My little sister got hitched back in October and it was only natural that I would design the printed items for her beautiful, southern California wedding. She wanted her main colors to be navy blue and ivory with lots of lace. Accent colors were a Fall palette in orange, red and gold. Her wedding gown and the bridesmaid gowns had lots of lace too.
First, for a save-the-date, we paid homage to how Michael proposed to Jackie.
He convinced her they were participating in a road trip scavenger hunt that took them all over southern California and then up the coast to northern California. They ended the hunt and spent the weekend with our parents where he got down on one knee and popped the question in front of our family... and admitted that the scavenger hunt was a ruse and an excuse to drive up to the Bay Area.
Every red dot represents a stop on the scavenger hunt.
On the back I turned the silhouette of the state into a photo collage from when Michael proposed.
When it was time to design invitations, Jackie wanted to use lace along with their colors. She loved the invitations I created for Erin & John and wanted a similar vibe.
We went with gate fold cards in Cobalt from Cards and Pockets and they were held closed by a circle that we designed using the same lace motif.
Michael requested that I include a graphic of a samurai sword to represent the honor code he follows with martial arts. He and his groomsmen all carried swords in the wedding ceremony too, it was pretty rad.
For the big day itself, we created a lot of fun items! First, each of the guest tables was named after a submission move in jujitsu. Jackie and Michael posed in each move and took photos of them all, with Jackie in the winning position.
The rest of the photos from this post were taken by the very talented Katie Jackson.
Then, we printed escort cards for each guest directing them where to sit. The folded cards were color coded to indicate to the catering staff what menu item they were having for dinner.
Jackie (a Lifetime Girl Scout) wanted the favors to be Girl Scout Cookies and Michael was more than happy to agree. They each chose their favorite cookie (Thin Mints and Samoas) and placed a couple in individual boxes, each with their own unique label.
"Love Samoa" and "Mint to Be," get it?!
This was the sign that adorned their sweetheart table.
We created a bunch of signs that were placed throughout the reception venue:
Side note: Jackie and Michael had no idea what they wanted to use for a guestbook. They weren't thrilled about a book that just listed everyone's names, and they don't have space in their home to hang a big print on the wall with everyone's names. I told her I'd take care of it (two weeks before the wedding!). I took all of the engagement photos taken by Katie Jackson and made them into a photobook that had lots of white space on the pages, like a yearbook. That way people could leave their well wishes wherever they wanted. With a coupon through Shutterfly the book was less about $35. This is by far, my favorite way to do a guestbook. I did it for my wedding and I still sometimes thumb through our book almost 10 years later.
Back to photos!
A table set aside in memory of the family and close friends who couldn't be there. This is what the sign says:
In Loving Memory
Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed,
And very dear.
"Life is Short, Eat Dessert First" Jackie doesn't care for cake, so they had wedding pie!! The light-up letters were a last-minute thing too, I love how they turned out!
It was truly an honor to get to design all of these for my little sister and I'm so thrilled with how it all turned out. It was an honor to stand beside you as you said "I do," congratulations!!
A last little gem from Katie Jackson, she really captured our relationship here. Hahaha!