Posts in Stationery
Commissions: Farmyard Wedding Season

I am not sure about you, but in my world the months between June and September are Wedding Central over here. Which means I've been busy and did a few commissions for wedding invites! Because life has been a bit overwhelming lately (as you've been able to read all about in my last two journal updates on this blog), I've taken very few external commissions, so these are all for friends and family. 


Hester & Rutger: Natural Minimalist

The first set of invites were for my very own brother and (now) sister in law! Now, this wasn't an easy commission. I did their engagement party invite a while ago, but they wanted something quite different this time around. The bride, who is a photographer and quite creative herself, actually had a very clear idea of what she wanted and had sketched it all out, but I just couldn't make it work. The style wasn't a fit for mine and it just looked awkward. Fortunately, they had a quite elaborate Pinterest board set up, which I then translated into this minimalist nature-inspired card. It was a perfect fit for their gorgeous and relaxed Dutch farm wedding (pictures on their photographer's blog here). I also did a few extra bits for them: a separate invite for dinner, and empty notecards for personal messages to each one of the guests. 


Hannah & Ed: A Countryside Wedding

The second invite I worked on was for my dear friends Hannah & Ed. I met Hannah a few years ago at work and we've been fast friends ever since. She's a one of a kind, and one of the kindest people I know. She also is Mrs. British Countryside herself, who has acted as my guide to British culture and countryside over these past few years. Her wedding took place in their gorgeous local village church, followed by a feast in a tent set up in the field by the dairy farm they live on. The entire tent was decorated with vintage farmyard equipment (her husband is a mechanic), hay bales, and hops. Hops are local to the area and also featured heavily in the designs I did for them. 

I did a few extra bits for them as well, including the Order of Service booklets, and custom wine labels! I managed to bring a few bottles home (for the portfolio, of course), and let me just say I am definitely open for more commissions like these. Wine label designer, could that be a full time job?


Dirk & Sabine: A WACOM TABLET WITH FEELINGS

This final commission I almost feel bad for including here, as I don't feel like I properly designed this one. The bride and groom (my brother and sister in law) had this design all sketched out and just needed someone to turn this into reality, which I did. The only credit I will take is picking out the font, which is different from what they originally picked. Still, they were happy with the designs and ultimately that is why I love designing wedding invites: you get to be a special part of people's celebrations. 

Hope you enjoyed that update! 
If you're interested in commissioning a wedding invite or save the date, please do send me a message or check out my Etsy shop

Review: Paperless Post
NB: This post was sponsored by Paperless Post. Thanks, guys!

You guys know I love my stationery and I love sending people cards - for birthdays, new homes, births, or just to let them know I'm thinking about them. Often, however, my cards or letters never make it to their intended recipient. Why? Because I'm too busy (lazy) to go to the post office. So when Paperless Post, a website and app for online invites and stationery, approached me to try their services, I was intrigued. Here's my review!

The Designs

The first thing that stood out to me are the designs. There are designer collections, created by well known designers like Kate Spade (very fun), Emily McDowell, or my favorite Rifle Paper Co, but also a bunch of designers and illustrators that I had never heard of but really loved (Little Cube, for example).

You're able to fully customize the cards any way you like - from the color of the background, the lining, lettering, and 'stamp and postmark'. I really enjoyed playing around with this part, so much so, that in one case I actually forgot to edit the template copy and sent my beloved husband a note ending in 'XOXO Cliff'.

One more note on the designs - even though the cards are digital, they have a 'real' look to them, which makes them feel more special than other e-cards. 

Events and Tracking

One thing I haven't yet had a chance to try is using Paperless Post as an event planning service. When I was pregnant, however, a dear friend organized a baby shower for me, and she used Paperless Post to invite the guests and get people to RSVP. It was a perfect option as it definitely would have been over the top for her to design and send out paper invites, and the rsvp functionality made it really easy for us to see who had and hadn't opened their invite, and who was and wasn't coming. 

I can imagine not everyone would be interested in using an online service to send out their wedding invites, but I was very charmed by their 'wedding weekend stationery', which allows people to design everything from welcome letters, to menus, and programs. Smart move, because getting everything printed can be a hassle (especially when you leave it last minute). And although I haven't tried this, apparently you can also order some of the cards and stationery to be printed and (rush-) shipped to your home. 

The Verdict

As a wedding and baby shower card designer, I obviously don't feel like it can fully replace the look and feel of stationery 100% customized to your wishes (printed on deliciously heavy paper with a sandy texture, yummm), but I all in all, I liked Paperless Post a lot more than I thought I would. It's a great and charming option if you want to send someone a quick note, congratulations, or organize a get together and keep track of your guests. The cards are beautiful and the interface is easy and fun to use for both sender and recipient. It feels really special, and I definitely will be using Paperless Post more often going forward - especially when organizing a brunch, baby shower, or other event (Jacob's first birthday party? Eek!).

Have you tried Paperless Post yet? What were your thoughts?