You're Invited!
In January of 2021, I had the honor of designing a full wedding invitation suite for a couple's rustic, bohemian wedding taking place that upcoming June at Shakespeare on the Hudson in Catskill, New York.
I had a month to explore and research different layouts, directions, colors, textures, paper types,
and potential printing companies that fit within
the clients' vision and budget.
To the right is a breakdown of my design
process, but you can click below to skip to
the finished product:
1. Research
I started this project by discussing the wedding aesthetic, vision and preferences with the couple while taking extensive, detailed notes. I also gathered all of the information necessary to include on the invitations. I created a list of deliverables and a series of Google Slides that acted as a visual mood board to share with them to ensure my initial work was headed in the right direction. Additionally, I read reviews about the venue to understand more about the area's nature and charm.
The deliverables were as follows:
• 55 double-sided invitations
• 55 double-sided, stamped & mailable RSVP cards with Mad Libs-style activity on one side
• Digitally illustrated map of the venue with labels as requested
• Nature-themed pattern design for the envelope liner
• Envelope design and hand-lettering for the addresses
• Additional visual details such as wax seals, floral stamps & hemp string
These were the inspiration images that the clients pulled from Pinterest. They liked the sweet, handmade look of the maps combined with elegant yet friendly typography. They also admired the neutral, nature-inspired colors, especially cream & sage.
2. Brainstorm
I came up with two options to present to the couple in terms of layout:
1. Double-sided tri-fold with rip-off RSVP postcard (each individual segment would be 5x7)
2. Double-sided 5x7 cad + separate 4x6 RSVP postcard (plus hemp string to hold the items together
We decided to go with Option 2 since the tri-fold would require slightly thinner paper rather than the thick, textured cardstock or watercolor paper that they preferred.
I was also reaching out to several different printing vendors during this time to see which one offered the best quality prints for what we were looking for. I was also obtaining price quotes to run by the clients.
In the meantime, they provided a rough sketch of the site map and keypoints to include on the illustration based on their recent tour of the venue. They also sent over a Google satellite image for reference.
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3. Sketch
I created a rough sketch of the map to try and get a feel for how it should be laid out on the 5x7 card. All line weights were the same in this version but would be refined in the final artwork. I also sketched the general layout of the invitations and RSVP card.
Feedback: "Bridge can be a little smaller, but everything else looks amazing!"
Beans is the name of the couples' pup! And yes, he was also the ring bearer at
the wedding.
Then I began laying out some of the text for the front of the invite. The art would be placed at the bottom and behind, fading upward. I also started drawing the tree pattern for the envelope liner, inspired by the beautiful nature-filled environment, and the portrait of the couple with their dog.
I defined a loose color palette to work off of as I created the pattern:
We decided to go with a local printing vendor called Paper Heart Company to print the invitation components on off-white cotton paper with a deckled edge, dark sage green envelopes, and metallic silver marker writing. The price was right and the turnaround time was the most realistic. In the meantime I was working to finalize all designs, choose a wax seal color and and practice my hand lettering for the envelopes.
After experimenting with a few different markers on the envelopes including gold, silver and black, we decided that a dark blue would stand out the best and be easiest for the mailperson to read while still embracing the already-chosen color palette.
The Royal blue was more vibrant than Navy, so we went with that!
4. Finalize designs, confirm approval with clients, prep for print production, and place the order!
By mid-February the designs were ordered, and on March 9th they were in-hand and ready to start organizing and packaging for guests.
Off to the post office!
5. Package, address the envelopes, and mail 'em out!
The clients were very pleased with the outcome of this project and the fast turnaround. This was a wonderful opportunity to try out something new and I look forward to many more wedding invitation projects in the future!