Black and white wedding reception inspo with Alexandra Kate

We love collaborating on styled editorials with our local wedding creatives here in New Zealand and abroad. Over the years, we've been discerning about creating lasting relationships with vendors we love, and it's always such a pleasure and honor to get the opportunity to be part of styled shoots. Plus, it's always a treat being able to recommend creatives we love working with to our couples as they plan their big day.

Editorial with Alexandra Kate ~ Elegant black and white wedding decor

We were overjoyed when wedding planner Alexandra Kate reached out to us about working on this stunning session featuring modern black and white wedding decor. We created an array of “day of” pieces for the wedding reception inspiration shoot, and we loved how everything came together! Adding custom items from your stationery designer to your wedding day is the perfect way to welcome your guests in an elevated way.

Putting together a wedding (or any event) is about telling a cohesive story. While your invitation and save the dates are one of the first ways to introduce your guests to your event, it doesn't end there. You can infuse your taste and love of stationery throughout your wedding day and give guests an experience they will always remember.

Using theme colors for wedding stationery decor

We love helping our clients create custom signage for every part of their wedding experience based on the theme colours for their wedding. For this editorial, we created a bespoke black and white linen sign to welcome guests and a sign for seating. Our photographer, Kate Roberge, captured the mood of the session perfectly. We all loved the dynamic and ethereal feel of the session, and the wind made sure to play its part. We also created the stationery, guest seating signage, and table numbers.

Shop our wedding fabric signage

Our linen seating chart

Linen wedding signage

We love adding a bit more play and texture throughout a wedding day by using multiple elements like fabric or silk to add dimension. While we have a major soft spot for handmade paper – your wedding stationery can be more than just paper. Ribbons can add the most gorgeous texture, and we love thinking outside the box using hanging calligraphy scrolls with guest names to make your day feel and look unique.  

Shop our calligraphy place cards

Custom wedding day stationery

The wedding planning team at Alexandra Kate Creative brought together the most incredible selection of vendors. It was a joy to be part of this day and get to know some of these creatives. If you're still putting together your dream New Zealand wedding vendor list, be sure to check out some of the wildly talented people below. 

CREDITS: Styling + concept - Alexandra Kate Creative // Venue - Wonder & Full // Photography - Kate Roberge // Videography - Woven Images // Florals - All Bunched Up // Hair & Makeup - Alarna Taylor // Tableware - Royal Laboratorie // Stationery & Calligraphy - The Ess Letter // Furniture - Major + Minor, Flock Events // Cake - Weeping Willow Cakes // Linen - Tble. Linen // Table Décor - TableLook // Perfume Cart - Miller Road Fragrances // Gown - Paperswan Bridal 'Oui The Label' // Tuxedo - Omen via Nemo Workroom // Bridal Accessories - Saben // Models - Sam and Jaden

Unveiling the Magic of Envelope Liners

Want to add a touch of unexpected flair to your wedding invitation suite? Whether you are designing semi-custom wedding invites or having your invitations custom made, adding envelope liners to your wedding invitations is the perfect way to create an extra "wow factor" when your guests open your envelope.

At The Ess Letter we have such a soft spot for envelope liners and the subtle magic they can add to a design. There are hundreds of design options and can be bold or more understated to suit your wedding style. They're a bit of secret delight waiting to be discovered by your guests! 

Floral envelope liners

How do envelope liners work?

Envelope liners are decorative pieces of paper that fit snugly inside your invitation envelope. Often overlooked, they offer more than just an extra layer of protection for your precious invitations. They're a design element waiting to be explored! This multifunctional detail is both a treat for the eyes and protects your precious wedding paper details while they make their way to your guests in the mail.

Adding envelope liners into your invitation design

The beauty of envelope liners lies in their versatility. Here's how to include liners into your suite, and how they elevate your wedding invitations:

A Pop of Color: Does your invitation suite feel a touch monochromatic? Inject a burst of vibrancy with a brightly colored liner. Imagine a soft lavender liner peeking out from a crisp white envelope or a touch of gold adding a touch of luxury. My personal favorite is adding a more artistic touch with beautiful artwork.

Pattern Play: Embrace your playful side with patterned liners. Floral envelope liners and geometric designs can add a touch of personality. Coordinate the pattern with your wedding theme or use it as a unique surprise.

Monogram Magic: For a classic touch, have your wedding monogram printed on the liner. It's a subtle yet elegant way to personalize your invitation suite.

Themed Delights: Planning a romantic wedding? A liner featuring your venue as a castle silhouette would be enchanting! Having a destination wedding? Opt for a map liner showcasing your chosen location to add a touch of whimsy.

There are endless possibilities with envelope liners, and to help you choose the best option we curate our best picks for your invitation design! And we’ll mock-up how your liner will look so it’s easy to visualise and see the design come to life.

The perfect finishing touch for your wedding envelopes

Envelope liners are the finishing flourish for your wedding envelopes. They create a sense of anticipation and delight as your guests open the envelope, revealing a hidden treasure. It's a small detail with a big impact, adding a layer of personality and setting the stage for a truly unforgettable celebration. And the best part, no need to wonder how to assemble envelope liners – these added pieces are fully assembled by us! When you place a wedding stationery order with us, you’ll receive full service assembly of your entire suite. All that’s left for you to do is add postage (unless you need us to) and send them off to your guests!

Lovely letterpress wedding invitations - perfect for your special day

Are you getting married soon and looking for the perfect wedding invitation that’s full of luxurious detail? If you've long loved traditional and handmade touches, letterpress wedding invitations add a textural element that you will swoon over.

How are letterpress wedding invitations created?

Letterpress invitations offer a unique and luxurious experience that you and your guests can touch, see and feel. Using an antique letterpress machine from the early 1900’s, your invitation design is recreated on a custom made plate. Each invitation is then hand fed into the press one at a time, where the design is pressed in leaving a beautiful impression you can see. The inks are hand mixed, so each piece is truly unique, creating a timeless handcrafted piece that is one-of-a-kind. If you opt for a design with more than one color, the process for adding the additional color is repeated. A new plate is used, then each piece is fed a second time to apply the ink — it’s an incredibly detailed process!

If you’re a paper lover and looking for something that reflects your love of details, letterpress is lovely touch and perfect for handmade, cotton, or extra thick papers.

A Little Something To Have and To Hold

We like to think that letterpress wedding invitations are more than something to have and hold, they are also a lovely keepsake that you and your guests can cherish for years to come. While the process for this style of wedding invitation can take a bit more time, it is well worth the wait. 

Are you ready to start the process of designing your own custom wedding invitation with letterpress? You can add on letterpress to any of our semi-custom invitation designs for a truly personalised design. Get in touch with us to start the journey.

Below, are some of our favourite designs that showcase how you can infuse your love story into your wedding day! 

Looking for a letterpress invitation designer?

A helpful guide for your wedding invitation wording

We know how important it is to get the details right for such a monumental event, because it’s not every day that you get married! The Ess Letter has put together our top tips to help you with the correct wording and proper etiquette for your wedding invitations. Read on to get started!

What wording should you include on your wedding invitations?

Besides the confirmed details of your wedding (your names as the couple getting married, the date of your wedding and the ceremony location) here are four things you need to know to help craft your invitation wording:

1. Ceremony start time

2. Formality of your wedding (which will impact the overall tone of your wording)

3. If your ceremony is being held in a place of worship

4. Who (if anyone) is hosting your wedding

Once you have these items sorted, we can then craft your wording for your custom wedding invitation that speaks to your day, and reflects your celebration.

CEREMONY START TIME

In our experience, this is the one detail that couples forget - and can hold up your invitation design! Typically this is the time the actual ceremony will begin. Speak with your celebrant or church/pastor to help finalise the ceremony details. We recommend using a strict start time or adding a 15-minute buffer so guests arrive on time.

FORMALITY OF YOUR WEDDING

The next step is determining how you want your invitations to sound. To do this, we recommend letting the formality of your wedding dictate the tone of your invitations. 

The wording choices used for a formal wedding with a black tie dress code will incorporate language to reflect this formality. But if you are planning a casual, laid back wedding, your invitation would sound very different, with more casual wording. Letting your wedding formality dictate the tone is a helpful way to find the right words!

PLACE OF WORSHIP

If so, there are specific words and wording we’d recommend. In particular, use traditional wording, with full names (first, middle, last), and formal language. If you are having a Catholic wedding, it’s important to let your guests know there will be a Catholic mass service in a church.

THE HOST

In this context, the host is extending the invitation to the guest. When you have a host other than yourselves, it’s expected to let everyone know who they are!

If this is the case, there will be a hosting line at the very start of your invitation that indicates who is hosting. This may be you as the couple, it may be one set of parents, or it may be both sets of parents (step-parents/divorced parents are included, we can help find wording for your unique family circumstances).

If you’re reading this and wondering if you have a host, it’s likely that you don’t! But you may wish to discuss this further with your family before making that decision.

Need help with your invitation wording?

If you’re finding this process a lot to work through, you might benefit from working with a wedding invitation designer one-on-one. For The Ess Letter clients, our invitation wording assistance is included in our custom and semi-custom invitation suites. When working together, you’ll provide us details about your wedding and we will give you several invitation wording options to choose from. Together, we will refine the wording until it’s perfectly you.

Letterpress invitations for a Wellington wedding at Boomrock

Lilac & orange wedding colour palette

This Wellington wedding set at Boomrock was the perfect backdrop for a colourful celebration. The custom invitation suite was designed to featured lilac letterpress ink and coordinating handmade envelopes paired with delicate white to add softness with handmade and vellum papers. A playful nod to the venue set-up with orange and lilac theme, hand drawn orange leaves were scattered throughout the invitation suite. The ‘juicy’ details card was a play on words with orange juice and featured a custom venue illustration and hand drawn map to the Boomrock venue.

LETTERPRESS INVITATIONS

WEDDING VENUE ILLUSTRATION

WEDDING MENUS

Custom die cut menus with a wavy bottom, printed on soft blush cardstock with lilac ink. Guest names were added on vellum paper in gold metallic ink tying in with the gold cutlery. Dried orange slices were placed under the vellum for a literal pop of orange!

WEDDING SIGNS

CHAMPAGNE TOWER DREAMS

THE FINER DETAILS - DREAM TEAM

Photography Olivia Melhop Weddings // Wedding stationery, signage & calligraphy ~ The Ess Letter // Event styling & coordination ~ The Wedding Coach // Wedding venue ~ Boomrock Ohariu Valley // Florals ~ Joy Florals // Gowns ~ Paperswan Bride // Cake ~ Stiletto Studio // Linen ~ Tble Linen // Candles ~ Candle Co Australia // Hair & Make-up ~ Courtney H Taylor // Fashion Stylist ~ Jane Durham Styling // Suits ~ Rembrand 1946 // Jewellery ~ Crystal and Cord Jewellery // Videographer ~ Tinted Productions // BTS Videographer ~ Light Chamber Productions // Models & couple Danika & Joseph Thomas

Featured on NZ Bride & Groom magazine