OsloPress

Wedding invitation wording is influenced by several factors – most importantly, in my opinion, the level of formality as well as who will be hosting the event. (and sometimes, a very opinionated relative or significant other!) A simple google search will dump nothing less than a bucket load of options on your lap and this can be, well, overwhelming. For that reason, I will be making several posts on wording. This will be based purely on my own research, and will hopefully prevent at least a few of our brides from feeling completely helpless.

I will begin with a less traditional approach – the wedding not hosted by parents.

These first few start out with a simple introduction:

Example 1

Please join us
For a celebration
of love, friendship, and family as
Jolie Anne Thomas
and
Alexander Raymond Marshall
Join their hands in marriage
Saturday, the nineteenth of May
two thousand and seven
at seven o’clock in the evening
Maplewood Greens
Renton, Washington

Example 2

You are cordially invited
to celebrate the wedding of
Lena Karen Touvelle
and
Patrick Scott Donnelly
on Saturday, the first of July
two thousand six
at Saint Francis Catholic Church
Portland, Oregon
The celebration will continue
at the Sullivan Tavern

Example 3

With joy in our hearts, we,
Melissa Lee
and
Steven Taos
Request your presence
As we exchange marriage vows …etc…

Or perhaps a more straight-forward approach:

Example 4

Emma Elaine Monroe
and
Johnathan Manning Smith
request the pleasure of your company
in celebrating their marriage
on Saturday, the nineteenth of August
two thousand six
at five o’clock in the evening
Meadow Park Inn
Addison, Vermont
Dinner and dancing to follow

Maybe you want to acknowledge your parent or family involvement in a less traditional way:

Example 5

Together with their parents,
Anne Elizabeth Myers
and
Thomas Duncan Moore
request …etc…

or

Together with our parents…

or

Together with our families…

Each of the above examples can be altered to suit your individual needs. I will leave other issues, such as level of formality and capitalization, to another day… As you can see, this is really just the beginning.

Quite a while back, we were contacted by Christa Vagnozzi from The Knot, as well as Danielle Venokur of dvGreen, and asked if we could provide a few samples to possibly be used in an upcoming feature. What we really loved about the idea was they were interested in more than just invitations. We also created a menu and table number for them to work with. Well, some time passed by and as January came and went, we began wondering about that potential feature. On a whim I decided to check out the magazine stand while in a local Target and there it was – the latest publication of The Knot. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant to look inside, and just a bit disappointed when I began flipping through the pages only to find hundreds of wedding gowns. (I always start from the back!) Then I made myself slow down a bit and start from the beginning. That’s when I finally ran across what we had been waiting for. Several items from our Bloom collection are included in a feature titled 4 hot color combos. The white and wood combo is where you will find us – a two page spread highlighting eco-friendly ideas and scrumptious warm tones. So, so lovely you guys! A very big thank you to all those involved!

As seen on p. 36 & 37 in The Knot Spring/Summer ‘08: menu in Bloom and maple, invitation in Bloom and walnut, nestled in the flowers on the table you will see the table number in walnut as well (all images courtesy of The Knot)

I have to admit that after hopping in the car with a copy of the magazine I immediately placed it safely in the back seat. But my curiosity took over, and it wasn’t more than a minute or so before I was flipping through every page of that magazine and examining every single dress. I like to torture myself, you see. Even though my own wedding has come and gone… I have that fear that I will stumble upon the most perfect dress ever created and that I will be devastated because I couldn’t have it for my big day. Thankfully, that didn’t happen on this occasion.

Just for fun, I am posting some photos that give you a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes here at Oslo Press. As you will see, these only involve the printing side of things. So, I will have to do a follow-up in the future that includes the engraving as well. Below is a stack of wedding programs hot off the press. This only shows you a tiny portion of our 1960’s Heidelberg Windmill.

Next is a detail of the same programs after being scored and folded. This is an example of a blind impression – where an impression is made without the use of ink. In this case, we wanted to add a bit of detail to the programs so that they coordinated nicely with the invitations and other elements. At the same time, we wanted to keep it subtle… I think they turned out lovely.

Below you see 130 programs – all bound and ready to be packed for shipping!

This job also included favor tags, escort cards, and table cards. The couple chose Willow with Pearl White paper and a deep custom-blended aubergine ink. Here is a detail shot of the favor tags:

Last but certainly not least… Oslo pulling his weight around here. Okay, so maybe that only consists of napping, eating his fair share of food, and providing endless amounts of cuteness and entertainment. We like to think that is more than sufficient.

We have recently added a few new fonts to our existing list. However, since the list is a bit overwhelming, we are working on a way to better showcase them. Perhaps showing each one in use would allow you to get a better feel for them – in turn making the decision process a bit easier.

If you ask me, hunting for a new font is as exciting as buying a new pair of shoes. We have some new designs in the works and I can’t wait to try some of these out. Instead of explaining why we felt the need to add these particular fonts to our collection, I will let them speak for themselves:

I love details… really love them. I especially appreciate that someone put great thought, time, and attention into a particular detail.

So, it was only natural that I wanted to find a calligrapher who could help add a little extra something to our invitations. I am happy to announce that through a bit of searching, I have found a wonderful calligrapher. Sherri Coyle not only loves what she does and is great to work with, but as a bonus, she is located near us.

Here is a little example:

For some reason, this style makes me want to send little valentine notes to everyone I know. (Okay, maybe that is due to the fact that all the stores are already filled to the brim with little pink hearts and cupids… but I like to think it is the sweet simplicity of this hand writing.)

We will slowly be updating the website with prices and more examples. However, if you are interested in having Sherri address your envelopes or fill out your escort and table cards, please let us know!

Here are a few other close-ups:

Styles from top to bottom: Monoline Italics, Lowercase Romans, Monoline Bickham, Bickham