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.

This next real wedding united two Air Force members, so it seemed only fitting that we feature it on Veterans Day! Overflowing with glamorous details and thoughtful touches that reflect Brenna & Larry’s interests, it’s a celebration filled with timeless style. Brenna designed the stylish yet classic invitations and came to us for printing (we featured her beautiful invites on our blog back in March), and they really set the perfect tone for this 1930’s inspired wedding.

Can you share with us a bit about your wedding and your inspiration for the event?
The wedding was held at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina. I was an art major in college, and my husband studied in Germany for his degree. The hotel is in an artful German hunting lodge style, so that was inspiring in itself. We both have a love for Art Deco style, and 1930’s music and movies.

A special performance by Brenna’s sister (a trained opera singer!) added a lovely personal touch to Brenna & Larry’s ceremony – she sang a solo from Handel’s “Messiah”.

What advice do you have for couples currently planning a wedding?
Pick something inspirational and plan the wedding around it. For us, it was Busby Berkeley Films. All the black and white contrast and lavish sets helped make all the decisions about design quickly. Keep your venue in mind, too, and work with the details therein.

How did you choose your invitation design & ink colors?
I made the design myself, and trusted it to Bella Figura to make it happen in the highest caliber. The rest of the wedding stationery matched the design, so it was easy to continue the theme. I wanted the invitation to show off the good design, so it was a cream and black letterpress; very classic and always in style.

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Soft, dreamy hues transform this vintage Wisteria design (by Beth Ann Seal). Our dusty pink and pewter inks enhance the overall feel letting the luxury shine. A sea stripes patterned envelope liner in dusty pink balances the design with clean lines and adds a simple, yet elegant touch. We think these are the perfect invitations to celebrate a winter romance.

inks: dusty pink + pewter  | fonts: spencer + utrecht | paper: 1-ply white  | invite size: f8 | liner: the sea stripes pattern in dusty pink ink | client coordinator: christie jones  | in-house designer: racheal decker

The beautiful color combination of Geranium and Umber inks breathe new life into our Onalisse (by designer Heidi) letterpress wedding invitations.  The reply and direction cards are cleverly combined together onto one card (a great way to cut down on the amount of paper and save $).  The classic color envelope liner in geranium ink ties the set together.  These colors really embody the feeling of the Fall season.

inks: geranium + umber | fonts: baskerville + pillar | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: classic color pattern in geranium ink | client coordinator:  christie jones | in-house designer: kyle laatsch

We’re pretty excited about Election Day 2011 around here (it’s today! Tuesday, November 8), so we’ve decided to hold a vote of our own! From now through November 30, four of our letterpress invitation designs will be in the running to become the next Bella Figura Design of the Month. The winning design will go on sale for 20% off during the month of December, so be sure to vote! (And tell your friends to vote, too!) The 20% off applies to save the dates, thank you cards, coasters, place cards, menus, programs, invitations, and any other piece that uses the winning design.

Voting is easy: simply visit this page to view the nominated designs, then ‘like’ your favorite (you must be logged in to Facebook to do this). Already dreaming up ways to customize your favorite design? Check out these gorgeous customizations our in-house graphic design team dreamed up to get some extra inspiration.

Alice by Tara Hogan

Carte de Visite by Ben Whitla

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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

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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Featuring the gorgeous hand calligraphy of Debi Zeinert, Classic Calligraphy definitely tends to be one of our more, well, classic designs.  Throw some fresh Navy ink and vibrant Watermelon edge painting into the mix though, and you get a really great splash of bold contemporary style.  A brightly contrasting edge paint color is a wonderful way to make things fun and current without going too far overboard and loosing the vintage-inspired vibe of the overall set.  These invitations also feature a cute website card – an elegant and eco-friendly way to direct guests to your website for additional wedding details.

ink: navy | paper: 2-ply ivory | invite size: a7 | liner: antique geometrics pattern in navy | edge painting: watermelon | client coordinator: chris gannon | in-house designer: lindsy aragona

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

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 |

A Halloween wedding doesn’t have to be all about spooky bats, witches and things that go bump in the night. Look for Autumn’s softest palettes and pair them with fairytale pumpkins, warm candle light and wrought iron accents for a sweet as candy soiree. This Astor customization not only has a motif that mimics a wrought iron gate, but it uses a custom Emily Austin font that looks like Ichabod Crane, himself, could have wrote it. Imagine the Legend of Sleepy Hollow without that troublesome headless horseman!

customization = ink: persimmon | fonts: custom emily austin + sans capitals | paper: ivory | invite size: f-8 | liner: the classic color pattern in light peach | original design by amy graham stigler | customized by in-house designer: lindsy aragona

embellishment suggestions: pocketfold in opal

photos by: Martha Stewart Weddings

We know, we know, this is supposed to be a blog about letterpress, but we thought you’d like these beautiful photos from one of our favorite places, Grindstone Farm. Not only does Grindstone provide delicious, nutritious, organic fruits and veggies to the Bella Figura staff through our CSA partnership, they are also a prime example of why farms make great wedding locations!

Of course, planning a wedding on a working farm can be tricky. You need to plan ahead so you are not stuck without power or lights (or bathrooms!), you’ll need to make sure grandma and grandpa do not have to walk a mile in dress shoes, and if you want the ultimate local experience of using food and flowers grown onsite, you’ll need to get the details to the farmer a year in advance.

When the details come together, it’ll be worth the trouble. Your guests will be able to share in an incredible one-of-a-kind experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Interested in finding a farm like this near you for your wedding or big event? Or do you want to use locally grown produce or flowers for your special event?  Check out localharvest.org to find CSAs, U Pick Farms, Farmers Markets, Grocery Co-ops in your area!