LEPENN | DESIGNS [the blog]

It's Here!!!

2010-09-20T20:43:00.003-04:00

I am SO excited to announce that our brand new blog is finally ready for you! It was truly a labor of love and worth every single hour, minute and second I spent on making it pretty!

You can check it out by clicking HERE. Please make sure you update your blog reader, bookmarks and favorites (yes, i'm sure you heart us that much) to our new site: http://lepenndesigns.com/blog

I will be resuming a normal weekly posting schedule as well. See you over there!

Studio News | New Blog Coming Soon!

2010-09-14T10:50:00.003-04:00

Hello Readers!

Posting has been and will be light over the next week or so as we prepare to launch a brand spanking new blog with new designs and real event details! You will find that this blog style matches the look and feel of LEPENN DESIGNS so much better! And the navigation should be a piece of cake!

Stay tuned.................

Studio Update | Our New Edition!

2010-09-08T04:47:00.007-04:00

Wow, is it almost fall already? We are about to enter my favorite time of the year but this year has flown by so fast for me! You may have noticed that our blog posts and new designs have been on the light side this year. Well, I have a very good reason why and here HE is:

My husband and I were blessed with a beautiful baby boy on July 8th at 8:15pm! He has truly been nothing short of an amazing gift to us and I adore him so much! So, most of this year has been spent preparing for his arrival and taking a few months off on maternity leave. We had an exciting newborn photography session with the AMAZING Dionne of The Shooting Gallery. The picture above is a sneak peek at one of the photos, so you can only imagine how awesome the rest of them are!

I am back now and ready for you! I have about 5 months of new invitations and stationery designs that I am anxiously waiting to show off. I'm in the process of photographing them so look out for them very soon!

A very special post that will be coming soon is about our baby shower. Much time was spent on all of the details that complimented our theme of "An Angel from Heaven" with a color palette of light blue, gold and white. Look at these delicious cupcakes from the bakery in Holiday Market of Royal Oak. The guests LOVED them! Can't wait to show you more!

(photo credit: DSH Photography)

Wedding Programs Made Simple!

2010-09-03T12:22:00.003-04:00

I was recently contacted to design some last minute wedding ceremony programs for a wedding that took place last weekend. Programs are a piece of custom stationery that can sometimes be done in a hurry as long as you have all of your wording together. I was able to combine the clients color scheme & style along with a popular cardstock color that is easy to get, shimmery white, in order to produce these easy breezy yet very elegant programs. They are a popular half page size with the design printed on both sides.

55th Birthday Party Invitations

2010-09-01T06:38:00.002-04:00

These fun invitations were designed for a client who celebrated her 55th birthday this year. She wanted to do something fun and different to celebrate, hence a pool party! I designed them to look like you are looking down at the pool with the pink tile surrounding it. The stars in the design were actual crystals that were placed on the physical invitation to give them a sparkle from the sun!

A Modern Glam Tablescape Design with Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning

2010-08-30T15:25:00.003-04:00

Here is the fourth table and final post for our collaboration with Latrice of Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning.

Details from the Modern Glam Table:

Here is the list of vendors that contributed to the design:

Styling - Opulent Couturier

Photography - Donald Yeager

Floral - Brocade Designs

Stationery - US!

Linens - Connie Duglin

Fashion Themed Graduation Party | The Details

2010-08-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to feature the photographs from my sister's fashion themed graduation party that I previously introduced in this post. We had a great time at the event and I had even more fun setting up all of the coordinating details.

I branded her event through the use of her "Jacque Couture" logo and the color palette of dark purple, light purple and silver that was see everywhere! All of the details were related to fashion/shopping/clothing in some sort of way.

To start the feature here is an AWESOME custom made card box that my mom and sister created for the event. It is the actual store front boutique for "Jacque Couture", love it! The creative genes definitely flow through our blood line!

The guest of honor striking a pose on her purple runway!

The delicious food was prepared by my mother and a few helpers; We even had purple punch!; Custom napkins with her boutique logo were designed; Her Dooney and Bourke cake modeled after one of her own purses.

The fabulous tablescape designs featured a collection of shopping bags from her boutique; High fashion shoes accented with flowers; A sewing box filled with items to manufacture clothing; A purple satin clutch purse accented with more flowers.

The welcome table at the entrance featured a sewing dummy draped in clothing from the boutique along with a huge magazine cover for guests to autograph with their well wishes.

Guests also received mini purses filled with purple m&m candies.

There were also tables accented with her senior pictures and a collage of high school memories, accomplishments and artwork.

Business Logo | City J.A.M. Experience

2010-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was commissioned by business owner, Tyra, to design a business logo for her energetic and new business venture. The City J.A.M. Experience is a dance and fitness studio based out of Maryland. During our brainstorming sessions she informed me that she wanted the logo to be "Exciting and Fresh with a Family Environment". After some thought she decided she wanted the logo to involve some sort of combination of purple and lime green or lavender and teal with a city skyline, suggested by myself.

Here are a few of the initial concepts:

And here is her finalized logo design:

An Elegant Affair Tablescape Design with Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning

2010-08-24T05:59:00.005-04:00

This post continues our series of beautiful tablescape designs done by Latrice of Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning.

I present the third table, "An Elegant Affair":

Here is the list of vendors that contributed to the design:

Styling - Opulent Couturier

Photography - Donald Yeager

Floral - Brocade Designs

Stationery - US!

Linens - Connie Duglin

L|D Real Wedding: Ginelle & Fred's Tropical Affair

2010-08-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ginelle and Frederick | Married on August 23, 2008

Wedding Design: Garnet Red and Deep Orange with a Tropical/Destination Twist

Stationery Designed by L|D: Invitations, Programs, Place Cards, Table Signs, Monogram (used on favor labels and in gobo light) and Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Venue: Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church/Pittsburgh Athletic Association

Photographer: Rebecca's Place

Fashion Themed Graduation Party | Magazine Style Invitations

2010-08-20T20:57:00.006-04:00

This past June my youngest sister graduated from high school. Of course I took the lead role in designing her graduation party stationery & decor! We decided to go with a fashion theme since she will be studying fashion merchandising in college. Her color palette for the event was dark purple, light purple and silver. Can you tell her favorite color is purple?!

The event began with an invitation from "Jacque Couture" magazine, which is also the "store" for her actual party. The magazine style invitation was designed as a postcard with details on the front and back.

I LOVE her thank you cards! I designed them to mimic the (sometimes annoying) subscription cards found all throughout actual magazines. They also feature the store logo that was used on paper details at the party.

Next week i'll feature photographs from her party. There are some awesome details that you don't want to miss!

Calling Cards | Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

2010-08-16T14:46:00.003-04:00

These business card style calling cards were designed for a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. They are very useful for networking and are much better then writing your contact information on a piece of scrap paper!

(Contact # and email address have been edited for privacy)

Eco Love Tablescape Design with Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning

2010-08-13T11:17:00.006-04:00

Here is the second tablescape design featuring our coordinating eco-friendly stationery designs. This design is probably my favorite, and Latrice did an excellent job of bringing all of the various elements together as one solid design. It shows how adding paper elements can truly help to enhance the complete look. Check back next week for the final two table designs!

I present to you, the "Eco Love" table!

Here is the list of vendors that contributed to the design:

Styling - Opulent Couturier

Photography - Donald Yeager

Floral - Brocade Designs

Stationery - US!

Linens - Connie Duglin

Whimsical Tablescape Design with Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning

2010-08-11T17:32:00.007-04:00

Earlier this year we had the pleasure of designing custom stationery to compliment the tablescape designs done by the talented Latrice of Opulent Couturier Event Styling and Planning. We contributed to all four of the beautiful designs that each had their own unique style! It was such a pleasure working with my "namesake"! Check back often as I will feature the other designs over the next week.

I present to you, the "Whimsical Coke" table:

Here is the list of vendors that contributed to the design:

Styling - Opulent Couturier

Photography - Donald Yeager

Floral - Brocade Designs

Stationery - US!

Linens - Connie Duglin

You can also check out this design as seen on the amazing blog of Elizabeth Anne Designs!

Business Branding :: B. Young Always

2010-07-31T17:11:00.007-04:00

Starting a new business venture that you are both passionate about and dedicated to is so exciting and rewarding! I am so happy when I get the share in this feeling that the new business owner has when they approach me about helping them with their branding. I had the pleasure of working with Brandi, an up and coming makeup artist in the Metro Detroit area, on the "look" of her business. She also happens to be my sorority sister and a past bride of mine.

I worked closely with her on designing many logo concepts until we finally found the one that was "it"! Here is her stylishly modern logo shown with both a black and white backdrop:

A coordinating business card design was done for her as well.

I wish you the best in your new venture Brandi!

Save-The-Date Postcards :: The Tale of Two Cities

2010-07-28T14:19:00.003-04:00

I know it's been FOREVER since I last posted some eye candy to the blog, i'm sorry! I have a really great reason as to why, that i'm excited to share in a future post :-)

Here is awesome S.T.D. design that I had the pleasure of designing for my buddy Isis of Posh Events, based out of New Jersey. She is a "planner bride" that will be getting married on New Years Eve of this year and I am so excited to help her with the stationery details of her wedding!

Something very special had to be created for them so we put our brains together to come up with the perfect theme, "The Tale of Two Cities" which pays homage to both their hometowns of New York and Philly. The stationery designs had to be very "different, modern & sexy" and I think this was was definitely captured!

Bat Mitzvah Save-The-Dates :: Basketball Theme

2010-07-05T18:54:00.003-04:00

I worked with Nicole's mom to design these postcard style save-the-date cards for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. The theme and colors are based on basketball and her favorite team, The Miami Heat. I designed the front as a scoreboard and the background has the etched pattern of an actual basketball.

Baby Shower Invitations | Panda Bears and Nursery Rhymes

2010-06-21T09:14:00.003-04:00

This latest custom baby shower invitation design has an unusual theme but actually looks quite clever together. I worked with Sheree to come up with a cute design that would involve panda bears, a nursery rhyme and butterflies...whew!

I designed the invitation as a long booklet held closed with a ribbon to help tie in the "storybook/nursery rhyme" feel. The inside of the invitation features a mommy and baby panda bear as the main focal point. The beautiful springtime color palette helped to give the invitation a nice and soft feel for a baby shower.

"Mod Baroque" Inspired Design : Save-The-Date Magnets

2010-06-14T10:56:00.004-04:00

I have a sweet bride, Meghan, getting married this coming September. She is planning a gorgeous wedding inspired by this "Mod Baroque" tablescape design by Carissa of JL Designs Couture Floral & Event Styling:

When I first saw this at our consultation I was completely smitten and ready to get to work on all of her projects! All of her stationery will be based upon this color palette of navy blue, white, gold and coral. The style of a romantic, modern, french baroque affair will also be used.

Up first are her save-the-date's which she decided to do as magnets:

Stay tuned in the coming months for her coordinating wedding invitations and day of stationery!

Natika's Save-The-Date's : Elegant Postcards

2010-05-18T09:33:00.003-04:00

These elegantly dramatic save-the-date's were designed as postcards with a glossy finish on both sides. The great part about these is that you can have a fabulous design while saving money on postage (only .28 cent to mail) and the adding in a mailing envelope. Stay tuned for the couples formal invitations that will feature the same colors and font style.

Bookmark Style Save-The-Dates

2010-05-14T15:44:00.004-04:00

Save-The-Dates are your time to have fun and do something totally different than your wedding invitations. This design was created after Hallie spotted a bookmark we had done a few years back. It was created using all sparkle/metallic cardstock in her colors of hot pink, silver and white.

The bookmark can actually be used by guests and even features a real book mark tassel!

Another feature of the set is the coordinating silver envelope liner.

Community Sponsor | "The Pretty Girl Project" Invitations

2010-05-11T09:29:00.004-04:00

Last month I had the great opportunity to give something back to the community by donating custom invitations for "The Pretty Girl Project". This project collects prom dresses, shoes and accessories in order to donate them to local young ladies in the community who otherwise wouldn't be able to purchase a beautiful dress for their senior prom. It was such a lovely project that ended up being very successful event for the non-profit organization.

The invitations were designed as a folded card and the "sparkles" you see on the front were adorned with swarvoski crystals.

Raina & Ralph | Purple Save-The-Date Magnets

2010-05-05T08:23:00.003-04:00

It has been great working with this happy couple so far as there is a lot we share in common: members of the greek community and graduates of Wayne State University! They are planning an elegant purple and silver wedding this coming August so these magnets were the perfect intro to guests for what is to come. The invitations will be just as "pretty & purple"!

Photo Shoot Challenge with Lindsay Landman Events!

2010-05-03T08:29:00.004-04:00

If you have ever come across a gorgeous home interior that you thought would make an awesome tablescape/table top design for your event, then now is the time to make it a reality! Readers and fans are invited to submit a photograph of a home interior for a "Photo Shoot Challenge" on the blog of Lindsay Landman Events up until this Friday, May 7th. For more details and rules please visit her BLOG.

Here is an example of a bedroom photo inspired tabletop design directly from Lindsay's blog:

I am also excited to also announce that we are the invitation/stationery sponsor for this great contest. There is a special prize from us that will be given away to the winner! We look forward to the exciting stationery designs that will develop from your entry!

What are you waiting on? Go check it out!

Destination Jamaica | Boarding Pass Wedding Invitations

2010-04-27T09:32:00.004-04:00

My New York bride, Tina, LOVES her theme of starfish and bubbles and wanted to use it everywhere on her stationery....literally everywhere ;-) We first introduced the monogram design in her passport style save-the-dates which can be seen, HERE. Her monogram along with her hot pink and gold color scheme were carried through to her boarding pass style wedding invitations.

Once the ticket is pulled out of the envelope it is held in a pocket with a belly band on the outside that features her starfish bubble monogram, of course!

A lot of the features are like an authentic boarding pass but we put an elegant spin on hers by making them a bit more formal.

An RSVP postcard which served as their "luggage check receipt" completed the set.

Next, I will be featuring all of the complimenting stationery that she ordered for the day of the wedding!

Business Branding Design | Diamond Rose Events

2010-04-21T16:52:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of working with Yolanda Gayton of Diamond Rose Events to refresh the current branding of her company. When we first met she showed me her current business card and asked that I design custom handouts to coordinate with them. She wanted something unique and handcrafted that would set her company apart from others. I created a staggered layer booklet with sections for the important client aspects of her business and a pink vellum cover on top.

This developed into the creation of a branding system composed of a refreshed logo, business cards and rack cards.

With business branding it is important to make sure that your "image" is consistent throughout your logo, website, business cards and all other marketing and printed material. It was with this great attention to detail that I designed these beautiful coordinating items just for her.

Charlotte & Dwayne : Black and White Wedding Invitations

2010-04-19T08:49:00.003-04:00

I know this post is wwwwaaaayyyy overdue! But i'm back to blogging after being in the midst of a very busy wedding season! I have some great designs to showcase so make sure you check back each week! Up first.....

Charlotte & Dwayne wanted a dramatic yet simple invitation suite to coordinate with their black and white themed wedding that took place back in February at the beautiful Westin Southfield Hotel.

They decided to do a reverse white print on black background design for the main invitation. They loved how the graphic to be featured in the set "peeked" behind the main portion of the invitation.

Also featured in the set were a double sided rsvp/reception card and a hotel accommodations/directions card.

Later on i'll be featuring their custom black and white programs and thank you cards that completes their set!

Corporate Stationery | LBLA Scholarship Dinner Invitations

2010-02-17T08:04:00.003-05:00

Over the past 12 years The Lansing Black Lawyers Association have been holding scholarship dinners as a fundraiser to benefit local law students and to honor many esteemed guests. Their past invitations have been a bit drab so this year they wanted to do something custom and elegant.

The color palette for the event is white, black and gold. I created a panel style invitation with subtle graphic accents to add a touch of class to the set.

A detailed insert card was also included in the set.

Destination Wedding Passport Invitations | Ocho Rios, Jamaica

2010-02-08T08:14:00.004-05:00

My out of state clients, Lauryn and Sam, are planning a beautiful destination wedding in Ocho Rios, Jamaica next month. Each time I work on destination wedding invitations it makes me want to smuggle into their suitcases so that I can steal some of the beautiful sunshine and sandy beaches...aaahhh one day!

For their wedding invitations she decided to do a custom passport booklet invitation in the simple color palette of Fuschia and Cream. I like to design my passports with both tradition and personality. I used simple floral graphics throughout just to give this set a unique touch.

Inside of the booklet once opened:

The main content inside of the booklet:

Additional details for guests were printed on the back cover:

"Pamper The Bride" Bridal Expo | February 20, 2010

2010-02-03T07:25:00.006-05:00

Would you love to see and feel the quality of our handcrafted stationery in person but just haven't been able to schedule a consultation yet? Then join us on February 20th at the Silver Garden Event Center in Southfield, MI for the Pamper The Bride Bridal Expo! This show is very intimate and relaxing unlike many other overcrowded and busy shows that you may have been to in the past. The show producers are Stephanie Watson of Divazstyle and LaTonya Barber of Eloquets Enterprise. Click on the picture above to purchase your tickets today. I hope to see you there!

Here is a picture of our table from last years show:

Baby Shower Invitations | Premiere Party Tickets

2010-02-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

The next best invitations I love designing, besides weddings, are baby shower invitations! I recently designed these fun ticket style invitations for a hollywood star themed baby shower. Each guest received a VIP ticket as their entrance to the party.

The expected arrival even has her own star on the walk of fame!

Baby Shower Invitations | A Pea In The Pod

2010-01-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

First comes brides, then comes the babies....

Here is a recent baby shower invitation that I designed for a precious pea in the pod theme. A simple cardstock panel invitation was transformed into this cute keepsake for the parents-to-be and their guests.

Boarding Pass Style Save The Dates

2010-01-28T07:30:00.005-05:00

Destination weddings are still remaining a hot trend with my 2010 brides. I have been working with Kelly long distance as she plans her destination Jamaica wedding from Washington D.C. We are custom designing travel inspired save the dates and wedding invitations for her, with an underlying theme and color scheme of the infamous Tiffany & Co. (and starfish).

Her boarding passes are held in a pocket holder with a fun tag to introduce guests to the travel theme. *Note the signature Tiffany & Co. blue holder with white satin ribbon.

When designing stationery such as these I like to make the design as detailed and authentic as possible. I am very excited at how much this looks like a real boarding pass but yet it still has a stylish wedding appeal.

Corporate Branding | Wedded Luxe

2010-01-19T07:46:00.005-05:00

During the fall season of last year I had the wonderful opportunity to work with one of my wedding planner buddies in NY, Deniesha Joseph of Wedded Luxe, on her new corporate branding project. "D" was set to launch a whole new business name and look for 2010 and requested my assistance to help her with her branding.

We began designing with her color palette of yellow, grey and orange...but the orange was quickly dropped after a few proofs. She wanted her new look to be luxurious yet modern and fun. Her design portfolio for her new brand:

Logo:

Alternate Logo:

Business Card Front:

Business Card Back:

Website Banner:

Blog Banner:

D, thank you for trusting me with the branding design of your new company. I wish you the best!

Wedding Extras | Thank You Cards

2010-01-15T08:35:00.002-05:00

These elegant glossy printed postcards were designed for one our 2009 clients, Danielle and Quentin. They were mailed to each guest in a metallic pink envelope.

Happy New Year | Wedding Magazine Giveaway!

2010-01-05T07:41:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! 2010 has come a lot faster than I thought it would and I guess that goes back to the old saying "Time flies when you're having fun"! That definitely is a true statement because 2009 was our best year in business and we had the opportunity to design a lot of new products and work with some great new clients and associates. We are anxiously planning for this year to be even bigger and better!

-------------------------------------------

To kick off the new year we'll be giving away three fantastic wedding magazines (2009 editions) to help jump start your wedding planning. Everyone that is planning a wedding or affiliated with one in some sort of way is eligible to enter!

Spring 2009, Bride & Bloom

Fall 2009, Bride & Bloom

Premiere Issue of Southern Weddings

Contest Rules:

-Timeframe: Tues, 1/5 - Sat, 1/9 at midnight

-Three Winners will be chosen by random number selection on Mon, 1/11

-Only one entry per person is allowed and a comment must be left on this blog post answering the following questions: 1. What do you like most about this blog? 2. What additional features or changes would you like to see take place? 3. Which magazine would you prefer to win?

Good Luck contestants!!

Holiday Cards | Akinyemi Law, PLLC

2009-12-26T14:57:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays!! Can you guys believe 2010 is literally right around the corner! I'm excited for our success this past year and i'm looking forward to what is to come for LEPENN | DESIGNS, llc in the new year. I can't wait to share everything with my faithful readers and visitors.

Here are a few snapshots of the final holiday card design of this year. This corporate card set was designed to coordinate with the brand of the company, which can be seen HERE. We used all white metallic cardstock complete with a complimenting silver envelope liner.

Holiday Reunion Invitation

2009-12-23T08:46:00.003-05:00

One of my planner pals, Felicia of Events By Felicia, came to me needing custom invitations for a grandchildren's reunion that she was helping to plan for Christmas. She wanted them to be purple and silver with a winter design.

Here are images of the beautiful design which received rave reviews from her family!

The silver mailing envelope introduces the theme and is complete with a purple envelope liner.

The main components of the set was the invitation booklet and the RSVP postcard.

The booklet featured a silver vellum cover and white metallic pages inside containing a nice amount of organized information that the guests would need.

Our First International Order :: Scotland, UK

2009-12-16T08:43:00.004-05:00

LEPENN | DESIGNS has gone international!! I am so excited to showcase the wedding invitations of my Scotland bride Shelley, who will be getting married on the island of Cyprus next year. This is still considered a destination wedding for her so she wanted to use a passport for her wedding invitation. I fell in love with her color scheme of light gold and teal so I couldn't wait to start on her design! She also wanted to involve butterflies in the design.

I love designing passports that have the concept of a "passport" but not in such a literal way. For my brides that dare to be different, that is exactly what I give them! For her cover I decided to feature two traveling butterflies that meet on the island of cyprus, which would translate to Shelley and Kevin meeting through destiny on this magical island where they will actually be get married and joining their lives together forever.

The design is carried over to the back of the booklet with fish and water indicating the Mediterranean Sea which is the body of water actually next to the island:

The inside pages of the booklet feature one of the seals of Scotland in the backdrop:

Working through this order was a great experience and I hope to work with other brides outside of the US for this upcoming season!

Destination Wedding Stationery | Puerto Rico Grapevine

2009-12-14T08:58:00.003-05:00

As a follow up to the post about Melissa's vibrant destination wedding invitations, here is the complimenting stationery that was designed for the day of the wedding.

A bookfold style ceremony program with a tassel ribbon, two insert pages and their monogram accent on the cover. The program was written in both english and spanish:

Custom printed cocktail napkins (NEW!) and a custom printed wine bottle label. The Malbec wine was homemade by the groom, Anthony, and they were given to guests as a wedding favor/gift.

Escort cards that were placed at the guests' seat and held inside of wine bottle corks:

Individual menu cards for each guest:

Each table sign was a different one of the couples' favorite wines which also had a special blurb about what the wine meant to the couple. There were also signs created for the wine bottle guest book and for the wine bottle favor table, written in both english and spanish.

Corporate Branding | Akinyemi Law, PLLC

2009-12-08T08:19:00.003-05:00

The appropriate branding of your business collateral is just as important as the branding of your personal event, if not more. It is the first impression that potential clients will receive so it is important to impress them on the first encounter.

I recently had the opportunity to design the corporate branding for a new law firm in my local area owned by Attorney Erika Akinyemi. Her design called for something professional yet modern and classy. She gave me a few pointers regarding colors and images so I set to work to create the perfect brand identity system for her.

Business Logo:

Front and Back of the Business Cards:

Front and Back of the Postcard Mailers:

Baby Shower Game Booklets, Signs and more!

2009-12-03T07:58:00.005-05:00

It was such a special and exciting experience to help plan my bff's baby shower, which you may remember from these invitations. Along with the invitations I also created coordinating stationery for the day of the shower in order to brand the event all the way through. I will be coming back with a recap for our "L|D Real Events" feature where I'll be showcasing photographs from the actual event.

Folded game booklets with ribbon accent:

Stickers for the gif bags:

Individual menu cards for each guest:

And finally, a few reserved signs for some of the tables:

Childhood Themed Wedding Save-The-Dates

2009-12-01T08:31:00.003-05:00

Kim is one of my 2010 brides and it has been a fun and FUNNY roller coaster of an experience working with her so far. I think this save-the-date postcard design changed about five times, lol. But in the end we were able to come up with the perfect design that she and her fiance loved.

They wanted to include childhood pics along with "bubble conversations" of him asking her to marry him. So with only those two clues this is what I came up with:

(The verbiage in the background also pays tribute to Kim and Ronald's Sorority and Fraternity)

Destination Wedding Invitations | Puerto Rico Grapevine

2009-11-30T10:30:00.005-05:00

How in the world did I miss featuring Melissa's beautiful destination wedding invitations?! Her invitations were designed with a deep jewel toned palette of aubergine and garnet. They are 5x7 folded card invitations that feature a monogram tag, ribbon band and special cut out section showing off the main invitation graphic.

Once opened you will see that the ribbon band holds the stacked insert cards together.

The main invitation has a large grapevine motif that is the anchor of her invitation and stationery design.

Hotel accommodations insert card.

RSVP postcard.

And finally, an itinerary card.

Coming up next are a ton of complimenting stationery for the actual wedding day, which include two new custom printed items that i've never done before!

Custom Holiday Cards | Vintage Santa Clause

2009-11-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

The holiday season has quickly approached and will soon be gone in a flash. Be a little different this year and send out custom holiday cards that reflect your personal style. Here is our first design for this season. The client requested a z-fold card with a color palette of aruba blue and red along with a vintage style santa clause and snowflakes.

There is even a hint of bling on the snowflake. Contact us to place your order while there's still some time left. Happy Holidays!

Lauren's Chocolate + Red Rose Programs and Signage

2009-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Custom bookfold programs and a favor sign were designed to coordinate with Lauren's wedding invitations.

The programs were a folded card with attached monogram tag and an insert sheet containing the program details.

A large sign was designed to notify guests of the couple's contributions to various charities in lieu of favors.

Marlin's Funky Fresh Boombox Invitations!

2009-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am so pumped to finally get the chance to post about these invitations! They are the ultimate party starter for my Soror Marlin's 40th birthday that she will be celebrating next month. She is having a "Back In The Day" party with a 1980's flair. Guests will be reminded of Run DMC, atari, jheri curls, starter jackets and shell toe adidas.

The theme is introduced by a headphone and music note graphic on the back of the envelope flap:

It is then opened to reveal a spray painted brick wall with Marlins birthday tag on it:

The main piece of the invitation is the die cut boombox radio with intricate details. Did you notice the name of the tape in the cassette is "Marlin's 40th Birthday Celebration: Old School Jams"!

The last piece of this incredible design is the "tape cassette" insert card that contains the party details. I love how it is "clear" just like a real tape! Again I must point out that it has the same title "Marlin's 40th Birthday Celebration: Old School Jams" like the tape that is in the radio.

It should be a crime to have this much fun designing and producing an invitation like this. I look forward to the out-of-the-box designs that 2010 will bring. Who wants a plain ol' panel invitation anymore? Now, off to find an outfit to wear to the party. Where are my high top fila's and tennis skirt when I need them!

First Birthday Thank You Card | Sesame Street

2009-11-20T22:12:00.002-05:00

Here is one of our latest thank you cards designed for this cutey pie who is celebrating her 1st birthday party! They were ordered as a gift by her God Mommie :)

Whimsical Hot Pink and Plum Seating Chart

2009-11-18T11:13:00.002-05:00

I recently had the pleasure of working with one of my twitter pals, Marcia of Beautiful Kreations based out of Florida, to create a seating chart for one of her clients. The vibrant colors and swirly tree make this chart very whimsical yet it is still elegant for their wedding.

Candy Buffet Design | Custom Stickers & Tags

2009-11-12T08:10:00.004-05:00

A hot trend this year at wedding receptions and social parties have been the infamous candy buffet's! What's not to love about a table chock full of candies and sweets! I have a sweet tooth myself so I get really weak when I see one. Along with designing the layout, colors and selections of your candy buffet you can't forget about the stationery accents to compliment everything. We are able to design custom bag stickers, printed bags, jar labels and table signs etc. for your display.

Here is a design that was recently done for a candy buffet that will be showcased this weekend. The inspiration was for the table to be designed like a penny candy store. We designed stickers that look like pennies and they will be adhered to brown paper bags. Sounds so unique doesn't it?!

Our Anniversary and New Addition!

2009-11-11T14:48:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone, today I have two exciting announcements! It is the three year anniversary of my husband and I, yay! And we will soon have a new arrival in our home. A Siberian Husky puppy named "Storm". We went to the breeder and picked her out today, so of course the proud mommie just had to take pictures. I thought it might be nice to share this special moment with my followers and visitors.

Here's a few more pics of our little cutey pa-tootey...she is going to be so spoiled!

We get to pick her up next month so i'll be on the hunt for a little santa outfit right in time for Christmas. Yes, I am one of those people that like to put clothing, bows etc on their dog..lol!

"Back In The Day/1980's Style" Theme Birthday Party

2009-11-09T07:44:00.003-05:00

There is a Funky Fresh birthday invitation on it's way!! Just as a hint, think of the 1980's era of boom-boxes, hip-hop music and graffiti tagging! Here is a save-the-date email postcard that Marlin sent in order to Pump Up her guests and get them ready for this party that is bound to be incredibly fun! Stay tuned.....

Featured Invitation Vendor on Luxurious Weddings!

2009-11-01T09:26:00.004-05:00

I have very exciting news that I am happy to share with you today! A little while back we received an invitation to be a featured Luxurious Wedding Invitation Expert on the high end website LuxuriousWedding.com. Through our course of business I often checked out the vendors on there and secretly always wanted to be listed among the top designers in the industry. So today I am excited to announce that WE DID IT!

Click the link HERE to check out the other fabulous vendors and features of the site. Enjoy!

10th Birthday Party Invitations :: A Camping Adventure!

2009-10-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

I was so excited when one of my iWed/E09/Twitter pals (what? I do a lot of networking :o) ) Kay of Howerton+Wooten Events, llc contacted me to design her "little guy" Langston and his friend Joey's birthday party invitations. She won THE BEST reaction of the year award once I read her response to the design proofs I sent her. Lets just say that she LOVED them!! I was given full creative freedom on the design, which I love! I think the design is that much better when I can fully let my mojo work it's majic!

Here is the party description she gave me: "It can’t be too “kiddy” since both of them are turning 10....Camp Fire with scary stories, hot dogs, and smores. They are also going on a hay ride, playing horseshoes, and they are going through a corn maze at dusk with flash lights."

And here is what I came up with, a z-fold invitation with leaf embellishments:

They are going to have the best party of the year, for sure!

"Love Is Art" Themed Wedding Day Stationery

2009-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Lauren and Allen's Art Themed Wedding Invitations are one of my most creative invitation suites that I've done this year. Their artful theme is continued with their day of stationery. When I design stationery for my clients I like to brand their event from the beginning piece to the very last. Everything should flow together as a complete set.

For the rest of their pieces I used the same fonts and colors from the invitations, but I introduced new artistic graphics and a monogram.

Panel style program designed as an artist sketch book:

Panel style table sign that has been brushed and painted with the table information:

Individual menu cards with their monogram at the top:

Custom printed favor labels for their candy bar, which also features their monogram design:

An extremely creative escort card idea. Their planner Tina of MiEvenTi painted real paint brushes gold then placed the tags on top of them...I love it!

Baseball Theme Birthday Party Stationery

2009-10-23T11:17:00.002-04:00

Remember those amazing baseball ticket inspired invitations? Here are a few complimenting stationery items we designed for the day of the party.

Table signs with a famous baseball player information on one side and the menu on the other side. Each sign had a silhouette with different baseball positions:

Baseball favor label sticker:

Seating Chart:

A Winter Themed Baby Shower Invitation

2009-10-20T08:07:00.004-04:00

I think i've mentioned this before on the blog....I love designing baby shower invitations! There is something so cute and special about them, especially when there is a great theme to go along with the design. My bff Phallon and her husband Dwayne are expecting their first bundle of joy in January. The theme for the shower is "Winter Birds" in a white, silver and tiffany blue color palette since the baby will be born in the winter. The invitations were printed on matte card stock and mailed in winter white envelopes. There are some adorable items we're designing for her shower so make sure you come back in November to see them!

Lauren's Chocolate + Red Rose Pocketfold Invitations

2009-10-15T07:36:00.002-04:00

Lauren is one of my sweet NJ brides that I've been working with for a while now. Throughout the design process her color scheme and style had changed quite a bit. After sending her samples and swatches and approving fonts and graphics she knew exactly what she wanted. After several rounds of edits to get the design "perfect" we landed on this beautiful piece of paper artwork!

The invitation is a matte chocolate brown pocketfold with a satin red wrap around ribbon and monogram tag on the outside. I also included the rose graphic on the front of the envelope in order to excite guests about a pretty package in their mailboxes.

The inside features a double invitation layer made of metallic cream and red card stock.

The insert cards alternate in the colors of cream and red with the rose accents coming out of the corners of each card. This setup was inspired by the bride and I love it!

Response postcard.

Reception card with reverse printing.

Directions card with hotel information on reverse.

Up next are her wedding ceremony programs so come back to check those out....

Corporate Stationery | Motown Record Invitations

2009-10-14T08:07:00.003-04:00

A local Detroit non-profit organization, WAVE, contacted me about creating unique invitations for their upcoming benefit dinner. They are planning a wonderful evening at the Museum of African American History in order to raise money for their relief efforts. The theme this year is Motown, so of course a record would instantly remind you of that era.

Considering that this is a non-profit organization we had to keep th

e budget in mind. In lieu of using real 45m records I die cut glossy black card stock into the shape of a record. I setup the label on front like a real record and just plugged in the event information and their logo.

You can really see the texture of the card stock at this angle along with the official Motown Records logo.

Also included were response cards and a fact sheet.

Monogram Themed Wedding Stationery

2009-10-13T07:30:00.002-04:00

It was wonderful working with Tracy on all of their classic and elegant wedding day stationery. During our consultation she brought a copy of her wedding invitation so that I could see the monogram that she wanted to use. I took a picture and used it in order to re-create a monogram for their items. She loved the way it turned out and it looked great on everything!

For the wedding ceremony programs I designed a champagne metallic folded booklet with a cream insert sheet and a chocolate satin ribbon tassel on the side:

Her favors were boxes of yummy godiva chocolates. I created the tags and she had them sent to the company for them to attach to cute little boxes to sit at each place setting:

Individual dinner menus:

And lastly, table signs:

:: L|D Office Closed 10/10-10/12 ::

2009-10-09T19:26:00.002-04:00

Our office will be closed from Saturday 10/10 through Monday 10/12. All emails and voice mails will be returned promptly on Tuesday 10/13. We apologize for any inconvenience. Enjoy your weekend and holiday!

Here is a sneak peek at a design for a future post next week....

Vintage Opulence Style Wedding Invitations

2009-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Here is another FABulous wedding invitation design which I styled for my sorority sister, Tonya. I have been waiting months to feature this design because my old camera wasn't going to cut it! I am finally able to take some great shots to share with you. Back in August Tonya had a gorgeous wedding that had a vintage hollywood glam theme complete with feather boa's and 1920's style dresses and hairstyles. The wedding was also coordinated by Tina of MiEventi.

With all of my custom designs I like to introduce the style of the invitatio

n on the outer envelope. I was able to use a new font for the first time on this set and it is now one of my favorites. I designed a feather plume pen inscribing the guest names in an opulent script font...this is the first hint at the vintage theme.

The envelope is opened to reveal a beautiful chocolate shimmer envelofold invitation with a satin ribbon band and opulent peacock feather. Love it!!

The invitations is then opened to reveal a hand painted picture of the couple printed on a vellum overlay. The original picture was drawn in color so I edited

it to give it a romantic vintage feel. The "In this life together" quote on the scroll was used on several pieces throughout the wedding.

The piece de la resistance of this set is that is actually TALKS! Yes, as in the hallmark cards that you buy and when they are opened they sing a jingle or say a few words. Tonya and Dennis recorded a nice greeting with a musical background as a nice surprise to their guests once the invitation is opened. That is what the white sticker on the left is, the recorder hidden underneath the invitation.

A coordinating RSVP card and directions card was designed:

Here are shots from the reverse side of both cards:

I also designed programs, candy bar labels, table signs and wine bottle labels that I will feature next so stay tuned!

Aimee's Paisley Paper Accents

2009-10-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

I had a great time designing all of Aimee's paper accents & decor for her wedding day. Her invitations were awesome so I had to make her additional stationery just as nice! She choose the style of her programs, signs etc. on the same day as her consultations for the invitations.

For her programs she wanted a panel card with a vellum cover and ribbon bow accent. I designed a chic monogram for them that is featured on all of the items.

Her table signs feature the orange paisley pattern from the invitations. These are a panel style that will be held in a holder at the reception.

In lieu of favors they are donating money to Autism non-profit organizations in honor of their ring bearer. They attached pins to the card that will be another keepsake for their guests.

Custom Unity Candle:

And lastly, their seating chart:

"Love Is Art" Themed Wedding Invitations

2009-10-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

I LOVE a great theme for weddings and other social events! Having an identifiable theme for your event makes designing the invitations and paper decor so easy, and fun for me. I worked with Tina of MiEventi to design this gorgeous invitation suite for one of her couples. The wedding is taking place at a chic hotel in Chicago which features an art gallery, so this theme is a perfect fit! As soon as their guests receive this invitation they will be able to "get" their theme of ART right away.

The hint at the design begins on the front of the envelope which features a paint brush and artistic style fonts:

The invitation + insert cards are held together by pretty purple satin ribbon which reminds you of a wrapped artwork.

The design on the front of the invitation looks hand painted with a brushstroke border and watercolor hearts. The top layer is held in place by gold photo corners which reminds you of an anchored art piece.

The back of the invitation features the wording details with the couples names as the main focus of the layout:

RSVP postcard:

Directions card:

The reverse side of the insert cards:

This wedding is going to be simply incredible! We are currently working on their lovely paper decor so check back later this month for a peak at them!

Sarah's Swirl Programs and Themed Table Signs

2009-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sarah chose our very popular card stock folded program with a vellum cover and ribbon bow tied on the side. I designed the front to mimic the style of her Invitations.

Inside of the opened program:

The theme of her save-the-dates was basketball so she decided to involve this at the wedding reception. Each table is named after an NBA team, so for the design I put a basketball court outline in the background.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. | Fall Event Invitations

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Although I am a Delta, I am still open to creating FABulous invitations for other sororities too! :o) I worked with Amy to create these pink and green inspired invitations for an event they are having next month. She wanted something that tied into fall...so I instantly though of pink and green leaves on a tree...genius!

It was a big hit with her chapter! They were described as "So Pretty and Elegant" in their own words. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to design them!

P.S. I purchased a new camera (more on that later) so hopefully you will see a big improvement on the quality of my blog pictures!

Baseball Ticket Birthday Party Invitation

2009-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I secretly squeal with delight each time we receive an order with a solid theme that I have the creative freedom to design with! I worked with Yolonda of Diamond Rose Events to design an invitation for her client. She is planning a 90th birthday party in Chicago. The party will have a baseball theme and will play tribute to his favorite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox. The original White Sox colors are black and silver but I designed this invitation with blue and silver (as blue is his favorite color).

Here is my inspiration for this custom design:

It was my idea to design the invitation as a formal baseball ticket. I didn't want them to look casual or juvenile but more elegant and formal since the party will be held at a nice hall. I used all shimmery metallic card stock to help reinforce the formalness of the event. The theme is first introduced with a pin striped envelope liner that resembles the team jersey. The actual ticket is held in a pocket holder that has a White Sox logo tag attached to the cover.

The main invitation is then pulled out of the pocket holder to reveal all of the important wording. This design turned out amazing...it actually looks like an enlarged baseball ticket! I spent a lot of design time making every line, box and font as realistic as possible.

Magazine Cover Baby Shower Invites & Custom Magnets

2009-09-22T08:21:00.006-04:00

Baby shower stationery is the next best thing that I like to design besides wedding invitations. I had been working with my new client, Latrice (yes same name!), from Florida for the last couple months. She is planning a big shower to welcome her new baby boy into the world. She wanted the magazine style invitations from the moment she contacted me!

Her original colors of baby blue and chocolate brown changed into bright playful colors with a brand new theme of "A Bedtime Story". The decor will be based off of this picture:

So now I had the challenge of making her magazine cover look very child like to go along with the new theme while also incorporating her ultrasound picture into the design. Here is how the cover and envelope turned out:

She also had me design business card size magnets as a favor for her guests:

Danielle's Wedding Day Stationery

2009-09-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

After designing Danielle's unique Wedding Invitations she wanted me to design all of the stationery for the day of her wedding. She loves things that are different and involve her personal touch so of course her programs had to be just that. I to love designing stationery different from previous clients. She saw an informal/unreleased program sample and really liked it so she decided to go with it. I designed all of her pieces utilizing the same color card stock, fonts and swirl graphics.

Here is the front of the booklet with a vellum layer on top and a ribbon bow holding it together:

The vellum lifts to reveal the first page containing the ceremony info, then underneath that is the wedding party info which is printed on the bottom layer of the booklet:

Place cards using two different colors that designate the guests entree selection:

Table signs that notify guests that charity donations have been made in lieu of favors:

Pamper The Bride Expo | "London In Fall"

2009-09-15T22:44:00.003-04:00

The hardworking ladies of DZS Events and Eloquets Enterprise are back at it again this year with another bridal show! Their fall show will be held on October 3rd at the Double Tree Guest Suites Hotel in Downtown Detroit, Michigan. Enjoy a food tasting station compliments of The Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel, interactive workshops, spa zone, grooms' lounge, exclusive vendors, hourly giveaways, relaxing environment and useful wedding resources! For more details and to purchase tickets please visit their website HERE. This is going to be a great event that you won't want to miss!!

"A Hand Picked Love" Themed Wedding Invitations

2009-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

I absolutely L.O.V.E. designing FAB wedding invitations for my Sorors of DST! Here is a recent set I designed for Gail and Mike. I fell in love with their theme of "A Hand Picked Love" at our initial consultation. Here are the poetic words that describes their theme:

Women are like apples on trees, the sweetest and best apples are way at the top of the tree. Most men are afraid to climb the tree; they fear falling and getting hurt. But those who are brave enough to take the risk; the reward is…A Hand Picked Love

Their color scheme is Platinum Silver and Apple Red so those are the only colors I used in their design....along with all metallic papers. The wording is detailed on the hanging tag on the invitation.

The bow is then removed to reveal fall tree branches with a single apple all the way at the top, again to emphasize their theme.

The set included one simple insert card with reception/rsvp information on the front and directions/map on the reverse side.

We're working on some nice goodies for the wedding day so check back for those!

Custom Unity Candle Design | Simple Blue

2009-09-12T09:00:00.001-04:00

Yes, we design unity candles too! Here is a candle I designed for my bride Rebekah who will be getting married today. The design is simple and blue just like her wedding invitations.

Corporate Stationery | Elegant Thank You Cards

2009-09-11T17:01:00.003-04:00

I had the pleasure of working with my sister-in-law, Stephanie, on some thank you cards that she enlisted us to design. She is the assistant director for an upcoming fuller woman expo that will be coming to town next weekend. These cards will be going to the VIP's of the event, so they just had to be fabulous!

They have put a lot of time and energy into planning the event so make sure you check them out if you'll be in the Detroit, Michigan area and you're interested in attending. Click HERE to visit the website for more information and you can view their flyer below:

Sweet 16 Invitations | Under The Sea Theme

2009-09-10T09:53:00.002-04:00

Maggie is one of several of my New York clients that will be celebrating her Sweet 16 this year. She and her family are planning an under the sea themed party utilizing different shades of teal and green. I love the way this design turned out and so did she, "They look amazing! I love how unique they are.".

Destination Jamaica | Passport Style Save The Date's

2009-09-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Tina is one of my fabulous New York brides and it has been a pleasure working with her so far. She fell in love with our passport invitations and just had to have one! I designed this save the date passport booklet in her colors of cream, fuschia and gold. The covers features the official seal of Jamaica.

Once opened the passport reveals a traditional setup with a picture of the couple and a few tid bits of information about them. Then the next few pages feature important information for their guests.

The back cover of the passport introduces their custom monogram, that I designed, as a hint to what is to come for the rest of their custom stationery. She also had me print monogram stickers to use to seal the mailing envelopes.

I'm anxious to begin working on the rest of the destination stationery, which will involve some new designs that we haven't created before!

Aimee's Paisley Back Pocket Panel Invitations

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I first met Aimee during the design meetings with her sister and my past client, Lindsay. If you take a look at Lindsay's Invitations you will see that they have very different styles! This made it a lot easier to give them totally different looks since they will be going to

a lot of the same guests.

Aimee chose our signature back pocket panel invitation that involves three invitation layers and a ribbon accent. The colors are very strong but they are calmed by the use of cream card stock for all of the insert cards and the main invitation layer.

Andrew wanted the wording to not have a lot of white space so I made the invitation layer small with a very large border of the paisley pattern.

The response postcard has a chic paisley print and address style on the reverse side.

Reception card with a different paisley accent.

Directions and accommodations card with fun titles.

Next, I'll be working on Aimee's programs, unity candle and favors so check back for those later this month!

Sweet 16 Passport Invitation | Around The World

2009-09-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Back by popular demand is another Sweet 16 passport invitation! I worked with Sabrina's mom to design these fun invitations for her Super Sweet 16 party in New York. They fell in love with a design on our blog and they had to have one just like it. I changed the fonts and graphic accents in order to make it unique for them.

The colors of the party are silver and pink, so as soon as the booklet is opened a silver invitation is revealed. An introduction to the party is at the top and the party details with stamp accents are at the bottom.

For the RSVP card we did a postcard designed like a boarding pass.

I can't wait to see how this party turns out!!

Lakea's Chocolate + Champagne Petalfold Invitation

2009-08-31T07:49:00.003-04:00

Our fall weddings and colors have officially arrived! For this custom invitation set, Lakea and Brian chose a square chocolate petalfold accented with champagne ribbon and metallic papers. The invitation is held closed with a ribbon and monogram tag wrapped around the "belly" of the it.

Once opened the invitation reveals a whimsical dotted calla lily design.

A response information card that has a dotted border that mimics the main invitation design.

Lastly, the invitation features a reception/directions card with another dotted border along with the same calla lily accent.

Detroit Skyline Seating Chart

2009-08-29T09:04:00.002-04:00

Charlene decided not to do the traditional numbered tables for her reception so she asked me to design a seating chart that would allow her guests to "Tour Detroit". Each table is named after a different historical landmark in Detroit. I also designed tented table signs that have an actual photograph on one side and a bit of history about the location on the other side. I'll be sure to post pictures if i'm able to get some!

Lovely Damask Wedding Stationery

2009-08-27T22:23:00.004-04:00

I designed these coordinating stationery pieces to compliment the simple yet elegant wedding invitations for Karen and Michael. The complete set flows very nicely together as they all involve cream metallic card stock and complimenting damask graphic elements. The set begins with place cards as shown in the photo above.

Booklet programs with an elegant ribbon bow on the side, my clients love ribbon for some reason :)

The important thank you card:

And finally custom favor box sashes. The boxes were filled with kahlua, irish coffee and chocolates which make up "The Perfect Blend" drink for their guests....i'm sure this was a big hit at the reception!

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your very special day!

Elegant 40th Anniversary Event Stationery

2009-08-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

After designing the 40th wedding anniversary invitations for a client of Felicia, I was very excited to get started on the extra stationery to be displayed at the event.

Tea length panel style programs were designed using the same fonts, graphics and colors from the invitations. The front has a photo of the couple from 40 years ago!

The underlying theme the day of the events were apples; "you are the apple of my eye" to be exact. Each of the tables were named after a different type of apple.

And of course place cards with the apple motif and gold writing.

"Live - Laugh - Love" Calla Lily Programs & Signs

2009-08-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

Jami's "Live-Laugh-Love" theme continues on to their wedding ceremony and reception stationery. We designed her complimenting stationery to go along with the design of her wedding invitations.

Custom panel style programs were designed with the order of the ceremony on the front and the wedding party and other information on the reverse side:

Reserved signs to be held in holders on a few of the tables:

Framed signs letting the guests know about the shutterbooth were placed around the reception hall:

Thank you for being a wonderful client Jami and I hope to work with you again in the future!

Candy Pink & Chocolate Brown Wedding Programs

2009-08-23T18:05:00.002-04:00

So far this season, this style of wedding ceremony program has been very popular. When my clients, Danielle and Quentin, saw the samples they had to have one just like it!

The bookfold program is made of pink metallic card stock, a pink vellum cover and a chocolate satin ribbon bow. I designed the framed monogram on the cover to coordinate with the "royalty" theme of their wedding.

Sweet 16 Passport Invitation | Paris, France

2009-08-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sasha is one of my excited Sweet 16 clients that I have been working with in Illinois. She contacted me about designing the popular passport invitation booklet for her big celebration this weekend. We discussed a few design options and I was able to create this final design, which she loved!

The inside features the information listed under creative titles. I also added postmark stamps and the names of all of the countries that she has been to. This style of invitation was perfect for her!

"Hi, Sasha!" I know you are reading this! It was a pleasure working with you and I hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday celebration...let me know how it goes!

Sarah's Swirl Panel Invitations

2009-08-18T23:10:00.002-04:00

I first began working with Sarah when I designed her Save-The-Date's earlier this year. We made her invitations much more formal in her colors of sage, white and black.

The style of the invitations is first introduced with the swirl graphic on the outside of the envelope. The guest address is setup in a unique way with only the city in the swirly font.

The main wedding invitation is a double layer panel with their picture as one of the focal points. I decided to put the swirl pattern in the background which was much more exciting to her.

Three insert cards were designed: RSVP info/Reception card, Directions/Map and a Hotel Accommodations/Things To Do card.

Next we will be working on her wedding ceremony programs so stay tuned for those next month!

Destination Wedding Stationery | St. Lucia

2009-08-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun designing the stationery for Kourtney and Anthony's destination wedding! I first introduced you to their eye-catching orange and blue color scheme when I posted their save-the-date passports. I chatted with my bride long distance, as she resides in Maryland, to find out the details she needed and what direction to go in. I was pretty much given creative freedom with the design and she loved everything I came up with!

For the itineraries that will go inside the guest welcome bags I designed small booklets with a belly band slider that welcomed guests to the island. I kept all of the graphics colorful and tropical while using the same font accents from her passports.

To keep guests cool under the hot sun she decided to go with fan style programs. I covered them with a nice tropical floral design with a beautiful poem on the cover and the ceremony + wedding party details on the reverse side.

For the reception I designed square tent style table signs and coordinating tent style place cards.

Thank you Kourtney, for trusting me to design something fabulous and unique for you! As soon as I receive pictures i'll be sure to post them so that everyone can see how everything came together.

Teasha's Summer Floral Inspired Extra's

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teasha's complimenting stationery is just as bright and elegant as her wedding invitations which can be seen HERE. All of her items were designed in the same color palette of poppy orange, cream and gold. I received emails from both her and her planner Deniesha about how much they loved everything and how well it fit in with the wedding decor. I'll post pictures as soon as I can get my hands on some!

The complete set of extra's start with custom labels that went on her wine bottle favors and a hanging tag that will have the guest name + table # written on them:

Square booklet style programs:

Tent fold style table signs that were named after different islands/provinces etc.:

Rebekah's Simple Shades of Blue Wedding Invitations

2009-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

It is not very often that I get to design a wedding invitation in any other shade besides Tiffany Blue. Rebekah's wedding will feature several shades of blue so for her invitation I used 6 different shades which all complimented each other very well! Her style is extremely simple so she was very specific about only wanting tiny touches of a graphic and a simple ribbon band on the invitation.

I took her simplicity and added just a little bit to it by adding in falling petals from her simple hydrangea graphic. This concept is first introduced on the mailing envelope.

The panel style invitation with double layers of metallic card stock and a ribbon band accent is simple yet very nice.

The reception card features a hydrangea bloom in the corner with a couple of petals cascading down the page. On the reverse side is a custom directions map that I designed.

Lastly is her response postcard that features a hydrangea stem and their monogram on the front.

I am also designing her custom unity candle which will be featured next week.

Retirement Celebration Invitations

2009-08-06T00:12:00.002-04:00

Panel style invitations were recently designed for my sorority sister's mom. I designed birthday party invitations for her a few years back and now another celebration has arrived. The event colors are tiffany blue, chocolate brown and ivory. It is going to be a pretty snazzy event so I made sure to give the invitations some pizazz!

Elegant Cornflower Blue + Silver Bridal Shower Invitations

2009-08-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

I think this has to be the quickest bridal shower invitation order I have done to date! In a matter of days I was able to work with Yolonda of Diamond Rose Events to create this bridal shower invitation for her new client. The only direction I had were the colors and to make it very elegant.

Here is the original design I came up with. The invitation features white metallic card stock and a coordinating envelope. I used a very simple frame set on top of a modern style striped pattern accent in the background. I love the way the back of the envelope is designed with the return address at the bottom and a floral swirl accent that was pulled from the invitation.

Here is the alternate option that Yolonda chose. It is the same design except the lines in the background have been removed. Which one do you like the best?

Danielle's Orange Circle Themed Programs & Seating Chart

2009-08-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

I worked with Danielle and her mother to create custom bookfold programs and a seating chart for her August 1st wedding. During our consultation she brought me an insert card from her wedding invitations that I used as inspiration for her stationery design.

Tall bookfold programs were designed using cream metallic card stock with a cream vellum overlay and an orange ribbon tie to finish off the design.

I love her coordinating seating chart, so fun and elegant for summer!

Tiffany Blue & Chocolate Brown Programs & Seating Chart

2009-08-03T16:11:00.003-04:00

I am seriously on a blog backlog with new designs that we have recently created so I will try my best to post a design each day this week.

Up first are fabulous extras that I designed for my New Jersey clients, Natasha and Clarence, in the infamous tiffany blue and chocolate brown color scheme. I had the pleasure of working with this couple through Dawn of Dawn Easter Events. Their pocketfold wedding invitations can be seen HERE. After receiving rave reviews on their custom invitations that had us design ceremony programs, table numbers, tent style menu cards for the head table, individual menu cards for each guest place setting and a seating chart!

Kenyatta's "Fleur de Lise" Pocketfold Wedding Invitations

2009-07-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Kenyatta is one of my long distance brides, from Texas, that I worked with recently. I originally met with her mom and wedding planner here in Michigan where I was given an idea of the style she wanted. After communicating back and forth with her we landed on an accent of a "fleur de lise" as the signature style of her invitation.

The outside of the chocolate brown pocketfold has been embellished with a satin champagne colored ribbon and a monogram tag featuring an opulent scroll frame surrounding their monogram.

The invitation is then opened to reveal a nice fleur swag across the top of the main invitation section. There are three insert cards that feature alternating champagne and cream colors along with a design surrounding each side of the card header.

Response insert card:

Reception insert card:

Directions insert card with hotel accommodations on the reverse side:

Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day Kenyatta! I wish you and Albert nothing but the best. I know the wedding is going to be beautiful ;-)

Stephanie's Programs, Signs & Bookmark Favors!

2009-07-29T22:50:00.005-04:00

I had a ton of fun designing Stephanie's romantic + vintage wedding invitations

so when it came time for her extra's I knew just what to do to make them fit perfectly into the overall design.

For her programs she choose an 8.5x11 folded booklet. I carried over the same vintage graphics and fonts in this design. The rose vignettes bordering the frame add a nice antique look to them.

Table tent style reserved signs for the reception.

Bookmark Favors! These have become one of my favorite items to design as favors. The couple wrote a sentimental poem to go on the bookmarks. We alternated between pink and brown tassels to tie all of the colors in together.

Thank you cards which feature a custom initial monogram surrounded by the vintage frame and rose design.

Look out for this beautiful set to be featured on the website as soon as the professional shots come back! I wish Stephanie and Alvin well in their future together! Congratulations Soror ;)

Makeup and Martini Night Stationery!

2009-07-25T13:22:00.004-04:00

A while ago I worked with my Twitter and E09 buddy Erika of E-Vents to design these modern-glam invitations for an event she was putting together. While designing them and reading the event details I wished I was closer to the area so I could attend! How nice is getting all dolled up while taking professional photographs and sipping on martinis?!

Later on I designed these cute cards to go into the attendant bags. There are three different recipes for great martinis. Make sure you print this page and file them away in your signature drink files!

Tanesha's Swirly Monogram Programs

2009-07-24T18:48:00.004-04:00

Tanesha's wedding ceremony programs are so lil' and cute! We designed them as small portrait style booklets that will rest nicely on the guests seats. They are made of metallic silver card stock and silver vellum. The cover features the same monogram design that I carried over from her wedding invitations, which we designed along with her wonderful planner, Nicole of Lavish Events.

Ceremony info on the front cover and the wedding party on the back cover:

The wedding ceremony info is printed inside on the silver vellum:

And lastly, a thank you message from the family in the inside:

Here's the invitation used for the program inspiration:

Danielle's Clutch Style Envelofold Invitations

2009-07-22T21:41:00.004-04:00

I have loved working with Danielle and Kevin so far. They win my funniest couple of the season award! At our initial consultation they told me they wanted invitations that were simple, involved a swirl and had an unexpected color combination. Tiffany blue and brown is such a popular color scheme every season but this look is totally unique with the champagne color thrown in the mix.

The envelope flap features a long swirl underneath the return address that introduces the guests to what is inside. The invitation is a clutch style envelofold with a custom monogram tag holding it closed.

The invitation corners open up to reveal the insert cards held together in a staggered positioning.

The unexpected color combo is introduced by the tiffany blue invitation layered onto the brown, which is the opposite of the monogram tag on the outside. Notice the "boy met girl" theme at the top of the wording.

RSVP postcards which features the "boy weds girl" theme. Danielle had me number each individual card in the top corner in order to help keep track of the responses from the "no name written" offenders.

Reception card

Directions card with hotel accommodations on the reverse side.

Relocation Party Invitations | From MI to FL

2009-07-20T22:54:00.002-04:00

My sorority sister, Akilah, will soon be relocating to Florida to pursue her Masters Degree. She will be celebrating her new adventure with a going away party this weekend, so of course she asked me to design her invitations! I had complete design control over them and my only queue was to involve neutral earth tones and purple. Here is what I came up with:

I like it! What do you think?

Rhonda's Programs | Floral Elegance

2009-07-19T18:39:00.002-04:00

After designing Rhonda's elegant floral z-fold invitations, I had to make sure her ceremony and reception programs were just as lovely.

She chose a 5x5 square metallic booklet for her ceremony programs. The design features the same orchid graphic and gold dotted lines from her invitations.

The reception menus were long and thin in order to tuck nicely into the napkin fold at the reception. The order of the reception is on the front with the menu on the reverse.

Elegant 40th Anniversary Invitations

2009-07-16T22:28:00.002-04:00

I worked with one of my planner friends Felicia of Simply Elegant Events by Felicia to design these custom 7x7 panel style invitations. I met with her and her client to come up with a design fitting for their 40th wedding anniversary celebration. The party colors are deep red, ivory and gold accents. I was given some pointers and requests from the client and here is the final result. The invitation is very bold yet elegant. I love how the calla lily's are a bit of a focal point the way that they pop out of the floral border.

The front and back of the envelopes introduce the invitation design. The back of the envelope has a stunning setup for the return address.