Friendsgiving Shoot at Phineas Wright House | Bolton, Massachusetts

Great company, delicious food, a big barn, and chickens… I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that, does it? I’m so excited to share this amazing Friendsgiving Dinner and styled shoot that I recently collaborated on with some amazing ladies. Planners Kate and Kelly worked wonders in bringing together the vision and styling for the shoot. Although I wasn’t able to make it on shoot day, I’m still swooning at the amazing images from photographers Meredith and Madeline.

We wanted a clean, classic look to the stationery. I chose some beautifully muted green envelopes to bring in the color. A touch of calligraphy and some watercolor greenery added a little soft whimsy to the overall look. The rest of the design used simple, classic typography throughout with lots of white space.

I don’t think it gets anymore gorgeous, and perfectly autumnal than this. Along with the local resident chickens, there were mini pies, cocktails by Little Bitte, cozy accessories by Wool & Whiskey, and the perfect fall florals by Field & Vase and Weatherlow Farms.

So sit back in a comfy chair with a warm, delicious drink and take a look at all this gorgeousness! Also make sure to see the full list of vendors below!

Ready to create gorgeous wedding stationery together?

The Process of Custom Wedding Stationery

What’s the difference between custom wedding stationery and something from a “big box” company like Wedding Paper Divas or Minted? That’s one of the questions I hear the most from brides, friends and family who don’t know the process of designing custom paper.

When a couple comes to Lilliput Design Studio for their wedding paper goods, they  get something big box invitation companies can’t provide: one-on-one service. A designer that’s ready and eager to make their paper dreams come true. A custom invitation suite that’s completely unique to the wedding and the couple, infused with your personalities. And a friendly, helping hand to guide you through the ins-and-outs of wedding invitations. I’ll help you with everything from choosing the ideal printing method to the etiquette of addressing your envelopes.

Want to know a little more about the process? Here’s a little overview of what goes into your heirloom stationery…

Gathering Inspiration
The first step is to gather inspiration for your wedding invitations. A mood board will capture the perfect feel. We’ll work on creating a color palette, choosing typefaces, and suggesting different kinds of paper, and print methods.

 

Starting the Design Process
Once we have a good idea of the direction we want to go in, we’ll start laying out your custom design. Lilliput Design Studio generally provides a few “rough draft” options to choose from. We’ll tweak things in the design with a few revision rounds until we have the perfect piece.

 

The Finishing Touch
Delicate silk ribbon or twine. A vellum overlay. The perfect envelope liner. Vintage stamps. Together we’ll select the perfect details that will bring even more personality to your wedding invitations.

 

An Heirloom to Treasure
All of the steps will come together to our final masterpiece… A stationery suite that’s perfectly tailored to your wedding, your personality, and that you’ll treasure for years to come.

Your wedding is unique, so let’s word together to create timeless, heirloom-worthy stationery for one of the most important days of your life!

Ready to create gorgeous wedding stationery together?

Wedding Stationery Timeline

If you’re recently engaged (and anything like me) you’ve almost immediately started to gather inspiration for your big day. I’m sure you’ve got a ton of ideas, along with a ton of QUESTIONS! One of the trickiest parts of planning can be figuring out when you should start working on your wedding stationery. When should you mail Save the Dates? When do I need to send out invitations for a destination wedding?

Lilliput Design Studio to the rescue! I’ve put together handy–and hopefully simple to understand–timeline for wedding stationery, starting from the moment you get engaged…

Wedding Stationery Timeline by Lilliput Design Studio

12 MONTHS + | You’re Engaged!
He popped the question! He put a ring on it! Huzzah! Whether you have the whole day planned out in your wedding dream book, or whether you haven’t thought about your day at all… It’s time to at least start thinking about what you’d like your wedding to be like.

11-10 MONTHS | Find a Designer
Take the time to think about what design style you’d like for your wedding invitations, and look into designers that fit that style. Look at websites, social media, blogs, etc. to get a good feel for what you want and make sure that the designer’s aesthetic matches your own, or at least comes close. Learn about their design process for wedding stationery, what inspires them… You want to work with someone you like and trust!

9 MONTHS | Start Your Save the Dates
Once you’ve chosen a designer, you should start working on your Save the Date design. This obviously depends on a few factors… A couple of them are knowing your wedding date and venue and whether you want an engagement photo in your Save the Date.

8-6 MONTHS | Mail the Save the Dates
Time to send your Save the Dates! You want to send these out early enough to give your guest enough time to make any plans, especially if you’re having a destination wedding! This is the first piece of wedding stationery your guests will receive, so it’s a great “first impression” for the tone of your wedding.

5 MONTHS | Design the Wedding Invitation
When you’re about 5 months out from your wedding day, it’s time to start working on the design for your pièce de résistance: the wedding invitation suite. This will consist of your main invitation, your response cards, and the details card. Your designer will also work with you on any additional items that will add a special flair to your wedding stationery, like a creating a custom wax seal, or finding the perfect silk ribbon. Some people might think 5 months is a little early, but remember that getting your design absolutely perfect will take a few rounds of edits. Some more complicated printing techniques can also take a little longer in production. Always better to have your stationery in hand early!

4 MONTHS | Get Your Addresses Ready
If you haven’t already, make sure you have all your mailing addresses up to date and formatted for the designer or calligrapher. (You should have the majority from your Save the Date mailing!) Lilliput Design Studio provides each bride with a specially formatted spreadsheet, making addressing envelopes a breeze. We’ll also help you with the tricky, tricky process that is formal addressing formats! Did you know that you aren’t supposed to abbreviate a medical doctor’s title? Now you know!

2-3 MONTHS | Mail Your Wedding Invitations
It’s time to mail out your wedding invitations! Plan to have your invitations in guests’ hands at least 6 weeks before your wedding. If you’re having a destination wedding, aim for three months, so guests have time to make any travel arrangements and book hotels.

8 WEEKS | Day-Of Design Starts
Any stationery item for your wedding day should start being designed a couple of months out… Seating charts or escort cards, menus, drink signs, etc.

4-3 WEEKS | Rehearsal Dinner Invitations Go Out
Time to send out the invitations for your rehearsal dinner. Lilliput Design’s more complete stationery package includes Bridal Shower and Rehearsal Dinner invitations! These can be a little more casual, and fun. We had a BBQ rehearsal for our wedding!

THE BIG DAY
Enjoy this amazing moment in your lives! So much love and celebration for the start of your lives together!

WITHIN 4 MONTHS
Remember to send out your Thank You cards! There’s nothing more thoughtful than a handwritten note from the bride & groom. It’s even better if you include a favorite photo from your wedding day in the design!

Ready to create gorgeous wedding stationery together?

Classic Blush & Gold Wedding

event photography: 1313 Photography | stationery photography: lilliput design studio

“And you know we could do better than anything that we did
You know that you and me, we could do anything”
– Dave Matthews Band

This couple. There are so many wonderful things I can say about these two, but I’ll be brief so we’re not here all day. Nicolle and Rodrigo are two of my very favorite people in the world. They’re the kind of people that make you feel so comfortable and welcome that it’s like you’ve known each other your whole life the minute you meet them.

Their wedding was on a sunny November day in Miami. The reception was at the University of Miami Student Center ballroom, which was so perfect because we all met while we were students at UM! Lush blush and white bouquets decorated the tables and the room was filled with a gorgeous golden glow. We wanted the invitations to be timeless, but not stuffy. The letterpress and gold foil invitations were complemented by soft blush envelopes. We made sure to include some fun details and kept the calligraphy traditional with a touch of modern. (“Dinner & Dancing” in the corner was one of my favorite little touches.)

I was lucky enough to be part of their wedding as a stationer and as a bridesmaid. (That’s a very pregnant me in the wedding party picture above!) The day was just as joyful, exciting, and emotional as I knew it would be. They danced to You and Me, by Dave Matthews Band, and I can’t imagine a more perfect song to encapsulate their relationship. They also had one of the cutest cake toppers I’ve ever seen.

Congratulations again, Nicky and Rodrigo!! Here’s to many more years of love and friendship!

Photography: 1313 Photography | Venue: University of Miami
Hair & Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Jessie | Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids: Alfred Angelo | Church: St. Agatha Catholic Church, Miami, Florida

Romantic Vineyard Wedding

wedding photography: nicodem creative | wedding stationery photography: lilliput design studio

“To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that’s everything.”
– T. Tolis

As a wedding stationery designer, there’s nothing like finding a couple whose style is in perfect harmony with your own. It’s even better when that couple is family! I was absolutely honored to create wedding stationery for my brother-in-law, Chris, and his lovely wife, Kasia and I’m so excited to share it with you!

This sweet couple exchanged vows on a gorgeous summer day at Brotherhood Winery. The winery estate is lush, classic, and incredibly romantic. We wanted that feeling to come across in their wedding invitations. Thick cotton paper, flowing calligraphy, the classic beauty of letterpress, and rich wine colored envelopes were a perfect intro to the mood of the event for all the guests.

Guests at the hotel received a custom printed favor bag filled with goodies and a schedule of events for the weekend. We added some softness to the place settings with menus that were hand-stamped on linen. Their favors were beautiful little bottles of homemade limoncello with tags showing off their custom monogram.

All in all, it was a perfect start to this beautiful chapter in their lives. Congratulations again, Chris and Kasia!!

Photography: Nicodem Creative | Venue: Brotherhood Winery
Event Planner: Simply Chic Wedding Events and Design | Florals: Laurelwood Designs/Laurie Lutrell
Bridesmaids: Jenny Yoo | Jewelry: BHLDN |  Suits: Combatant Gentlemen | bow ties: Brooks Brothers
Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan | Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden
Church: West Side Presbyterian, Ridgewood, NJ

Bespoke Wedding Stationery
& Brand Design

Serving New England, South Florida
& worldwide

hello@lilliputdesign.com | 305 482 1619