Wineries typically have an old-world, romantic feel, but once you see the stunning details of this gorgeous wedding at HammerSky Vineyards, you’ll be convinced that a winery can totally pull off a modern vibe.
A MODERN INVITATION
A MODERN MONOGRAM
It doesn’t matter what kind of wedding you’re having, your invitations are going to set the tone from the second they hit your guests’ mailboxes.
To make sure guests knew this would be a fun, but modern affair, we started with a bold color palette. Shades of blue, yellow, and salmon gave a summery feel, while a modern monogram kept the invitations feeling “grown up”.
WAX SEALS and MODERN SHAPES
Color was not lacking in this wedding and we counterbalanced all the blue with pops of salmon pink in the envelope and wax seal. A chintzy floral envelope liner brought a feminine touch without being overly romantic.
Especially unique was the layered diamond invitation, designed carefully to display information along the visible edges so guests don’t miss a thing!
MODERN CALLIGRAPHY
Calligraphy often has a fussy, romantic feel – unless it’s done by the right hands! We pride ourselves on our take on modern calligraphy. Our modern style is a little bit fun, a little bit sassy, NEVER stuffy, but always classy. (Was that a haiku?)
THE BIG DAY
WAX SEAL PLACE CARDS
We brought some cohesiveness to the day with a wax seal place card, featuring the same salmon-colored hydrangea seal that held the invitation together. And what is a place card without our modern calligraphy? Nothing special. So of course we used some shimmery salmon ink to add a pop of pink to the tablescape.
LAYERED TASSEL MENU
We loved the layered look of the invitation so much that we just had to carry it through to the menu too! Shades of blue and yellow, along with some modern typography, gave this menu a fun and interactive feel. And, hello, can we talk about that layered tassel?!? You can guarantee guests took that menu home, because it was just too good to leave behind!
EDIBLE TABLESCAPE
An edible tablescape?! Sign me up! This gorgeous centerpiece featured beautiful blooms AND delicious treats from the garden in all the stunning hues of the couple’s palette.
The best way to get guests excited for a wedding in an iconic city, like New York, is to pull inspiration from the city itself into your invitations! We did just that with a gorgeous wedding monogram!
The watercolor city skyline features all of the structures New York is known for. All of those buildings can get a little stark and industrial feeling, so to keep it romantic, we did everything in watercolor in soft taupe hues.
Adding in beautiful floral touches and modern typography gave this monogram the perfect juxtaposition of bustling city life with a dreamy wedding.
CUSTOM WATERCOLOR MAP
Getting around a new city can be daunting for guests, so we included a custom watercolor wedding map with all of the important locations marked.
Of course most people can use their GPS, but a map makes a sweet keepsake and helps out those are technology-challenged.
Plus it’s just pretty!
CALLIGRAPHY ADDRESSING
Nothing adds as much elegance to your invitations as calligraphy addressing. There is just something about beautiful letters, written by hand in shimmery ink that gets me every time!
When trying to convey that your event is formal, calligraphy is a luxury always worth the splurge!
THE WEDDING DAY
MENUS and PLACECARDS
All of the wedding stationery featured looooong lines, inspired by the skyscrapers of New York and we kept the theme going with the wedding menus.
The text was aligned to mimic the top of the Empire State Building and fit in perfectly with the surrounding structures.
Place cards always add a touch of elegance and these did not disappoint!
Gorgeous calligraphy in the most perfect warm pewter hue was joined by blush silk ribbon and a wax seal adorned with dried rose petals.
You better believe guests were taking those place cards home at the end of the night!
THE TABLESCAPE
The most stunning loose florals in peachy tones sat atop lovely beige linens for an absolutely ethereal vibe.
Again, the pairing of stark skyscrapers with such soft, sweet elements made for a truly magical setting for guests!
The table settings featured gold accents for a pop of fun and the view did not disappoint!
A PERFECT NEW YORK WEDDING
Setting the tone for the perfect New York wedding started with Custom Invitations and that stunning watercolor monogram!
Pulling in inspiration from the city itself made for a truly gorgeous and personal wedding for the couple and their guests!
INTERESTED IN CUSTOM INVITATIONS?
We love a good destination wedding (or any wedding, really…)!
Inquire with us a for a custom quote and let us make sure you Look Good on Paper!
When it comes down to it, place cards have a pretty utilitarian job – they tell your guests where to sit.
But just because place cards have a practical purpose doesn’t mean they can’t look pretty while they’re doing it, right?!
Right!
Today I’m sharing my favorite place cards that your guests will actually want to take home! Read on for all the place card inspiration you could ever need!
RIVER ROCKS
I wish I looked this good after being dragged out of a river…
These stunning river rocks are the PERFECT blend of nature and luxury! I love them so much for an outdoor or mountain wedding – they add just a little touch of “fancy” (without being stuffy) that your guests won’t expect.
But guess what!
They’re also so perfect for a formal indoor wedding! Those gorgeous stones will add a hint of nature that will have your guests thinking you’re an uber-hip design genius (which you are!). Of course the icing on the wedding cake is that these place cards are so pretty, you know your guests will be taking them home to proudly display!
Need some river rock place cards in your life? Find ’em here!
PAPER SCROLLS
Are you ready to have all of your princess dreams come true? Because these paper scroll place cards are so perfectly luxurious that we’re pretty sure the Queen herself would approve. Add on some romantic hand calligraphy and you’ll have Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel knocking on your door asking where you got them (psst: you can get them here!)
Hear ye, hear ye! Thus entereth the most breathtaking place card in all the land!
These place cards are so much fun to style, too! You can hang them over the edge of a champagne flute, tuck them in the tines of a fork, wrap them around a napkin, or attach them to the edge of your menu. Any way you do it, your guests are sure to feel like they’re in a fairy tale!
TERRA COTTA POTS
When life gives you lemons, turn ’em into place cards!
These terra cotta pots might be THE CUTEST place cards of the bunch! Honestly, the possibilities here are end.less. I love playing up the rustic vibe of these pots with bold colors and brush calligraphy, then filling them with a cute succulent or herb.
If you’re lookin’ to fancy things up, painting the top edge black or gold will add a luxe vibe. Fill them with French macarons for a sweet treat!
I also love color blocking these little pots with geometric shapes for a more modern look! Toss in some greenery, a bag of loose tea, or a candle and you’ve got the perfect place card/favor duo!
And Cutest Place Card goes to…
AGATE SLICES
Apparently being squished between a bunch of volcanic rock for a really long time has its benefits, because these agate slices are STUNNERS!
Agates make gorgeous place cards and come in a range of colors, from neutral tans and grays to hot pink. I just love the fact that each one is different so each of your guests gets a totally unique piece!
Agate slices look fantastic when they’re totally natural with a touch of calligraphy. But if you’re going for a totally glam effect, gold edging takes these to the next level of chic.
You can also drill holes in agates and turn them into key chains that your guests will be thrilled to show off every time they park at a valet. Or go for the larger size agates and they can double as a gorgeous coaster. Who wouldn’t want to plop their morning coffee on something so pretty?
You can find these beauties (in a rainbow of colors!) HERE!
TORN PAPER PLACE CARDS
Kelley Williams Photography
I absolutely adore the look of torn paper to add a romantic feel to any table scape. Those deckled edges are just so much softer and organic than a harsh straight cut. The torn paper accent on these is also absolutely lovely, and is the perfect way to add a pop of color or tie in your floral palette!
As an added bonus, these torn paper place cards are a great way to add a little sustainability to your wedding since they’re created using scrap paper!
SILK RIBBON
Kelley Williams Photography
If you used silk ribbon in your wedding invitation, I highly recommend finding a way to incorporate it into your wedding day tablescape! For one, silk ribbon is, like, really pretty. Like, I’d put it on anything. Or everything.
Two, I just love how thoughtful and cohesive an event feels when little details are carried throughout. Remember that your invitation sets the tone and style for your wedding, so incorporating those accessories into your actual wedding day keeps your wedding style consistent and your guests thinking you’ve really got it all together (even if the caterer dropped a whole lasagna, the officiant used the wrong names, and you forgot to put on deodorant).
MARBLE TILES
Ashley Ludaescher Photography
If you haven’t already noticed, I love mixing chic, romantic vibes with edgier, natural elements, and marble is one of my favorite ways to accomplish this! Marble tiles are so versa-TILE (I can’t help myself, I’m not even sorry) and come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors to fit in with the style of any event.
I also love adding a painted edge to these tiles to really give them a luxe feel! It’s a great way to bring in a few of the bolder colors of your palette without it being too much (no one wants to hear Aunt Linda talk about turquoise “not being a wedding color” for the rest of their lives).
FLORALS
If you really want to get your guests’ jaws on the floor, use your florals as place cards! I absolutely adore this bird of paradise place card for a tropical wedding. I mean, can you imagine sitting down at a table with this stunner on your plate? People would be setting up whole Instagram accounts just for this place card!
Obviously this place card works best with the sturdier plants that have ample room for lettering – bird of paradise, succulents, magnolia leaves, and monstera leaves are all great options.
You’ll also need to keep in mind that they’ll need to survive from the time your calligrapher works their magic to the actual reception, so I recommend a test-drive first. (For the record, these bird of paradises looked perfect for about 3-4 days with no water, and probably could have made it to 5-7 days if I had kept them in water.)
FRUITS
Okay, place cards that are edible automatically score bonus points in my book!
Isn’t this little tangerine giving the terra cotta pots a run for their money in the cute category? I am obsessed with the combo of the paper leaf on an actual piece of fruit – it’s so whimsical and practical at the same time! Using a paper leaf is super budget-friendly and your calligrapher can do your lettering whenever!
Of course, you could also choose to letter directly on the fruit (or vegetable)! I love how calligraphy looks on pears and pomegranates! Just remember that calligraphy ink usually isn’t edible, so you may need to keep an eye on your munchier guests…
ACRYLIC PLACE CARDS
Acrylic place cards are one of my favorites because they’re just SO versatile! You can paint them literally any color, or leave them clear to let your menu really shine! (And honestly, this coordinating hexagon menu is PERFECTION with that hexagon acrylic tile, right?! You can find the menus here and the place cards here!)
I’m also a huge fan of dressing up acrylic tiles will a little gold leaf, because as you better well know if you’ve made it this far, I love mixing modern and rustic. I mean, look how chic and pretty these are!
There you have it, friends – all of my favorite place cards rounded up in one post! I think I’ll have to just refer to this post as my Happy Place (Card) from now on…
Let me know which one was your favorite down in the comments!
I am so excited to finally share all the details of Ashley and Andrew’s beautiful wedding stationery for their stunning wedding in the Santa Cruz woods!
I first met Ashley and Andrew about a year ago after their coordinator, Aime‘e Newlander of Weddings by Aime‘e, reached out to me. The four of us grabbed coffee and as we chatted about their wedding plans, I just knew their wedding stationery was going to be a dream project!
THE INSPIRATION
Ashley and Andrew love hiking, camping, and being outdoors, and were planning a fun-filled wedding weekend with their friends and family in Big Sur, California. They wanted their wedding stationery to be welcoming and feel personal, while still keeping an elegant vibe. We wanted to incorporate lots of deep greens, as well as some watercolor artwork of all of their favorite spots along the northern California coast!
THE SAVE THE DATES
For Ashley and Andrew’s Save the Dates, we wanted to go with something a little fun and different. Since their wedding was a destination wedding, I created a postcard to get their guests excited for a weekend in the woods! I created custom watercolor artwork of the iconic Bixby Bridge in Big Sur and did the details on the back of the card in an ombre deep green effect. The addresses were written in hand calligraphy and off they went!
THE INVITATION!
Next up was their invitation! Ashley and Andrew wanted a beautiful wedding invitation, but didn’t want it to feel “stuffy” and impersonal. We decided on a foldable style with plenty of personality and custom artwork to perfectly capture all of their favorite aspects of Northern California and their woodsy venue.
THE ARTWORK
We included a custom venue map to make sure their guests knew where to find parking, the ceremony, and, of course, the party! I also painted a watercolor map of the California coast to highlight some of Ashley and Andrew’s favorite hiking trails, campgrounds, and spots to grab a bite to eat on the journey north!
THE ENVELOPES
Ashley and Andrew wanted to keep their outer envelopes elegant, so they opted for a classic white envelope with black hand calligraphy. I also curated a collection of vintage and modern stamps to tie in their love of nature, their woodsy venue, and their color palette.
A great way to add a little sustainability to a wedding is a custom designed return address stamp! I designed one for Ashley & Andrew to perfectly match their invitation style. It’s not only a timesaver, but I love these stamps because you can keep using them long after the wedding is over – hello, thank you notes!
One of my favorite additions was their custom envelope liner (you all know how I feel about a good envelope liner)! Ashley and Andrew absolutely love visiting McWay Falls when they’re in Big Sur, so I created a watercolor painting of the falls and we used it for their envelope liners! It was such a fun surprise for their guests when they opened the envelope, and really elevated their suite, while still being full of Ashley and Andrew’s personality!
For their RSVP envelopes, we brought in that gorgeous dark green with white hand calligraphy and some more vintage postage (although these stamps were from 2015, so “lightly vintage”?).
KEEPING THE GUEST LIST SECURE
A common concern among my couples is that their guests might bring an uninvited date or show up with their whole entire family of twelve (we’ve all read those stories…). To ensure Ashley and Andrew’s guest list included only the people they had actually invited, we decided to include an inner envelope, but without the envelope.
Before you think too hard on that one, here’s how it worked: I wrote the guest’s name and address on the outer envelope so it would get delivered (duh), and on the inside flap of the folded invitation, I wrote the first names of the guests who were invited. I folded the invitation and put these in the envelope so that the names would be the first thing guests saw when they opened it up (and there would be no confusion about who was actually invited)! Personal AND practical!
IT HAS FLAPS!
Ashley and Andrew are avid adventurers and have spent a lot of time exploring Big Sur, so they know ALL the best places to stop! They wanted to share this info with their guests, along with the other wedding weekend details like where to stay and when to be ready for the shuttle. This was a lot of information to include on one tiny panel, so I designed their invitation to have flaps! It was basically the equivalent of putting pockets on a dress.
ENTER STAGE RIGHT: COVID 19
About eight months before Ashley and Andrew’s wedding, the world shut down due to COVID-19. At the time, we never imagined the crisis would extend into the fall, and we kept chugging along on designs and plans. Well COVID had other plans, and Ashley and Andrew ended up needing to significantly cut their guest list and eventually had to change their venue – cue lots of map redo-ing!
And as if planning a wedding during a pandemic wasn’t stressful enough, the wildfires raging in California came within yards of Ashley and Andrew’s new venue about a week before their invitations were set to go out. Luckily the venue was spared and their invitations went out without a hitch!
THE ENCLOSURES
Is it just me or are the enclosures sometimes just as fun as the actual invitation?! For Ashley and Andrew’s invite, we had three enclosures and they all tucked perfectly into the flaps on their invite. It was like a paper hug!
The first was their RSVP card, which I did in a portrait orientation to keep with the long lines of their invitation (and the loooooong lines of those redwood trees!). We also included a separate enclosure for their Welcome Dinner. Initially this was going to be a hosted dinner for family and the wedding party only, so only some of the guests would have received this card. However, once COVID became an issue and they decreased their guest list, Ashley and Andrew decided to include everyone in the Welcome Dinner!
Last up was a registry card. We typically don’t include this info with an invitation (it’s usually given out on a bridal shower invitation, website, or word of mouth), but hello, there’s a pandemic going on and bridal showers aren’t happenin’! We worded it tastefully and put it on a separate smaller card, and their guests appreciated having this info without to hunt around for it.
THE DAY-OF DETAILS
Ashley and Andrew knew from the very beginning that they wanted to incorporate my stone place cards into their day-of tablescape. The flat stones with a gold edge and hand calligraphy were the perfect blend of natural elements with a touch of elegance – just like their invitations. We decided to also include their wedding date and location on the back to make it a keepsake their guests would be sure to treasure!
We also wanted to showcase the amazing food, so I created a menu and pulled artwork from their invitation for a cohesive look. They also had a separate kids’ menu, so I created something a little more fun to keep the kiddos entertained!
After so many ups and downs during the planning process, Ashley and Andrew finally had the dreamiest wedding in the woods! Aime‘e planned and coordinated the most thoughtful, intimate day that was just SO beautiful and perfectly captured what Ashley and Andrew wanted their wedding to be. I’m still looking at these photos and gushing over just how stunning their wedding was, and how it just feels like THEM, even though the photos!
