StyleSchool

We've always been huge fans of Paper + Cup's designs—they're playful and modern, but still elegant. Their letterpress designs are always beautiful, but the addition of flat printing offers an equally stylish, yet budget-friendly option to brides. Cofounder Minhee Cho has an incredible aesthetic, so we asked her to share some of her best advice for brides-to-be.

What's your best advice for the recently engaged entering the world of wedding stationery?
Don’t be afraid to be unique and to share your own story. The stationery sets the tone for the entire event, so make it personal and have fun! And involve the groom, too!

What's been your favorite design so far and why?
These place cards we did for a winter wedding. They were miniature flashcards with the couples favorite pastimes. We hung them on a giant Christmas tree like ornaments and guests had find their name.

What's your best stationery cost-cutting tip that doesn't sacrifice style?
Flat printing and custom-printed mailing labels instead of calligraphy.

What makes Paper + Cup different from other stationery companies?
We love experimenting with innovative designs and ideas, but have a soft spot for classic design basics. Weddings celebrate a new beginning as well as tradition and we try to show that through our designs.

What's your biggest wedding stationery no-no?
Registry on the invites or RSVPs.

Visit papercupdesign.com to learn more about Paper + Cup and to see the full stationery collection.

The morning of your wedding will be filled with lots of emotions. A little anxiety, some nervousness, but most of all, overwhelming anticipation for seeing your future spouse. 

Traditionally, this is also the time when the bride- and groom-to-be send small, sentimental tokens of their love. The gifts are nice, but what really makes this exchange so incredible are the notes that come attached. To ensure the moment is extra special, we recommend writing your beloved's note on one of Tallu-lah's Greeting Cards (tallu-lah.com). They're simply, yet creatively designed with occasion in mind and make for a sweet keepsake to look back on years after your nuptials.

Tallu-lah's line also includes pretty notes for asking friends to be a part of your bridal party and thanking everyone who contributed to the big day. And you don't have to worry about these making a huge dent in your wedding budget—each card is only $6.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Heather Wiese Alexander, founder of Bell'Invito (bellinvito.com), and seeing her incredible letterpress work in person. All I can say is, amazing! Heather used to the art director at Neiman Marcus, so it goes without saying that her style is impeccable. It's really no surprise that her stationery—from the paper to the printing—is right up there with best a bride can get. Read on for more about Bell'Invito and her insider tips.

What's your best advice for the recently engaged entering the world of wedding stationery?
Enjoy the experience! Your stationery and invitations are the first impression you give of the style of your wedding and your style as a couple. Choose a stationer you feel confident with and let the magic begin. And be sure you have plenty of stationery for thank you notes!

What's been your favorite design so far and why?
I love styling invitations for brides who letterpress calligraphy on their invitations. It is such a personal expression of a classic tradition with a modern twist. It is unexpected and has the richness of true couture styling.

What's your best stationery cost-cutting tip that doesn't sacrifice style?
Order everything up front from your stationer. A smart stationer will be able to help you coordinate your designs into all the collateral you’ll need to set the tone for the entire wedding, from the correspondence to the event, and following. If you’re using letterpress or engraving, you should be able to save significantly by submitting your order all at once, with different due dates, according to when you need things.

What makes Bell’Invito different from other stationery companies?
It’s the combination of several things that sets us apart. We start with the best foundations of Italian cotton papers, and silk-screen envelope liners if the bride so chooses. Our designers have extensive art training, as opposed to only software knowledge, so the design is simple, clean, fresh, and above all, completely tailored to our client’s wishes. Of course, the actual process of hand feeding presses and hand assembly ensures the highest quality of each invitation. Each designer and sales associate is trained in customer service and etiquette. The overall Bell’Invito experience is something we pride ourselves on.

What's your biggest wedding stationery no-no?
Never mix formalities. If your wedding is formal, use an enveloped reply card. If your event is informal, use appropriate wording for the invitation. There is a fine line between having your own style and trying to rewrite etiquette. Choose a stationer who understands your style and can help guide you through the process. After all, it’s our job to make the best first impression of your event.

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

Photo courtesy of Kevin Dotolo

Once the wedding is over, the sad fact is that some of the gorgeous wedding books you just could not plan without become, well, useless. And good luck trying to convince your new spouse those typically huge tomes are worth keeping. Fortunately, we have good news for brides looking for a wedding book they'll be able to use long after their "I Dos." Karen Bartolomei's Paperie for Inspired Living is available tomorrow and it offers practical tips for creating eye-catching wedding stationery, that works just as well for dinner and birthday parties.

Karen Bartolomei knows a thing or two about stunning stationery. She's the founder and designer of Grapevine Paperie and has created wedding papers for stars like Numb3rs star David Krumholtz and actor Sam Huntington. In her new book, Bartolomei makes it easy for any bride to create incredible wedding stationery with materials readily available at a craft store. Even better for brides, Bartolomei shares her expert tips on invitation wording and etiquette. The best part of all, though, is that Paperie for Inspired Living doesn't just cover wedding stationery. Whether you're hosting your first newlywed dinner party or even a barbecue, the book has creative, easy-to-execute ideas for making menus, drink signs and more!

Get your copy today on amazon.com!

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

Mackenzie Sala of Kenzie Kate Invitations (kenziekate.com) is known for her trendsetting color combinations and eye-catching graphics. Here, she shares her top tips for brides.

The Internet has made wedding planning so much easier and convenient than it once was. No longer do you have to flip through the yellow pages to find a reception venue or book your band. And the days of flipping through 10 lb. wedding albums in the stationery store? Over! There are several great sites that now allow you to purchase quality wedding stationery from the comfort of your own home (or office—don't worry, we won't tell your boss!). One of our  favorites, though, is the newly relaunched e-commerce version of HelloLucky! (hellolucky.com).

We've always loved HelloLucky!'s fun, whimsical approach to stationery, so you can imagine our delight when we found out Hellolucky.com now gives brides the ability to buy gorgeous wedding stationery online. The site features all their classic designs, plus some stunning collaborative designs with Joel Dewberry and EIEIO, most of which are available in letterpress or digital printing (great if you're on a budget!).

So, if you've been putting off buying your save-the-dates or invitations because you just don't have the time sit in the store looking through stationery, pour yourself a glass of wine tonight and head to HelloLucky.com.

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

Jeffrey and Julia Woods (jeffandjuliawoods.com) have a special advantage in the world of wedding photography—they've been married for 18 years! Perhaps that makes the two so good at what they do. Here's their best advice for brides.

What influences your work?
Most of our influence comes from outside the wedding industry. French photographers Henri Cartier and Robert Doisneau and the painter Jack Vettriano are just a few of our favorite artists. If we had to choose a wedding photographer that really inspires us, it would be Parker Pfister. He challenges us daily in our work to find light, texture, and emotion.

What makes you different other wedding photographers?
How we treat people really distinguishes us. We love to have a relationship with our couples so we understand them and their style. With that understanding, we can capture their wedding day based on their relationship. Brides really appreciate that because their wedding pictures won't look like any other bride's. Weddings are about relationships, and our goal is to capture those relationships in many forms. We make every effort to be in the right spot at the right moment.

Film or digital. Why?
Well, to be honest, we still love film. We used film for the first 8 years of our career. However, in today's wedding market, with all the technology available and opportunities for social marketing like blogs, Facebook, Twitter and working with vendors, today's web-savvy brides seem to appreciate those benefits more than those of film.

This year, though, we were really nostalgic and started shooting super 8 film alongside our digital stills. By showing an image and then adding a few seconds of film footage, you get more holistic documentation of what happened in those moments. We have a vintage aesthetic that meshes well with great cinematography. Click here for a sample.

What advice can you give to couples looking for a wedding photographer?
Well first and foremost, don't get caught up in all the fluff. Make sure you have a connection with the photographer/photographers and connect with their style. It's a long day, and you will spend a lot of time with them. 

Every bride has a budget so make sure you know what you're getting up front and that there are no surprises on the back end after the wedding. Just because a photographer's price is less than others does not mean you're getting a great deal.

Also, many brides don't think about the wedding album at first, because they're worried about the price. However, your album will mean so much to you in the years to come; it tells the story in a way that images by themselves cannot.

What are some of the new wedding photography trends you've been noticing?
We believe there is nothing new under the sun. However, with new technology comes the ease of creating some new products. One is ability to capture HD video with an SLR camera. This has a potential to completely change wedding photography and wedding cinema-photography.

Album options continue to exceed the possibilities. With the use of vellum, metallic papers, environmentally-friendly materials and endless cover options, the wedding album can be anything you can dream up these days. It is very exciting as photographers, but also for clients.

What are your top five must-take shots?
Only five? This is a tough one...

To see more of Jeffrey and Julia's work, visit jeffreyandjuliawoods.com. 

—Jessica Derschowitz

This week we're chatting up Melissa Foster of Elum Designs (elumdesigns.com) in San Diego about what brides need to know about wedding stationery.

What's your best advice for the recently engaged entering the world of wedding stationery?
1. Know your timeline. On average, it will take about 4-6 weeks to complete a custom stationery order, and this doesn't include the time it takes to actually settle on a design.There is a lot to see both on the internet and in retail stores, and trust me, you will get very excited about the options available. So make sure you are not in a rush to complete the process; it will be so much more fun.

2. Stay true to your personal style. There are an overwhelming number of designs to choose from, so stay focused on what reflects you as a couple, in addition to the style of your wedding. The invitation creates a mood guests should feel before they even arrive, so decide what you want that mood to be before you start your search.

3. Don't get caught up in the "Matchy-ness" of it all. Don't lose sleep on whether your bridesmaid dresses are an exact match to the ink on the invitation. No one is going to hold it up for a 'color match' at your reception. And, if you're getting married at the beach, but your flowers are yellow and orange, whose to say you can't have a seaside blue on the invitation? A good design group will find a way to help you make it work.

What's been your favorite design so far and why?
I think a good designer is always trying to top him or herself on their next design. So, to be honest, it is hard to go back and have a particular favorite. I fall in love with every new design, but that's what keeps me going. What I love about our collection is that each design gives something new and different. We have a design for almost every kind of wedding celebration. When I am creating for our album, I gather the inspiration from couples that might buy the design. I ask, What are their personalities? Are they risk takers or are they hopeless romantics? When the design is complete, I know exactly who I am selling to. There is always someone new to create for.

What's your best stationery cost-cutting tip that doesn't sacrifice style?
Stick to the basics. Your invitation package should include the essentials: invitation, reply card, reception card (if held at a different location than the ceremony) and mailing envelopes. You can eliminate the need for a printed accommodation card, map and directions by creating a wedding website. Simply reference the web address on one of your formal printed pieces. A wedding website also allows you to make up a list of personal recommendations for your out of town guests. What better way to welcome them into town than with a list of your favorite restaurants and fun and interesting things to see and do while they are in town.

What makes Elum different from other stationery companies?
We are absolute perfectionists. Sometimes I drive my staff crazy with the quality standards we uphold for everything from design and type treatment to printing and finishing. But it is the seemingly small details that set us apart from the masses. We are constantly pushing the limits of design within the wedding industry and at the same time pushing the limits of design that can be achieved through the medium of letterpress. We are often the ones to set the design standard for what is considered new and modern in wedding stationery, and for that I am incredibly proud.

What's your biggest wedding stationery no-no?
It's a toss up between including a color-copied map with your gorgeous custom printed invitation and listing your registry information anywhere on your invitation package. Oof!

To learn more about Elum and see their entire stationery collection, go to elumdesigns.com or visit them on Twitter at twitter.com/elumdesigns.

This week, Jenni Undis of Lunualux (lunalux.com) in Minneapolis, Minnesota is giving us the 411 on wedding stationery.

What's your best advice for the recently engaged entering the world of wedding stationery?
Plan ahead! Most couples want to mail invitations 6-8 weeks before their wedding date. The process of assembling, stamping and addressing the invitations can take days (or weeks, if you hire a calligrapher). Most suppliers take at least 2 weeks to print your invitations, plus there's the time it takes for you to decide what you want, and for the designer to create digital proofs. We encourage our clients to start thinking seriously about wedding invitations no less than 4 months before their wedding day. You will enjoy the process more if you aren't frazzled about the time frame and saddled with rush fees.

What's been your favorite design so far and why?
A lot of clients come to us with unique concepts, and it's fun to make their ideas come to life. When Nicole and Zeb asked for wedding invitations with squirrels, I knew it would be an interesting challenge! We spent a lot of time exploring different graphics, fonts and compositions, and I love how it turned out. The graphic is unexpected, the color scheme is cool and slightly masculine, and the typography is very modern even though we used fonts that are based on old lettering. It's exactly what they wanted, but also has the whimsical-but-old-fashioned quality that defines the Lunalux style.

What's your best stationery cost-cutting tip that doesn't sacrifice style?
I love to create multi-purpose items so our clients get the most bang for their buck. Belly bands for invitations can also be incorporated into tabletop decor. Placecards can double as tags for welcome bags or favors, or enclosures for gifts to the wedding party. Custom coasters can serve as table and bar decorations, and also be bundled as favors for guests to take away. Flat cards imprinted with the invitation motif can be used for menu cards, table numbers and thank-you notes.

What makes Lunalux different from other stationery companies?
We work very closely with our wedding clients to create custom invitations that reflect their personality and style. When clients visit our Minneapolis studio, I always start with our sample album so they can see what we have done in the past, and many find just what they are looking for. But because we do all of the design and production in house, we can easily modify designs to create something unique. Clients aren't restricted by a pre-determined list of colors, typefaces or graphics—the options are almost limitless.

What's your biggest wedding stationery no-no?
Do NOT include information about where you are registered on save-the-dates, shower invitations, wedding invitations or your wedding website. It's tantamount to holding out your hand and saying "can we have a present now?" If you register for gifts, share this information with close friends and family members, and word will get around.

To see more from the Lunalux line, visit lunalux.com.

—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor

Who do you turn to when planning the ultimate in afternoon bridal brunch? Lilly Pulitzer, of course. The iconic designer known for her summer garden party prints has created a stationery and décor line to match!

Your bridal shower will be all the more exuberant when you invite guests with classic Lilly Pulitzer colors and designs. The affordable and colorful collection includes a broad range of products like wrapping paper, note cards, even the pens and pencils to fill them out with.

The Party Pom Poms are by far our favorite. The vivid poofs are sure to spruce up any room! Each set of three includes pink, hot pink, and green, and retails for $13 (katespaperie.com)—so much more stylish than crêpe paper and streamers. Fully commit to your Palm Beach-chic theme and go all out with die cut tented cards—the citrus-inspired Juice Bar print will have your guest lining up for daiquiris and coladas, and starting a conga line!

-Randy Miller, Editorial Assistant