Invitations: Hoi + Nick

When it came time to design wedding invitations for Hoi and Nick, they asked only that the invitations reflect their wedding colors: purple and pink. I remember that Hoi mentioned to me that her bouquet would include roses and calla lilies, so I decided to use that as a springboard for their invitation design. I drew some illustrations of various floral elements, and then "arranged" them in different ways for each part of their invitation suite.

Many of Hoi and Nick's relatives are Chinese-speaking. so they requested for the invitation to be bilingual. We worked together to finalize and lay out the text, and then decided the best way to present the different pieces would be to use an envelopment. The additional information cards were enclosed inside the envelopment, and after the envelopment was tied with a ribbon, it was placed in an outer envelope. 

Hoi and Nick were thrilled with the final product, and hearing that from them just made my day. :) 

Here are all the pieces printed and ready to be shipped to H+N, who put the invitations together themselves. And here's a look at their complete invitation suite and some details.

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Hoi's Bridal Shower Invitation

When I think of my friend Hoi, the first thing that pops into my mind is mango!  She loves all things mango (which is why I threw her a mango party in a box for her birthday), and one of her favorite things to say is, "Aloha," so when it came time to think of a theme for her bridal shower, Hawaiian/beach-themed was an obvious choice. :)

For her invitations, I tried to put an elegant spin on the usual tropical theme by combining script fonts with soft pastel colors.  I threw in a touch of gold for an extra luxe feel.

Hoi's shower was just last weekend, and we had a blast!  I'll share pictures soon in another post. 

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Wedding Photography + Stationery Giveaway Finalists

The finalists have been announced for Shang's amazing wedding photography giveaway! Go read the love stories of five fabulous couples and cast your vote for your favorite on Shang's blog.

Don't forget the grand prize winner also gets a $200 credit toward custom stationery design and paper products from Lavender's Blue!

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Wedding Photography + Stationery Giveaway

I'm really excited to tell you about a fabulous giveaway my friend Shang has started over at ShangChenPhoto! It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Shang's work (she did such an amazing job on our engagement and wedding pics!), but I haven't really had a chance to mention how much I've been inspired by her courage and determination to pursue her dreams. My admiration only deepened all the more when she recently told me she was planning to give away an entire wedding photography package! Her grand prize includes not only full-day wedding photography coverage, but also an engagement session, guest book, print credit, and a $400 travel credit! The grand prize will go to "an awesome couple who has an extraordinary love story." There will also be something for the runner up!

I think it's wonderful that Shang is so passionate about giving back in such a generous and meaningful way. And so when she invited me to partner with her in this giveaway, I was absolutely honored and excited about the opportunity to participate. Included in Shang's grand prize package, I'm excited to announce, is a $200 credit toward custom stationery design and paper products from Lavender's Blue!

I've learned from my own journey that wedding stationery is what sets the tone for the big day, with the save-the-date cards and invitations (and oftentimes, a corresponding website) being the first things that your guests see long before the wedding arrives. I've worked with several couples in the past to do custom wedding stationery, and the collaboration process is always a privilege for me. I appreciate people opening themselves to me, sharing their vision and dreams with me, and trusting me with their stories. My task is to find a design that will, at a glimpse, convey some of the depth and beauty in each couple's unique journey. It's been such a treat creating looks for the playful romantics that Esther and Ben are, Karina and Bryan's refined elegance, and Cathy and Daniel's bright and sweet personalities. And to the lucky couple who will win Shang's grand prize, I'm really looking forward to getting to know you and working together to tell your story.

Do you know somebody who might be interested in this giveaway? For eligibility and complete details on how to enter, visit Shang's blog here. And be sure to spread the word!

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Cathy + Daniel Wedding Invitations

Cathy contacted me several months ago, asking me if I'd be interested and willing to help design the invitations and stationery for her September wedding at the New York Botanical Garden. I was only too happy to oblige, and so we worked closely together for the next few months to put together her complete invitation suite and coordinating stationery products!

Cathy mentioned that her friends often referred to her and Dan as being "two peas in a pod," so she really wanted that image conveyed in her wedding stationery. We played around with a couple of different designs, and in the end, Cathy chose this one! Here's a look at their complete stationery set:


Some photographs of the invitations:







My friend Shang was a guest at Cathy and Dan's wedding, and she so kindly shared these photos with me to show you. (Can you believe she took these with just her point and shoot?!)


Cathy and Dan, it was such a pleasure working with you! Congratulations and best of luck to you as you begin your new life together.

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Aileen & CT Wedding

A couple weeks back, we attended the wedding of our good friends Aileen & CT. Their wedding was held at the gorgeous Crystal Cathedral, designed by architect Philip Johnson. Beautiful California sunshine filtered gently through the sanctuary's 10,000 panes of glass and filled the entire space with breathtakingly beautiful light. It was the perfect setting for a wedding!

Aside from being really warm, caring people, Aileen and CT are some of smartest, most talented people I know - they dance, they sing, they play musical instruments (extremely well), they cook, and they're super smart! So, of course it's no surprise that they are also artistically gifted. :) I believe CT did all of the awesome graphic design work for their wedding himself! Here's a look at their invitations and wedding stationery:

wedding invitation suite

ceremony program

place cards - Aileen did the calligraphy for all 300 of the name cards herself! (Didn't I tell you she was talented!?)

Unfortunately, I didn't get to take too many pictures of the wedding details that day because I was helping out behind the scenes. But trust me, it was gorgeous! Aileen's parents have a florist friend who did most of the flower arrangements, and she did such a beautiful job. Aileen and several of her friends and family helped out in making centerpieces and boutonnieres too! I helped out with the bridesmaid bouquets and as one of the coordinators for the day.

Here are a few pictures that I was able to get from the wedding:

When I was young, I went to so many Chinese weddings with my family (I was actually the flower girl for most of them because my dad always officiated) and we would eat so many Chinese wedding banquets, that I quickly grew quite tired of them. I think I haven't been to a Chinese wedding banquet in over 15 years now, so I was REALLY happy to eat Chinese food again!

crab claws

shark fin soup

lobster

with the newly married couple

Congrats, Aileen & CT! :)

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Jessi + Isaac Wedding

A couple weekends back, Dean and I attended the wedding of our long-time high school friend, Jessi, at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach. Jessi actually moved to Cali from AZ as well, so we've been lucky enough to see her occasionally. Jessi and her sister are both really crafty and have excellent taste, so it was no surprise to me that all the details of her wedding day were planned and executed perfectly!

Since Jessi and Isaac have had a long-distance relationship for the majority of their time together, it was entirely appropriate that the wedding was travel-themed. (He even proposed to her on an airplane!)

The invitations were designed to look like boarding pass pamphlets with an airplane ticket and seating assignments inside.

modern black jacket paired with purple and silver

information + rsvp cards

love the attention to detail - our RSVP code was the seat number, "4D4E"

programs (stripey background was my dress)

probably my favorite part of the wedding - the programs contained instructions to fold a paper airplane to shower the newlyweds with as they walk back up the aisle!

aisle runner

pew flowers

seating name cards: all the tables were named after airports - we were at JFK!

beautiful centerpieces with table name cards resembling airline badges (notice how the wire is shaped like an airplane too!)

photobooth fun

and the favors: luggage tags (genius!)

with the bride + groom

Congrats, Jessi + Issac! Thanks for letting us share your wedding day with you - we had a fabulous time! Hope to see you both more often now that we're all in Cali. :)

*For more pictures from their wedding, click here.

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