originals :: paper art & design

Brides all over the U.S. are finding Originals Paper Art booklet invitations and loving them.  Here’s another beautiful invitation I designed for an adorable couple in Albertson, New York.  They’re getting married in Puerto Rico this fall.  The words casual and elegant often surface in pre-design discussions… so I used a cover stock that has fabulous texture, I hand-tore each edge, bound the booklet together with natural cord and incorporated metallic envelopes.

The booklet invitation has three different monochromatic styles of paper inside, it’s truly the paper-lover’s dream invitation.

As with all destination weddings, there’s a lot of information that needs to be incorporated into one easy-to-handle piece. We successfully included the weekend line-up of events, ceremony and reception, travel accommodations and RSVP postcard in one divine package.

And here they are, 100 destination wedding invitations ready to ship off to New York. Best wishes to my new friends, Melodie and Joe!  I wish you lots of luck on your wedding day and a future full of love and laughter!  Cheers.

A few words from Melodie:

We got them!  We love them!  We love you!  Thank you.

Here are two of three custom wedding items being shipped this week. This one comes from a bride in Canada. She wanted a marriage license that included their vows, their colors and wedding theme and most importantly… the inclusion of their children in the signing.

Their wedding colors are silver and butter yellow, and the ceremony is at a beautiful rustic lodge. I designed this piece 11 x 14 so it will fit a traditional picture frame and/or mat.

Here’s what Tamara wrote in one of her email messages, “It is perfect! We are thrilled..it is exactly what we wanted for all of us to sign in participation of the ceremony! I will highly recommend you Brooke…it’s awesome!”

Beth was in search of a guest book alternative.  We combined our two ideas and came up with this beautiful and functional piece.  Beth is having a small wedding at a vineyard in Missouri and wanted a vintage look and to incorporated grape leaves if possible.  I do believe we hit this one right on.  This piece matches her invitations (that I’ve yet to blog about).

This piece is digitally printed on a fabulous textured card stock and is fabulous to touch.  The script font compliments the scrolling graphic beautifully!  I get so giddy when fonts and graphics blend this well… I’m such a graphic designer!  HA.

This piece is also 11 x 14 so that it can be matted and framed for years of enjoyment.  One more coming… stay tuned.

Elizabeth found me during one of her online invitation searches. She’s in New York. I’m in Missouri. Distance is no longer a client issue with the internet, email and telephone! Below are Save the Date cards for  Elizabeth and John.  They’re getting married in September, their colors are red and brown, and her descriptive wedding words were contemporary, yet old and warm.

This is a playful Save the Date design. The concept of reading between the lines makes it interactive and fun for the recipient. Font choice is key when designing this style… there is a lot to consider with leading, kearning, ascenders, descenders and stroke weight.

The ceremony is taking place at the Alger House in New York.  Elizabeth gave me a link to the website (check it out) to get a feel for the venue.  This was the perfect way for me to gather info, take a virtual tour and get an overall feel of the surroundings. She mentioned using a lion as a wedding graphic and after viewing the website I found this lion head and Elizabeth loved it!

The icing on the cake was the red envelope that I hand addressed in white ink. They turned out fabulous. I’m so excited to get started on the invitation ensemble next.

A few words from the bride:

Hi Brooke, I wanted to let you know that I am so pleased about the way the Save the Dates turned out.  The white writing on the envelopes contrasts really well with the red envelopes.  They look wonderful!  Thanks, Elizabeth

My Booklet Invitations have become a favorite with my bridal clients.  Here’s another version using chocolate brown and aqua blue (some call it Tiffany Blue).  I designed the custom monogram using the script font used in the invitation and dots from the filigree graphic we incorporated throughout the ensemble.  I’m very proud of this invitation!

Here’s a shot from above to give you an idea of the overall booklet concept.

The RSVP postcard and FRIDAY rehearsal dinner invitation are held in place with a colorful wrap and wax seal… my brides love this option, it keeps the cards in place with purpose.  Love it!

This Booklet Invitation design really gives the bride a lot of room for various blocks of information.  On the left side of this version is the reception information and graphic element and on the right side is the formal invitation.

I couldn’t pass up this final snapshot!… 150 bound Booklet Invitations ready to ship.  It took Allen and I a combined 40 hours to assemble these invitations.  Never underestimate the time involved and attention to detail when it comes to assembling a project like this!

A few words from the bride:

Hello Brooke,
This is Cristina (Jonathan Levy’s Fiancée). I finally saw the invitation, and it looks beautiful! I love everything about it. The graphics, monogram, embroidery floss, wax seal, it all looked great! Our family and friends have also been telling us how much they love the invitations. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that we are very satisfied with them and are glad that we were able to arrange it all from long-distance (with a little help from Skype!).
Thanks again,
Cristina