We were thrilled to spot our Camden and Tensley wedding invitations in the February 2017 issue of Weddings in Houston magazine! The tawny matte Camden suite – complete with a peacock adorned envelope liner – was featured alongside other modern wedding invitations with floral envelope liners and design elements. Our sweet Tensley invitations feature letterpress printing in deep blue ink on our ivory bamboo paper, and were paired alongside other pretty blue invitations (including the Garden Sun invitation from our BFF Bella Figura). Many thanks to Weddings in Houston for including our invitations on these beautiful pages!
We combined platinum shine foil with black letterpress ink to create Gregory and Christopher’s modern brushstroke wedding invitations. The pair customized our Flynn design for their November wedding at the Asia Society in Houston, Texas, which was followed by a reception at Hotel Zaza. In addition to the invitations and foil stamped envelope liners, we created a reply card and an information card that shared specifics on information like parking, accommodations, and wedding day details.
foil color: platinum shine | letterpress ink color: black | fonts: moderno + woodland + barber | paper: 2-ply + 1-ply white bamboo | size: S-8 + S-6 + S-5 | Flynn design | envelope liner: organic stripes pattern in platinum shine foil | edge paint: black | customization #35476 | Events
We worked with Adrienne at Ipanema Press to create these monogrammed letterpress birth announcements to mark Ashton’s arrival. We letterpress printed the petite S-5 cards in vine ink on our thick, 2-ply white bamboo paper. Adrienne created an adorable patterned envelope liner featuring custom-illustrated airplanes and Ashton’s initials in shades of green and pale blue. Such a sweet way to spread the news!
letterpress ink colors: vine | fonts + artwork: submitted | paper: 2-ply white bamboo | size: S-5 | envelope liner: custom submitted artwork | customization #35300 | Ipanema Press
Today we’re sharing a peek inside the studio of Boston-based Invitations & Company. Founder Arlene Cronk is celebrating 25 years in business this year, and has crafted a warm, intimate space for her clients. In addition to running a successful stationery business, Arlene founded the Boston Wedding Group and Marketing to the High-End Bride. BWG is the largest and oldest wedding industry association in New England, while Marketing to the High-End Bride is the most widely attended event for wedding professionals in New England. Arlene also founded a New York Wedding Group, where she was president from 2004-2006. We’ll let Arlene take it from here!
I started the business right after returning from a Caribbean cruise in December 1991. At breakfast and dinner we had been seated with another couple and the wife, Amy, ran an invitations business from her home in the Cleveland area. She and I would take walks along the deck most mornings and during those walks she would describe her business, and I knew immediately this was something I wanted to do. So, the next day after coming home I set up an office at the end of our living room in our Boston apartment and that’s how Invitations & Company began.
The space is different from most invitation businesses. It’s not a store and it is no longer based in a home. It is a separate studio unit in a downtown building that looks a lot like someone’s living room, with a small office at one end. We have comfortable couches and chairs and also a large table where we meet with customers and spread out albums of invitations. Along the walls we have shelves and shelves of albums and invitations on display.
So the space is very homey but also very professional. It is very convenient for customers who live or work downtown. We also draw a lot of customers from nearby suburbs who are looking for a huge selection, lots of personal service, and a very personalized shopping experience overall.
What I love most about my job is that it feels so right for me – I like to say that ‘I’m completely self-actualized’ doing this. I was an art history major in college and later earned a masters in social work — and this business combines the art and creative aspects with the social part. Most of my customers are engaged couples and planning a wedding can be very stressful, so the fact that I used to be a licensed social worker helps a lot. In fact, for six years I ran a program called the Bridal Survival Club.
The most challenging part of my job is that I have to be “on” all the time. I am always dealing with invitation issues and talking with customers and invitation vendors, even when on vacations. There is a lot of pressure because my customers expect impeccable products and services, and rightfully so.
5 favorite things in your shop?
- My bulletin boards with photos of brides, and brides with their mothers and grooms, when they see their invitations for the first time.
- My photo of Randy Fenoli (“Say Yes to the Dress”) and me.
- My office carpet (I scoured every store in Boston and New York until I finally found something I love!).
- My large worktable with lots and lots of space to spread things out.
- I am really proud of the many great online customer reviews I’ve received over the years.
If someone is visiting your shop, what are the other essential stops in your neighborhood? Anything on Charles Street in Beacon Hill — boutique apparel shops, gift and gourmet food shops, cosmetic boutiques, restaurants — they’re all great!
Does your store support any charities or special causes? Friends of the Public Garden, The Yellowstone Association, and Angell Memorial Hospital (a veterinary hospital).
Current favorite design trend?I love vintage floral patterns and metallics.
Many thanks to Arlene for giving us a peek inside her cozy space!
Natalie and Daniel rang in the new year as newlyweds at the beautiful Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, California. We had the pleasure of working with Events to create Natalie and Daniel’s romantic bronze shine foil wedding invitations. The couple personalized our Linden suite with a pretty vintage print and bronze shine foil for their New Year’s Eve wedding. We created an elegant foil stamped wedding invitation and a reply card (complete with cute motifs) for the main components of their suite, while their digitally printed and foil stamped website cards mimicked the romantic, vintage hydrangea pattern on their envelope liners.
foil color: bronze shine | digital ink color: CMYK process | fonts: submitted + Notera | paper: 2-ply +1-ply white bamboo | size: S-8 + S-5 + S-3 | Linden design | envelope liner: vintage hydrangea patterned print | customization #35750 | Events
We recently launched a variety of new cards for spring holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, along with other occasion cards celebrating weddings, engagements, and new homes. Several of our new gift wrap styles feature hand painted watercolor patterns – a brand new style for 2017! Take a look at all the new styles in our new arrivals section!
We recently held a gift wrapping workshop here at our Syracuse print shop in collaboration with our friends at May Arts Ribbon. Each attendee learned how to get the perfect gift wrapping measurements, how to make an invisible seam, and how to put together some really cute gift toppers. In addition the gift toppers, guests were able to dress up their gifts with some festive, holiday-themed May Arts ribbons — we came up with so many fun wrap pairings! Take a peek at the event and some of the final wrapped presents below. You’ll even catch a sneak peek at some of our brand new gift wraps that will soon be available!
We worked with our friends at Union Street Papery to create these darling tri-fold holiday cards for the Spangler family. The tri-fold card features digital printing on both the front and the back, and each panel highlights a different photograph. Gold matte foil was included to make the initial greeting stand out, and we created custom envelope liners featuring the reindeer pattern from our Merry gift wrap to add some extra holiday cheer.
foil color: gold matte | digital printing: CMYK process | fonts: Jules + Moderno | paper: 1-ply white bamboo | sizes: S-6TF | envelope liner: custom pattern based on our Merry gift wrap | customization #:31184 | Union Street Papery
We love creating custom holiday cards and seeing all of the festive patterns and motifs come through the shop, but we’re always especially honored to print holiday cards for our Smock dealers. Last year we worked with Sarah Gallante, owner of Pom Paperie in Valencia, California, to create her family’s custom holiday cards. The front of the card featured a group photo of Sarah, her husband, her children, and of course their family dog Chibi in front of the most picturesque mountain scene. The cards also featured a “be merry” message with the year and family name in red shine foil on the front, while the backside of the card showcased individual portraits and an update on each family member. Confetti patterned envelope liners in various shades of red, blue, and gray tied all of the colors from the digitally printed cards together and made for a fun finish!
foil color: red shine | digital ink color: CMYK process | fonts: Woodland + Darling | paper: 1-ply white bamboo | size: S-6 | martell design | envelope liner: confetti pattern in silver + sand + cloud + deep red + cardinal + cherry + pewter + navy | customization #31473 | Pom Paperie
Today we’re shining the spotlight on Ipanema Press, a charming stationery boutique in the historic town of Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Ipanema Press specializes in custom wedding invitations and social stationery, and today we’re giving a peek inside their charming studio. We’ll let Adrienne, the owner of Ipanema Press, take it from here!
My name is Adrienne Kierans, the girl from Ipanema Press! Everyone always asks me about the name of my company. Am I Brazillian? Far from it, my father is from Ireland and mother from Brooklyn. And I’m not tall or tan (but have been called young and lovely depending on who you ask!)
The name comes from that famous bossa nova song. The word “bossa” is an old-fashioned slang for something that is done with particular charm, natural flair or innate ability. This is the essence of who we are so the name was a perfect fit.
I was a fine stationer in New York City for 6 years before starting my own company. I chose the historic town of Cold Spring Harbor to launch Ipanema Press in 2013 (the same year my first son was born). Our building dates back to the late 1800’s and was originally the home of a whaling captain. The original wood floors are still here – and are my favorite feature in the studio.
I genuinely love helping new couples create custom art for their wedding. Our clients often tell us that their experience with us was one of their favorites in the planning process and that brings me great joy. We collaborate with the country’s most talented artists, calligraphers, and printers. We truly love what we do! A challenge is that we can only take 3 appointments per day in order for us to give each project and client the attention it deserves. This gets especially hard during the busy months of spring.
Current favorite design trend? The mixing of print methods – particularly foil + letterpress + watercolor accents. It adds great textural interest and it just so unusual. Hoping to play with more print combinations in 2017.
If someone is visiting your shop, what are the other essential stops in your neighborhood?
AvaFlora – Lori creates the most gorgeous garden-esque floral arrangements and specializes in weddings.
Harbor Bridal – Leigh and Tori have a beautiful boutique of wedding gowns right in the heart of town.
Sandbar – the perfect spot for lunch on the harbor.
Sweetie Pies – they have the best ice coffee (the ice cubes are even made out of coffee, we are addicted!).
Many thanks to Adrienne for giving us this peek inside her studio! Be sure to follow Ipanema Press on Instagram for even more inspiration from this sweet stationery boutique.
All photos by Cadence Kennedy.
