This here is the lil’ project that started the dreams for Sweet Peach Paper.

When Paul and I got engaged and started the wedding planning process, I knew that of all the visual details that go into the big day, invitations were the dearest to my heart.

Though our wedding would be in the Big D with all the glitz and glam of the city, we eagerly wanted a more casual feel for the day. (Alas, my dreams of a barn reception were dashed!) So we endeavored to bring the barn-feel to the ballroom - with burlap tablecloths, twigs and rustic flowers - everything being elegant, but all together relaxed. Of course, invitations were the first way to communicate this feel to the guests.

After rounds of designing suites only to trash them entirely, scouring through fonts, and papers, and printing research, I came across this font. And when I saw what our names looked like written out, that was it:

A beautiful, classic script, but just a notch off of formal. The thin and thickness of the letters was stunning, and it had a feel as though had been penned by hand, just for us. The script, mixed with an eclectic variety of hand-drawn images, was the combination I was looking for. Here is our wedding invitation, featuring an image Paul chose, because it had a ‘crossbow’ in it:

All three pieces - invitation, accommodations card, and response post card - were printed on 100% Cotton Crane’s Lettra (now the house paper for Sweet Peach Paper). The texture of this paper is so wonderful; the inks of invitations sink right in and look like they were made to live there.

This lovely little trapping was bound together with natural raphia and snuggled inside a kraft envelope. And after a last minute missing envelopes package snafu, we printed these teeny return labels with my parent’s home address encircling a magnolia. She is from Georgia, after all.

There she is! The blood, sweat (and tears) were well worth it when we dropped the invitations in the mailbox almost a year ago. There are not many jobs I love more than getting to do this very thing for brides-to-be. What a joy!

Check back soon for a post on our Wedding ‘Day Of’ paper goods!

{ all photos courtesy of Shaun Menary. }

A dear friend and coworker asked me to design and print invitations for a baby shower she was throwing for her sis-in-law and soon to be baby girl. After discussing styles and color palettes, the design process began.

Commonplace ‘pink and green’ combos need not apply; we went with a poppy pink and citrusy green to keep things fresh. A sweet carriage, crisp diamond patterned background, and swirly girly fonts were the perfect combo for this shower. The kraft envelope was accompanied by an address label wrap to finish it off. 

All it took was just a lil’ post on Twitter and Baby Edie was Miss Popularity. My sorority sister from college (aka : my kindred spirit) called me up and asked for her very own version for a baby shower she she would soon be throwing. To no surprise at all, Ashley’s good and classic tastes called for a pink and purple take for little Baby Caroline, and a blush pink and lavender were just the ticket.

Aren’t these girls cute?

{ photos courtesy of Shaun Menary. }

For their fall wedding invitations, Michelle wanted something timeless and classic. Graceful cursive and autumn hydrangeas - their wedding flower of choice - were printed in a yummy eggplant purple, to compliment purple and green wedding colors. 

Some brides and grooms are choosing these days to forgo traditional response cards and opt for website rsvps instead (easy to track, and an economical and green option to boot!). Michelle and Kevin’s website information was printed on a small tag and fixed to the invitation with a matching satin ribbon. A lovely way to relay pertinent information! 

Congratulations to Michelle and Kevin, who were married on Saturday! Check back soon for a post on their wedding programs.

{ all photos courtesy of Shaun Menary. }

Here’s an up close and personal look at Susan’s bridal shower invitations. (Her shower was featured last week in a post with Jess Barfield Photography, but I couldn’t go without showing you all the great details of this lil’ gem.). 

Most invitations SPP creates are standard A7 size. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but something fun and different was in order for Susan’s soiree. And a little two-page A6-er was the perfect solution. The first page of the invitation announced the affair and the date, while the second page contained all it’s juicy details.

This invitation was custom-made in every little detail. In keeping with the eclectic feel we wanted to have for the shower itself, this invitation featured oodles of great fonts and amusing wording. The two pages were held together by small brown brads, which also affixed a tiny tag with registry and rsvp information.

Of course, coordinating wrap-around address labels were used to bring the charm to the outside of the kraft envelope. 

There’s nothing better than bringing details from the invitation to the party itself, tying visual details together! Name cards were used in kraft boxes with colorful mini macaroons. 

Don’t forget to check out Jess’s fab fotos of the event! What a night!!

{ photos courtesy of Shaun Menary. the greatest. }

It’s Sweet Peach Paper’s lucky day … We’re on the Jess Barfield Photography Blog!

This past Friday night, the lovely Mckenzie Griffin and I had the great pleasure of throwing a shower for our very soon-to-be married friend, Susan Ross, of Susan Ross Photography.

We wanted the evening to suit Susan’s tastes - casual, eclectic, Anthropologie inspired loveliness. The invitations, place cards, and various tags were a great addition. Lucky for us, the fabulous Jess of Jess Barfield Photography was there to capture the soiree.

For more fabulous fotos of the event, click here for Jess’ full blog post.

{ photos courtesy of  Jess Barfield Photography. Susan often accompanies Jess as her second shooter at weddings, and the two have become great friends. We were so blessed to have Jess as a guest at the party. }

It was such a wonderful evening celebrating Susan! Great food, great fun, and even greater friends - and, of course, presents. Topping off the evening with a girly viewing of “The Proposal” wasn’t bad either.

And special thanks to Ez from Creature Comforts for her post on penant borders. I obviously loved them!