Real Weddings: Denver City Skyline and Crazy Weather

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on Real Weddings: Denver City Skyline and Crazy Weather

wedding part umbrellas

What would you do if your wedding day included rain, lighting, wind, sleet and snow?

Amanda and Dominick just went with it by adding umbrellas to the wedding party wardrobe and braving the weather for some sweet and totally unique photographs. Nothing like giant umbrellas to really make your wedding pictures pop! With a beginning like that, we think their marriage will stand up to a lot.

snowy wedding pictures
The two really wanted to emphasize their love for the city of Denver, and downtown features prominently in their pre-ceremony pictures. To counter that urban backdrop, they chose their venue because of the famous red rocks visible from Arrowhead Golf Club. To incorporate both of these locations they decided on a simple and elegant style with rustic touches.

Amanda and Dom “fell in love with the Denver Skyline invitations… they coordinated well with our Save The Dates, which featured us in front of the Denver skyline.”  By choosing our Denver Skyline design they were able to tie in their photographic save the date and the downtown Denver feel. This helped Amanda and Dom keep their stationery cohesive while also enabling them to upgrade to the more elegant aesthetic of letterpress for their invitations.

denver-skyline-wedding-invitation_SWEET

bride Denver skyline

Denver themed mini golf

The reception included lawn games like this mini golf course with a Denver themed finish.

We printed their ceremony programs in addition to their invitations, and we loved this sweet quote they included on the piece:

“What day is it?” Asked Pooh

“It’s today.” Squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day.” Said Pooh

A.A. Milne

wet ceremony program

While we’re sure it was their favorite day despite the uncooperative weather, that wasn’t the only challenge they experienced while planning the wedding. Amanda purchased her dress a mere 3 weeks before the wedding at a sample sale “when it became clear that the other dress sadly just wasn’t going to work out.”

wedding dress

Now that is rolling with the punches! We wish you all the best Amanda & Dom.

See more photos in the gallery below:

The following vendors made this wedding happen…
Venue – Arrowhead Golf Club
Stationery – SWEET letterpress & design
Dress – Anne Barge Waverly at Little White Dress
Officiant – A Memorable Wedding Ceremony
Hair – Erin Ferris Designs
Makeup – Blush Artistry and Company
Cake – Azucar Bakery
DJ – Standing Room Only
Florist – Erin Klatskin with Events N Bloom

Read More

Real Weddings: Page and Scott’s Elegant Aspen Wedding

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on Real Weddings: Page and Scott’s Elegant Aspen Wedding

ps_hl-37

When a couple orders all their stationery letterpress printed on our extra luxurious double-thick cotton paper, we know that finishing touches really matter to them. Allow me to introduce you to Page and Scott, and their wonderfully elegant wedding at the St. Regis in Aspen, Colorado.

ps_hl-4

Page and Scott were going for a classic, tailored and elegant affair and they enlisted the help of Heather at Calluna Events to pull it off. Through a careful orchestration of every last detail, this wedding came together in the most beautiful way. We’re talking a clear outdoor tent, crystal chandeliers, custom outdoor lighting, perfect little striped suits for the ring bearers, personalized drink koozies… and of course, Aspen.

Page wore a pale pink wedding dress with a single row of silk buttons falling down the back and finished it off with a floor-length veil. Be prepared to be completely smitten.

ps_hl-14

Their wedding invitations were an exercise in good taste and classic elegance – with 2 colors on every piece in a sophisticated ivory and charcoal palette. One simple aspen leaf adorned the top of each card as a nod to the location and each element had a subtle but high-impact thick border for a classy touch of formality.

Page really had us smiling when she said, “Our printed material was fabulous.” Did we mention how much we loved printing this design on our double-thick cotton paper? We kept it simple and allowed the unmatched beauty of letterpress steal the show, starting with save the dates and continuing through to invitations and wedding day stationery. This is one of our most highly requested sample designs right now and it’s no surprise why!

 

ps_hl-6-683x1024
The St. Regis is a venue that leaves nothing to be desired, and a courtyard dinner in a transparent tent lit by the careful efforts of Halcyon Productions looks so incredibly dreamy.

sepic_det-38

The couple also made sure to hire their absolute favorite band, The Hudson Project from Brooklyn. It’s clear from the abundant photos of people gettin’ down that this was the perfect musical end to an incredible day.

sepic_det-62

To see every little detail in all its gorgeousness, check out the whole gallery from their beautiful event below.

VENDORS
Wedding Planner | Calluna Events
Venue | The St. Regis Aspen
Photography | Kate Holstein Photographs
Stationery | SWEET letterpress & design
Floral Design | Aspen Branch
Reception Decor | Premier Party Rental
Custom Outdoor Lighting | Halcyon Productions
Band | The Hudson Project

Read More

A to your Q: Gift Registry

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on A to your Q: Gift Registry

AtoyourQfull

Q: Is it okay to put my gift registry information in my wedding invitation?

We don’t recommend it. We know you are excited to open all those wedding presents, but subtlety and decorum are a winning combination when it comes to getting the word out about your registry. So please, don’t mention your gift registry on your invitation. Instead, put a note about it on your wedding website. Good old-fashioned word of mouth works just fine too.

Happy Planning!

Read More

Real Weddings: Kelly and Adam’s Chic Mid-Century Celebration

Posted by SWEET
/ /

http://rachelhavel.com

Where to even start with this wedding?

Kelly and Adam entrusted the always on-point Calluna Events to carry out a vision that was nothing short of breathtaking. The florals, the shoes, the dresses, the rings, the color palette… I could go on forever. This is one of those weddings where vision, budget and style collided for something worthy of a Pinterest wedding case study. Prepare yourselves.

http://rachelhavel.com

We used the mod, geometric bridesmaid dresses as inspiration, and we set out to create a multicolor letterpress ensemble worthy of the vision set before us. With a color scheme of saturated fuchsia, vintage orange and subtle antique gold and a variety of triangular patterns, we created something bold and beautiful to let guests know that this wedding would be anything but run of the mill. The father of the bride happens to own a laser cutting company so we designed a matching belly band which he laser cut for a stunning visual impact (and added sentimental touch).

mid-century-geometric-letterpress-wedding-invitation

According to the bride Kelly, “The invitations were really a source of a lot of our inspiration and I loved that the same theme was maintained throughout the day in all the minor details. The background for the ceremony was a chic mobile, made by my dad, that echoed the shapes and colors found on the the invitation.”

http://rachelhavel.com

I’m sure we’re not alone in wanting to see a DIY post for that backdrop! Way to go dad!

Continuing the geometric theme, instead of holding bouquets each of the bridesmaids wore wrist corsages and played triangles along with the processional music. The floral arrangements contained plenty of tillandsia air plants which are very sculptural and perfectly accented the overall aesthetic when paired with the other brightly hued blooms.

http://rachelhavel.com

As a way to honor their grandmothers. Kelly and Adam decided to have “grand flowers” instead of flower girls. Their grandmothers had a blast walking down the aisle and tossing flower petals everywhere.

http://rachelhavel.com

The bridesmaid dresses that inspired the invitation design (and much of the decor) were patterned with bright, mid-century modern hues. These and the other two geometric beaded nude colored dresses, paired with cobalt blue heels, lent a retro chic vibe to the day.

http://rachelhavel.com

Speaking of shoes, the bride wore some gorgeous gold and cobalt blue heels that perfectly accomplished the veritable feat of matching the bridesmaids but standing out as the bride. Oh, and they were her something blue 😉

http://rachelhavel.com

Calluna selected clear lucite”ghost chairs” for the seating as it allowed for an elegant, contemporary feel without cluttering up the space visually.

http://rachelhavel.com

Guests were able to wear fun temporary tattoos as they mingled among the gold and brightly colored tables at the St. Julien Hotel here in Boulder. The bright tones and metallic accents adorned every visible surface or an experience that has us wishing we got to be guests 🙂

http://rachelhavel.com

And they lived happily ever after.

 

VENDORS

Stationery & Invitations – SWEET letterpress & design
Wedding Planner – Calluna Events
Flowers and Décor – Perfect Petal
Photographer – Rachel Havel
Venue and food – St Julien Hotel & Spa
Dress – Kleinfeld Bridal, Mark Zunino
Cake – Boulder Baked
DJ – Jahsonic

Additional Invitation Photos by AQ Photos.

 

 

Read More

A To Your Q: Invitation Timeline

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on A To Your Q: Invitation Timeline

vintage-lace-letterpress-invitation

We often get asked “When should we start our invitations?”

Well, the short answer is that it’s proper etiquette to mail your wedding invitations 6-8 weeks before your big day. Couples having destination weddings or inviting a large number of guests from abroad might want to build in even more time.

And working backwards, there needs to be enough time to design and print them, assemble and address them (or send to your calligrapher) and then give your vendors an accurate head count as your guests RSVP.

Given all this, we recommend ordering your wedding invitations 4 months before the big day in order for the process to be as stress-free as possible.

Ready to get started? You can begin by ordering samples of your favorite designs or by coming in for a free consultation. Starting the process with plenty of time is the key to a fun and easy invitation experience.

Happy Planning!

Read More

Real Weddings: Stephanie and Garrett’s Playful, Rustic Wedding

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on Real Weddings: Stephanie and Garrett’s Playful, Rustic Wedding

Couple-pose-mountains

Ready for a dose of rustic modern fun? Meet Stephanie and Garrett.

Stephanie and Garrett, like many of the couples we work with, were planning a wedding in the mountains and wanted some invitations that would help convey their not-too-formal-but-not-too-casual vision for the big day. With lots of playful details like bicycles, orange accents and a dog at the altar this wedding offered plenty of inspiration for an awesome invitation suite.

We worked together on a design that emphasized the gorgeous mountain venue (just try to find a person who isn’t head-over-heels for Crested Butte!) along with their rustic modern style to create some invitations that truly matched their aesthetic. The key was to maintain a touch of elegance amongst the modern to keep it classic without toning down the fun. For Stephanie that touch of elegance was the historical significance of letterpress printing.

Rustic-modern-playful-invitation

We started with some illustrated mountains and pulled in a fun combination of fonts- highlighting their names in calligraphy style type and keeping the rest more modern and clean. To achieve the rustic feel, we letterpress printed the invitation on a recycled brown chipboard. This unconventional paper is eco-friendly, less formal than the 100% cotton paper we usually print on and still accepts impression beautifully. This, paired with a non-traditional horizontal layout, a modern return address label and slate grey envelopes immediately told guests this wedding was going to be one for the books. We also created a custom map of the area so guests could enjoy the town of Crested Butte without losing track of the wedding venue. The orange and white twine used to tie the whole suite together was used as an accent on the bride’s bouquet too. The day-of pieces included some more details like tandem bicycle accents (to match the save the date!) and a whole lot of orange on kraft.

Enough about the invitations though, we want to show you some of the elements used throughout the wedding day by Stephanie and Garrett!

Escort-card-display-bicycle

Continuing the rustic-meets-modern-meets-bicycle-lovers theme, their escort card display was made of bike tire rims. This was a work of art and a functional piece all rolled into one and immediately got us excited for the rest of their details from the wedding.

Ceremony-peanut-lake

Their ceremony took place in front of Peanut Lake in Crested Butte with a mountain backdrop nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Flower-girls-mountains

The flower girls wore adorable orange dresses and the bridesmaids wore orange shawls as accents over their modern grey dresses. During the ceremony Stephanie’s parents gave Garrett a family necklace to put on Stephanie. The necklace is an heirloom that Stephanie’s great-great grandmother wore at her wedding in England in 1877. It has been passed down through the women of her family and worn on the wedding day.

Recessional-Heirloom-Necklace

Another thing we loved was their table naming- each table was named after a Colorado peak!

Table-names-mountain-peaks

Arguably the most fun piece of all, was their bicycle theme which was carried through from the save the dates. The guest book included a framed painting of a couple cycling together on a tandem bike and after the ceremony Stephanie and Garrett actually rode a tandem bicycle together! It’s hard not to admire a bride who gets on a bicycle in her wedding dress.

Tandem-Bike-Bride-Groom

We loved working with this mountain couple and we’re pretty sure their life together must be just as much fun as their wedding day pictures. Look through the gallery below to see some more images from their beautiful wedding.

GALLERY

VENDORS

Stationery | SWEET letterpress & design– Boulder
Photographer | Alison White Photography– Crested Butte
Flowers & Coordination | Ashley Krest of Field Florals– Paonia
Reception | Maxwell’s Steakhouse– Peter and Molly Maxwell
Ceremony | Peanut Lake– Crested Butte Land Trust
Cake | Gateau Fab Bakery, Jacqueline Mearman- Crested Butte
Band | Miss Emily and Project Groove- Grand Junction
Dress | Liancarlo- Little White Dress Shop– Denver
Ceremony Guitarist | Tyler Hansen- Crested Butte
Read More

A To Your Q: Online RSVPs

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on A To Your Q: Online RSVPs

We often get asked if forgoing the traditional reply card and instead opting to gather RSVPs through a wedding website is socially acceptable. We say, sure! This can be a great way to reduce the cost of your wedding invitation package as well as eliminate paper waste. Just use your own judgment and be sure to consider the age and technical comfort of your particular guest list. For some, an online RSVP will be easier than paper. But don’t forget your older guests (like Grandma and Grandpa) who might prefer a more traditional method. The bottom line is that it’s your wedding! And these days, really anything goes in the invitation world  so have fun and get creative!

Got an invitation question? Post to the comments below!

Read More

Old World Opulence

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on Old World Opulence

Lavish, luxurious, ornate, over the top…

These are words not often used to describe Colorado weddings. So we were ecstatic when Calluna Events asked us to collaborate on their recent “Modern Marie Antoinette” styled shoot and 10 year anniversary celebration. The inspiration was exciting, the venue breath-taking and the list of vendors totally impressive.

Special thanks to Frances Photography & Tess Pace Photography for the lovely images.

0143_Calluna_StyleShoot
marieantoinette_053web

Oh, and the party was a whole lot of fun too!
Calluna Events Modern Marie Party | Ashley Sawtelle Photography
(From right – Me, Sahra of Swoon Jewelry Studios, Maggie of Maggie Evans Designs, Ali of European Flower Shop and someone I don’t know 🙂 Photo by Ashley Sawtelle Photography)

Full vendor list:

blanc Denver, Perfect PetalLMD ProductionsCatering By DesignBy Design Event DecorLucky’s BakehousePeak BeverageSugarliciousChairished VintageLa Tavola Fine LinenDJ JahsonicThe Bridal Goddess, Liz (of Goldie & Bob), Alchemy Mineral BlendsMaggie Evans Designs, SWEET LetterpressLana’s ShopdesignsgirlEvent RentsKristen Hatgi,
Ashley Sawtelle Photography,  Frances PhotographyTess Pace Photography
Splendor for your Guests and Todd Reed)

Read More

Real Weddings: Lisa and Tim’s Organic Elegance

Posted by SWEET
/ /

Bride, Groom and Flower Girl

Lisa and Tim envisioned a wedding that was elegant, romantic, relaxed and oh so Colorado. Lisa and Tim met and fell in love here and since 95% of their guests were coming from out of town, including uniquely Colorado details in their wedding celebration was a big priority.

They teamed up with Leah Colby of La Dolce Events to make their day a reality. While planning all the little details that would bring their gathering together, Lisa came to us to dream up their invitation.

“I felt you really got what I was going for, you understood my taste and ideas, and I trusted you from our very first meeting.”

elegant-mountain-letterpress-wedding-invitation

We created their invitations to convey a sense of understated elegance, with Colorado mountains crowning the top and a sweeping script font that hinted at carefully handwritten notes. Subtle colors set the tone for a sophisticated and romantic event (with the blush of the mountains matching the flower girls’ dresses perfectly). Lisa purchased vintage Colorado State and Boulder Dam Stamps to adorn the envelopes and make the ensemble even more whimsical and beautiful. But our very favorite part about this invitation was how it was written. Rather than using traditional invitation wording, Lisa and Tim decided that their darling 2-year-old daughter Eva (who also starred as a flower girl) would be the one inviting guests to the celebration. How cute is that?

Flower Girls

“Our daughter was the biggest and best part of the whole thing! Loved that our invitations were from her! And that she was our flower girl. She is only 2 years old but she made it down the aisle and dropped petals the whole way while smiling at all of our guests. It was magical.”

Bride and Flower Girl

Their Colorado love permeated all things, becoming a theme as well as a location. All those out of town guests received canvas tote bags thoughtfully filled with local products such as Boulder Chips, Ozo Coffee, Rocky Mountain Salsa, Choco Love Candy Bars and Eldorado Springs water bottles. The bags had a cute illustration of the United States printed on them, complete with a small heart over Boulder.

Tim and Lisa are of different faiths, so they chose to have both a priest and rabbi marry them. “So many people commented on how beautiful the ceremony was…so rich and full of tradition…and the two officiants were fantastic together. It really made for a beautiful ceremony.”

Newgrass music played throughout the day. Lisa and Tim hired a band called Head for the Hills to play during the ceremony and their style conveyed the Colorado vibe perfectly.

Lavender and Tent

Additionally, they incorporated many beautiful details to reiterate the romantic and organic elegance of the invitations. We created matching blush and taupe letterpress programs as well as kraft brown CD sleeves for favors. Meanwhile, the tables featured unique Thai rosewood and bronze cutlery and vintage napkins, all carefully sourced by the bride. “I decided early on that I didn’t want typical sterling cutlery at our wedding. Our color scheme was blush, grey and lavender (with a little bit of bronze and gold) and I felt silver would be too stark against all of those warm tones…[the cutlery] was a beautiful addition to the table and everyone was talking about how gorgeous the flatware was.”

Table Setting

The couple also chose to serve a family style meal on long farm tables to maintain a sense of intimacy among the 90 guests “it was elegant and classy but still romantic and relaxed”. One thing that ended up being a surprise hit was the chef, Hosea Rosenberg from Blackbelly Catering, came out and announced each course. “The guests loved it too! We got comments about it for weeks after the wedding.”

Dinner Wedding Guests

To keep the festivities going, Lisa and Tim had the brilliant idea to host a coffee bar for everyone, complete with a couple of local baristas serving espresso and coffee from Ozo.

As guests left for the night they took home tiny succulents (which doubled as escort card table decor) and a CD filled with the bride and groom’s favorite music.

Escort Cards and Succulents

Lisa and Tim’s beautiful, casual, elegant and natural wedding was filled with personal touches that highlighted their love for Colorado, their daughter and each other. We loved working with them and are grateful we were able to contribute such a fitting ensemble to their incredible event.

The Details
Photographer | Ben Christensen, Mesa Arizona
Wedding Planner | Leah Colby, La Dolce Events
Florist | Fiori Flowers
Band | Head for the Hills
Invitations | SWEET letterpress & design
Catering | Blackbelly Catering

Read More

Real Weddings: Natasha and Rory’s Modern Woodland Mountain Wedding

Posted by SWEET
/ /
Comments Off on Real Weddings: Natasha and Rory’s Modern Woodland Mountain Wedding

Wedding vows on the banks of Hallam Lake

Natasha and Rory first came to us for a custom letterpress save the date. Rory’s mom had illustrated a pair of owls which they wanted to incorporate into the piece and they knew they wanted to use the colors orange and grey. They also wanted to convey a woodsy feel because their autumn wedding was set to take place in the mountains of Aspen, Colorado surrounded by golden trees.

owls-chipboard-letterpress-save-date-SWEET
To compliment their vision, we created an original design that included the hand-drawn owls along with their signature phrase “Let’s fly away”.  The save the dates were letterpress printed on a gray chipboard paper with bold typography to create a rustic and modern feel. The save the dates were so well received that Natasha and Rory came back and asked us to create their invitations as well.

orange and gray woodgrain wedding invitations with illustrated owls and rustic fonts

We designed the ensemble to introduce the modern, whimsical feel to their event. We echoed the orange and grey hues of the save the date but on a crisp white paper, textured with a faux bois (wood grain) pattern. The long horizontal format and bold fonts gave it a modern feel while the whimsical brackets, vibrant orange and tear away RSVP card kept it  fun and playful. Our goal was to ensure that when guests opened the envelope, they would know that the wedding would be fun, modern, non-traditional and woodsy. These invitations were so much fun to create and perfectly captured the vision Natasha and Rory had for their wedding.

Log with illustrated owls

On their big day, owls were everywhere and the whole event was full of cute, modern details worthy of some serious DIY credentials. There were owls on woodcut tree slices, sewn into miniature pillows, printed onto favor labels, accenting the drink menu and there was even a real taxidermy owl at the reception! A giant orange wine cork heart was created with the couple’s initials to accent a side table, and the bouquets were full of orange and white sculptural flowers, succulents and grey-green leaves. Orange and grey paint chips served as escort cards and were hung from twine for guests to pin to their clothing (how fun, right?). A vintage typewriter was available for everyone to write notes to the bride and groom.

Name tags made with paint chips

Their vows were spoken on the shore of Hallam Lake, with the fall trees reflecting on the water. Natasha’s dress and the wedding rings were all of modern design. As the night wound down, even more sweet touches became apparent. Miniature painted wooden pegs served as the cake topper for a simple, minimal white cake and test tubes with loose leaf tea were given out as favors.

Natasha and Rory’s wedding was a beautiful and unique take on the rustic theme.  The personal touches were completely true to the couple, starting with the Save the Dates and carrying all the way through to the favors. We loved working with  Natasha and Rory and are so grateful to have been a part of their big day!


The details…

Photography | Ashleigh Miller Photography
Ceremony Venue | Hallam Lake
Reception Venue | The Sky Hotel
Music | The Parlor Pickers
Florals | Zephyros Farms
Cake | Kim and Jakes
Invitations | SWEET letterpress & design

Read More