Now I am without doubt a huge fan of the letter. Traditional though it may be, and internet addict though I am, nothing beats a satisfying thud of quality stationery landing on the door mat, especially if it’s a wedding invitation.

Now, while most people are wondering what the bride will be wearing, I’m wondering about the invitation. If I’m lucky enough to be clutching a save the date I’ll be tantalized by the tease of a subtle introduction to a theme, a colour scheme, a whisper of the day ahead. I breath in the quality, feel the weight in my hands, run my fingers across the embossing or letterpress. So you can see that an outing at the DWS sampling all that is invitation perfection was a small slice of heaven for me.

My first stop was Hello! Lucky, a San Francisco based company now extending their line to the UK. They bring the American trend for letterpress stationery bang up to date with super cute, super cool, invitation suites in up to the minute colour schemes. For the bride looking for a quirky alternative to the traditional invitation there is sure to be something to suit.
Designs range from modern skyline silhouettes for the city bride to vintage florals and country inspired patterns.

Wren Press used to be one of THE places to go to for classic traditional stationery with the highest quality card and engraving used to create a picture of elegance. They still do this well but in recent years have branched out into some more modern interpretations of the classic invitation featuring bold use of colour contrasting with traditional fonts. I particularly liked the lighter inks used on coloured cards, classic chic from the very first glance.

A new and exciting find for me was Dragonfly stationery, again offering letterpress stationery with a couture and bespoke option. Although offering some more modern designs and patterns that would be well suited to a multicultural wedding in vibrant jewel tones, for me the winners amongst the range were the delicate, 2 inked florals. The delicate letter press really set off the intricate yet clean motifs and there was nothing twee about these sophisticated florals. Innovative fonts and soft tones made Dragonfly Couture really stand out in a sea of superior stationery.

Lastly, and the most exciting find of all was Martine Rupert Designs. An illustrator and graphic designer, Martine offers the utmost in personalization creating a bespoke illustration featuring the colours, themes and even vintage photographs important to you as a couple. I was blown away by the complete and unadulterated prettiness of these invitations and the idea that each and every one would be completely different. Working perfectly with imagery of a local landmark or venue I imagined these invitations for a wedding in France or Italy, or a vintage tea party themed affair closer to home, oozing subtle elegance and originality.

Yours Truly

Contra xoxo

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