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)

Timeless romance exudes from these letterpress save the dates in a charming customization of our Delambre Classic design (by Jessica Tierney – featuring Sarah Hanna‘s calligraphy accents). A vintage color combination of antique gold and pewter inks showcases the crisp floral patterning. A sleek rustic crosshatch patterned envelope liner brings a modern element to the sweet packaging making this save the date perfect for 2012!

inks: antique gold + pewter | font: utrecht | calligraphy: the victoria hand calligraphy, by sarah hannah style | paper: 1-ply white | size: a6  | liner: rustic crosshatch pattern in antique gold ink | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

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

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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

I don’t think you’ll ever come across a more vintage inspired letterpress wedding invitation!  Our Harlow design (by Jessica Tierney) looks especially timeless here with its own touch of flair. We have a weakness for wedding invitations with clean lines that still hold true to that romantic feel.  We can never get enough of a vibrant pop of color-and the aubergine edge painting beautifully contrasts with the pewter ink.  Paired with the perfect envelope lining -means tossing in another cool customization!  These invitations are perfect for a wedding venue so rich in history.

ink: pewter | font: moravia + harlow | paper: 1-ply white | invite size: a-7 | liner: reverse european formal pattern in aubergine ink | edge painting: aubergine | client coordinator: jessica hanaman| in-house designer: kyle laatsch

Bright green and yellow flowers paired with light, intricate birdcages are the perfect inspiration for a soft and romantic twist on our Allegory Modern letterpress wedding invitation design.

allegory modern customization = inks: amber + taupe | fonts: sakura + social | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: european formal pattern in garden ink | original design by Bella Figura | customized by in-house designer Sarah Walroth |

embellishment suggestions: edge painting in garden

(Photo Credits: Hazelnut Photography)

by Sarah Walroth, In-House Designer

We love the glamorous feel of our Jolie (by Aimee O’Boyle) letterpress wedding invitations that were recently printed in this regal color combination of custom Pantone #233 and antique gold inks. What’s not to love? Matching letterpress printed menus and folded place cards carry on the ornate flair. We love the vintage luxurious look that will echo throughout their Santa Barbara affair!

inks: antique gold + custom pantone 233 | fonts: poetica + nysa| paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: a-7 | edge painting: metallic gold | client coordinator: christie jones | in-house designer: sarah walroth

by Christie Jones, Client Coordinator.

The opportunity for us to work with brides all the time is nothing short of joyful, but the opportunity to be a bride who works at Bella Figura? Absolutely incredible. As I’ve been planning my own wedding, it has been a sincere and immeasurable pleasure to interact with the wonderful brides we’ve printed letterpress invitations for and I’ve found myself completely immersed in beautiful letterpress wedding invitations every day. Hearing their stories, seeing their wedding photos, sharing in a bit of their sheer bliss, has been a remarkable way to prepare for my own wedding, which is taking place this weekend! Knowing how helpful and wonderful it has been for me to take a glimpse into the planning and happiness of other brides, I thought it seemed only appropriate to take this week to share a bit of my own wedding and my own inspriation.

Milk glass vases were something I knew I wanted to incorporate from the beginning.
{Photo by Punam Bean}

To kick it all off, I wanted to share this inspiration board I created several months ago now. It was by far not the first one I created, nor was it the last, but it’s definitely the collective inspiration that got me headed in the direction of how our wedding will unfold. I knew I wanted an event that was both classically elegant and incredibly fun – a little bit vintage, a little bit modern and a whole lot spectacular. Early on the color palette developed into a sophisticated array of neutrals with smudges of my favorite blue hues appearing in little whispers here and there. Attention to detail has been a priority from the beginning, including our letterpress wedding invitations I’ll share later in the week, and all of the other little elements I’ve been crafting over the past many months. Sticking to things that were beautiful, vintage, and handmade has been the running thread that has helped to bring everything together. I can’t wait to see how my vision plays out and to share photos soon.

For now, here is the inspiration board that has led the way…