Diann Valentine Invitation Collection

Internationally acclaimed celebrity wedding designer Diann Valentine is launching an exclusive wedding stationery collection with Wedding Paper Divas , a leading online retailer of premium, personalized wedding stationery.

“Given the plethora of wedding trends and traditions, I have chosen to speak to the woman who embraces her individuality in every aspect of her life – especially on her wedding day” said Valentine. “My new line of invitations from Wedding Paper Divas gives this bride-to-be permission to express her love through a vibrant printed ensemble that will be remembered long after the first dance and the cutting of the cake.”

The stationery designs from Valentine reflect her distinct aesthetic, which includes the use of bold colors and modern motifs inspired by her love for natural wonders of the world.
Pure Dazzle - perfect for a June wedding. So sunny!
Simple Stones - I love this one for a beach wedding or even for a spa inspired bridal shower.
Peony - this is one of my favorites. Would make perfect personal papers.
Artistic Waves - reminds of Caribbean waters
Plush Pomegranate - love this design for a South Asian wedding celebration.

The Art of Handwritten Correspondence - Red Stamp

We live in a world powered by technology and speed. Need to contact someone quickly? We fire off an email, punch out a quick text message or better yet we send a tweet. What happened to the handwritten note? I don't know about you but I love giving and receiving handwritten cards, they are both personal and intimate, a lovely gesture. Imagine my delight when I came across Red Stamp. The company offers fine stationery and desk top items. In my opinion, their standout service: for a small fee, they will hand write your wedding gift thank you notes! There's a 3-week turnaround time, just place your order and supply the names, addresses and a little something about each gift. Best part, it's our little secret. My top pick is the Swarovski crystal pencils. Love these! Happy writing.

Pretty Papers: ABCD Designs

Happy Monday, dear readers! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready to start the week off on a good note. I couldn't think of a better way to usher in Monday than with the incredibly talented Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Designs. To say Amy Beth designs luxe stationery is an understatement. Her work is fresh, fun and contemporary. If you're planning your wedding, I would call Amy Beth early in the design process. Her aesthetic will truly help shape your event's vision.
The glamorous designer Amy Beth
Amy, tell our readers a bit about you and your company.
My name is Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo (ABCD!) and I design (designs) Bespoke Stationery. I often go by ABC Dragoo or ABCD. I also write a blog called http://www.abcddesign.com/ . The blog is about all things that inspire me. I write about being a newlywed, nesting, homemaking, recipes, travel, interior design and a little bit about wedding ideas and my current projects.

The ABCD Designs Bespoke Stationery tag line is Weddings, New Babies, Big Announcements - Milestones in life set the tone. I will design stationery for any personal project. The lion's share of my focus is on Wedding Stationery because I am able to start with a seed of an idea and grow it into an entire set. It is really gratifying to me to be able to tell their story.


How did you develop your design philosophy?
Since 2005 my husband and I have lived part time in London with his job. Playing off of the Bespoke Menswear Design of the Savile Row Tailors, I call my wedding stationery suites "Wedding Stationery Wardrobes." There are multiple events during an engagement where (if the bride is game) I am able to tell their story not just with their invitation, but throughout their stationery wardrobe. The more pieces we do together, the more opportunity we have to incorporate their personality with different "accessories." I have a "ready-to-write" line of accessory pieces called "off-the-peg." Those are ready made designs are easily personalized and the colors are easily changed to coordinate with the event color scheme. (The off-the-peg line is currently bridal and baby shower invites, brunch and rehearsal dinner invitations, thank you notes, and the like. I do intend on extending the line with pre-designed wedding stationery wardrobes at some point.)


How do you create a bespoke stationery wardrobe for your clients?
In regards to telling the story of the couple: I love to incorporate the teeny tiny details in a couples story so that the wedding guests not only get really excited about being invited, but also so that they feel like they know the couple on another level after receiving their invitation in the mail.


Amy Beth, I know you're married to the fabulous Mr. D. Did you incorporate your personal couple story in your papers?
When I designed our wedding stationery wardrobe, I had images I wanted to tell our personal story with. For instance, after we had been dating about a month Mr.D took me out for my 30th Birthday dinner. After dinner I ordered a double espresso. There were so many grounds in the bottom of the cup after I finished it that I said "If you were an old Turkish lady you'd tell me my fortune." He took the cup, swirled it around and within a moment he lost all color in his face. He put it down and said "look." There was a heart shape in the middle of the cup. Luckily, it was my birthday and we had a camera. I used that image on our rehearsal dinner invitation. Another example: I caught the bouquet at my best girlfriend's wedding - only two days before Mr. D popped the question. The old wives tale came true! I used the photos from that event in my bridal shower invitation. When the wedding was over and we moved in together, I made a "Change of a Dress" card. I actually made a collage which included my dress with an old-fashioned map of our neighborhood cut out in the pattern of my dress.


Thanks ABCD for sharing your art with us!

Gold List Monday: LEPENN DESIGNS

Happy Monday, dear readers! If you are not on Twitter by now, you should be. I have met some really talented people networking on that site and today's guest, Le'Trice Penn of LEPENN DESIGNS is one such person. I loved Le'Trice's work so much, I had to have her design something fabulous for one of my clients. The end result is gorgeous, better than I ever imagined! It's one of my favorite invitation suites to date. She had recently revamped her website and had an incredible photo shoot to showcase her work and I knew it was time to introduce her to you. Enjoy!
Please tell our readers a bit about you and your business. How did you get your start designing paper?
LEPENN DESIGNS is a custom/handcrafted invitation and stationery design studio owned by the husband and wife team, Le'Trice and Charles Penn. We design all things paper and beyond for all of life's events. We have a true passion for creating beautiful and unique products that will wow your guest and leave behind sentimental thoughts of you. Our business began in 2007 from the basic idea of wanting to start a business. We brainstormed ideas and decided that a custom invitation business would be a perfect fit as I, Le'Trice, have always had a knack for design and I always loved being on the computer creating things for family and friends.

When starting a consultation, what questions should couples ask their stationery designer?
The first thing to do before you even contact the designer would be to visit their website and peruse their design portfolio in order to make sure their style is a good match for you. Then once contact is made you could ask the designer about their production time frame, starting prices & deposits and how the overall design process will work. Stationery companies have different processes so it is very important that you do some research first in order to make sure you are a good fit with them. They are responsible for working closely with you in order to make sure your designs express your true style, so of course you need to be compatible with them!

How far in advance should couples book your services?
In order for the custom design process to go smoothly and non-rushed, couples should book with us at least 4-5 months before their wedding date. We tend to fill our production calendar months in advance so it is very important to hold your initial consultation as soon as possible so that you can be placed on the schedule to allow plenty of time to work on your designs.

What do you see as upcoming trends in paper designs?
Some of the new trends that I'm starting to see more and more is the incorporation of the exact pattern/graphic design of the couple’s wedding attire, venue or table linen into the actual design of the wedding invitation. I have done several designs where the bride has sent me an inspirational photo for me to mimic in her stationery design. It's a really cool way of expressing the couple on paper and tying all of the wedding details together. The best part is when the guests actually notice how EVERYTHING matched!

Another great trend is having custom postage designed to coordinate with your wedding invitations. Let’s face it, the latest stamp designs to come out through the post office have been awful! So the perfect solution is to create a custom stamp through zazzle.com by uploading your monogram design or graphics that were used in the invitation design. I have done this for my clients for no additional uploading fee, all I ask is that they give me a stamp or two for my samples ;-)

From where does your design inspiration come?
My design inspiration comes primarily from the client. I take detailed notes during the consultation so that when it is time to design I am able to create exactly what they have envisioned. I use key signals such as how they react to certain samples, colors, graphics etc. in order to figure out what their "true" style is. I have my clients send me color swatches, floral/decor ideas they're using, dress design and even cake design so that I can build their invitation suite around the exact style and feel of the wedding. Other inspiration comes from the latest stationery trends and reading a ton of event/floral design blogs that truly grab my attention to help get my "Paper Mojo" started in creating a design!

Alternative Love

So, what's a bride to do when she isn't the typical bride? Pink roses and a lace gown just aren't her style and she's so not into traditional engraved invitations. I came across these cards on MadeByGirl and they're incredible. I can so imagine Jennifer tweaking the design to fit a wedding paper suite. Picture the design throughout the wedding, on the programs, save the dates, even on the dance floor! And I know the perfect girl for these...skull and crossbones tattoo and all.

I saw these over on InStyle Weddings and had to share! For those who think outside the box (my favorite type of client, btw), these invitations by Bliss Weddings Market are so clever. Think bachelor party, birthday party or even wedding invites. Definitely not for ultra formal fetes but absolute fun for something more casual.

Strike A Pose

My dear readers, you know I'm always on the lookout for the next best thing when it comes to party planning and today's post is no exception. I've found the cutest invitations from PosePrints. This mother-daughter team based in California brings a new twist to personalizing invites, a customized model. Their selection includes a variety of backgrounds and styles which include skin tone, hair color/texture/length, clothes and even jewelry. After you've created your custom digital image and wording, the invitations are printed and delivered in a matter of days. Everything from baby showers to graduations to cocktail parties are covered, even personalized note cards. Can't wait to host my next party!

For Your Upcoming Bachelorette Party
Chic Personal Note Cards
Adorable Baby Shower Notices
Elegant Surprise Party
Happy Birthday to You!