats to Laura on her own upcoming nups! We couldn’t be happier for you!!

As you’ll read on her website, Laura Hooper Calligraphy is a green wedding company creating THE most fabulous invitations, save-the-dates, custom maps … you name it … couture creations for “the most discerning brides”!

photography courtesy of Steve Steinhardt

You can see all these delightful examples of Laura’s work plus so many more in the SMP gallery {here}! Do take a look ~ we know you’ll fall in love all over again!

Laura’s Engagement Party and her sister’s Rehearsal Dinner

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Post tags: Laura Hooper Calligraphy, Maps, Save The Dates, Steve Steinhardt
Post categories: Calligraphy, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Invitations & Stationery

This article was originally posted onStyle Me Pretty.

RSVP cards!

When I first thought about using our unconventional RSVP cards, I was a little bit nervous to see how people would respond to them. Would people understand my quirky sense of humor? Would they realize that I was trying to set the tone for the wedding as lighthearted and fun? Or would they just think I was crazy?

Luckily, everyone loved them! And we ended up getting some pretty great responses back. Several people said I should make a graph out of all of the responses, but I thought it would be more fun to show you a few of my favorites.

Like this one, which cracked me up as soon as I pulled it out of the envelope:

I did not go the invisible ink route that so many other bees have done, but luckily this was the only RSVP that we received without a name. And my cousin had fortuitously put a very large return address sticker on the back of the envelope so it was easy to tell who these mystery guests were.

Several guests added in their own lines:

Clearly we have a saying in my family. Even funnier, both of these RSVPs arrived on the same day.

From my second parents. They are awesome.

Then there was this reply from friends of mine who I’ve known since middle school. Apparently they decided they needed to come up with an equation (which I still don’t entirely understand…):

And this reply from my friend whose band played at our reception:

But I think this one ended up being my favorite, purely because of its delivery. It was handed to me at the welcome dinner by one of my good friends from college (she played the music for our processional, so clearly I knew she was coming):

I loved getting all of these in the mail—it made the time before the wedding really special as so many people let us know how excited they were to celebrate with us!

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

They say that you should spend as much time preparing for marriage as you do planning for your wedding. Well. I don’t know how realistic that is. We spent two hours at our venue today ironing out some details, and I think if we had followed that conversation with two hours of marriage prep talk, I would have thrown up in my mouth a little bit. Not exactly charming, but true.

I do think some degree of marriage prep is important. At first, I thought we’d just follow some formula. We’d find a therapist, we’d go to counseling, we’d get a little certificate, we’d live happily ever after. But the more I researched it, the more I realized that really wasn’t for us. Mr. Lion is a very private person, and I had a hard time imagining him opening up to a stranger!

As with many of our wedding projects, we chose to go the DIY route. We started to look at books on premarital counseling, when we stumbled upon this:

Source

Sure, the title was a little daunting, but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover. We flipped through it to find that it was straightforward, not too religious, and interactive. It was actually part of a set that included two workbooks, one for each of us. It seemed like a good fit for us. I really liked the fact that it included workbooks, because it allowed us to sort through our answers individually and privately. Then, we could discuss it together after collecting out thoughts. Best of all, we could work through it at our own pace.

At first, it seemed like it would be a bit of a chore. But I have to say, we’ve really enjoyed it! The “questions” we’re supposed to ask are things we pretty much know the answers to. We’ve been on the same page with everything, and we’re pretty much aware of each others’ morals and values. However, it doesn’t stop with talking about what you believe. It goes into why you believe those things. It’s been interesting to dig a little deeper and figure out how our beliefs will come into play in our marriage, and eventually, how they’ll affect raising a family.

Are you and your significant other doing premarital counseling? What do you think so far?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Hive, I’m still alive, I promise you. Lately, I’ve been so busy. There was a crazy awesome shower I can’t wait to tell you about and tons of other stuff going on. I clearly need to quit my job so I can wedding plan and blog full time.

Anyway, I have to talk a little about invitations today. Sure, I should be assembling my invitations this week, but I’m a FAIL bride seeing as I just sent them to print on Monday. I’m going to want to get them out ASAP because it took me forever to send them to print, which means I have to make decisions!

Oh wait, what? I’m horrible at making decisions.

You’d think designing the invitations was the hard part, you’s think when that part was over, that you’re on easy street. Well you’re wrong, or at least I was.

See, before you send out your invitations, you have to decided how to package them. Making this decision is literally making me uncomfortable because I simply cannot decide. If I haven’t been able to make my mind up in the last two years, I don’t know how I should expect myself to do it in a week, but I’ve gotta!

Here are our options, guys.

1. The ever popular belly band. Always classy, avoids the need for inner envelopes therefore saving you some money on postage. Source

2. You can also rock the belly band with ribbon. I love this. Source

3. The pocketfold. These also look nice and even expensive, but I personally don’t want to use one because I feel everyone around my area uses them. I wanted something a little different.

4. The always traditional, but also reliable, inner envelope.

5. The invitation folder. I love how these look, and you still get the “BAM” factor of a pocketfold, without the actual pocketfold.

6. The notched ribbon. Both genius and sexy.

7. The clear envelope. Easily the most hip option here.

8. Baker’s twine. All brides have to love baker’s twine; it’s like a wedding law.

9. The Vellum Envelope (a la Mrs. Gloss). I love everything about this look, and that’s all I can say about that.

I know, I know, it’s almost too many options.

I’d love to know what you guys are doing! So, hive, how are you packaging your invitations?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

As the countdown continues, I beginning to find myself trying to save more and more on the DIY projects. Case in point, our rehearsal dinner invites.

I was all set to just order cute ones off of Vista Print, but even with a coupon code ordering 30 still would have cost something. It’s not that expensive in the scheme of things, but I decided I could just use left over pieces of cardstock I’ve saved from other projects and print them at home.

I found the poem online from another bride a while ago and saved it because it was too cute.

I made a minor change and added “Tex Mex” to the poem so guests would understand why there are chili peppers in the corner.

The poem reads:

“Practice makes perfect,

it’s true what they say.

Please join us for a rehearsal

of the big day!

Meet at the Tribute at (time) on the dot

where Mr. E and Miss E

will soon tie the knot.

After the rehearsal,

when all is said and done,

we’ll head out to Blue Mesa

for good Tex Mex food and fun!”

I picked up a box of colorful envelopes from an office store and printed the addresses on them. Done and done!

Will you be making invites for your rehearsal/dinner? As you get closer to your wedding do you find yourself taking the easy or cheap way for projects?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Back before I left for the wedding, which seems like forever ago, I posted about our ceremony programs that we “settled” for. You remember, these little things:

Well you could have knocked me over with a feather when I got requests for a tutorial on these. I mean after I saw them in action at the wedding I loved them but back when I wrote that post I was in the “yea they look good enough” mindset. So it kind of floored me that other people liked them enough to want to make their own.

As requested here is the step-by-step of how I did it. And by the way, they were SOOOOO easy and cheap to make.

First, lets talk fonts. The cursive handwriting at the top is a free font called Dear Joe Four, I used Prestige Elite for the main text area and the headings on the side of the pages (and in the middle of the cover) are done in Eras Light ITC. Other than that it was just photos I added along with three lines of brown dots on each side.

In order to print these front to back and have them line up I used a very simple technique in PowerPoint. I drew lines. No really, I used the line tool and drew guidelines exactly the same distance from what would be the outside edges of the paper:

Above is the front and back side of page 2. Next I added a outline box, brown dotted lines and headings, then copied them into each of the pages I wanted so that they were all lined up exactly the same. All that was left then was to add the content.

After they were printed and cut out, it was time to assemble them with metallic eyelets and a Crop-A-Dile tool. I measured out the exact spacing I wanted for the eyelets on a extra cover I printed, marked a line at 1/2 inch from the edge, then punched holes in the locations spaced equally apart along that line to create a template.

Then came the easy part. I lined up the template on each cover and traced inside the holes I punched. Next I stack all the pages for a single program together and used the crop a dile to punch holes where I had marked on the covers using the template. Then it was just a matter of putting the eyelets into the holes and using the crop-a-dile to smash the eyelet down to secure it. (Tartlet totally has the how to use a crop-a-dile tutorial going on here in case you need some help.)

Besides paper and printing, the only things I bought were the eyelets which were $2.99 for the 100 piece package and a Crop-A-Dile on sale for $18 (using the 40% off coupon in our local craft store’s flyer). It was completely affordable and everyone loved them.

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

I seem to have a thing for elegant estates these days – there’s just something so exquisite and timeless about them, and they’re perfect inspiration for something as lovely as a wedding. With the Atlanta History Center as my imagined venue, I created an inspiration board for a bride with a love of Jane Austen (hair, dress, flowers), and a taste for lemons (cocktails, cake, decor). Because this isn’t a Jane Austen-themed wedding, or a lemon-themed wedding, these two motifs can blend seamlessly together for a beautiful look.

Are you using more than one motif in your wedding?

Mood: timeless garden romance
Palette: sweet lemon yellow, garden green, white linen

Top row from left: Atlanta History Center, champagne cocktails with lemon twist from Martha Stewart Weddings, rose bouquet, miniature cake with lemons by K. Rose Cakes
Row 2: lemon pavlova desserts from Martha Stewart Weddings, Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, wedding menu with yellow ribbon from Martha Stewart Weddings, candelabra via Style Me Pretty
Row 3: Regency-era inspired dress by Alberta Ferretti from Brides, invitation with bumblebee by Ceci New York, dramatic arrangement with lemons from Martha Stewart Weddings, vintage handkerchief via The Fabled Needle

If you like this inspiration board, you might also like:

Board #121: A Jane Austen Wedding
Board #17: When Life Gives You Lemons
Board #401: Lemon and Sugar

This article was originally posted onSnippet & Ink.

I’ve seen it on the boards, I know there are other people as obsessed with fonts as I am. Although, I feel like obsessed is an understatement. As a graphic designer and typographer, my whole life revolves around letter forms. To this day, I swear my font design class in college still ranks in one one my top ten favorite things ever. I mean, if I wake up on the Cooper Black side of the bed, you know it’s going to be a good day.

That is all background information, but I swear its important. Now that you know all that, you guys can understand how excited I get about receiving my MyFonts Newsletter in my email.

Yesterday I got the Best Fonts of 2010 newsletter. Now, I’m sure you all are as on edge as I was to find out who the winners are. There are some good ones, I promise, and a few Script Typefaces that really made me stop and think “Man, this would like great on a wedding invitation.” Of course, by “a wedding invitation,” I meant “our wedding invitation,” but I’m sure they would work for yours, too!

Ready for some font eye candy? I’m already drooling over these babies!

1) Affair designed by Alejandro Paul. Available for $99. Below graphics by John Collins. Oh wait, is that already in my shopping cart? Maybe! Although, I feel like if I spent the money then I’d totally have to use it, and it might be a little weird to use a font called Affair on wedding invitations. Just kidding!

2) Lady Rene also designed by Alejandro Paul with Laura Varsky. Available for $59. Below graphics also by John Collins.

3) Breathe designed by Maximiliano Sproviero. Ohmygosh, at only $20 ($37 from the Pro collection), I’m pretty sure I need this in my FontBook now! And, bonus, it includes over 1000 glyphs so you can set your type perfectly! Graphics below designed by Maxispr.

4) Okay, okay so Parfait Script also by Maximiliano Sproviero wasn’t on the best of 2010 list, but I still love it (and want it!) so I had to sneak it in. It costs as little as $19 ($57 for the Pro collection) and is just wonderful. Graphics below designed by Maxispr.

Anybody else look into buying a few font for the big day?

This article was originally posted onWeddingbee.

Ten of my favorite paper pieces pulled from 2010 inspiration boards…

Originally posted in Board #504: Crisp Autumn Countryside, 10/18.

Originally posted in Board #503: Vermillion and Blush, 10/13.

Originally posted in Board #499: Ragtime Romance, 8/19.

Originally posted in Board #498: Playful Pink and Blue, 8/17.

Originally posted in Board #497: Modern Black and White, 8/16.

Originally posted in Board #491: Peach and Pumpkins, 7/6.

Originally posted in Board #487: Summer Honey, 6/23.

Originally posted in Board #467: Bold as Love, 3/8.

Originally posted in Board #455: Lemons and Paperwhites, 1/13.

Favorites 2009: Paper
Favorites 2008: Paper
Favorites 2007: Paper

This article was originally posted onSnippet & Ink.