Calligraphy by Sarah Hanna

The calligraphy above is by the wonderfully talented (and wonderfully nice!) Sarah Hanna. Sarah addressed these particular envelopes for a bride who ordered Blue Ribbon's Rococo wedding invitations and I think her florid script complements the design perfectly. Visit Sarah's website (www.sarahhanna.com) to view additional samples of her work and to read her tips and suggestions for working with a professional calligrapher.

Historical Invitations

This summer I've been enjoying the new Edith Wharton biography by Hermione Lee. One of my favorite tidbits so far has been this reprint of Wharton's wedding invitation, issued by her widowed mother on the occasion of her marriage to Edward "Teddy" Wharton.

Isn't the script beautiful? I especially like the look of the superior lowercase characters used for "Mrs." and "Mr." I wish the author had included more information regarding what format the invitation was issued in. I'm not sure if the style of the times called for a flat card, a single-fold card, or a double-fold card...

Edith Wharton's wedding invitation as reproduced in Edith Wharton, by Hermione Lee (Vintage Books, 2007)

Newport Pairings

I love to design invitations for weddings at historic homes. It's especially nice if there are lots of decorative details on site to reference in the design. So in keeping with my Gilded Age theme, I've paired Blue Ribbon's wedding stationery with some of Newport's Beaux-Arts mansions.

Rococo's delicate florals would be perfect for a wedding at Rosecliff.

Vintage Tribeca's ornate ironwork design would work well for a celebration at The Elms.

North Moore flats (used as menus) would be an elegant choice for dinner reception at Marble House.

And Floral Frieze would make an excellent choice for the invitations.

Photo of Rosecliff via the Newport Historical Society, www.newportmansions.org; All other photos by Blue Ribbon. Mansions from top to bottom are Rosecliff, The Elms, Marble House (front view), and Marble House (back view).

Newport

I was in Newport over the holiday weekend, taking a break and doing a little research on popular wedding venues in the area. If I were having a Gilded Age style wedding, I would most certainly have hand-written menu cards for each of my guests - similar to the ones on display at Marble House (pictured above).

(Photos: Back view of Marble House (top), Menus on display in the kitchens at Marble House)