Tools of the Trade

The array of tools we have at our disposal for creating your invitations would surprise you. This picture shows several of the tools in use on our current project.

Starting with paper and ink, and your theme, ideas, and preferences, we sort through our (impressive) collection of stamps and also look for printable art that might bring your theme into the design. We print a draft of your invitation wording in the size you've chosen and get to work at personalizing it.

Sometimes  invitations will be enhanced with heat embossing which adds some subtle texture and shine to the invitation. Others get texture added using a process called dry embossing which shapes the paper without changing the color. Some get colored with ink, others get their color from punched shapes (see the leaves and flowers in this photo.) Sometimes the corners will be shaped using a variety of punches; often the invitaion will be layered on a mat of a different color.

Putting it all together creates an original and unique hand-crafted invitation that will never be duplicated for another bride and groom!

Putting it all together

In Texas some people pronounce the words "suit" and "suite" the same. We tend to refer to our collections as suites, pronounced sweet. So, whether you think the pieces in this photo are a suite of wedding stationery, or a suit, you are right. It is a sweet set that belongs together.

This invitation was printed, and then embellished with hand-assembled floral sprigs. The RSVP postcard, and additional information note are printed using the same colors, slightly muted, with a woodgrain background on both sides to coordinate with the invitation. The wedding program is also printed. Any of the pieces except the postcard could have included variations on the sprigs included on the invitation.

You can expand your suite to include table numbers, favor packaging, thank you notes, escort cards, doorhangers, placecards, and even give a hint of it in your save-the-dates if you decide early enough.

You may notice a theme similar to an invitation we highlighted a couple of weeks ago - if you did, you have a good eye. This is another sample made for the same bride who received this sample. What she ended up with was a variation on this one; after the groom added his opinions some additional changes were made. It's custom - we will tweak it until you are satisfied!

Welcome Your Guests in Style

Imagine how pleased and surprised your guests will be when they show up at the hotel and find a friendly welcome from you hanging on their door. These days many of your wedding guests may have come a long distance to help you celebrate so let them know how glad you are to have them with you on your special day. Hotels are generally happy to put these doorhangers out for you if you've reserved a block of rooms.

The signature design you choose for your custom invitations can be carried through to many other welcoming touches. For instance, you may want to include an insert in your invitations that provides information about blocks of hotel rooms, directions between hotels and venue or from the wedding venue to the reception, and where you are registered.

Once your invitation design is finalized you can start thinking about other ways you want to use your signature design.  (You can see the invitation that inspired this doorhanger here.) Put your unique touch on doorhangers, welcome bags, service folders, place cards, table numbers, favors, and thank you notes. Some couples have even made labels for water bottles or fans when they expect a warm day for an outdoor wedding.

Possibility Paper Company will be happy to provide whatever you need to show your guests how much you value their presence.

Ahoy Matie!

Photo credit Mekina Saylor

The suite so elegantly photographed to the right is from a 2015 wedding we did with a nautical theme. Though the separate pieces are quite simple, the full package was very elegant, and most fitting for this wedding by the sea.

This bride and groom had quite the romantic story - they shared summers in a small town in Maine. They also shared a love of sailing that they worked into every aspect of their wedding including lovely pictures taken aboard a very big sailing vessel with everyone's bare feet on display.

These invitations are called "flat mats" because the invitation is printed and then mounted on a mat of another color to make it really pop. If you look closely you'll see that they are printed in navy blue to correspond with the mat. Less easily seen in the photo is that the anchors and wheels are embossed - shiny and raised. Navy, white, and gold - a classic combination of colors that will never go out of style.

Woodland Wedding

Here is an invitation that is perfect for a woodland wedding; it features woodgrain and wildflowers. You can customize it with a range of colors and flowers; even the shape of the central panel can be adjusted to fit your vision.

This invitation is a sample that we made for a bride using her colors. In the design phase we typically make 2-3 samples using your colors and theme and the preferences that show up in the ideas you share with us. This was the most expensive sample in her suite because of all the steps involved:

Cutting paper layers
Texturing the woodgrain layer
Shaping the information layer
Constructing the floral embellishments
Attaching them to your card.

You may choose to have RSVP cards, additional information enclosures, double envelopes, embellished envelopes, a pocket or belly band to keep it all together. It's customized for you.

Each layer or embellishment is charged according to the cost of time and materials. An invitation like the one shown would be priced by each layer and embellishment and envelope. The more pieces, the pricier the invitation, but if you give us a budget we won't send you a sample that will exceed your limits.

Setting the Tone

Your invitations are often the first inkling your guests have of what your wedding will be like. Some weddings are stiff and formal affairs, foreshadowed by stiff and formal invitations in black and white with a nod to gold or silver. The invitation for a destination wedding in an exotic location will probably feature rich tropical colors and make you long for some time on the beach. A rustic wedding in the backyard will probably make use of natural papers and neutral or muted colors - perhaps with a bolder accent.

This invitation was for a bride who got married in her parents' back yard. It was the wedding she had always dreamed of, complete with the perfect groom and her close and loving family gathered round. This invitation used watercolor paper which has a bumpy grain unlike any other. It is sturdy, and textured, and gives you amazing possibilities with ink and water. Generally the colors will be muted with soft edges. It is a very gentle presentation.

Your paper can improve or degrade your invitation. Good paper allows your images and text to stand out. Inferior paper can allow them to bleed or smudge. Some people won't notice these details but the ones who do will appreciate them. From the invitations to the envelopes - quality shows. Possibility Paper uses only quality paper for our invitations. We want your invitations to show your guests how much you value their presence at your wedding.

The Colors of Spring

The invitation to the left is a creation using some of the happiest colors of spring. Do you love them? Or would you rather see shades of pink and purple? How about sage and yellow and orange? This is the beauty of custom design - you can have it your way!

This invitation features stamping, punching, layering, printing and pearls. Now imagine it with fall leaves stamped and layered for your autumn affair or evergreen branches, pine cones and holly berries for a winter wedding. Want a little more sparkle? Use rhinestones instead of pearls or emboss the punched images so they shine or tip the flowers with some glitter. The possibilities are endless.

When you engage Possibility Paper to make your invitations, you get to show us things you like but wish were just a little different. Then we try to make your vision come to life. So pick your colors, decide what kind of theme you'd like to have, and let's put our heads together and figure out what you love. And then you can carry what you love through every part of your wedding - from the save the dates to the thank you notes.