Our latest letterpress wedding invitation release was full of many modern gems, but today we’re sharing the top 6 modern invitations so far from 2012. We’ve noticed neon shows its pretty little head in a sophisticated way (or think about neon edge painting on a very formal invite!). Black ink on a modern letterpress design keeps things formal while still feeling new. Foil, of course, is on the list — we are especially loving double foil (think matte silver and shiny silver, or silver paired with gold). You’ll find names in oversized fonts, along with slightly untraditional text layout and minimal design. Want to see more? Check out all of our modern wedding invitations here.

What are your favorite colors, fonts, and invitation designs for a modern wedding? Tell us in the comments section below!

1. New Horizon | 2. Gotham | 3. Dash | 4. Byzantine | 5. Fugue | 6. La Salle

Earlier this year, we worked with Alice and Beth from Alice G. Patterson Photography on an amazing project we’re really excited to share. Featured recently on Green Wedding Shoes, this collaboration features some of our most popular letterpress invitation designs alongside some incredible miniatures. Alice and Beth set up these picturesque scenes and we were completely blown away with the end result — take a look!

Our thanks go out to Jen from Green Wedding Shoes for featuring Bella Figura, and to Alice & Beth for creating such amazing images!

Thinking about your letterpress reception pieces? Think program covers! To get everyone swooning we’ve pulled together a collection of programs covers we’ve printed recently so you can see a variety of styles, colors and designs. Whether vintage or modern, colorful or classic black – let your feelings shine through your programs! You can include a sweet line of prose, a saying that pulls on your heartstrings, a scripture verse that has held true, or a design element that’s bold and beautiful. Whatever your style, feast your eyes on some of our Client Coordinator’s favs!

[Oh the beauty. Our standard letterpress program cover is 9" x 6" flat, 4.5" x 6" folded.]

[Whimsical birds and gorgeous botanicals, behold our Vendage design by Kamal.]

[Florals + quote + memorial. Sakura design by Maura Gaulthier.]

[Allegory Modern, by Bella Figura.]

[We love that this couple spelled out the time of their relationship up to the very moment they were wed on the back of their program.]

[Sigh...still swooning.]

[Classic elegance at it's finest. Blind deboss + black inks in our Plume design, by Amy Graham Stigler.]

[Vintage typography or Papel Picado? We have it all!]

Please note that with program covers, we only print the covers themselves – but the inner pages can easily be printed at home or by a local flat printing company. Since they are scored to fold easily they are available on our 1-ply paper only.  We can print on the inside of program covers and on the backside for an additional 50%.  When printing on both sides of our 1-ply paper we will lessen the impression on both sides to accommodate the added impression. (You wouldn’t want the impression from one side detracting from the impression on the other!).

Need a template to get the text positioned just right?  Download it here!

This city-inspired customization of our Typology design shines in neutral grays and black with a splash of color on the edge – very formal, but with a fun twist!

typology customization = inks: black + surf | fonts: elizabeth ann + jubilant + steel-point | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: the antique geometrics pattern in black ink | original design by Kelle Anne McCarter | customized by in-house designer Sarah Walroth
embellishment suggestions: edge painting in surf

(Photo Credits: Out of Contxt)

Clean lines and strong colors all build up this modern minimalist design at its posh best. We love Avant because of it’s simple classic style that has a wonderful urban tone about it. These wedding invitations let our letterpress printing style stand above the rest.

avant customization = inks: black + chartreuse | font: geometric + cabernet | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: the antique geometrics pattern in black ink | original design by Ben Whitla | customized by in-house designer Racheal Decker

embellishment suggestions: edge painting in sea mist

(Photo Credits: Yueko Image)

by Racheal Decker, In-House Designer.

You can always find great looks in the city and this urban inspired Alice customization is no exception. Accenting with deep blue inks and a heavy coverage of black really makes this invitation pop. Adding a sleek single letter monogram and some geranium edge painting really sets this one apart. Our strana font finishes this invite with a nice formal touch that makes this the perfect blend of class and style.

alice customization = inks: deep blue + black | fonts: strana + aiden stripe | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: rustic crosshatch pattern in geranium | edge painting: geranium | original design by Tara Hogan | customized by in-house designer Kyle Laatsch |

(Photo Credits : Cheri Lehnow)
by Kyle Laatsch, In-House Designer

In a unique twist on Beth Ann Seal‘s classic Palmas design, this invitation set features the exquisitely personal Belle hand calligraphy of Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls in place of the design’s original fonts.  The calligraphy adds a distinct mark of human touch, which is reinforced by the deep, tactile impression of the artisan letterpress printing.  Ink-less blind deboss printing for the art-deco inspired border keeps things subtle, while a bright clover envelope liner adds a splash of excitement to this chic and natural looking invitation set.

ink: black + blind deboss | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: f8 | liner: classic color in clover | edge painting: chartreuse | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: sarah walroth

Part of what makes calligraphy letterpress invitations so amazing is that each one is always going to be a little different from every other one we’ve ever made before.  With each design being painstakingly written out by hand before being digitized and eventually turned into a printing plate for letterpress printing, there’s always bound to be subtle (and beautiful) variations.  But there’s unique, and then there’s unique.

Take for instance this design here, featuring the lavish hand calligraphy of the super-talented Sarah Hannah.  This design most closely resembles Sarah’s Magnolia design, but despite the family resemblance they’re clearly not the same animal.  The couple’s names on this invitation are much more elaborately embellished than usual and the ornate flourishes along the edges of the original design have been dropped entirely.  This look is exactly what the bride was going for, and it was completely doable since Sarah was able to understand what she was envisioning and translate it into beautiful calligraphy.

Printed in black ink on our 2-ply ivory paper and affixed to our opal colored pocketfolds – the end result is devastatingly elegant.

ink: black | calligraphy style: victoria | paper: ivory 2-ply | invite size: f8 | pocketfold: opal | edge painting: black | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

We’re so excited to be kicking off our first ever Bella Figura design contest! We’ve reviewed the best-of-the-best invitations sent to us by our amazing retailers, and over the next 10 days we’ll be featuring the contest honorees, as well as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. Our first honoree was sent to us by the Village Invites II in New York, New York. Kudos to the Village Invites II for figuring out how to take two classic Bella designs and turn them into a whole new animal!

This bold, modern letterpress invitation customization combines the best of our Alice (by Tara Hogan) and Deveril (by Beth Ann Seal) designs, and uses ink colors that really pack a punch!

There was no question in our minds that this invite deserved a spot on our design competition lineup. A big thanks to the Village Invites II for sending us this gorgeous customization!

ink: black + spring green | fonts: danube + impression | paper: 2-ply white | invite size: F-8 |  liner: vintage stripes in spring green ink | edge painting: spring green

This design won an honorable mention in our Bella Figura design competition for the first half of 2011. This twice-a-year competition recognizes outstanding and inspired design submitted by our beloved dealers.

These cheerful String Calligraphy (by Patricia Mumau) letterpress wedding invitations sure have a whimsical and contemporary feel!  Submitted to us by our friends at The Village Invites in New York, NY we think the lavender ink paired with our black ink looks impeccable. It’s absolutely charming that the couple carried the two color theme onto all of their cards.  The perfect pairing of our modern floral envelope liner in lavender ink looks sensational.  We are in love with the the distinguishing look of this set!

inks: black + lavender | calligraphy style: harrison by patricia mumau | paper: 2-ply white  | invite size: f8  | liner: the modern floral pattern in lavender ink | client coordinator: jessica hanaman| in-house designer: racheal decker