Marni Suite Feature

Marni Wedding Suite

romantic • classic • sophisticated

This suite has so many elements of texture that scream touch me. Printed on fabric and using muted colors of rose, this wedding suite feels romantic and sophisticated while maintaining its formality. It features a save-the-date with a top layer of fabric stitched on top paired with a plum envelope, and in invitation suite containing: invitation printed on fabric, reply card and envelope, website card, and thank you card.

This is a fully customizable suite that can be modified top to bottom. Ink can be a blind deboss or any Pantone color. Typefaces can be changed to preference. Essentially any element can be modified and tailored to accommodate your style and wedding. 

Every piece is hand printed and crafted by Alee & Press.

Watercolor Artist Q&A

Do you remember a few weeks ago when we posted our lovely new year cards? Well, today we wanted to share more about the artist who created the watercolor artwork for it, and some behind the scenes of our collaboration with her. 

We have been hard at work creating some new wedding suites for our brides, and we can't wait to share it all with you in the upcoming weeks. 

Today, we are going to show you our first sneak peek at what all has been happening here in the studio. 

When we began brainstorming these new suites, we knew we wanted to reach out to other local artists to create a more diverse collection that allowed our brides to have the opportunity to mix and match their favorite elements. 

Que Reed, an amazingly talented designer, and watercolor artist. 

You can go googly-eyed over her work here: 

We are going to dive right on in with a Q&A and talk about her background, process, and her favorite pieces from our collaboration.

Background Questions
 

How long ago did you begin creating your artwork?

I’ve been painting since I was about 8, but I didn’t realize I wanted to pursue art seriously or for any real purpose until I was in high school and I was creating Georgia O Keefe replicas “for fun” haha. Since then it has been a journey to find and define my style and process. It wasn’t until I attended The Creative Circus(advertising school) post-college that I even figured out there was such thing as a “textile designer." That is when the light bulb went on and I began branching out into pattern design and learning about other ways I could use and sell my art.
 

What time of day do you feel the most creative?

Even though I AM a morning person, I find it hard to immediately dive into work first thing in the morning. I tend to be most productive mid-day around 11 once I’ve scheduled out my day and had lots of coffee :)
 

If you are not feeling creative, what is your #1 way to get into your groove?

This happens all the time as a creative! I have 2:

Get outside! I take a walk or find something that inspires me in nature. Usually, it’s a beautiful flower or plant with some cool pattern that gets my brain thinking. Or often times it could be the architecture of an old building or a random tile pattern at a local coffee shop. Getting out of your element generally always does the trick.

Pinterest. I spend A LOT of time on here and have a million boards. It’s my favorite way to quickly be inspired by anything and everything - plus it's fun! - from room decor to runway fashion to typography…I never know what will give me an idea.
 

Process Questions
 

How do you start a piece of artwork? 

Before I begin any piece I usually do an abstract color warm-up or floral exercise to help loosen up. I also like to have an inspirational picture or flower in front of me to refer to while I’m painting, so I make sure to organize and gather all essential materials and ideas before I begin. 
 

What are your favorite paints to use?

Currently, I use a mix of India Ink and Gouache paints and some watercolor. Occasionally, I will also use goldleaf paint and gold sharpie for highlighting purposes once the piece is complete.
 

What is your favorite part the process?

I love picking out my color palettes and trying to spontaneously match new colors together on the spot - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t - which is the thrill of it. I also love post work in Photoshop. This is where the magic happens. I can edit all my colors and really transform my painting into multiple patterns.
 

What are your favorite subjects of your artwork?

All floral, all the time! haha. If it's not flowers or botanicals it’s abstract shapes or geometrics. Most recently I have started to play around with incorporating more fauna into my botanical patterns. I'm open to any subject, but I'm usually drawn towards nature.
 

What colors are your favorite to work with?

I'm passionate about all colors….but using a rich black in my work is a MUST. Other than you can almost always find shades of peach, lavender, blush and turquoise in my work.
 

Our Collaboration
 

When we first sat down with Reed to discuss a collaboration, we all had so much inspiration pulled. We stalked her Instagram and discussed color pallets and styles we wanted to explore. 

We also asked Reed what her favorite piece from the collection was, and this was her response: 

"Definitely the patterns on black. I fell in love with painting on black watercolor paper! Painting on black gives it a completely different dimension and a rich bohemian feeling that I can’t recreate anywhere else."

So here is a sneak peek into our new line of envelope liners created by Reed.

We hoped you enjoyed a glimps of our collaboration and the new line of envelope liners. We can't wait to see which ones become our brides' favorites. Thanks for following along with us. 

Here is a recap from Reed and her side of our collaboration. We love being able to collaborate with local artists and are looking forward to sharing more about our collaborations in the future. 

"Collaborating with The Impressionist and Alee & Press is always such a positive and liberating experience. I get to create work that represents me 100% and I’ve found that I do some of my best work with her and her team. We understand each other's styles well and our mutual love of design and color always makes collaboration a super rewarding experience! This past collab specifically challenged my color palette toolbox to feature neutral colors - I’m used to choosing bright, tropical colors; so creating patterns with a muted color approach for weddings was slightly difficult at first. Now I have whole new series of go-to color options that totally diversify my patterns - I couldn’t be happier."

Reed Knauth
reedknauth.com | @reedknauthdesigns

Our Timeline and Guide for Your Wedding Invites + Save the Dates

Our Timeline and Guide for Your Wedding Invites + Save the Dates

Ahhh, wedding planning… the endless to-do list. You have a checklist and it feels like you can never complete it! Or maybe you have 7 different checklists, one for each vendor… lists for days.

And if you are anything like us you have several categories of lists that are all controlled by one master list. (I may or may not have some slight OCD when it comes to list making.)

Today, we have a handy checklist all ready for you on when you ACTUALLY need to send out those save-the-dates, invitations, thank yous, and much more. We will even go into detail if you are planning a destination or a local wedding.

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First Things First

First things first, if you haven't already, let everyone know you're engaged! It is such a heart-filling moment to have all of those closest to you be so happy and excited for you on this newest adventure! 

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Start with a vision

There are many things to check off your list before it is time to meet for your wedding suite, but one thing we encourage brides to do from day one is to create a vision for your big day. If you don't already have a mood board full of ideas, now is the time to fill it up. (We are loving gomoodboard.com) If you’re not sure how to find inspiration that’s unique with items you love, don't worry! We’ve got you covered in this blog: How to Find Your Wedding Inspo.

But don't fill it with things you kind of like, instead fill it with fewer things you love.

list maker here

I would even suggest making a different board for your main priorities: venue, florals, table settings, and of course paper goods.

*If you would like some ideas, check out our Pinterest boards

Okay now let's get to your actual wedding paper timeline!

Up first, Save the Dates

Once you have your date and location locked down, its time to send these bad boys out. The range we suggest is 6-12 months before your wedding date. The earlier the better for these - especially if you're planning a destination wedding. In that case, send them even earlier!

We suggest meeting with us 4-6 weeks before you’re ready to send Save-the-Dates out. This allows for plenty of time for a consultation, any revisions and design approval, ordering of letterpress plates, and printing.

Bonus: Save-the-Dates and invitation suites only need one consultation. Its all about the big picture, and how all the pieces work together. And it’s best done if you cover all the elements at once. 

Go ahead and put it on your calendar now - we DARE you!

Round number two, Your Wedding Suite

At this point, you have all of your vendors booked, all your deadlines in hand, and a full vision of your big day. If you didn't find us until after you sent your Save-the-Sates, don't worry - we’re bummed too, but that means it’s time to schedule a consultation for your wedding suite. Yay!
 

Wedding Suite

The pieces we suggest including are: invites, reply cards, detail cards, and weekend events. The “weekend events” card might include other wedding related gatherings such as a bridal luncheon or a groomsman golf round. It all depends on what fits your wedding! 

Again, we suggest meeting with us 4-8 weeks before you’d like to send them on their postal way - ideally sending them out 1-6 months in advance. This is really where sitting down with your wedding planner (or us) will help to determine what timeline is best for your wedding. Generally, destination weddings should be sent out much earlier than most stateside weddings. 

If you're running a little behind you can send them as late as 1 month away, *IF* you're having a local wedding where most of the guests live.
 

Don't forget your thank you cards

You’re gonna have a LOT of thank you’s to write - shouldn’t they look good too? Showers and gifts are on the horizon if you haven't already received a few. Having these in hand really helps you stay on top of writing all those Thank You's before they build up!

The finale, day-of pieces

These are important items not to put off until the very last minute. Although we can get them to you quickly, you don't want to be worrying about these right before your big day.
 

These pieces include item such as:

• programs
• escort cards
• table numbers
• menus
• favor tags
• welcome bag items
• etc 

Day of pieces typically require another chat or meeting to go through the specifics, and really nail down those final pieces your guests will see. 

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We know everyone loves a good free download, so we have just that for you! A simple timeline checklist of when to schedule a meeting and send out your wedding paper goods!

6 Unique Ways to Word Your Wedding Invitations

One of the most common questions we get from our brides is "What wording should I use." Although there are so many guides about wording out there, today's won't be a regurgitation of formalities or common wording options, but instead unique wording options real brides have used over the years.

We really believe in showing off your personality as a couple through your wedding suite, and this definitely includes your wording from save-the-dates through your thank yous. 

Before we break this down, these are just a FEW of the unique wordings we really like and think stand out from the crowd. If you have something unique as a couple roll with it. Afterall your wedding day is all about you two as a couple, so make it fit! 

so put it on your calendar

In our eyes, Save-the-Date cards are the beginning of your wedding suite. Everything from save-the-dates through thank yous should be a breath of the same air. So go ahead an have fun and show off those personalities starting here. 

Here are a few examples of some of our favorite save-the-date wordings. Remember you don't need to say too much here! Its main purpose is to let your guest know where and when your wedding will be held.

Our Favorite Unique Wording for Save-The-Date cards:

1. FYI, you have plans...
 

2. August Twenty Fourth 2019, we're getting married...
 

3. We'd love for you to join us on...
 

4. We set the date...
 

5. Mark your calendar for...
 

6. We are getting married {month, day, year}. We'd love you to join us.

On pretty paper

Your wedding suite often contains many pieces in order to communicate everything your guest need to know about your wedding and all the details and events that surround it. For this post, we are going to cover the basics of your invitation, rsvp, and detail cards. However, there are many more items that may be included such as your rehearsal dinner card, brunch card, map + directions, accommodations, etc. 

and watch us kiss

Your invitation is typically the most formal piece of your wedding suite, but that doesn't mean it has to be stale, boring or common. So here is our take on some fun ways to be a little more formal.

Our Favorite Unique Wording for Wedding Invitations:
 

1. You inspire us. You ground us. You fill us with endless joy and gratitude. We would be honored and privileged to have you join us as we exchange vows.
 

2. Because you have shared their lives with your love and friendship we joyfully invite you to celebrate
 

3. With full hearts we invite you to join us as two love birds become husband & wife.
 

4. It is because of your love, support & friendship which has guided and inspired us that we invite you to join us as we exchange our vows.
 

5. Please join us for a weekend getaway in celebration of our marriage
 

6. {Bride and Groom} warmly invite you to share in celebration of their marriage

 

Would you like Fish or Chicken?

Most RSVPs are rather plain and frankly not exciting. That doesn't have to be your RSVP though. We love adding graphics for food choices, or couples who want to know their guests song request.

Our Favorite Unique Wording for Wedding RSVPs:
 

1. ¿Sí o no? 
 

2. Happily accepts | sadly declines
 

3. Can't wait to party at the wedding | unable to attend (and very sad about it) 
 

4. yes! Woudln't miss it. | no. sorry to miss it!
 

5. ____ out of ____ guest(s) will attend
 

6. Yes! We will have our dancing shoes on | No, Sadly we'll have to miss out on the fun

or join us for brunch

Although this card is sometimes optional, we find that most of our couples need at least one extra piece beyond the invitation and RSVP. Cue a lovely details card that lets your guest know about your wedding website, where to find accommodations or even some things to do while they are in town. 

Our Favorite Unique Wording for Wedding Detail Cards:
 

1. Find all the details at: meandyou.com
 

2. Drinks on us!
 

3. All the weekend details: meandyou.com
 

4. Here is the who, what, when, where and why for the weekend.
 

5. Unplugged and Adults Only
 

6. A few of our favorite things

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If you like a few of the wordings from above, no need to scroll up and screenshot them. We have crafted a download of them here so you can save them to that ever-growing wedding folder on our desktop.

We really hope this guide helped you think about what ways you may make your wedding wording have more personality and less common. These are just a few wording options, during our consultations we brainstorm with each of our brides, and help them find wording unique to them.

xoxo,
Amanda and Melissa

6 ways to keep your letterpress suite on budget

We know. You know. Letterpress ain't cheap. But there are ways to make it more affordable. We're all about showing you how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your dream invitation suite. That's why we created this quick guide for you! (and because we get this question a lot from our brides!)

Here are 6 tips to help get cost down, without skimping on what's really important to you.

1. Skip the extras

You know how sometimes you get a wedding invitation and there are 14 pieces that fall out? Cards, bands, additional envelopes... a lot of that stuff is totally unnecessary. Sure, they're fun to look at before they get tossed in the trash, but your guests really only save the invitations. Sticking to the essentials keeps your suite pieces to a minimum and allows your few pieces be more impactful.

 

Our Essentials Are:

• Save-the-date
  THE INVITATION SUITE
• Invitation
• Reply Card
• Reception Card
• Thank you note
• Envelopes (save the date, invitation, reply card, thank you note)
• Return Address

 

But you can really get by with:

• Save-the-dates and Envelopes
• Invitations and Envelopes
• Reply Cards
• Thank Yous and Envelopes

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2. Keep it to one color

Remember, even if we just print one color,  your invitation has 2 colors - the paper color and the ink color! Adding more than one print color can be nice, but it isn't necessary, and it is one of biggest ways to reduce cost.

Each color adds a new plate and adds another run through the press. Going from one color to two doubles printing production time, so you can see how the cost can add up quickly. 

If you are sold on a two-color design but want to cut cost, keep the two colors on the invitation, but simplify to one color on the other pieces. Or try using different colored papers.

 

Your guest will never remember your reply card was one color but your invite was two!

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3. Use a rubber stamp

If your up for a little DIY, a rubber stamp is a great way to save. 

Getting a custom rubber stamp made is a great way to add your return address to all of those envelopes (because trust us - there are a lot of them).

 

save-the-dates | invitations | reply cards | thank you notes x your number of guest

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4. Choose the right stock

 

Stock is just our word for paper..

So don't let that intimidate you. So many brides worry about picking their paper, but we make that process as easy as possible.

We only use premium stocks, so even our thinnest stock (1 ply) has more texture and is thicker than your average stock. 

We offer 1 ply and 2 ply stocks for our wedding suites. Choosing 1 ply stock for your wedding suite will stretch your dollar the most. 

If you're really loving the thicker feel use it for your invitation, and then keep your details and reply cards on the thinner paper.
 

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5. Save on postage

#POSTCARDS

We are totally crushing over some beautiful postcards lately, and we think it is such a fun way to send out your reply card. Bonus it saves you money in envelopes and postage! Which makes it much more environmentally friendly.

The reply card is a great place to save some money - they're only in your guest's hands for a short period of time before they mail them back to you.

 

TIP: We don't recommend save-the-date postcards however because they get damaged in the mail, and won't look as nice on arrival to your guest!!

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6. Include your website

 

Whoever says putting your URL on your invitation is taboo is living in another century. Everyone uses wedding websites for all the info from booking rooms to buying gifts. Including your wedding website URL somewhere in your invitation suite can be a great way to streamline the info you need to print. Which may may mean you can print less cards, or smaller cards, saving you money.

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We hope you learned a few ways to make your letterpress printed wedding suite more affordable. If you found this blog helpful let us know what tips you liked most in the comments below.