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SAY HELLO TO NOLE GAREY OF OH SO BEAUTIFUL PAPER

Hi Guys….I’m out of town today….oh,  no worries…one of my favorite ladies and ‘sister bloggers’ is here to take care of you….say hello to the beautiful and talented Nole Garey of Oh So Beautiful Paper.  I adore Nole…her site is AMAZING……filled with inspiration and so many pretties…..I LOVE IT…let’s show Nole lots of ‘cafe love’ for stopping by and sharing her world with us….thanks Nole….Enjoy Guys…..xoxox 

Since my focus over at Oh So Beautiful Paper is on wedding stationery and all things paper-related, I thought that I’d share a few thoughts for amazing stationery on your wedding day.  So in no particular order, here are a few tips on how to convey your personality and style through your wedding stationery:

1. Set the tone with your Save the Dates.  Aside from the invitations themselves, Save the Dates are the first insight that your guests will have into your wedding.  Since Save the Dates are usually sent out pretty early in the wedding planning process, chances are most brides and grooms won’t have all the details figured out when the Save the Dates are mailed out, but hopefully you have a sense of the style of wedding that you’re planning.  Here are a few ideas:

{Photo by Max Wanger via Elizabeth Anne Designs}

{Photo by Olivia Leigh via Ruffled}

{Silhouette Save the Dates by Simplesong Design}

Save the Dates printed on a vintage handkerchief or piece of fabric would make a lovely option for a garden or picnic wedding.  I  love the idea of a Save the Date on a tag attached to a skeleton key for a vintage-inspired wedding.  For brides planning a classic or traditional wedding, think about using silhouettes in a timeless black and white color palette.

2. Wedding invitations – think in terms of texture, not just color.  From printing methods to paper (and fabric) choices, wedding invitations are about way more than color and botanical imagery, and there are unlimited opportunities for couples to showcase their personality through their invitations.

{Woodgrain invitation suite by Perky Bros. and printed by Studio on Fire}

{Emboss text wedding invitation by Aya Ikegaya and printed by Studio on Fire}

{Fabric invitations by Bird and Banner}

{Wood veneer invitations by Oslo Press} 

To replicate the gradient texture of tree rings, one couple combined digital printing with letterpress for a beautiful black and white invitation suite.  Another couple chose an all-white color palette, using the technique of emboss printing on thick, soft, 100% cotton paper to raise the text on the invitation suite.  For additional texture choices, consider screen printing your invitations on fabric or having them laser engraved onto wood veneer.

3. Incorporate decorative marriage certificates and ketubahs as a wedding keepsake.  A large part of wedding planning is focused on the reception, but the ceremony is the most important part of a wedding!  And the generic marriage licenses issued by your local city or county government really just aren’t pretty enough to frame and hang on the wall. 

{Quilled Quaker marriage certificate by Ann Martin}

{Papercut Ketubah, photo by Elizabeth Messina}

{Modern wedding certificate by The Small Object}

Quilling is a gorgeous technique resulting in paper filigree designs perfect for a marriage certificate – they can be simple black and white or another way to incorporate your wedding colors into your ceremony.  Ketubahs are typically used in Jewish wedding ceremonies and were historically made using the paper cutting technique, creating an intricate design around the ketubah text and signature area.  But even if you’re not planning to include religious marriage certificates, you can always ask your invitation designer to work with you to create a marriage certificate that coordinates with your invitations.  One couple even worked with Oslo Press to have their wedding ketubah engraved onto wood veneer!

4. Don’t forget about the ceremony!  Most brides and grooms don’t think about ceremony programs until right before the wedding, or forgo them altogether, but ceremony programs  are a great way to convey information to your guests – from the names of your wedding party to important traditions that you plan to incorporate into your wedding ceremony. 

{photo by Sarah K Chen}

{photo by Simply Bloom Photography via Elizabeth Anne Designs}

I’m particularly partial to the idea of ceremony program booklets, which can be as involved as a repurposed vintage book or as easy as a small booklet tied together with baker’s twine.  Booklets are a great way to convey lots of information to your guests – just don’t forget to end the program with a message of thanks to your family and loved ones. 

5. Paper Reception Decorations!  This last idea isn’t strictly wedding stationery, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to highlight one of my favorite ideas, paper flowers and rosettes!  These crafty paper decorations make an inexpensive, and lasting, alternative to fresh flowers, and look absolutely beautiful when grouped together during a reception. {photo by Kate Headley}

{photo by Jen Curtis via Design Sponge}

{left photo via Sweet Paul; right photo via Emersonmade}

Paper rosettes can make a big impact as reception decorations, consider hanging them from the ceiling over guest tables and grouping a few together near the wedding cake or guest book.  Paper flowers can be grouped together in a shallow bowl and used as a centerpiece, or create varying sizes and scatter them on kraft paper table runners down long tables. I hope these tips are helpful for you!  

Thank you so much, Janie, for giving me the opportunity to stop by the Café today and share some of my favorite wedding stationery and paper décor ideas!