Bride and Groom: Nickie + Matthew | Wedding Planner: An Elegant Occasion Photographer: Kristy Dickerson
Venue: Private Estate at Reynolds Plantation | Location: Lake Oconee | Cake: Lush Cakery | Calligraphy: Ginna Dunlap
Wedding Style: Vintage + Romantic | Invitation Printing: Gold Engraved with Deckle Edge Arturo Paper, Custom Pocket Folders, design, and custom drawings/monogram all designed by Tickled Ink and used throughout their wedding
Bride and Groom: Yakira + John | Wedding Planner: Elly B Events Photographer: Milanes Photography
Venue: Private Estate | Location: Bishop, Georgia | Florals: Akeem Clayton
Wedding Style: Modern + Romantic Luxury | Invitation Printing: Custom Box & Pocket Folio with Gold foil, custom design, and custom monogram all designed by Tickled Ink and used throughout their wedding
As seen on Inside Weddings
Bride and Groom: Katlyn + Brennan | Wedding Planner: Stephanie Valencia
Venue: Hunter Museum of American Art | Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Wedding Style: Romantic | Invitation Printing: Letterpress with custom art and design
Bride and Groom: Casey + Taylor | Wedding Photography: Bamber Photography | Wedding Planner: VL Events
Venue: The Gray Dove | Location: Ooltewah, Tennessee
Wedding Style: Elegant Rustic Chic | Invitation Printing: Gold Foil and white ink on Kraft double thick paper
Now that it is officially Fall, I wanted to post a blog about the wooden veneer wedding invitation option that brides love having for their Fall (or rustic/outdoor) weddings. Brides can either have the invitations letterpress printed (the ink is "kissed" on the veneer, so it is not pressed into the paper) with the reply cards/postcards letterpress printed on our Crane Lettra paper (or you could have them letterpress printed on kraft paper). Below is this option:
Tickled Ink also gives the option to flat print on the wooden veneers. This is pretty much the same look and feel of the letterpress, just printed digitally, so you can actually print watercolors on the wooden veneers. We can also print posters, paintings, labels, etc, on the wooden veneers. If you want to have something engraved or laser-cut in the wooden veneers (tags for your invitations) we can do that, too! Here are the photos of the flat printed options:
As a graphic designer, I am professionally trained to create logos and branding... which is what our wedding monograms are! A custom logo is a great way for a couple to brand their wedding. If you look on our website under logos, you can see many different wedding monograms to choose from that you can purchase with your own initials/names/wedding date, and I am constantly adding more designs to the collection.
The great thing about a wedding monogram is that it can be printed on all the materials... from invitations, programs, thank you cards, menus, coasters, welcome cards, napkins, koozies (or huggers), wine glasses (or any glass/cup), posters, signs, etc... so it really does tie everything together. I have had couples purchase their wedding monogram to print on pillows for their home!
Whatever your style, I can create it... here are some examples of wedding monograms that I designed in 2015, for other wedding monograms that I have designed, please view our collection here.
Oh, the choices that a bride needs to make with her invitations (or anyone ordering cards and invitations, for that matter)! Starting with the design, fonts, wording, and paper choices, the options can be very overwhelming!
One of the first questions I ask my client is "what type of printing are you interested in?". Below are descriptions of each type of printing that we offer, and when discussing your order I am here to answer any questions and guide you in the best decision for the look you want to achieve and, of course, for your budget.
1. Flat Printing: The first option is flat (or digital) printing. We have quality paper choices for our designs (and tons of options to choose from), and we almost always mount an extra card on the back to add extra thickness and a pop of color or texture. The beauty of flat printing is that it is the most budget friendly option, but there are still many things that you can do to "dress it up". You can add belly bands, pocketfolds (or card) invitations, printed envelope liners, (or colored card stock liners), rounded edges or die-cut shapes, and we can print white on colored card stock (which most flat printers cannot do). You can also have your invitations printed on metallic paper to add shimmer and shine without paying for foil. We also have the option to print laser cut, and if you are going for the "earthy" or "rustic" look, we can have your invitations printed on a wooden veneer (this option is also available for letterpress printing, although the ink is not pressed into the wooden veneer... it is "kissed" with ink).
2. Letterpress: If you are like me and appreciate the art of paper and printing, this is one of my favorite options. Our letterpress prices are VERY reasonable compared to most print shops, and the paper and quality of the printing is top notch. If you are willing to invest a little more than flat printing to have your invitation design beautifully pressed in our soft, luxurious 100% cotton (Crane Lettra) paper, let me tell you it is worth it! Letterpress printing is the oldest type of printing, and the plates are pressed into the paper. The result is beautiful and timeless- you can see and feel the indentations of your design and wording. Letterpress printing can make a single word in a simple font look exquisite! One thing to keep in mind about letterpress printing is that if you have a painting, it cannot be letterpress printed. We make plates of your invitation/stationery, so the design needs to be in vector art (or drawing). We can flat print the painting, and then letterpress the line art or text on top of the painting (or on the same paper as the painting).
3. Foil: This type of printing is hot right now... like a marble or quartz countertop in a white kitchen... everyone wants the shine of foil on their wedding invitations. And because I am a trend follower, or maybe because it is just so good looking, I LOVE foil. Our foil prices are higher than our letterpress, but... if you want the look, you do have to invest a little extra for it. The foil is pressed into the paper, so not only do you still get the indentations of letterpress, but you also get the true shine that no other printing can give you. Gold is also hot right now, and everything looks better foil printed in gold. But keep in mind, we have tons of other colors that can be printed in foil. You can also print foil on metallic paper, which is double shine... and letterpress cannot be printed on metallic paper.
4. Engraving & Thermography: The other options that we have are engraving and thermography. The look is the opposite of letterpress- the design and lettering is raised instead of indented. Thermography is the more budget friendly of the two, but engraving is the type of printing that my grandmother and my mom had for their wedding invitations. It is classic, timeless, and exquisite... just a little different look than the letterpress, but just as beautiful, and also timeless!
Keep in mind that there is no "right" or "wrong" with the printing that you choose. Every option is beautiful, it just depends on the look that you want to achieve and the amount that you want to spend. You an purchase samples of our printing, and we are happy to converse with you about our printing options, or if you are in the Chattanooga area, let's set up a time to meet in person!
One May 2, 2015, the Laurelwood Garden Club (a social club on Lookout Mountain) had their annual Spring Party with the Kentucky Derby theme. It was such a fun party, and we were honored to be able to have the party at the beautiful home of Chattanooga's very own (and famous, might I add) interior designer, Michelle Workman. Michelle is actually from Los Angeles and moved to Lookout Mountain and we are so blessed to have her here! Michelle's beautiful home is on a farm, so the party was located outside of her barn. It was such a perfect location for a Kentucky Derby themed party!
Because I was in charge of the invitations and planning, I had a great time with the Derby theme. I designed names for the horses that were strung on each stable, glasses with the Derby logo that I designed, napkins with the logo, invitations, a Derby day sign, and stir sticks. Here are some of the photos that I designed for the party (and yes, you can order these for your own Derby party!), and some of the design elements. We had such a great time cheering on the horses, drinking mint juleps, and wearing our big hats!
