Watercolor Wedding Invitations | Established 2012

Announcements

Announcements, In the Studio
Build Your Wedding with Authenticity and Love
- December 8, 2015
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- by Allison
It is the end of the year, and around this time I get really reflective about my life and my business(es). In the wedding world it is easy to get swept up in the beauty of it all, and there are groups of people in the world that actually hate on weddings (and styled shoots for that matter). They argue that it isn’t authentic or real. I’m very intuitive to these concerns and took a moment to reflect on why I’m attracted to the wedding industry, and why I think weddings are authentic and valuable. This is why I’m in the wedding industry…

I believe that weddings are a public display of a couple’s promise to love one another through the ups and downs of life. This is a big deal, and it is why a couple’s wedding is one of the most monumental days of their lives. It is also a joining of one’s closest friends and family members to support the partnership.

Every wedding is different because every couple is different. The things that attract them to each other and the way each person sees the world and has chosen to align with another person in a supportive relationship is unique. This is where my creative juices get flowing, because an artist can help bring these unique aspects of a wedding into a visual story.

Because every couple is different, they have the freedom to display their marriage promises in any way that suits them. They can do this with a handful of close family members and friends in their backyard or along a pier on a beautiful lake. Or they can choose to make it an elaborate affair and invite hundreds of people to celebrate with a multi-course meal in a grand space. There really are numerous options, but the important part is that this couple is choosing to make these promises public, and that friends and family are there to celebrate this courageous moment.

We live in a world with a lot of hate and fear, and I believe it is important to cherish ceremonies and public expressions of love, no matter what form they take place in. This is why I’m attracted to weddings, and why I feel I have something to contribute to them. I will not judge your ideas around your wedding—they are what makes you human and unique. I will encourage you to build your wedding with authenticity and love.
Announcements, Press
Hand-Painted Weddings published in Celebration Society Weddings Magazine
- October 1, 2015
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- by Allison
The effervescent Water Ripples watercolor wedding invitation was featured in the Summer issue of The Celebration Society Weddings magazine! I supplied the artwork for an editor of the magazine in the Spring, but it was actually one of my clients who worked on a yacht all summer who told me she saw it featured in the magazine, that alerted me that it was published…how funny is that!

I don’t have a big advertising budget, especially for print, so opportunities like this are really exciting! The Water Ripples invitation is featured alongside a lot of other inspiring “Beachy blue” wedding and decor items. I adore that clutch!

The Water Ripples invitation is a great invitation for a wedding happening during the summer and/or for beach weddings. It would also be a beautiful invitation for a wedding happening near a lake or the ocean. Most destination weddings are near the water, so this invitation would also be very fitting in that setting.

Note: The Water Ripples watercolor invitation is available in the shop for purchase.
Announcements, Press, Wedding Tips
Philadelphia Wedding Stationery Introduction on WeddingLovely now Live!
- September 25, 2015
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- by Allison
There are a lot of eyes on Philly this weekend, which is really exciting for this city I love so dearly. Being the fourth generation in my family to live in the Philadelphia area, I have some deep-rooted loyalty to this beautiful city. While I am not catholic, I’m excited that the Pope chose Philly as its prime location for the World Meeting of Families, because it is bringing some well-deserved attention to this beautiful city.

To further express my love for this city, I recently submitted an article about Philadelphia to the wonderful wedding website WeddingLovely, to introduce the Philadelphia Wedding Invitations section, and this week I’m excited to announce…. it went live. WeddingLovely is a resource for helping you plan your wedding with an online guide to wedding vendors and inspiration.

In the Philadelphia Wedding Invitations introduction, I took the opportunity to write a little bit about the passion and loyalty Philly residents share, and then outlined some Philly wedding inspiration specific to Philadelphia wedding stationery. I have copied the text below, but feel free to click here for the link to the full website.

____________

Philadelphia is often known for its rowdy sportsmanship and bombastic attitudes, but the roots of this energy stem from a very strong sense of loyalty and love for Philly. In the city of brotherly love, along with its surrounding suburbs, couples have vast wedding venue options. Couples can get married in historically rich colonial houses along cobblestone streets or in boathouses along the river. They may choose to get married in a train station or at their favorite sports arena. Even farther out of the city couples can choose to get married in a ski lodge or a rustic farm. The diversity of venue options lends itself to a multitude of design inspiration.

Another form of inspiration for your wedding in Philadelphia is the season you choose to get married. Philly has beautiful dogwood trees and cherry blossoms in the spring and hands-down gorgeous fall foliage in autumn. These changes in nature look beautiful decorating a couple’s wedding invitation.

Since the wedding invitation is your guests’ first impression of your wedding day, consider using your wedding venue and/or the season as inspiration for your invitation artwork. You can use Philadelphia’s iconic sites such as the Love statue, Liberty bell, Boathouse Row, or City Hall in your Philadelphia-based wedding. Working with a Philadelphia-based stationer will make this process of finding the perfect Philly icon for your artwork easier.

When hiring your Philadelphia stationer, be sure she/he also creates coordinating wedding day-of paper such as ceremony programs, escort cards, menus, favor tags, and finishing with matching thank you cards to express your gratitude to your guests. Connecting all of these designs from Save-the-date through thank you cards will create a cohesive, beautiful look that is stronger than the sum of its parts.

— Provided by Philadelphia wedding stationer Hand-Painted Weddings (website).
Announcements, Wedding Shows
Guess who’ll be at Lovesick Expo 2016!?
- September 16, 2015
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- by Allison
Hand-Painted Weddings is stoked to be chosen as a vendor at the Lovesick Expo in Philadelphia for the 4th year in a row!

I love this event. It is unique, creative, and offbeat, and I admire and encourage every couple who decides to personalize their wedding with unique touches! This is just why I love the couples who attend the Lovesick Expo. Also the guys at Lovesick Inc. along with Offbeat Bride put on a really great show. It is a wildly fun time, and you won’t want to miss it!

I can’t wait to meet some of you readers on January 10, 2016!
Announcements
Website Redesign Announcement
- July 30, 2015
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- by Allison
You may have noticed the changes happening around Hand-Painted Weddings these last couple weeks. I am happy to announce that the Hand-Painted Weddings website has been redesigned and there are a few big, exciting changes that I can’t wait to bring to your attention. These changes were all made with the customer in mind, allowing more flexibility and more chooses for their wedding paper purchases.

1. Product pricing – This is a big one. You can now order products in increments of 10. AND you can now build your own invitation sets, because the invitation, RSVP, wedding particulars card, and thank you cards are all options under the same design.

2. White envelopes are now the standard with our invitation sets, with color envelopes being an upgrade option. This allows you the flexibility of choosing whether colored envelopes are important to you.

3. Envelope addressing is now available to order on Invitation sets through the shop.

4. There is a brand new Process page which outlines what to expect when working with me on a project, whether from the shop or a custom order.

5. Custom webpages – Custom invitation sets, c ustom thumbprint guestbooks, wedding signs, watercolor gifts. Browse the slideshow on each page to see past work, and remember…I love new ideas, so feel free to contact me directly if you have an out of box idea (I love those!).

Website redesigns take up a ton of time, which is why the blog has been quiet. But I have some real wedding features and some new watercolor work to share starting next week! For now, I have a much-needed mini vacation with one of my best friends this weekend to Toronto, and then it will be back to business next week!
Announcements
Marriage equality finally ruled legal in all states!
- June 26, 2015
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- by Allison
I’m so excited to share in the happiness of today’s announcement that the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal in every state! There really is nothing more beautiful than the government taking this stand for love and marriage.

In celebration I am posting some beautiful same-sex marriage couple photos along with some same-sex wedding detail inspiration such as the Mr & Mr cake topper (which is also available as Mrs. & Mrs. from the same Etsy seller).

I’m really in love with the same-sex couple photos above. The love is so strong in these photos that it makes my heart melt! I am so happy that same-sex marriage is finally legal in all states.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Pride Invitation now available in the Hand-Painted Weddings Invitation shop.
Announcements
A More Intimate Glimpse on Instagram
- June 10, 2015
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- by Allison
Are you following me on Instagram? If you want to catch a more intimate glimpse of the behind the scenes at Hand-Painted Weddings, then you should definitely follow me on Instagram. I’m spending a lot of time narrowing down my focus on Instagram to include photos and videos that Hand-Painted Weddings followers would enjoy and many of these sneak peeks are exclusively shared on Instagram.

I love connecting with people on Instagram. I would say it is my favorite social media platform, for sure. Also, even though Instagram is mainly a phone app, it just changed their web format, so definitely check it out….spoiler alert Ã¢â‚¬â€ the images are bigger…yay!
Announcements, Hand-Painted Weddings, Press
Megan and Mike’s Wedding on The Knot!
- June 1, 2015
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- by Allison
So happy to start this first day of June with news that Megan and Mike’s beautiful wedding was featured on the The Knot Real Wedding section this past weekend!

Just to reiterate from my previous blog post featuring their lovely wedding, Megan and Mike did such a great job seamlessly incorporating natural and calming elements into their wedding, while still leaving room for fun details like the bride’s green shoes and their travel themed postcard guest book. I’m actually not surprised at all that this wedding is being featured for other couples to be inspired by, because it is quite inspiring. I’m so happy that I could be a part of it and create their custom watercolor invitation set as well as their escort cards.

Featured on The Knot. Photographs by Stephanie A. Smith Photography. Paper by Hand-Painted Weddings.
Announcements, Press
Featured Watercolor Art in Hatch.co Mother’s Day Campaign
- April 23, 2015
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- by Allison
I am excited to share that I recently created some watercolor washes for Hatch.co‘s Mother’s Day campaign. For these watercolors I was inspired by the soft pastels of spring. I also played around with some layering of the watercolors as seen in the second page above.

Hatch is a website full of creative and talented makers, and I am so grateful to have my artwork spotlighted in this special campaign for Mother’s Day. Support makers and shop now for your unique Mother’s Day gifts on Hatch.co…Mother’s Day is right around the corner!
Announcements, Press
Featured on Hatch.co International Women’s Day!
- March 13, 2015
- Comments Off on Featured on Hatch.co International Women’s Day!
- by Allison
I am very excited to announce that Hand-Painted Weddings was chosen as one of 7 up-and-coming female creatives celebrating International Women’s Day on Hatch.co! It was such an honor to be chosen for this feature. For those of you that don’t know, Hatch.co was founded by a woman, Anastasia Leng, who left her job at Google to create a “a marketplace for unique made-to-order products created by a community of handpicked professional designers and makers.” Hatch is similar to Etsy but much more refined because an artist needs to qualify to sell products on this site.

Anastasia contacted me directly to see if I’d be interested in celebrating International Women’s Day by creating an interpretation of the Hatch logo. The only stipulation was to keep the tipi intact. I was like, of course!!

I have to say that this project was one of those projects that I had a breakthrough (ah-ha moment) around midnight the day before it was due, and I was so happy with the creation that I could barely fall asleep and was still glowing with excitement for days after! After I sent the artwork to Hatch, I received a response that the team gasped when they saw it! Have I mentioned that I love my job!

I had another ah-ha moment when I was digging into the inspiration of this logo interpretation, and why it resonated so strongly with me. I am copying the blurb that is beside the logo below for readability:

“I am an artist and a businesswoman. I find my peace in my daily yoga practice, while I find my energy every day in the gloriously energetic city of Philadelphia. I find that this balance between opposites is where I like to create and be. It is also how I paint; I have chosen watercolors as the perfect medium for Hand-Painted Weddings because while it is loose and flows, I bring an distinct attention to detail in my paintings, creating that sexy balance between the two in my work.

The design is inspired by my favorite flower, the pansy. I love how the pansy is delicate yet bold in its colors. The bold watercolor flower painting is juxtaposed with the sexy, metallic gold diagonals of the Hatch logo, creating an intriguing balance between explosion and structure. As businesswomen, we strike many balances in our lives, and I wanted to express that strength and power in this logo in celebration of Female Creative Business Owners.”

I feel like I found my voice in explaining my process, which is so personal that it is hard to distinguish and put into words. I’m sure other creatives feel similarly; it is really hard to explain your creativity as an artist (where it comes from, what drives it). It makes interviews and “About” pages challenging. After yoga one day, when my head is the most clear, I realized it… I have struggled explaining who I am because I don’t really fit into a box. I am a balance of opposites (sometimes teetering), but once I saw it, I noticed the idea seemed to flow through many aspects of my life from the way I paint, to the way I work, to the way I am. I’ve got to tell you, it was a revelation.
Announcements
Lovesick Expo 2015 Recap
- January 12, 2015
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- by Allison
Always a blast, Lovesick Expo hosted with Offbeat Bride really is the must-attend wedding show of the year! The vendors as well as the attendees are great, down-to-earth people looking for beautiful and unique weddings. Sometimes in the wedding world it is easy to get swept up in the superficial beauty of it all, but a wedding really is a celebration of a couple’s love for one another. Lovesick Expo is for couples who appreciate that importance and are seeking out local vendors that share that authenticity and bring a creative spin to it.

One of the biggest things about Lovesick is how much fun everyone is having! It isn’t stuffy or stressful. It is a lot of fun; it’s sparkly, it curses; it’s enthusiastic; it’s real. Lovesick’s tagline is “defy the mainstream” and it really is fitting.

This is our third year at Lovesick and it was another banner year. I love meeting couples in person and seeing the excitement in their eyes when they say their wedding date. Or when a bride giggles with her bridesmaid. Or when a groom asks the most interesting question about wedding invites, proving that wedding details aren’t just an interest of the bride.

It was exciting to see how many people loved my Love Park Thumbprint Guest Print, which really is the perfect touch for any Philly reception. Honestly, everyone that came up to my table was so sweet, that I want to work with all of them on their wedding invitations. I could be so lucky, truly.
Announcements
Hand-Painted Weddings at Lovesick Expo – Third Year in Row!
- December 3, 2014
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- by Allison
I am super stoked to be amongst the coolest wedding talent in Philly at the Lovesick Expo on January 11 at World Cafe Live. Hand-Painted Weddings has been chosen as one of the featured vendors for three years in a row, and we are so honored! The Lovesick Expo is not only the most fun wedding show you will ever attend, but it is bursting at the seams with talent, creativity and unique ideas. It truly is unlike any other wedding show you will go toÃ¢â‚¬â€there are burlesque dancers (enough said), live music, drinking, and an overall acceptance of unique wedding choices.

I love being a part of this expo because it introduces me to couples who are truly looking to make their wedding personal and unique. There are a lot of indie wedding couples and couples looking for alternative options. I also love that this expo is very consciously accepting to all sorts of couples not matter if it is same sex or not, and it has been even before same sex marriage became legal in PA this past May.

Still not convinced? Then check out the Lovesick video featuring footage from last year’s event here. Trust meÃ¢â‚¬â€you won’t want to miss this event!

DetailsÃ¢â‚¬â€

Date: January 11

Time: 11 am – 3 pm

Location: World Cafe Live

Tickets: $10 online/$15 at the door

Also, sources say there will also be a 50% ticket discount offer on the Offbeat Bride blog!
Announcements, Hand-Painted Cards
Introducing Hand-Painted Thank You Cards
- November 12, 2014
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- by Allison
I’m super excited to announce that Hand-Painted Weddings has now added Thank You cards to the Shop. There are currently 14 designs available. Many of which coordinate with the Shop Invitation designs so you can coordinate your invitations with your thank you cards.

This is THE month for gratitude with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I’ve been finding myself sending out a lot of thank you cards lately, and many of the people I’ve been talking to these days are also sharing this feeling of gratitude. The great thing about these thank you cards is that many of them are not wedding specific, so feel free to purchase a pack to have on hand for any expressions of thanks.

Thank you cards are being sold incrementally in packs of 10. This gives you the flexibility of purchasing in bulk for wedding thank you’s.

Thank You cards by Hand-Painted Weddings.
Announcements
Holiday Gift Deal on Society6
- November 8, 2014
- Comments Off on Holiday Gift Deal on Society6
- by Allison
Holiday gift idea and deal alert!

Hand-Painted Weddings currently has two designs available to purchase on numerous items, such as pillows, tote bags, IPhone covers, t-shirts or mugs, on Society 6.

Through tomorrow, 11/9/14 there is a $5 off plus free shipping deal going on, making it only $17 for a Love Sweet Love tote, and only $15 for a throw pillow cover (free shipping)!! That is a great deal.

Click Here for the Promo Code.

Happy holiday shopping!
Announcements
Hand-Painted Weddings in Philadelphia Wedding Magazine!
- December 30, 2013
- Comments Off on Hand-Painted Weddings in Philadelphia Wedding Magazine!
- by Allison
Earlier this month when I was in Orlando on vacation, the December edition of Philadelphia Wedding magazine came out on shelf and guess who was one of the featured couples?! Julia and Dan! I loved working with these two and am so excited to see this wedding being featured in Style Me Pretty and now Philadelphia Wedding magazine! It is quite exciting! I also am excited to see how much of my work made it into the spread. I feel very blessed.

To reiterate what I said in earlier posts, this was one of the most fun weddings to work on. Seeing a concept go from invitation through so many elements such as menus, signs, thank you cards, escort cards, was quite a wonderful process. I also was fortunate to work with so many talented vendors such as Chrissy from Truly You Events and Amanda from Love Me Do Photography. Be sure to get a copy of the December issue of Philadelphia Wedding magazine soon before it leaves shelves!

Photos by Hand-Painted Weddings.
Announcements
Cyber Monday – 15% Off Everything on the Hand-Painted Weddings Etsy Shop
- December 2, 2013
- Comments Off on Cyber Monday – 15% Off Everything on the Hand-Painted Weddings Etsy Shop
- by Allison
Hey, it’s Cyber Monday…did you hear?! We decided to participate this year by giving you a whopping 15% everything at the Hand-Painted Weddings Etsy Shop! Just use coupon code: CYBER2013 by midnight tonight to receive the savings. This is a perfect opportunity to order your signature Hand-Painted invitations or to order some Watercolor prints to give as gifts or frame and decorate your house. Happy Cyber Monday!

Click here to enter the Hand-Painted Weddings Etsy Shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandPaintedWeddings
Announcements
Hand-Painted Weddings on Style Me Pretty!
- August 7, 2013
- Comments Off on Hand-Painted Weddings on Style Me Pretty!
- by Allison
Julia and Dan’s beautiful backyard wedding that we featured on Thursday and Friday on the Hand-Painted Weddings blog is being featured on wedding blog extraordinaire, Style Me Pretty today! I’m thrilled! It is such a honor to be on this wonderful blog! Click here to view.

Also, be sure to read Chrissy’s (the wedding planner from Truly You Events) recap of the event. Here’s a snippet…. “Having dated for 10 years and attended many weddings together, Julia and Dan were strongly committed to creating something totally personal and unique for their special day.”

The amount of talent that went into this wedding was amazing! See below for the vendor list:

Photography: Amanda Jaffe, Love Me Do Photography | Wedding Planning: Christiane Lehman, Truly You Events | Catering: Garces Catering | Floral Design: Petals Lane | Tent: Eventquip | Lighting: Eventions | Paper: Hand Painted Weddings | Ceremony/Cocktail Musicians: Joe DiVita Trio | DJ: Ari Rosenfield, Beat Train Productions | Wedding Dress: Reem Acra | Hair Styling: Pileggi on the Square | Guest Transportation: Philadelphia Trolley Works
Announcements
Fourth of July Styled Shoot on 100 Layer Cake!
- July 4, 2013
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- by Allison
What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than to have a wedding! Well, a couple of months back I was lucky enough to be involved in Styled Shoot that was themed around the Fourth of July in the most appropriate place, the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia. The venue is right across the street from the Constitution Center and the Liberty Bell!

I am so excited to announce that this shoot was featured on 100 Layer Cake, wedding blog extraordinaire! It is such an honor to be on 100 Layer Cake. I remember when I first heard about 100 Layer Cake; I was on the original mailing list announcing its launch.

This photoshoot was a lot of fun. It gave me the opportunity to design all of the paper elements of a wedding from invitations to table numbers to escort cards to menus to dessert table signs and signature drink signs. The fun challenge about working with a couple on all the paper elements of a wedding is that the graphics become part of a more robust theme which grows and develops throughout the varying pieces. For instance, the red and blue color palette as well as the font choices in these pieces are consistent but the graphics vary from windy ribbons, to straight, uneven ribbons to cherries and stars and sparklers.

I was so lucky to get the opportunity to work with some wonderful, talented, local wedding vendors on this shoot. I recommend all of them! All of there information is below.

Happy Fourth of July!

Photos by Lindsay Docherty Photography. Paper by Hand-Painted Weddings. Planning by Truly You Events. Event styling by Campbell Studios and Mellow Yellow Creative. Make-up by Cheekadee. Hair by Hair by Meghan. Venue: Independence Visitor Center. Models: Emily Cai and Christopher Rex Stone
Announcements
Happy 1 Year Hand-Painted Weddings!
- May 25, 2013
- 2 Comments
- by Allison
Today is Hand-Painted Wedding‘s 1-year birthday….(and my 31st birthday)! The past year has been wonderful at Hand-Painted Weddings and I am so excited to see what year 2 brings! Thank you to the readers of this little blog!

I’m celebrating my birthday(s) today at a wedding in Richmond, VA. Very exciting (and appropriate if I must say) to be celebrating Hand-Painted Wedding’s 1-year birthday at a wedding!

Thanks again for a wonderful year!

Painting by Hand-Painted Weddings.