Chasing RSVPs can be a real headache, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post I share four simple ways to encourage your guests to reply: giving clear instructions on how to respond, including a pre-addressed (ideally stamped) return envelope, offering a few different ways to get back to you, and setting a crystal clear deadline. I also pop in advice for the inevitable stragglers, because a gentle nudge usually does the trick.
Come behind the scenes on one of my all-time favourite bespoke suites. Jo and Tom wanted their wedding stationery to capture their travels as a couple, so I wove in the Taj Mahal, Mount Everest, Mount Fitz Roy, an illustrated portrait of the pair, and a now-legendary monogrammed llama. I share how it all came together in plum watercolour florals and carried through to their order of service, menus and table plan, plus the loveliest email they sent me afterwards.
Drowning in Pinterest and no closer to a wedding theme? I’ve been there, and in this post I share three ways to cut through the overwhelm. I talk through letting your season guide your flowers and colours, letting your location (city, barn or outdoors) shape the style, and letting your shared interests as a couple bring in those personal touches. No childhood vision board required, just a few simple starting points to make it all feel like you.
Pantone crowned Ultra Violet its Colour of the Year for 2018, and I’ll be honest, purple isn’t my favourite. But it really can shine in the right palette, so I spent a happy afternoon on Pinterest proving it. In this post I explain what Pantone is and why it shapes wedding trends, then share three colour palettes: Kindred Spirits softened with rustic pastels, the whimsical sage-and-turquoise Purple Haze, and Quietude, my warm, autumnal favourite.
This bespoke suite began rather differently, with a hand drawing of the tipi by Steve’s dad, which I blended into a wreath of blush-pink and ivory watercolour florals matched to Alice’s bouquet. Come behind the scenes as I share how it grew from invitations on hammered card with kraft envelopes and floral liners into a whole day’s worth of stationery: the order of service with a church illustration, an illustrated timeline, favour-jar place cards and a gorgeous vintage-crate table plan.
What actually is bespoke design, and what happens when you book it with me? In this post I explain how it differs from my personalised collection (it starts completely from scratch, built entirely around you), then walk you through the whole process. We begin with your inspiration, where Pinterest moodboards work wonders, move into a getting-to-know-you stage for your personal touches, then I send designs in stages with rounds of tweaks until it’s perfect and ready to print.
What do you actually need to put on a wedding invitation? In this post I break it down into the who, when, where and why, with practical tips on names, spelling out the day, listing venue details and gently handling early arrivals. I also cover the extras: a details card for accommodation, transport and gift lists, an RSVP card to make replying easy, and lovely finishing touches like belly bands, envelope liners, ribbon and wax seals.
This is where it all began. In my very first blog post I share my story: growing up in Liverpool, studying graphic design and illustration, then planning my own October 2016 wedding to Dave. From illustrated portrait save the dates to a city skyline invitation suite and a fingerprint guest book, I fell head over heels for stationery. Cue post-wedding blues, a test Etsy shop, and handing in my notice to make Hawthorne and Ivory official.
