in Washington
C + C
in Michigan
Q + A
on Nantucket
S + G
on Nantucket
J + B
in Grinnell, Iowa
J + S
in Chicago
N + M
in Vero Beach, Florida
A + J
on Stout's Island
C + S
in Rome
K + J
Click an image below to read about the design & see more photos of the suite
GALLERIES
INVITATION
The red envelope adorned in gold calligraphy immediately sets the tone for K+J's wedding colors. Red and gold also happen to be the colors of gladiators in ancient Rome, which was perfect for the history-loving groom. The gold was carried through to the main invitation: foil printed on luxurious double thick paper, with a custom-drawn acanthus & baroque inspired border.
Inspired by a mural within the villa, I painted a dramatic trellis pattern for the vellum wrap on the outside of the invitation. The wrap is tied together with very fine twine, and sealed with gold wax on top. The wax seal features a custom monogram of their initials, which we incorporated throughout their stationery branding.
On the RSVP card, we enticed guests to join the couple in Rome with the city watercolor painting from the save the date envelope liner.
The details card was die-cut in a custom shape to feel like a special picture frame, as a nod to the bride's love of art & the art museum where the couple got engaged. The back of the details card, features a map of Rome, highlighting the couple's favorite spots around the city.
The vintage stamps on K+J's envelope also hold special significance. NYU's Gould Memorial library has two connections to the couple: The architecture of this NYU library (where the couple went to college) was modeled after the Pantheon, a Roman temple and famous landmark of the city where they are getting married. Chinese Lunar New Year is a nod to the bride's Chinese heritage, and happens to fit perfectly with the red/gold palette of the suite. Francisco Goya was a Spanish painter from the late 18th/early 19th centuries, for the bride who studied art history.
SAVE THE DATE
K+J were married at a villa that sits on a hilltop overlooking Rome. To evoke the grand and elevated setting of their venue, the envelope opens with a watercolor painting of the spectacular view looking out onto the city. The save the date card features a painting of the beautiful villa itself, complete with Italian Cypress and palm trees.
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To get to C+S's wedding, guests travelled by boat across Red Cedar Lake, where a picturesque boathouse awaits. The trifold was probably my favorite part of this suite - not only does it feature the boathouse, immersed in an organic landscape, but it has a unique, interactive element to it. The insert on the middle panel was designed to perfectly overlap the painting beneath it, even though it was actually a separate piece held in place by 2 small cuts in the corner. Guests remove the insert (revealing its illusion), and flip it over to read details about RSVP and lodging.
The bride spent many summers vacationing on the island with family, so it was important that the suite captured its unique charm. All of the activities and icons of the island are represented with custom illustrations on the belly band: the giant chess set, Adirondack chairs, the dinner bell, a campfire, a canoe and oars, a billiards set, croquet, and a bathing suit.
The invitation card features the lawn looking out across the lake, where the ceremony took place. There are two giant trees on either side of the lawn, which I painted here to represent the couple and their families.
And last but not least, the envelope liner. There is nothing more relaxing than sinking back into an Adirondack chair, looking out across a quiet lake, and admiring the colors of the sky. As I imagine the events of their wedding weekend, I hope the couple and their loved ones were able to savor a moment just like this painting.
Early on in the design process, I was thinking about ways to combine C and S for a monogram or logo. Knowing that the bride is a talented concert pianist, the theme of music was definitely present in my inspiration. Eventually, I realized that the letters C and S, when flipped, closely resemble bass and treble clef symbols…it was too perfect. For pianists, the left hand is played in bass clef (the lower notes), and the right hand is played in treble clef (the higher notes) to create a beautiful, rich melody. Thinking about the bass and treble clefs joined in the monogram, I can’t help but think about C+S as each other’s left and right hand, each playing in their own key, but creating something even more beautiful as one.
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A+J's suite was all about greens, florals, and Florida. Starting with the outer envelope, we chose two green vintage stamps that represented Florida: the everglades and an alligator.
The inner envelope opens to a watercolor painting of the view from under the pergola at Quail Valley River Club, looking out past the palm trees toward the river. Since this would serve as their ceremony backdrop, I wanted guests to remember it from the invitation.
The invitation features an illustration of the waterfront venue, framed by a floral arch to give it an opulent garden feel. I painted the flowers that would be used throughout their wedding day: smilax, baby’s breath, and white wisteria. To add delicate texture, the invitation is wrapped in light green mulberry paper and tied with fine twine.
Recalling the pergola of their venue, I painted a trellis for the front of the reply card. Wisteria and smilax climb through the trellis, creating a delicate frame. The RSVP envelope was another shade of light green, adding to the monochromatic effect throughout the suite.
The front of the details card features a watercolor map of Vero Beach, noting the locations of the weekend's events.
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N+M celebrated their wedding at the Armour House, a beautiful Italian-inspired villa in the suburbs of Chicago. Their suite was primarily inspired by the venue and its surrounding gardens; I really wanted to capture the European feel. To emulate the precise symmetry of European gardens, I designed each piece of the suite to emphasize symmetrical composition.
I painted the pagoda and garden for the outside of the gatefold invitation; the opening is aligned in the center, splitting the painting into two nearly identical sides. The gatefold then opens up to reveal the delicate (and symmetrical) trellis that adorns the walls inside the venue. The gatefold is tied closed with delicate twine, adding a sense of intrigue for guests as they open the suite.
The envelope liner features the grand staircase, which is one of the most memorable features in the venue (and is also symmetrical)
The details card is adorned with delicate florals and greenery, including the flowers that would be present throughout their celebration. I drew a custom monogram with their initials intertwined, which was used throughout their stationery as a logo.
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You’ll notice right off the bat that this is not a typical size for an invitation - it’s long and skinny and unexpected. Since S+J had eloped a year prior to their wedding, this unique suite shape is a reflection of their non-traditional celebration.
Leaning into the unconventional design, each card is intentionally sized to cover the print on the piece lying beneath it. So when the suite is in its "stack," guests only see layers of white cards, enclosed with a monogrammed wood grain belly band. The wood grain paper paired with clean lines is a nod to mid-century modern design, a favorite decor style of the couple.
Herrick Chapel is not only the beautiful venue for S+J’s wedding ceremony, but it also happens to be where they both attended freshman orientation almost ten years ago. The two met & fell in love while attending college at Grinnell, so it was only fitting that they return to campus for their wedding celebration. I painted the special chapel for their invitation, and also painted a map of the campus featuring the important landmarks of the beginning of their relationship.
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When J+B told me that their favorite thing about their venue was the set of stairs leading from the property down to the beach, I immediately pictured a painted landscape for their envelope liner. I wanted guests to feel transported to where the Nantucket grass meets the sand and stretches out toward the ocean. Beachy, organic, and a little bit playful with the whale’s tail surfacing in the distance (this venue is called Whale’s Watch).
Another vantage point of the venue stairs is featured on the trifold details card, with a landscape painting of the entire beachfront property. The painting stretches the full width of the design, which shows off the spectacular location and emphasizes the organic landscape of the iconic bluffs.
Having strong ties to the ocean (and swimming) I knew this couple’s suite would lean on water as a theme, which I approached in a couple of ways: The most obvious is the literal display of water, through two landscape paintings of the ocean. The more subtle is the mulberry paper wrap that encloses their suite. This translucent handmade paper has beautiful texture that not only feels beachy, but is also visually reminiscent of light dancing through water. In the most delicate shade of blue, this made the perfect material to wrap around J+B’s Nantucket suite.
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S+G's celebration took place on Nantucket, where they both grew up, and where they still live today. Lighthouses hold a lot of symbolism for the two, so you'll see lighthouses throughout the suite: In their logo, on their invitation, and part of their vintage postage set.
The envelope liner features a watercolor map of the island to set the scene for the weekend of celebrations. The map notes the important locations, while incorporating some character with the ferry boat (how all guests will arrive to the island), some surfboards, and the iconic whale's tail.
As a nod to the groom's surf school, the RSVP card features a vintage wooden car (akin to his company's logo) parked next to a set of surfboards on the beach.
Brant Point Lighthouse (where their ceremony took place) is the star of the show on the main invitation. I painted a wide view in order to capture the full landscape, then wrapped the design around to the back for a unique touch.
The details card features their reception venue - a watercolor illustration on the front, and a line drawn illustration of the iconic entrance on the back.
Last, but not least, their vintage postage set is the perfect Nantucket trio: Blue and white hydrangeas, a soft pink seashell, and a lighthouse.
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As I was gathering inspiration for Q+A's suite, I was particularly struck by the venue (Shepherd's Hollow) and it’s sense of place.
With walls made entirely of glass, the venue feels like it’s part of the woods that surround it. The trees are incredibly tall and have a really enchanting presence on the property. Not only would guests be visually enamored by the trees, but I could imagine that they would smell the trees upon arrival as well. I wanted to capture this memorable feature of the venue within the invitation, so I painted the trees for an envelope liner.
The invitation features the trees again, but this time, giving more context with the venue illustration.
The back of both insert cards gave guests a sneak peek of the iconic checkerboard floors within the venue.
For the belly band, I wanted to recall the venue’s glass by incorporating a translucent vellum paper. Their initials provided the perfect opportunity to link the letters in a monogram, with the tail of the Q becoming the cross on the A.
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Even though they had never visited the Pacific Northwest, C+C felt "called to be married among the trees" in Washington. I absolutely love this sentiment, and leaned heavily on natural elements for inspiration. You can see trees featured prominently throughout the suite, from the watercolor map, to the line drawn trees framing the envelope. Because C+C's closest friends and family would all be staying in the same lodge with them, I was also inspired by nostalgic feelings of summer camp.
The lodge where everyone would stay is featured on the envelope liner. I loved painting this modern, rustic cabin surrounded by misty trees. A line-drawn version of the lodge anchors the details card.
Their ceremony took place in front of a beautiful landscape, which I painted for their invitation. Incorporating a colorful sky was a must for this sunset-loving couple. The painting wraps around to the back of the card for a unique touch, as well as an art print that guests can frame.
The entire suite is wrapped in a vellum belly band, along with fine twine and a terracotta wax seal. Featured on the wax seal is their logo: intertwined Cs, framed by layers of magical trees.
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