Traditional weddings are absolutely beautiful, and I love working on invitations for them… soft, dreamy landscapes filled with crystal, tulle, and lace!
But I have to be honest… I get *really* excited when a couple comes to me with a truly nerdy inspiration. Because... I. Am. A. Nerd. (in case you haven’t figured that out yet)! Science and sci-fi are my main topics to geek out on (and yep, I have a PhD in nuclear engineering & materials science), so after your design consultation, feel free to engage me in a debate on whether Kirk or Picard is the better captain (*ahem* it’s Janeway).
So today, I thought I’d share some details on a couple of the nerdiest invitations I’ve done to date.
Jeff and Tab
Jeff proposed by sending Tab on a geeky scavenger hunt around town, with a ring at the end! At their wedding, each table was named for a famous couple from fandom (think Zoe & Wash or Han Solo & Leia).
So, it was only appropriate that I design a wedding invitation that celebrates their love of both video games and literature, with nods to favorites like Mario, Zelda, Pac-Man, and Harry Potter.
This was letterpress printed in two colors - navy and a shimmery gold - with sunflower accents (even the Mario flower got a sunflower makeover!) and brown kraft paper envelopes.
Tab & Jeff were such a fun couple to work with! They were such genuine people, and I'm so lucky that they chose me to be part of their big day.
Brittany & Cody
Brittany and Cody really took their passion to the next level by giving their entire wedding a Harry Potter theme! They wanted a Marauder's Map style invitation, so I designed a folding invitation:
I hand illustrated the entire piece, complete with a custom map to their venue, the beautiful Up the Creek Farms. I turned this into a plate, and letterpress printed it on my hand crank press in a dark brown ink. The 32#, 100% cotton paper folds beautifully and feels like a real magic map! I aged the paper by hand to give it extra character.
The RSVP card is styled to match with sparkly rhinestone details; oversized to allow guests to pick their house (I'm a Ravenclaw)! The houses determined the seating arrangement, providing a fun conversation starter for guests! The hand illustrated ink and watercolor map was displayed at the venue to show guests where their tables are.
The invitations were finished with velvet ribbon and shiny gold wax seals!
Brittany's mom, Nicole, was on top of every detail! She really took things to the next level, and had so many great ideas for her daughter's wedding (I love those floating candles). Check out this video (from Sophisticated Gents) to see even more beautiful details!
Cristina & Chris
I just clicked with Cristina and Chris the moment I met them -- they are such a lovely couple, funny and sweet. They had a more traditional wedding, but I still think they deserve a shout out in this post because of one invitation detail:
They wanted to include a bit of astronomy! This is a star chart from the night they shared their first kiss, with a little modification... they've got their own constellation, Volans Legos. This was inspired by Chris's love for building model airplanes out of Legos.
The astronomy theme carries over to the front wrap with a tiny silver star charm. This goes to show that you can sneak in a bit of nerdy fun on an otherwise more traditionally styled invitation!