We’re always searching for a little extra “Omph”. That cherry on top but never too bold. Make a subtle announcement with a metallic liner.  What a great way for your guests to open a little sparkle with your light and airy announcement.

La Salle customization = inks: celadon + sea side + peach | fonts: Eros + Mimis | paper: white | invites size: f-8 | metallic liner: opal | original design by Ian Koeing | customized by in-house designer Brit Hammett

photo credits: Josh Goleman

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

We tend to focus a lot on all the lovely wedding invites we create around here, but truth be told we also print a TON of Bar and Bat Mitzvah invitations (and they’re always a blast!).  We can adapt any of our invite designs into a Bar/Bat invite very easily by changing up the wording, adding Hebrew characters, or – as is the case with this Amici (from designer Ian Koenig) customization, by adding a small star of David from our motif library.  Loving the simple beauty of this one.

inks: pewter + cardinal | font: requiem | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: sq-7 | edge painting: cardinal | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: sarah walroth

The neon trend will continue to thrive in full force in 2012, so we’ve added some amazing new neon ink colors to our collection! Make a bold statement by printing your letterpress invitations in a vibrant neon color, or consider edge painting on your stationery in a bright color to add an extra wow-factor. Read on to see our favorite new neon inks & designs, and check out our tips for how you can pull in pops of neon throughout your wedding day!

Hot off the press & letterpress printed in hot pink ink (clockwise from top left): New Horizon, a modern new design from Tara Hogan; hot pink edge painting on the trendy New Washi invitation design by Kamal; grand old English styled hand calligraphed lettering is printed in hot pink in the Royal Calligraphy design by Debi Zeinert; the New Washi invitation design from Kamal, letterpress printed in hot pink ink and foil stamped in gold shine.

Lime-aid (an electric, lime-colored letterpress ink) adds a gorgeous hint of green to the Tapestry invitation by Tara Hogan (and looks stunning when printed alongside taupe ink); lime-aid ink looks extra-modern when paired with black ink and modern fonts in the Architect design by Erin Jang. Read the rest of this entry »

Bella Figura’s letterpress invitation designs for 2012 have arrived!  We’ve added 6 brand new designers and 83 new letterpress wedding invitation designs – which means you’ve now got over 300+ incredible designs to choose from! We’ve added new embellishment options, too — think metallics (foil stamping and foil edging now available in 12 dazzling colors – choose traditional metallics like gold, silver or copper, or go for something a little more daring, like fuchsia, indigo, forest or teal!). Metallics and shine will be a huge wedding trend for 2012, so mix foil stamping with letterpress for a hint of glamour, create a show-stopping look with a powerful pair of foil stamped colors (think two tone gold or gold with silver), or add foil edging for a splash of sophisticated flair.

Counter clock-wise from upper left: Aria by Maybelle; Canto by Kelle Anne McCarter; Fugue by Kamal; Traditional Script by Beth Barr; Moroccan Romantic by Lindsy Aragona; Unique Minimes by Gina Dean and Lauren Richel Kelly. 

New designs and metallics aren’t the only thing we’ve got that’s new for 2012! We’ve got new calligraphy styles, new options for pocketfolds, envelopes + envelope liners, and more. There’s a wide variety of artwork, cartouches, and monograms in our motif library.  Let Chris – one of our knowledgeable invitation experts – walk you through all of the amazing new offerings (just check out the video below!)

Our letterpress design of the month for December is the trendy Ikaty design by Kamal, and it’s got us going crazy for everything ikat right now. We found these fun pieces online and just had to share — we guarantee you’ll be inspired!

1. A sweet raspberry Daphne ikat clutch | 2. The perfect ikat bridesmaid’s dress | 3. Pretty blue ikat dishes | 4. Totally turquoise ikat pillow | 5. Gorgeous red ikat cloth napkins | 6. A vibrant, multi-colored ikat scarf | 7. The prettiest ikat iPhone case | 8. A sophisticated ikat dinner plate | 9. A tropical Ikat cake

In our search for ikat inspiration, we also came across these incredible weddings on Style Me Pretty — our first fabulous find features the most amazing table runners, made with fabric ordered from Usbekistan!  The second wedding had rich blue ikat pieces scattered throughout the reception — a gorgeous board for escort cards, comfy pillows for lounging and sophisticated table runners all added the perfect touch of pattern and color (and we love the way the blue fabric looks next to those vibrant orange flowers!).

Don’t forget – the Ikaty suite is on sale for 20% off through 12/31 (including invitations, thank you notes, programs, save the dates, menus, place cards, and more!)!

Today we’re excited to share the inspiration behind Ikaty, Bella Figura’s December design of the month {the entire suite is on sale for 20% off through 12/31!}. We chatted with Kamal, the talented designer who created this fashion forward, fabric-inspired invitation, and she filled us in on the background of the gorgeous design that we just can’t get enough of.

The Inspiration Behind Ikaty

“Ikaty” is a modern tribute of my love and fascination for the IKAT pattern, the trend, and how it mirrors a promise of commitment. To see its progression in the past couple of years is compelling to me. It’s been a part of my home since childhood – on pillows, rugs and clothing growing up, but not on paper. “Ikat” is an Indonesian language word, which depending on context, can be the nouns: cord, thread, knot and the finished ikat fabric as well as the verbs “to tie” or “to bind”(ref: Wikpedia). Sounds a little like marriage…

…and I am. I also have 3 wonderful children and try to balance it out as a working mom. This process of dyes and interwoven, complex patterns reflects my work, my marriage, my kids and what’s to come. Each distinct weave can take you into a different path in your life, growing and multiplying until you have created a pattern, a routine, or hopefully a touch of surprise in your life.

We asked, and you voted: our latest Design of the Month is Ikaty by Kamal! As our Design of the Month, all custom letterpress orders placed between now and December 31 will receive 20% off.  This 20% off applies to Ikaty save the dates, invitations, thank you cards, menus, coasters, place cards, programs, and any other piece that uses the Ikaty design. To get you inspired, our design team put together these stunning customizations — take a look!

(Please note, the Design of the Month promotion may not be used on purchases of other designs or in combination with any other promotion.)

These Gracelyn Vintage (by Jessica Tierney) letterpress wedding invitations show that it’s refreshing to see a more bubbly color palette.  Especially when, typically for fall weddings you see hues of golden rod, espresso and mustard. We can’t get enough of the bold aubergine ink throughout the set.  This is a traditional text based invitation with a simple touch of elegance, but this design is anything but simplistic!  The European Formal envelope liner in aubergine ink gives that WOW factor to this invitation suite.

inks: aubergine| fonts: nysa + harlow| paper: 2-ply white | invitation size: f8 | liner: the european formal in aubergine ink | client coordinator: jessica hanaman | in-house designer: sarah walroth

It’s no secret that we are obsessed with letterpress. Behold, this jaw-dropping letterpress bridal shower invitation. Not only was the original Chapin (by Patricia Mumau) design transformed to perfectly celebrate the autumn season, but a new card was created for recipes to be passed onto future generations. Marigold and espresso inks breathe warmth into this whimsical design. The edge paint in marigold brings an extra touch of color that compliments the folk art. A classy envelope liner in solid espresso ink intensifies the rich brown hues associated with fall. We are captivated by the timeless beauty exuding from this letterpress invitation set.

inks: espresso + marigold | fonts: sofia + moravia + chapin  | paper: 1-ply ivory  | invite size: SQ6 | liner: the classic color pattern in espresso ink | edge painting: marigold | client coordinator: christie jones  | in-house designer: sarah walroth