Curiouser and Curiouser

Mew Wedding Stationery featured on the White Thread blog!

Remember a while back when I posted about this nautical theme wedding I was working on for Kevin and Jolie?  I'm delighted to announce that it has been featured on the beautiful White Thread Wedding blog--a really stunning site that features weddings and details for North and South Carolina weddings.

The post features the photos from Kevin and Jolie's talented photographers Anna & Spencer .  You are going to love the details--the couple pulled off a waterfront wedding in such a unique way.  Their centerpieces were simple jars of lemons tied with the striped navy/white ribbon used in the wedding stationery.  There is even a great shot of the custom programs that I designed for them here at Mew.

Congratulations Kevin and Jolie!  And thanks Dina for featuring this gorgeous event on your lovely, lovely blog!

Mew Paper is now an @emmalinebride Vendor

We all know I have somewhat mixed feelings about Twitter--I have yet to really honestly convey the feelings I have (I've got a drafted post that I just don't have the courage to publish!).  But even despite my (mostly) negative feelings, I do come up with some pretty cool finds once in a while.  I had been following Emmaline Bride for a while, and finally took a closer look at what it's all about.

Super cool site!  It's an indie/handmade marketplace for all things wedding!  Kind of like Etsy (I hope I'm not doing a faux-pas by making a comparison) but zeroed in to provide only wedding-related goods and services.  You can search by category or by region.  The category list is looong and they have got everything for sale here--from bridal footwear, veils, invites and other paper goods to cakes, albums, frames--you name it!  And now you can find Mew Paper Arts on the roster!

So if you're a bride-to-be (or know someone who is) with even half an inkling to think a little outside the box when it comes to your wedding planning, please take a look at Emmaline Bride and give Indie a chance!

Hand Painted Jane Wilson Wedding Gown inspires a Custom Invitation Suite

I've got a really exciting and fun project on deck that I'm feeling quite inspired to begin work on.  Recently, the bride-to-be's aunt contacted me about creating custom invitations based on the design of her niece's hand-painted Jane Wilson wedding gown.  These are my favorite kind of assignments!  I love it when a bride is so in tune to the importance of the invitations--after all, it's the first impression that you leave about your event.  Make it personal, sentimental, funny, quirky--whatever you want!  But leave your guest's curious about what to expect.


So, the foundation of this project is going to be based on my Blossom Invitation Suite.  I'm going to do a custom illustration to echo the flowers on the beautiful gown featured here.  The ribbon across will represent the sash on the dress.  Fun right?


I realize that this dress may not be for everybody, especially those who go a more traditional route.  But I love it!  I think the bride who wears a gown like this is spirited, adventurous, a little ecclectic and totally willing to buck the trend! 

I'll update you as the project gets underway and show you the sketches and process while I go along.

What's new at Mew? The Breakers Wedding Invitation Suite

After our recent visit to Kykuit Estate I was reminiscing about our visit to Newport a few years back, when we toured some of the famous mansions, including The Breakers.  Wouldn't that be an incredible place to have a wedding?

I created this new wedding invitation suite based on the opulence and decadence of the turn of the century.  I used a very traditional color scheme for the sample which reminded me of vintage China patterns.  Of course, the color scheme can easily be customized to suit your wedding's theme.  As usual with my stationery, this is printed on recycled papers.

Wouldn't this be delicious in letterpress?  Dense, cottony paper with this intricate pattern pressed in...yes please!

It's currently available in my Etsy shop.

Mew Paper In The Wild! With photos by Lilian Haidar.

Shoot, just the other day when I initially posted these photos, there was also a description to go with it.  I didn't even notice that that part got lost in space until my mom (faithful reader) pointed it out.

Well, to spare rewriting the whole darn thing, I'll give you a nutshell version.  The photos above are by Lilian Haidar whose photos you would recognize from the recent Martha Stewart Weddings issue.  Lilian shot the featured wedding in Orvieto Italy.

The wedding pictured here was of an old friend who I reconnected with when she was looking for wedding stationery. It was to be held at her parent's home in her father's garden, so she wanted a viney, organic feel, but still simple and clean.  We printed invitations, place cards, programs and little favor cards on 100% Crane's ecru paper.

You couldn't have imagined that this was someone's backyard--the tents were incredible with ambient lighting, beautiful draping and even AC!  It was a beautiful, elegant affair, but still had that intimate, at-home feel.

Meet the Bride: A Lakeside Wedding in Upstate New York

Hi Everybody!  Meet Lacey and Ron, who just got married in Brant Lake, New York--where Ron's family has had a summer home for years.  This is my kind of wedding--rustic, casual, earthy and down to earth!  Even the torrential rain doesn't put a damper on such a perfect party! 

Here's Lacey to tell you about their wedding in her own words...

 

Ron and I met in the most unlikely setting - a bar. I’m not a big bar person but I was there with a couple girl friends. Ron was alone and waiting for traffic to die down after a business meeting. Despite my skepticism of finding a nice guy in a bar, we went to dinner the following week the rest is history.  We were married 5 years later on May 16, 2009 at Brant Lake, NY. The spot was chosen not just for its beauty for it also has been his family’s summer home spot for almost 30 years. We were married at Jimbo’s Club which is just down the road from the family’s home.

We wanted a very laid back but classy feel. The area is so beautiful that we didn’t need much for décor. We had white lights strung in birch trees and votives in the windows and on the tables. Hydrangeas were the center pieces. My favorite part of the décor was our guest book table where I had pictures of both our parents on their wedding day and pictures of my grandparents on theirs. It added a very personal touch. 

Instead of cake we had apple and pumpkin pie. Our toppers were wood peg people that I bought on Etsy at Naked Peggies. The pie was so unexpected but who doesn’t love pie?!

The most memorable moment was the absolute monsoon that went on from about an hour before the wedding up until 10:00 which was perfect timing because we were still able to have our outdoor bonfire at 10:30-- marshmallows included.

I would suggest that all couples planning a wedding create a website. It was so easy a caveman could do it! Plus it’s cheap and an easy way for everyone to communicate. We used Ewedding for ours.  Also, Don’t be afraid to shop online. I really wanted everything to be unique but it takes too long to physically go from store to store. I did 99% of my shopping/vendor searching online. Our rings and my dress were custom made but the prices were so much cheaper than you might think and the quality is top notch. My dress was made from organic fair traded fabric from Olivia Luca and our rings came from Raru.

Thanks for sharing your ideas and tips with us Lacey--I know all the Etsy peeps and online crafters will appreciate your handmade touches!

Meet the Bride--a Georgia Ranch Wedding

I haven't posted in a while--been enjoying the dog days of summer reading on the deck, taking long walks while listening to Italian instruction on my iPod, and teaching myself how to read Tarot cards--yes, that's true. 

I'm back with a "Meet the Bride" post introducing the wonderfully sweet Margaret and her darling groom Jason.  Margaret found me a while back and called me to discuss hydrangea themed wedding stationery.  We became fast friends through our correspondence--she just oozes southern hospitality and even invited me to come down to the wedding!  Oh,  I wish I had--this was a party to beat all parties!



Margaret and Jason got married on May 30th, 2009 in the chapel on the Frost College campus, and then had a stellar reception for 500 of their nearest and dearest on Jason's huge horse ranch.  I'll let Margaret share some of the details below, in her own words.  Wait til you hear about the engagement!

All of these amazing photos are credited to Jason Spruill.  You can see a slideshow of images here.

Hi, we're Margaret Ellen Thompson and Jason Marion.    We met on a blind date in February 2008.  I am an ob/gyn and he is director of human resources for a large company.  Neither one of us thought we would ever get married.  We were engaged in 7 months and married 15 months from meeting.  My proposal was unique:  Jason is an avid bow hunter, specifically of deer.  We rode his horses to a nearby lake where he had carved a heart in a large tree and had fired his bow into the heart, such that the arrow was sticking out of the heart and my engagement ring was hanging on it from a pink ribbon.  It was the most special day of my life at that point and I was stunned at the unique and very "Jason" way he did it.



We got married in Rome GA at the beautiful Frost chapel on the Berry College campus which looks like it is straight out of the English countryside, sitting on a gorgeous hill.  We had beautiful weather.  Our main goal for the wedding and reception was for everyone to have just a really good, fun time.  I would call the style, rustic but classy.  Highlights included an outdoor reception at his farm, a beer wagon with several taps that people served themselves beer in a mason jar, a three dimensional deer groom's cake for his favorite past time which was an absolute hit because of how unique it was but it was delicious too (made by Kate White of Honeymoon Bakery in Rome GA)!

We wanted really good food with a casual atmosphere so we used Cowboy Grill from my hometown Tallahassee, Florida that serves fresh gulf seafood they fry on premises.  We also had local BBQ so it was good food with a variety. 
 
Advice I could give, would be to splurge on the food.  It is something that everyone remembers and to me, worth it.  We also had a coordinator, Rudy Childs whom we could not have done this without.  He is immensely creative and worked tirelessly to help make our vision of a wedding and reception become a reality.  It is more effort to do your own reception at an original place rather than at a venue where they do everything for you, but it was so worth it to have it at a place truly our own.

Our photographer could not have fit the theme better either.  Jason Spruill of Atlanta is a documetary photographer and so laid back and fun to be with.  He put no pressure on us and just kind of "went with it".  He was awesome. Anyone in the Atlanta metro area or really in the southeast should know about him.



The inspiration for colors and theme was the simple flower hydrangea which is my favorite flower.  we used all shades of blue hydrandgeas mixed with wild flowers for all arrangements.  This theme started with the most gorgeous hydrangea wedding invitations that I found online by Mew Paper Arts.  The thing I liked about the invitations was that they were simply different.  they spoke elegance, uniqueness and fit with our theme of rustic charm.  We have received countless compliments on them.  My dad is an artist and he addressed them all in his calligraphy which was a huge benefit and saved money.
 
A very memorable moment of the day was a simple one.  On the way to our reception which was just me and Jason in his big Ford pick up truck, he said " I am so excited, I can't stand it".  I assumed he meant he was excited about our reception we were headed to so I said "about the reception?" and he said "About our future together".


Congratulations Jason and Margaret, and thanks for sharing the details of your beautiful day with us!

Anne & Mike's Red Damask Wedding Photos

You'll recall the red damask invitation suite I introduced to you the other day, right?  I've been stalking Anne and Mike's photographer's wedding blog this week, and I was ecstatic to see the post of their breathtaking wedding day. Spencer Lum kindly gave me permission to post his incredible work.  And on the subject of Spencer, you NYC area peeps might be interested in his free photography workshop.  Dino and I are in the market for a new camera, and if we get it in time, and there's still room, we may want to participate.

Anyway, onto the wedding porn...normally I like to interview my brides for this series, but since Anne and Mike are currently gallavanting across Africa on a honeymoon safari, I'm going to give my own commentary, though the pictures really speak for themselves, and highlight the work of event designer Danielle Bobish.
 

Anne wore a dress by Junko Yoshioka--she was a vision.  I went through the slide show and she had a gorgeous beaming smile in every shot!  Mike too--what a beautiful couple.  Can we talk about that bouquet--not sure of the florist they used, but is that the most delicious bunch of
flowers you have ever, ever seen?





The tent, overlooking the Hudson River, was decked out in bold red lanterns that looked they were just floating on air!  Besides a traditional wedding cake, there was also a cupcake table to finish off the evening with a sweet finale.

A perfect day, flawlessly executed--a true testament to good planning and impeccable taste!

Meet the Bride--Vintage Glamour in Laguna Beach

Jeanie and Eric--what a couple!  Rugged rock-star charm meets mega-stylish glamour!  You can just imagine how this California wedding went down at Laguna Beach's Seven Degrees--a gorgeous art gallery nestled in the canyons. The edgy, modern space was decked out in lace, florals and pearls!  Read on to hear how Jeanie brought her vision to life for her January 17th, 2009 wedding.

*All wedding photos credited to Nicole Caldwell

MPA:  Introduce yourself and your groom--How'd you meet?  How long have you been together?  What do you do for a living?

Jeanie:  Eric and I met over 9 years ago in college.  It's honestly a little embarrassing to admit this, but we met online on a college website.  We chatted for months before I had the guts to meet him in person when his band was playing a show in the area.  I'm currently the marketing director for Air & Water, Inc. , an online home appliance retailer, and Eric is an account manager. 


MPA:  Was there a theme to your wedding?  What were the major elements of inspiration for designing the event?  Describe some of the décor and the space.

Jeanie:  There wasn't a specific theme to our wedding, but I knew I wanted something edgy, artsy, vintage, modern, yet romantic.  Being that we live right by the beach, there are many beautiful places to get married, but I wanted something different.  After seeing Seven Degrees in person, I knew it would be exactly where we would get married.  The venue advertises itself as a media lab where artists and the public can gather together to explore the arts in different types of media, and that's definitely what it was.  Seeing as Eric and I are both musicians and writers, this venue worked out perfectly for us. 


Most of the wedding services Seven Degrees provided were done "in-house," and I knew they would be able to bring my vision to life.  When I met with the wedding coordinators for the first time, they totally understood my aesthetics.  I love clean lines, pearls, lace, big floral arrangements, and things like that, and they totally delivered.  I was married in front of a bamboo terrace complete with waterfalls and a zen garden.  After the ceremony, guests were brought into the reception room where they saw a slideshow of our engagement photos.  In terms of decor, there were giant trees draped with faux pearls, gardenias, and calla lilies adorning each table.  We also had an awesome ice luge with our monogram engraved on the front as well as a gobo spotlight of our monogram on the gallery's driveway and the dance floor (thanks to Alissa for the design). 


MPA:  What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day and what made it so?

Jeanie:  The entire wedding was memorable, but I think we really enjoyed the speeches and toasts made by my maid of honor and best man.  At that moment, it totally hit us that we were really married and celebrating the event with our relatives and close friends. 

MPA:  Got a favorite vendor—and no, it doesn’t have to be Mew!  If you loved your cake, or your photographer, or your minister tell us why!

Jeanie:  I'd have to thank Mew Paper Arts  for doing such an awesome job on my custom save the dates, invitations, and wedding stationery.  I was so glad that Alissa was able to understand my style and come up with something that was totally "me."
Another vendor I have to recommend is Nicole Caldwell , my photographer.  She was AMAZING!  She took both our engagement and wedding photos and they came out better than I could ever have hoped for.  Her style is definitely very artistic and I liked how most of her shots just seemed to capture the moment.  I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone in the Southern California area looking for a great photographer.
Lastly, Seven Degrees was wonderful.  They truly are an "all-in-one" wedding venue that can create anything you can think of -- seriously! 

MPA:  Got any advice to new brides-to-be?  Any tips on a fabulous place to get wedding shoes?  An amazing harpist for the ceremony?  Shortcut to getting all the bows on the favor bags tied in time?

Jeanie:  My advice is to BUDGET and get all the big stuff like the venue, band, caterer, etc., figured out way in advance.  That leaves you with more time to take care of all the little details during the last leg of planning.  Also, shop around for wedding supplies.  Etsy was such a great resource -- I bought my hairpieces, stationery, gifts, and so much more through the site.  I saved money and it's also a great feeling to be able to support independent artists!

Thanks Jeanie and Eric for sharing an inside look at your wedding day!

Meet the Bride--A Nantucket Wedding at the Beach

*Center photo above credit to Jordi Cabre

This Meet the Bride series is so much fun to write!  I love hearing from my client's after the big event and seeing all the details come together.  Today I'd like to introduce you to Alison Dodd, who just married her sweetie, Keenan Minogue on June 20, 2009.  The ceremony took place at St. Mary's of the Isle church and the New England inspired reception was held at Sankaty Head Golf Club.  They newlyweds are just back from their honeymoon in Ireland!  Wait til you read about how these two met, and the family history behind it!

*All photos are credited to Carey Hazlegrove, except where noted. 

*Photo above left and bottom right credit to Jordi Cabre

MPA:  How did you two lovebirds meet?
Alison:  We met about 8 years ago at my cousin's wedding...we stayed friends (he said i gave him the heisman) and then re-connected almost 3 years ago when he moved to DC to get his MBA at Georgetown. Wierdly enough, his father dated both my dad's sister and my mom's sister. In fact, there is a picture of my dad, his 2 sisters, his brother and Keenan's dad from JFK's inaugural ball! I work as a clinical counselor and Keenan does corporate finance for marriott
 
MPA:  Was there a theme to your wedding?  What were the major elements of inspiration for designing the event?  Describe some of the décor and the space.theme to wedding: simple and classy.
Alison:  We wanted it easy, simple and classy.  There was a basket of flip flops for guests when they arrived at the reception so they could really kick back! The centerpieces were just square glass vases with white hydrangeas and simple votive candles...we splurged on the band Night Market--who were GREAT! everyone loved them and they got everyone on the dance floor-even before dinner! There was a raw bar and sushi bar so that was sort of fun and "beachy"; people could mingle on the golf course right outside the dining area; Sankaty has the best views on earth--a 360 view of the island--ocean! i would say the reception was beach rustic and simple...nothing flashy about it!

 
MPA:  What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day and what made it so?

Alison:  That might be either when i forgot my lines for the vows and i had to ask the priest to start over; not sure what Keenan would say! We were lucky because the week and even morning leading up to the wedding was typical island weather--cold rainy and windy...but the sun broke through at around 11 and it was beautiful and sunny for the rest of the day!  We have a 175 lb. Newfie (New Foundland) named Atticus who is our child. who we definitely wanted included in pics. He met us at Brant Point Beach and had pics taken there. He had a collar with daffodils around it...we only got about 2 pics because he made a mad dash for the water!

 
MPA:  Go ahead and give a shout out to one of your favorite vendors--if you loved your cake, or your photographer, or your minister tell us why!

Alison:  I would have to say Jodi Levesque--the woman who made our cakes--the cake was AMAZING--I mean, not your typical wedding cake. In fact there is a pic of Keenan and I taking our first bite of the cake and looking at each other like "omg, this is ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD!"...she was so nice, easy to work with, helpful, sweet! And of course our invites by Mew were a total hit! The mad lib reply card was HYSTERICAL! and we are saving them ALL--what a great keepsake!

 
MPA:  Got any advice to new brides-to-be?  Any tips on a fabulous place to get wedding shoes?  An amazing harpist for the ceremony?  Shortcut to getting all the bows on the favor bags tied in time?

Alison:  Definitely hire at minimum, a day of wedding coordinator--we had Jimmy  who was phenomenal--hekept things moving,  kept the peace, and was literally a life saver and worth his weight in gold!
 
Thanks for sharing your day with us, Alison, and best wishes to you and Keenan!