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 »

May your days be merry and bright! Step back in time to the Christmases of yesteryear to find inspiration for your winter wedding. Muted reds, greens and taupes create such a warm and inviting palette. Use these colors on vintage letterpress invitation designs, such as Harlow, by Jessica Tierney, to bring the magic of the holiday season to life!

harlow customization = inks: papaya + olive | fonts: billhead + archive  | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: european formal in hazel |  original design by Jessica Tierney | customized by in-house designer Lindsy Aragona

(photo credits: Better Homes and Gardens)

We love it when someone thinks outside of the box and customizes one of our letterpress wedding invitations for a separate occasion. These letterpress surprise birthday invitations feature Patricia Mumau‘s whimsical Balsam Calligraphy design. Our vine ink fits perfectly with the calligraphy leaf motif that repeats throughout the set. For maximum contrast a solid envelope liner in Chartreuse and edge painting were carefully selected. We could barely keep these a secret!

ink: vine | calligraphy: harrison hand calligraphy, by patricia mumau style | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: a7 | liner: the classic color pattern in chartreuse  | edge painting: chartreuse | client coordinator: christie jones  | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

This creative Bar Mitzvah invitation was sent to us by our friends over at Lion in the Sun in Brooklyn, New York.  This exquisite set is a wonderful customization for our Surya design (by Tara Hogan).  The choice of our spring green ink and an eye catching custom blue (these colors compliment each other perfectly!) really bring everything together.  Staying true to the overall modern vibe this suite emanates, the client opted for a reply postcard rather than the traditional reply card.  All in all this is one invitation set that really captures the feel of the party to come!

inks: spring green & custom #633| fonts: burgues script + impression | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: SQ-7 | liner: the antique geometrics pattern in custom #633

We L.O.V.E. these spectacular letterpress wedding invitations that our pals at Gus & Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, New Hampshire submitted to us to print. As a play on our Anthology design (by Lindsy Aragona) a custom LOVE design was submitted and is repeated throughout this set letting us know what the couple is really all about! Letterpress printed in amethyst and chartreuse inks on our 1-ply ivory paper the invitation makes a statement in our no. 10 size! The mixture of contemporary typography mixed with letterpress is the perfect marriage for these modern invitations.

inks: amethyst + chartreuse  | fonts: impression + sans capital  | paper: 1-ply ivory | invite size: no. 10 |

Our Keswick (by Beth Ann Seal) letterpress wedding invitations are given a modern color twist in this quirky customization. Letterpress printed in garden and clover inks, they are perfectly contrasted with shocking pops of mesa edge paint on all pieces (yes that’s right every card). This couple also benefited from our 10% off promotion (10% off if you purchase 6 printed pieces). See more details and the small print here!

inks: clover + garden | fonts: tropez + jubilant | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: sq-7 | liner: the vintage river pattern in mesa ink | edge painting: mesa | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

We can hardly believe that Bella Figura’s first Design Contest came and went so quickly. Congrats again to all of the winners! Now that the contest has ended, we thought you’d like to see the gorgeous contest winner plaques we sent to the stores that had the top ten designs! Our internal designer Lindsy Aragona created a stunning customization of our Maile design. These beauties are letterpressed in an exciting color combination of sherbet and spring green inks on our 2-ply white paper. Corner rounding adds an extra touch, highlighting the natural curves of the leaves in the design. The wonderful Sarah Hanna is responsible for the stunning calligraphy. The photography in this post features our winners (first place Gus & Ruby Letterpress, second place Social Graces, and third place Union Street Papery).

Over the years, Bella Figura has formed partnerships with important environmental organizations. One such organization is Earthworks, whose campaigns focus on the far reaching ecological and humanitarian concerns caused by all types of mining. Projects such as their “No Dirty Gold Campaign” are very important to exposing the truths behind this important wedding focused industry. Read about the search for the perfect conflict-free engagement ring!

One way we like to support our sustainable partners is to help them create beautiful communication pieces to use with their donors and other partners. For Earthworks, we created these simple, elegant Thank You Notes, and “From the Desk Of” note pads. Letterpress printed on our luxurious 1-ply white 100% reclaimed cotton paper in vine ink, the cards shine with the Earthworks logo. We love giving back, especially when the focus is something we hold dear to our hearts.

Hopefully these pieces will help further the cause!

Our New Calligraphy design (by Debi Zeinert) is extremely popular and we are loving the colors in this letterpress wedding invitation set. The nature infused accents from a custom Vineyard design inspired envelope liner to our vine ink bring a real earthy feel. The metallic gold edge painting brings in some luxury making this an elegant combination.

ink: vine | calligraphy: revolution hand calligraphy, by debi zeinert style  | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: f8 | liner: custom vineyard design inspired pattern in antique gold | edge painting: metallic gold | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

We think you’ll definitely agree that these vibrant and lively letterpressed Tara (by Ben Whitla) Bar Mitzvah invitations really get you in the mood for a celebration! These trendy invitations set the tone for the important Jewish milestone. The stand-out color combination of spring green and aquamarine inks is carried through onto all of the pieces. The modern vibe is continued through with adorable letterpressed thank you cards. It’s safe to say the celebration will not be short lived with a festive party to follow!

inks: spring green + aquamarine| fonts: moravia + billhead | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: a7 | client coordinator: jessica hanaman | in-house designer: kyle laatsch