Quite a few of our clients are world travelers (some are self-proclaimed map nerds) – it’s fun to live vicariously through them (one of these days we will make our way to europe…) We enjoy using maps and travel motifs in wedding design, but we also really love seeing these in everyday items. I have had maps on the brain this week and stumbled upon these beautiful household items by etsy seller Bombus – LOVE!

It’s been a busy month – and the next few months will continue to be busy! We’ve been working furiously on “day-of” items for our September and October  weddings – here’s a sneak peek of one of those projects that I will be delivering later today.

You might remember the adorable “our story continues…” save the dates that we blogged about several months ago. The wedding those save the dates belong to is rapidly approaching (it’s next month!) and we have some stunning letterpress invitations to share with you!

The bride and groom, who have been absolutely lovely to work with, had a very clear vision of what they’d like in their wedding stationery – and these beautiful two color letterpress invitations fit the bill. They kept things sweet and simple by using a petite website card, encouraging guests to rsvp online. I don’t know that the photos really show it, but a Swaovski crystal accents the letterpress design perfectly. Their gold envelopes were accented by a very special quote offset printed on the back flap – “For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams and being my best friend, for filling my life with joy and loving me without end, I do.” {anonymous}

Stacy Kvam of SK Wedding and Event Design contacted us to collaborate with her on an autumn inspired tabletop design for the summer 2009 issue of Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom magazine. Using bright Washington red apples and an artisan chocolate menu as inspiration, she created a gorgeous vision of fall on this table. My favorite part is the centerpiece itself. Created by Brittany Flowers, it features an antique wooden tool carrier filled to the brim with autumn’s bounty – delicious and vibrant apples, miniature white pumpkins, greenery, and full cabbage leaves. 

To complement Stacy’s vision, we created fun leaf-shaped place cards printed on pieces of paper thin wood veneer sheets. We also created “bride” and “groom” chair signs with scalloped edges and gold grommets (also on that beautiful wood veneer!)

Two weekends ago we found this adorable little patio set at a garage sale (for FREE!) and it’s the perfect size for our little deck. We promptly snatched it up and headed straight to Home Depot for sandpaper, scrapers, and spray paint. A couple of hours later: voila! The perfect little spot for us to enjoy a card game and a glass of wine.

Before:

After:

Stella likes it.

Speaking of letterpress (did you see yesterday’s big offer?) check out these lovelies we created for an upcoming September wedding! The bride and groom are planning a gorgeous celebration at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach (you MUST check out the website for this place – it’s AMAZING!). We worked with the bride to create these elegant letterpress invitations in chocolate brown on pearl white 100% cotton paper.

One of my favorite things about this suite is that the bride chose chocolate brown envelopes and had her return address offset printed in cream on the back flap. This is such a fun choice – it’s a cost-saver over having your return address letterpressed, and the cream on chocolate is still elegant and yet unexpected. The bride chose Laura Hooper to calligraph the guest addresses, which she hand-lettered in cream ink (stunning!).

We are working with Katie and Dave right now on their wedding day items – programs, menus, etc. I can’t wait to see how everything comes together!

It has been a busy couple of weeks here at Brown Sugar Design! Deep in the throes of wedding season, we’ve been working nonstop on “day-of” items for our summer weddings – programs, escort cards, menus, and the like. We’ve also had visitors for the past two weeks – friends eager to enjoy Seattle during its most beautiful season!

With all of the excitement, we haven’t had the opportunity to share with you some very exciting news! The Fall/Winter issue of Seattle Bride Magazine hit newsstands in July, and we were delighted to discover that we were voted Best Invitations – as voted by other wedding vendors – in their Best of 2009 poll!

We are so honored to have been voted the best by our colleagues. There are so many very talented and creative wedding professionals in Seattle and we are humbled to have been honored by them in this way. When you work in a creative industry, it’s a true honor to know that others you respect enjoy your work.

We’d like to say “thank you!” with a special promotion to help you say “thank you” in style! From now through October 1, any wedding invitation order over $1000.00 will include 100 complimentary letterpress thank you flats*! Just mention “best of bride” when ordering.

*the fine print: offer applies to new customers only. free offer includes 100 one-color letterpress flat cards with blank envelopes in your choice of color. flats can be personalized to match invitation order. card size: 5×3.5″