Natalie and Dan's Elegant Houston Wedding

Some of you may remember Natalie's Save the Date that I posted about last year. Well, I finally had time to photograph her elegant wedding suite with the time and devotion it deserved. 

Natalie and Dan were such a pleasure to work with. Not only were they fun and kind; they also had a very specific look in mind for their big day which required a lot of creative brainstorming and fun design elements. They really wanted an invitation suite that mimicked the formal elegance of the cathedral where they got married, but was also completely unique to them as a couple. In the end, we pulled out all the stops: gold foil, custom liners, blind printed embellishments, edge painting, etc. I know I am slightly biased, but I think the end result is stunning! I hope you enjoy.

The wedding invitation with the custom liner printed on metallic paper.

This image doesn't do the full suite justice: you miss all the blind printed scroll detail, but I do love the simple elegance of each piece. 

A close-up of the gold foil monograms and the embellishments.

I really loved the details on the wedding detail card.

The full suite was held together with a simple gold belly band.

Natalie and Dan's custom monogram helped tie all the pieces together throughout the wedding. It was used throughout the suite, on the Save the Dates, on her Rehearsal Dinner invitations and all of her Day-of Wedding Paper. Hopefully they will continue to use it in their married life.

A close up of the blind printed embellishments.

The final touch of gold edge painting helped add another bit of shimmer and elegance. 

Laura & Andy's Chicago Inspired Wedding

Many of you know how much I love my adopted home of Chicago, so when Laura and Andy approached me about designing a modern Chicago invitation suite for their summer wedding I was beyond thrilled. This invitation design was an absolute blast to work on. Mainly because Laura was an incredible and gracious client who knew what she wanted but was open to my creative inspiration. Plus, I was able to explore, manipulate and finesse Chicago photography (both new and old) so it would be letterpress ready. We printed all the pieces of her suite on thick cotton paper in charcoal gray letterpress. The details of the photography turned out beautifully and helped set the tone for their city wedding. I hope you enjoy!

The main invitation was pretty classic in style and look, so we added a modern custom liner to jazz it up a bit. 

Each piece in the suite focused on a different Chicago view: the skyline, Navy Pier and the famous Chicago Theater. 

The details in the Chicago Theater Sign really shined with letterpress printing.

I absolutely adored working through typography on this invitation. Can we say, "fun!"

We also did digitally printed rehearsal dinner invitations and day-of designs that coordinated with the letterpress invitation suite.

The simple program was the final design touch before the amazing couple became "Mr. & Mrs."

Classic Elegance: Brooke & Adriel's Wedding Suite

Brooke and Adriel tied the knot in a beautiful and fun wedding in San Diego last May. Can you believe that I was working on these invitations last year at this time? I am SO behind in posting new work, and hope (that with the help of my new camera) I will get everything up for the world to see in the next month or so. 

Back to the invitations at hand...

Brooke and Adriel wanted a simple and sleek invitation that combined classic elegance that wasn't stuffy at all with their fun and carefree outlook on life. You may remember their save the dates from awhile ago. They both appreciate good design and tiny details, which made the process incredibly fun. We tried some new things, kept some things traditional, and had a lot of fun along the way. I hope you enjoy!

The invitation is very traditional and printed with black letterpress and a gold foil custom monogram on extra thick cotton paper.

In order to add a bit more elegance (and to mimic Brooke's incredible dress and veil), we designed a lace vellum overlay with a black grosgrain ribbon as a belly band. 

A close-up of their custom monogram.

Brooke and Adriel did an online RSVP, so the insert for their wedding suite was an invitation to their Lime, a traditional Trinidadian celebration. The Lime was going to be a joyous, social and celebratory occasion for all the guests and the invite needed to mimic the party. We printed the invite on a bright purple paper with a matte gold foil. It coordinated with the invitation, but definitely encompassed its own personality.

The Lime invitation added a modern and playful flair to the formal suite. 

 The final touch to the invitation was a shimmery black liner that helped tie everything together.

The Creativity Exchange Redesign & More Free Printables

Have I ever told you all how lucky I am? I really think I may have the best clients in the whole entire world. Not only do they have great visions for the projects we embark on; they also allow me to explore my creative freedom to find the best possible solution for them.

Cyndy of the Creativity Exchange is one of those amazing clients. We have worked together for a couple of years now doing everything from a blog design, to collateral, to a blog redesign. She constantly brings new and innovative ideas to the table, and always encourages my creativity and unique vision. I don't think I can say enough how thankful I am to work for with her.

We (with lots of wonderful help and support from Tony of Evenpar Solutions) launched her new blog look last night. Cyndy really wanted to simplify the overall look of her site. She wanted something that was modern but still had a "hands-on" feel to it. I love the way the site turned out and especially love the photo header for each of the blog's sections. Cyndy's blog is a fun one to read. She always has great crafts, delicious recipes and home decorating tips. Plus her Tree Cones are AMAZING!!! Make sure you check it out!

A few weeks ago Cyndy asked if she could do a feature on Chena Design. Of course, I immediately said yes!!! She posted the feature today. It is kind beyond words, and I am so grateful for everything she said about my little company and my design work.  In exchange for the feature, I provided a new and exclusive set of Christmas printables for her readers. If you are in need of some holiday gift tags, please download these on her site! I hope you enjoy.

New Design: Alison & Tony's Architectural Wedding

When Alison and Tony contacted me about designing their wedding invitations, I immediately knew they were going to be perfect clients. As a couple they are down to earth, smart and incredibly kind, and as clients they brought those wonderful traits along with a love for paper, details, and a willingness to go outside-the-box to the custom invitation process. (Not to mention, the mother-of-the-bride was beyond amazing, and one of the best mom wedding planners I have ever met).

The couple got married in the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, an architectural beauty in downtown Chicago. From the beginning of our design process, they envisioned the building playing into their wedding paper. The structural and unique lines became the main visual element in every piece of the suite (along with all the day-of design). The overall look was modern, but by using more traditional typography we added in a classic touch. In the end, the letterpress printing, cotton paper, and attention to detail combined with the architectural theme helped build joyous anticipation for Alison and Tony's big day. Enjoy!

  Close up of the response card and detail card.

 The structural lines on the invitation implied the height and strength of the venue.

 

 The entire suite: invitation, response card, detail card, and thank you stationery.

All of the day-of paper also matched the invitation suite. The program was the main element, but we also did signage, table numbers, escort cards and much more. 

New Design: Stylish Patina Revamp

visit the site

I am very excited to introduce the new look and feel of Stylish Patina (an awesome blog about painted furniture, vintage finds, decorating and more). Tony, of Evenpar Solutions, and I first designed Kelly's page a little over a year ago, but she was ready to update and simplify. I was thrilled to work on her new site, and am extremely happy at the way it turned out. We are still working on a few new buttons and such, but the site is about 90% done. The new look is pretty different from the original design. This site is clean, streamlined and modern with a bit of vintage flare. In my opinion, it is a perfect visual representation of Kelly and all her work.

And, for those of you in the DC area, Kelly's monthly barn sale is this weekend! I wish I lived closer because the stuff for sale is ADORABLE!!!

The Stars at Night...

...are big and bright. Deep in the Heart of Texas!

I have been in Texas for the last few days and it has made me a little nostalgic for home. Over the weekend, I visited my brother in San Marcos and then attended a wedding for Reid's cousin in Austin. It was a jam-packed weekend filled with good food and lots of quality family time.

In honor of my "Heart of Texas" trip, I thought I would share a few pieces of Texas typography today. I hope you enjoy!

This piece is my absolute favorite. It was done by GSD&M for a Texas tourism campaign. 

If you are from Texas (like me) it is pretty awesome.  

 

I adore the hand lettering in the above stationery set from etsy.

The type on this one is in stark contrast to the others, but I like the simplicity and modernity.