Our stomachs rumble on a daily basis when we read the delicious menus that our lovely clients (you!) choose for their wedding receptions. With choices like organic greens and crabcakes, spicy tuna and beef tenderloin, we see tasty options for everyone. For all the foodies out there, feast your eyes on these gorgeous letterpress wedding menus!

[Make the menu stand out with a bold title. Weber by Jessica Hische.]

[Our popular Bejeweled design is letterpress printed in 2 colors for a crisp, modern menu. Design by Kamal.]

[Did you know our menus can be printed in any language? This menu features the Harp design by Tara Hogan.]

[Tie in the details of your invitations and your decor with our free motifs! We love this elegant Walden menu, designed by Beth Ann Seal.]

[ A classic Deveril menu, another popular design suite from Beth Ann Seal.]

[Keep things sweet with our colorful Somersby, a whimsical design by Beth Ann Seal.]

Our standard menu size is the A6, which measures in at 4.625 x 6.25 inches. We can also print tea-length menus (3.875 x 9.25 inches) for an additional charge.

Wondering about wording? View our menu etiquette and wording or feel free to contact us!

We love having the opportunity to share real weddings from our Bella brides! This next wedding is filled with so much vintage prettiness — Shawna (a member of the amazing Style Me Pretty team) included lots of personal touches, soft pretty colors, lace, and the perfect dose of Southern charm for her & Matt’s springtime celebration. She even started a new family tradition! Shawna decided on our Harlow design for her invitations, and they fit her wedding style to a T. Read on for all of the pretty little details, and don’t miss Shawna’s advice if you’re currently planning your own wedding – she’s got some great tips!

Can you share with us a bit about your wedding and your inspiration for the event?

Matt and I had our wedding in Hill Country in Fredericksburg, Texas. The ceremony and reception was at the Hoffman Haus, a cottage property that’s close to the main street.  We wanted a charming, home style wedding that we would love always. Our vintage and warm colored décor was inspired by the property; we had doilies, burlap, lace, vintage silver and haybales. Guests were greeted with peach lemonade and mini peach ice cream cones.  The ceremony was a dream, violins played a combination of traditional and beatles songs. It was a simple, pretty garden wedding. Matt looked so handsome in his dark brown 3-piece suit and I loved my dress. The crystals on the belt were from my grandma and my short blusher veil made me feel glamorous.

Our vows were more on the traditional side and we had a tree planting with a gardenia shrub. I added photo books, handmade wedding facts about both of our families and matchbooks as additional décor.  The hors d’oeuvres at our cocktail hour and our dinner menu featured a blend of Italian and Texas cuisine. Texas beers and wine were also served. The food stations were fun; we had a yummy bruschetta bar and a Bellini bar that was so pretty. Our first dance was a waltz. We danced with friends to all kinds of music including hip hop, country. Matt played the Texas Tech fighting song before the garter toss. I started a mother/daughters dance tradition in our family: me, my mom and two sisters jammed to Poison by Bobbi Brown. I think everyone had seconds of the wedding cake, it was delicious

What advice do you have for couples currently planning a wedding? It’s ok to skip on some things. I skipped the engagement portraits, programs, favors, the groom’s cake, florals down the aisle, the drive-away car and tossing or waving something at the end of the ceremony or reception. It’s never been missed.

Favorite design element of your big day? That’s a tough one, I loved the ceremony décor, lounge seating, florals and the signature stations…everything really!

How did you choose your invitation design & ink colors? I love invitation design and had to have letterpress paper so that’s where I started. As soon as I saw the Harlow invitation online I knew I wasn’t going to find anything more perfect, the oval design matched the center stone of my engagement ring and is the vintage feeling with added detail. I cheered when I got it in the mail. It was exactly what I expected; it’s vintage and classic, the texture of the paper made it feel luxury. The multiple font styles are so fancy and something that I really wanted.  I actually used the same taupe ink color and ivory paper as my sample, the contrast was great for a May wedding, the color was deep without being too light or too dark, just very elegant.  I was going to go with the white paper but I changed my mind, it just is more vintage with the ivory. My bridesmaids were wearing neutral/taupe dresses so it was meant to be.

What was your favorite moment? There are so many to choose from, but I think our first dance was a favorite of mine. Matt and I wanted to avoid the middle school sway and took dance lessons for several weeks. We planned a simple waltz with some dips and twirls, that’s actually a really big deal for the both of us. We got very nervous right beforehand but tried not to think about it. I guess our families didn’t expect us to have anything rehearsed, as soon as we went out on the dance floor Matt started with a big dip and everyone gasped like they thought he was going to drop me. Of course I was perfectly fine and Matt led me the entire time while whispering sweet words in my ear. In that moment I felt the best kind of romance, being a wife in my husbands arms.

What surprised you most about your wedding? Doing all of the planning and seeing the final result of it all coming together on that day. I guess I shouldn’t have felt surprised because I was the one that selected everything, but for some reason on my wedding day I said to myself – oh this is what my wedding looks like!

From all of us at Bella Figura, congratulations, Shawna & Matt! Thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding day with us!

Shawna & Matt’s wedding was also featured on Style Me Pretty — click here to take a look! 

Vendors:

Wedding Photography: Anne Marie Photography / Ceremony + Reception Location: Hoffman Haus / Floral, Event Design + Planning: Unexpected Elements / Calligraphy, Signage + Save the Date: The Left Handed Calligrapher / Catering + Ice Cream: CarteWheels Catering / Linens:Marquee Event Group / Guest Sign-In Book: Blue Sky Paper / Cake + Cake Base: Sophie’s Choice Bakery / Music: Altared Weddings / Hair + Make-up: Lucie Marie / Ceremony Music: Theresa Britt / Officiant: Rev. Janice R. McGrath / Chair Rental: Class A / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka via Nordstrom / Wedding Gown: Bridal Designs Southlake / Bride’s Sash: Mother of the Groom with Grandma’s brooches / Cake Table: DIY Doilies from Grandmother / Bride’s Hair Piece + Garter Set:Bella Sorella Couture / Earrings: Nadri via Nordstrom / Veil: Custom Creation by Lucie Marie, Tulle from Things in a Room / Groom’s Suit: Ralph Lauren via Dillards / Groomsmen Suit: Joseph A. Bank / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie, Macy’s, J.Crew, H&M / Bridesmaid Shoes: Dillards, Macy’s, DSW / Card Holder: Plant Terrarium via Hobby Lobby / Oval Table Name Holders: Hobby Lobby

We are absolutely delighted to share this next real wedding. We printed invitations and programs in our String Calligraphy design to set the tone for Sionne & Nick’s elegant summer wedding, and we were so thrilled when Sionne sent us photos from the big day. She was kind enough to share some of the details of what went into planning this stunning celebration.

What was your favorite part of the day?

We loved the entire weekend that we celebrated with our family and friends – it was so special to get to share one of our favorite places with everyone!  Our favorite memory of the day, however, is our actual wedding ceremony.  One of our best friends, Charles Collins-Chase, officiated our wedding and did the most incredible job.  He centered our ceremony on narratives that he requested that we both write – and not discuss with each other – to explain why we wanted to get married and what getting married meant to each of us.  Hearing each other’s sentiments for the first time in front of our guests made the ceremony really feel like our relationship was culminating in a union that everyone was witnessing.  People kept commenting that it was the most emotional ceremony that they had ever attended and it really brought the focus of the day back on our marriage, rather than just the celebration around it (which was, of course, a favorite memory as well!).

What was the theme or style you were going for?

Nick and I met seven years ago while studying abroad at Oxford, in Great Britain, and we wanted to capture the feel of an English garden party with our wedding.  Without veering too deeply into the theme, we focused on creating a casual elegance with our overarching ambiance and then used some of the details to add thematic nods.  For example, our caterer customized a variation of a Pimms’ Cup for a specialty cocktail and we used antique-y books as decor throughout the reception.  We got married in an adorable beach town, but on the canal rather than the beach, and the entire scene captured the feeling that we sought.  Adding to that the hilarious and touching toasts, the wonderful friends, and the great dancing, it was a wonderful day!

What was the best part of the planning?

The people who helped us with our wedding made the planning so much fun and so easy.  From the tremendous ideas of our wedding planners, to the goals of our parents to give us the wedding that we would be able to look back on and say was just as we wanted it, to our friends who helped us execute our vision, to our vendors who were so accommodating and caring, the people who assisted us made the planning so smooth and the results so memorable for us!

Sionne and Nick, thank you for sharing your beautiful wedding day with us! We wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness together!!

Vendors:

Dress – Vera Wang
Bridesmaids dresses – Vera Wang
Flowers – Bayberry Flowers
Reception – Inn at Canal Square
wedding planning – Cait&Jules and Make My Day Events
Stationery – Bella Figura
String quartet – Del Segno
Reception music – Anthony Simpson of MyDeejay
Catering and cake – Nage
Photography – Keith Mosher of KAM Photography

Our ever popular Mimosa (by Amy Graham Stigler) looks divine in this refreshing color combination of sea mist and antique gold inks for letterpress day of pieces. An oversized program cover stands tall at 5.5″ x 8.5″ folded.  A #10 sized – tea length menu with space for calligraphy accents and table cards with the floral mimosas round out the set. We are in love with the sweet botanical hints that are perfect for a late summer celebration.

inks: antique gold + seamist  | fonts: parisian + sans capitals  | paper: 1-ply white | program size: 5.5″ x 8.5″ folded | menu size: #10 | table card size: a6 | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

We were absolutely thrilled to see this real wedding on Style Me Pretty recently – a stunning white affair that took place in beautiful Santa Barbara. The couple’s Majorca wedding invitations set the tone for their intimate celebration, and romantic hints of blush were found throughout the decor. The bridesmaids wore stunning, custom-made dresses by Lauren Bradley, and the bride wore an incredible pair of bright blue Christian Loubouton peep toe shoes, a gift given to her by the groom while they were dating.  We love their coordinating day-of pieces, too – gorgeous table cards and menus are the perfect way to tie everything together.

See even more photos and details of this stunning wedding over on Style Me Pretty!

Vendors:

Photography: The Youngrens / Flowers: Jackie Combs Floral Design / Event Design: Jackie Combs Floral Design / Ceremony Location: The Canary Hotel / Reception Location: The Canary Hotel / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Cake: Montecito Confections / DJ: AMS Entertainment / Hair & Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup / Rentals & Lounge Furniture: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: Wildflower Linens / Lighting: LBPS Events / Invitations: Bella Figura / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lauren Bradley

{Photos by The Youngrens }

Letterpress booklets are hands down one of the coolest things we get to work on around here.  I mean come on, a personalized letterpress booklet just for your wedding – what could be more awesome than that?  Submitted for your approval, is by far one of the nicest ones we’ve been able to work on.

To welcome their guests to a destination wedding in Bali, this couple had us custom design and print ceremony programs and welcome booklets loaded with all kinds of amazing touches.  The programs are composed of two double-sided pages (one fits inside the other) with a score line in the middle and hole drilling so that they can be assembled together with ribbon.  The 7 page welcome booklets are bound together with brass grommets and include a subtly patterned one piece cover that wraps around the spine of the booklet.  What’s inside the booklet you ask?  Pretty much a condensed Lonely Planet!  They included all the details their guests might have possibly needed for a wedding in this island paradise, right down to a primer in basic Indonesian and a list of all the local hot spots.   The entire set is printed on our white paper in a combination of Cream ink and a custom mix of Pantone 618 ink.

inks: cream + custom pantone 618 | fonts: danube + sans capitals | paper: 1-ply white | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: sarah walroth

by Chris Gannon, Client Coordinator.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve found ourselves completely blown away by the thoughtfulness and generous spirits of the couples we’re honored to call Bella Figura brides and grooms.  We think it’s so cool when a couple opts to forgo the traditional guest favors and instead makes a donation to a worthy nonprofit. To encourage this large-hearted trend, in early 2011 we started offering free letterpress favor cards to those couples making a donation to nonprofit organization doing good for the world. Here are just a handful of the many favor cards we’ve printed for couples worldwide this year…

Our Deveril design; donation benefiting The Humane Society of the United States.

Our Tara design; donation benefiting Clean Ocean Action.

Our Nautilus design; donation benefiting the Reproductive and Child Health Alliance in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Our Florian Script design; donation benefiting CHU St-Justine. From the couple, “The CHU St-Justine is a well renowned children’s hospital in Montreal and our donation will be given toward funding R&D activities. We both believe that children should be allowed to enjoy their young lives and play outside with their friends rather to be stuck in a hospital room. We hope that our donation will help the team of doctors find a cure to many of today’s illnesses that primarily attack young children.”

Our Deveril design; donation benefiting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

Our Erte Beach design; donation benefiting the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Our Keswick design; donation benefiting the Rochester chapter of CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. From the bride, Rachel -  “CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. CASA volunteers are “appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system…Volunteers stay with each case until it is closed and the child is placed in a safe, permanent home”. We wanted to donate to CASA for many reasons. Firstly, I am a CASA volunteer. I’m passionate about child advocacy and will be starting law school this fall. Also, Rochester’s CASA chapter has recently suffered massive budget cuts. What better than to give to an organization that helps children find home as we begin our home.”

Our Modern Calligraphy design; donation benefiting the Autism Society of Wisconsin.

Pretty impressive stuff, right? Want to get in on the action? Here’s the small print: the free favor cards must be printed with a minimum $500 order; our favor cards are place card sized; cards are letterpress printed in the design and ink colors from your order; we’ll match your highest quantity—for instance, if you order 200 invitations, we’ll offer 200 free favor cards. We’ll also extend our many thanks for inspiring us.

More gorgeous Mediterranean ink made an appearance with these stunning letterpress invitations in our Peacock Full design. Paired with bright spring green, this color combination is both vibrant and sophisticated. To complete the suite, pretty letterpress place cards for the reception were printed to match.

While thinking about all things spring and summer (like fresh lemonade and long walks on the beach), we started reminiscing about the super cool letterpress stationery we printed for engage!10 last year. The letterpress menus and matching escort cards feature a fun customization of our Esperanza letterpress invitations, printed in punchy aquamarine and yellow inks. Along with great summery colors inspired by the tropics, we’re now also obsessing over mango creme brulee! We’ve got to get our hands on some of that!

Cool letterpress coasters never go out of style and these are no exception. A recent favorite around the studio, they feature our Allegory Modern design printed in classic black ink. Check out our entire collection of letterpress coasters and additional letterpress goods including programs, menus and escort cards, all perfect for adding a personal touch to your celebration.