This is by far, one of my favorite projects this year (I know I say that all the time - but really, I have a lot of favorites!). Amy and Jon planned an elegant destination wedding in Hawaii that took place this last weekend. Their invitation suite reflected the tropical setting they would wed in but also reflected the elegance Amy and Jon hoped to achieve in their event.

The invitations, enclosure, and envelopes are letterpressed in two colors on 100% cotton paper. You may not be able to tell from the photos, but the type is actually an antique gold color that is quite stunning in person.

A quick note - there are so many invitations we have completed this year that we have not had the chance to post yet! As we head into a slightly slower wedding season we’ll try to catch up and show off as many as we can in the next couple of months!

We’ve been mentioned this week on a couple of great blogs, including Style Me Pretty, Eco-Chic Weddings, and Brooklyn Bride. Thanks everyone!

The phone rings. A voice on the other end exclaims, “I’m getting married! Let’s meet for lunch!” I cringe as I consider the months ahead. This sensation is not new. I start to reflect on the bridesmaid dresses gathering dust in the back of my closet…dresses that represent an investment of $1200+ that I feasibly could have put towards a dream European vacation or even an IRA! Dollar signs run through my mind uncontrollably as I reflect on the wedding process: the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, the bridal showers, the girl weekends, etc.

My career? Professional bridesmaid.

I have years of bridesmaid experience under my belt. At 6 years of age I had my first wedding encounter as a flower girl. Little did I know that it was only the beginning of a life dedicated to weddings. Am I married myself? No. Am I planning on getting married soon? Not necessarily. Are those the 2 questions I am asked consistently at weddings? Absolutely.

My multiple bridesmaid roles have coined me the phrase “Always a bridesmaid.” Unfortunately, the phrase has somewhat of a negative connotation. It could be the remainder of the phrase that paints the unattractive picture: “Never a bride.” I often leave that part of the quote out whereas others will then remind me of what last words I’m forgetting. “Thanks,” I utter under my breath. I have tried to change the phrase to be: “Always a bridesmaid. Never WANTING TO BE a bride,” but then I just sound like a somber, bitter woman. And no one wants to be a somber, bitter woman. Especially at a young age.

Truth be told, I enjoy being the bridesmaid and NOT the bride. I don’t think I’m quite ready for that role yet. At the moment, its as though I’m an aspiring actress waiting for that lead role. I am delighted to share my experiences with you in “the life of a bridesmaid” and hopefully some of the tips will be of benefit to you and your future endeavors!

Junebug Weddings is currently holding a contest for Seattle area brides to tell them: Who do you love? There are some hot prizes, so check it out:

Our Who Do You Love contest is in its final weeks, so if you’re a Seattle area bride and haven’t signed up yet, don’t miss your chance! You get one entry for each Junebug recommended professional you work with throughout your wedding planning process. The drawing will be on November 1st and we are giving away some seriously fabulous prizes- non-stop tickets to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines, shopping sprees at Tulip and pedicures from the lovely Frenchy’s Day Spa! Check out our Plan Your Wedding section for the most talented and passionate wedding professionals in the area, and then sign up to win! Good luck!

(from their blog, What Junebug Loves!)

Visit their site to enter! junebugweddings.com

Over the next couple of months, we’ll be featuring posts from a special guest blogger: The Perpetual Bridesmaid. This is a special project inspired by the “Always a Bridesmaid” contest put on by Brides.com (thanks for posting about it, Liene!). When I saw the contest, I immediately thought of a dear friend that has been in a slew of weddings (including my own). She has a unique perspective on the “sidelines” stuff - choosing bridesmaid dresses, planning bridal showers, buying wedding gifts, and the like.

So, (drumroll please), she’s agreed to join Jonathan and I and will, over the next couple of months, be blogging from her viewpoint! I can’t wait to read some of her battle-tested ideas and tips. Keep an eye out for these posts, for this will be a limited engagement (no bridal puns intended).

Today is Blog Action Day! Bloggers around the web are uniting to address a single issue today: the environment. So, in the spirit of things, we’d like to offer our own perspective on one aspect of a “green” wedding: your invitations.

Admittedly, invitations could be one of the most wasteful aspects of your wedding. We strive to give each client we work with some helpful hints to reduce waste and use sustainable products. Here are some of our favorite tips!

• Ask us about environmentally friendly papers. We have a wide selection of some gorgeous papers that are 100% post-consumer waste and even some that are produced 100% carbon neutral. There are also “tree-free” options out there - such as using fabric, recycled metal, or 100% cotton papers for your invitation suite.
• Choose a style of invitation that is not overloaded with multiple papers or inserts. Pocketfold invitations are lovely but can be quite paper-intensive. Instead, choose to use a booklet or accordion - a lovely option for conveying lots of needed information that uses far less paper.
• Forgo the inner and outer envelopes for one single envelope.
• Use a postcard response card instead of an enveloped card.
• Take advantage of a wedding website to convey the bulk of your information - include only a single enclosure directing guests to the website to rsvp and find needed event details.
• Ask us about our printing options: we’ve partnered with an Envirostars certified commercial printer that disposes of waste responsibly and uses soy inks, which are recycling-friendly.

Check out a couple of our favorite daily reads today for their green tips:

Junebug Weddings

Eco-chic Weddings

Style Me Pretty

Since moving into our new dwelling, we’ve realized that the coat closet is the only place for our feline’s, umm, well, place of business. If that is the case…then no coat of mine will be in there as well!

With that being said, I saw this “HANG” wall hook on uncrate the other day and thought it might be the perfect solution. It is a perfect blend of utility and our love of design and typography. Admittedly though, I wouldn’t want to hide it with my everyday coat. Maybe it would still work for any guest’s jackets. We’ll have to see if it passes the Whitney test. In case it struck your fancy as well, you can find it at Lekker Unique Home Furnishings, along with a lot of other great finds.

Our talented friend Ja of Ilee Custom Invitations has finally finished her 2008 letterpress calenders! I had the privilege of seeing these little beauties during production - and I’m so excited to finally order the finished products. Order your calenders (and beautiful other papergoods) at her etsy shop here. Act quickly, because these sell out fast!