Real Weddings: Paula & Doug

There are many beautiful beaches in the world, but few compare to the white-sand beaches of the area know as 30-A in in the panhandle of Florida. That is probably why Paula & Doug decided to get married there (well, and the fact that her parents have a gorgeous home on the beach in Santa Rosa!)

The Invitations

Paula had come to me with some ideas of what she wanted. We decided on this soft colorful yet elegant 2-color letterpress design to highlight how much fun the wedding was going to be, but also to let the guests know how glamorous the wedding would be as well. The bright chevron envelope liner was the finishing touch that completed the design concept.

The Ceremony

Paula and Doug met in Los Angeles through mutual friends (Paula's best friend is married to Doug's brother! Instant sister-in-law bestie!) and fell in love almost instantly. Doug has since swept her to New York, where they now reside. Since the families are spread through out the world, they decided on a destination wedding near her parent's beach home. 

It was raining the day of the wedding, which only made the photographs more beautiful.

I love the dramatic, stormy sky in the background. 

The greens really pop against they gray sky. 

Paula was walked down the isle by both of her parents. The ceremony was moved to under the tent due to the rain, but that only made it more intimate and special; They were literally surrounded by all of their friends and family.

The Details

Paula and Doug are both suckers for details and there were touches of uniqueness just about everywhere you looked.

The bride's engagement ring is an antique family heirloom.

The groom and his boys wore khaki suits with a punch of color on the socks and shoelaces. 

Small, unnecessary details are the most potent. 

Hand-painted sign to show how far and wide the guests traveled to be there.

Instead of cards, the seating assignments were hand writhed on mussel shells

Comfortable, upholstered seating areas set up throughout the reception to make you more comfortable.

Family is very important to both the bride and groom. I love how they are both so proud of their heritage. 

Candy station for the kiddos as well as as an elegant cake for the adults. 

Paula and Doug's nicknames for each other are "Penguin" and "Walrus", so it was only appreciate for those animals represent them on their cake topper. 

Fans/Programs decorated the table as well as driftwood from the beach, candles and gorgeous flowers.

And what wedding would be complete without personalized koozies?

Congratulations Paula and Doug! I wish you many years of happiness and I can't wait to visit you in New York! 

All photography by Pure7 Studios in Destin, Florida. 

Real Weddings: Ricca and Brian

Ah, Key West... What a beautiful and romantic place to get married. Since I launched my Key West wedding invitation design on Etsy I have seen many beautiful and romantic weddings take place there (well, the photos at least), but Ricca and Brian's wedding is one of the more beautiful ones I have had the pleasure of working on. 

Ricca had seen my Key West wedding invitation on Etsy and was interested in working with me on a custom design. I love getting involved with my clients and designing something completely unique and special to them, so I immediately jumped on the opportunity. 

Ricca and Brian's custom save the date

Ricca's wedding colors were coral and turquoise. She wanted to incorporate a bright, colorful pattern in her design and she wanted to use a pocket folder for the invitation, reply and accommodation cards. 

We decided to also use my Key West Map design to highlight the wedding hot spots and we used a die cut on the itinerary card so it would stand out from the rest. Ricca was such a pleasure to work with and I am absolutely in love with the final design! Ricca and I got along so well (she really is the nicest person!) and I really think that is why the invitation turned out so beautifully. I really try to give each of my brides the personal experience they deserve and I feel it really shows in the final design. 

The beautiful wedding party outside of The Basilica of Saint Mary in Key West.

Love the coral and turquoise!

Table settings with custom menus.

Love the dramatic evening lighting!

Love the use of the fans for place settings 

Seating for the bride and groom - so cute!

The happy couple.

Congratulations Ricca and Brian! Your wedding was beautiful and I wish you all the happiness in the world!

All photos courtesy of Christy Transier at Transier Photography. Please click here to view more!

Real Weddings: Eve & Jim

Eve and Jim have know each other most of their lives. Their parents were (and still are) good friends and Eve and Jim grew up going to the same school. Jim is a little bit younger than Eve, so she always kind of considered him the "kid" of the group. Fast forward a couple decades (where a year or two in age doesn't matter any more) and Eve and Jim have not only re-kindled their friendship, but fell in love and got married! They had a perfectly romantic ceremony at St. Louis Catholic Church followed by a lovely afternoon reception at Jim's parents home in Collierville. 

For the invitations, Eve and Jim wanted something simple and classic. 

We decided on my Classic Border invitation with a monogram at the top. 

Love this dramatic ceremony shot. 

Absolutely LOVE this wedding party shot.

The happy couple. 

The bride with her brothers. 

Bride and Groom with Eve's son, Henry. Love that kid!

I love all of the different shades of pinks for the girls dresses. It totally works!

Mama love. 

The Gents. 

Lovely table settings. 

Favor table - adorbs!

 

Congratulations to Eve and Jim! You are both so luck to have found each other!

All photography by Terry Sweeney.

Real Weddings: Savannah and Philip

One of the hardest things about designing anything custom is the fact that you are designing for other people. It's not about what you want or what you like, it's all about them (especially when it comes to brides!) However, when it comes to custom designs, the most rewarding feeling comes when you really nail it; when both you and the client know that you have really knocked something out of the park and the design is absolutely perfect for them. That's the feeling I got when I showed Savannah and Philip their wedding invitation design. 

Philip and Savannah got married in Miramar Beach (that's 30A for those who are savvy) and a laid back beach wedding fits their personalities perfectly. They wanted their invitations to be nice, but not too stuffy or formal and I think we captured the "casual elegance" quite nicely. We decided that a reply postcard fit the style (and budget!) and the aqua tied in the wedding colors without being too girly. 

Now onto the good stuff - the pictures!

the happy couple

Gah - get a room!

love this shot!

each of the bridesmaids got to pick their own dress - love that look!

Congrats Philip and Savannah! I would wish you all the luck in the world, but you don't need it! 

Photos by Wicked Clicks Photography