Are you looking for affordable letterpress wedding invitations? Look no further – our invitation designs can be customized to fit within a budget. Not sure where to start? We selected 15 of our new 2012 letterpress invitation designs and provided pricing for 3 popular quantity tiers. Find out which price point will work for you depending on how many invitations you’ll need. Keep in mind, 75 invitations traditionally leads to 150 guests, 125=250 guests, and so on!

In love with Vintage Charm? Why not order invitations that are 1 color letterpress printed on 1-ply paper with edge painting in one of your favorite ink colors? You can include reply postcards that are 1 color letterpress on 1-ply paper with outer envelopes (letterpress printed with your return address in 1 color and lined) for $1,335.

If your wedding won’t be complete without the La Salle design, you can order invitations and reply cards both in 1 color letterpress on 1-ply paper, along with 1 color printed outer envelopes  and reply envelopes for only $1,045.

Our Gotham design is modern and refined. You can keep the invitation looking sleek by letterpress printing it in 2 colors on our 1-ply paper but make the rest of the set 1 color: choose a 1 color, 1-ply reply card, outer envelopes and reply envelopes (both printed in 1 color letterpress) for a total of $1,180.

If you are looking to mix letterpress and foil stamping but you are on a budget, try this option! Order our Amadore Antique invitations with 1 color letterpress and 1 color foil on 1-ply paper, and then add foil edging! It gets better – a website card that can direct your guests to rsvp via email or your wedding website printed in 1 color foil, on 1-ply cotton paper will eliminate the need for a reply envelope (and extra postage!), so you’ll only need outer envelopes with 1 color letterpress printing. This set rings in at just $1,310.

Are calligraphy wedding invitations one of your “must-haves”? Pick one of our newest calligrapher’s Mitty Calligraphy design! Order invitations in 1 color letterpress, on our luxuriously thick 2-ply paper. Choose an A6 sized direction card that includes wedding details and a website for an electronic rsvp that is 1 color letterpress and opt for 1-ply paper. Lastly, choose outer envelopes that are both letterpress printed in 1 color and embellished with a chic envelope liner for only $1,435. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it, the wedding industry produces a lot of one-hit wonders. It is extremely important to us here at Bella Figura to encourage sustainability as we practice eco-friendly letterpress printing (and living!). That’s why we use tree-free papers, low VOC inks, and FSC certified papers (and we also support these amazing environmental causes). If you are wondering how to make your letterpress or foil stamped invitations even more eco-friendly we have some tried and true tricks of the trade to reduce waste without compromising on style!

1. Use a postcard!
Think about using reply postcards or even Save the Date postcards! This cuts down on the amount of paper (envelopes) and also keeps the costs lower!

2. Condense Information.
There are a lot of activities and information that go into a wedding celebration! From accommodations, directions, rehearsal dinners and reply cards, you can choose to create a wedding website that hosts all the important details! You can include the url on your invitations, or create 1 separate card (think website cards!) explaining that the website is the place for all the wedding details. If you’re determined to get it all on paper, choose 1 insert card as opposed to several and print on both sides if you have lots of details to include.

3. Don’t double up.
Skip the formalities and just use 1 outer envelope vs. an inner envelope and an outer envelope combination. The inner envelope is meant to specify exactly who’s invited. It is completely acceptable to choose just 1 envelope (which is more eco-friendly). If you’re concerned about extra guests, you can always designate the number of guests on the reply card or reply postcard by adding an extra line that states “We have reserved __ seats in your honor”, then fill in the number accordingly. Read the rest of this entry »

Edge painting and foil edging are centuries old, but here at Bella Figura we are keeping this timeless practice alive! We offer both edge painting and foil edging as embellishment options for our letterpress invitations. Want to customize your invitations by adding an edging but not sure which option to choose? We know that the process of choosing embellishments may seem a little overwhelming (especially since we’ve added a lot to our list of options for 2012), so today we’re here to tell you about the differences between edge painting and foil edging, and we’ll help you determine which embellishment will work best for you.

First here are a few thing to ask yourself:

1. Do you want a sleek, metallic shine or a reflective edge?
2. Are you using foil stamping in your suite?
3. Do you want to use an accent color outside of our letterpress inks?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then foil edging may be the perfect choice!

We are completely in love with foil edging, and thrilled that we can offer this option! Shiny metallics will be really popular for weddings in 2012, so if you are looking for a trendy new way to enhance your invitations this may be the perfect fit for you. We have 12 dazzling new foil colors that are all stunning (ranging from more traditional silver, gold & copper colors to more modern teal, fuchsia & indigo). Foil edging leaves a shiny edge that we think is breathtaking. If you can’t fit foil stamped invitations into your budget but still want a special hint of shine, you can add foil edging!

1. Do you want a bright pop of color (think neons), or are you ordering a custom ink* color and want a cohesive suite? *Custom inks are an additional charge.
2. Do you want a matte finish?
3. Are you trying to keep costs down?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then edge painting may be the perfect choice! Read the rest of this entry »

Not sure how to put your letterpress wedding invitations together? Not to worry — in this step-by-step video, Chris, a Bella Figura client coordinator, shows the proper way to assemble and stuff your wedding invitation sets, along with tips to make sure your envelopes are properly sealed.

Bella Figura calligrapher Debi Zeinert shared this close up look at her amazing work, a video that features her various calligraphy styles. Her elegant calligraphy can be found in her wedding invitation designs, and her calligraphy accents can also be found in other popular Bella designs (such as Loretta Formal and Calligraphy Monogram). In addition to beautiful, hand-calligraphed letterpress stationery and invitations through Bella Figura, Debi is also available for calligraphy addressing through her business, The Blooming Quill. Your envelopes, escort cards, and other wedding day stationery pieces can all be hand-done to match your letterpress printed suite! Check out this video to see Debi in action, and for more details on working with her, visit her website.

Last week, we shared invitation wording tips for same sex couples with some pointers from Mark Kingsdorf (esteemed wedding planner and etiquette expert), and now we’re back with more advice from Mark and tips on program wording for same sex couples. How do you recognize parents, grandparents, honor attendants, and other guests on the program? Luckily, there are lots of ways to do it — read on to see some of Mark’s tips.

For parents:

- Simply say ‘Parents’ and list both sets of parents (as opposed to the traditional “Parents of the Bride” or “Groom’s Parents”). You could also  say “Mark’s Parent’s” or “Kyle’s Parents”  – this applies for grandparents, too!

For attendants:

- Your wording for attendants can be determined based on the formality of your wedding. In our example below (a tea length program of our Austin Traditional design), each groom’s best man was listed, and the rest of the wedding party was listed under “Honor Attendants”. If you’d like, you can divide the attendants into two columns, placing names on the left or right side depending on which side they’ll be placed on while you’re at the altar.

As with invitation wording, the program text should really fit your style as a couple — if you’ve got a more casual or laid back wedding planned, you can say “Mark’s friends” or “Kyle’s friends” when recognizing your wedding party. Of course, bridesmaids and groomsmen may also be used as well, but if you’ve got men and women in your party, an alternative option would be to list your “Bridesmates” or “Groomsmates”. You can even get creative and incorporate your wedding colors and tie in subtle recognition that way. While there are many possible ways to word your program, it’s important to give recognition to the friends and family members supporting your marriage – so word your programs in a way that best fits your personality and your wedding day.

Our thanks again to Mark for sharing these great tips!

Invitation wording can be tricky – knowing who to list and where to list them can sometimes present a challenge. With an increase in same-sex weddings (woohoo! go New York!), we’ve had some inquiries about wording for when you’ve got two brides or two grooms. So, we decided to speak with wedding pro Mark Kingsdorf of Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants (an etiquette expert and contributor to several books by the esteemed Emily Post Institute) to get some tips for same-sex couples on the best way to word their invitations.

Mark said it best: “Proper etiquette is what makes the largest number of people feel most comfortable” — and we couldn’t agree more. So, when it comes to your wording, be sure to decide on the following factors:

1. Who should be listed? This depends entirely on the couple and their family. If both sets of parents are contributing, both sets of parents can be listed. You can list all parents, one set of parents, one parent, or no parents – it really comes down to your personal preference. If you have a lot of family members contributing to your wedding, a great alternative option would be to simply start by saying “Together with their families”, and proceed from there. Here’s a traditional example that lists both sets of parents:

2. Who goes first? Unless one family is contributing more than the other, Mark advises that alphabetical is the best way to go. Again, personal preference should reign, and your wording should be what fits you best as a couple.

The rest of your text should fall into place based on the type of ceremony and reception you’ll be having – let the formality of your event guide you. For even more tips on how to finalize the text for your invitations and other wedding stationery, click here, or feel free to get in touch with one of our client coordinators for assistance!

The important thing to remember is that your invitations and wedding stationery should set the tone for your wedding while highlighting who you are as a couple. Many thanks to Mark Kingsdorf for these great tips!

Don’t forget – our promotion for free envelope liners ends September 25, so there’s still plenty of time to order!