Wedding in a Winter Wonderland

When Alex + Joe came to me with the idea of an upscale winter wonderland, I was so excited to get started. The Ballroom at Ellis Preserve has always been one of my favorite venues – with this grand and elegant structure as the backdrop of their reception, I knew their invitations had to be just as special.

Alex + Joe’s invitation suite featured luxury printing methods, a handmade paper envelope liner, calligraphy, vintage postage, and highly detailed custom artwork. Using deep greens contrasted with crisp whites, we wanted the materials to feel lush and luxurious. Small pine illustrations brought out the winter aesthetic, while the letterpress printing method created a textural impression. The main invitation card was elevated with embossed corner embellishments and a champagne pine tree wax seal. The star of the show was the vellum wrap, printed in white ink with their custom toile. This illustrated pattern included their church, their venue, a row of Cape May homes (one of their favorite places to travel together), and of course their pup, Bo. These were intertwined with pine trees and beach scenes representing their favorite elements of nature, with an oriole flying through each scene as an ode to their home in Baltimore. The wrap was tied together with fine white twine and a real pine sprig. Final touches included watercolor pines printed on a deckled-edge liner, beautiful spot calligraphy and calligraphy addressing from Alli, a custom curated postage set, and a vellum map of the ceremony church to the reception space.

This suite is full of deeply personal details. The more you look, the more you’ll find. We didn’t skip any corners when it came to Alex + Joe’s wedding paper, incorporating small but significant touches throughout every piece. In addition to their invitations, we created welcome bag inserts, ceremony programs, vow books, place setting menus, and cocktail napkins for a cohesive aesthetic. The same rich green tones and beautiful artwork played against the winter-white backdrop of their day.

Alex + Joe also opted for a custom curated detail styling kit, which we included calligraphy place cards from Alli, a champagne mirrored tray, emerald cheesecloth runner, antique lily of the valley cameo, miniature roman sculpture, champagne ribbon, and a champagne velvet ring box.

One of my favorite details from the day-of pieces was their custom monogram. Alex knew she wanted Bo to be more prominently featured in some of their day-of pieces, so I took the opportunity to reimagine the artwork from their custom toile. Not only did Bo make it into the crest, but I also pulled aspects of the beach, pine trees, and the two orioles that have flown their way through all of Alex + Joe’s stationery. The crest was used on their place setting menus, custom foil cocktail napkins, and ceremony programs. Everything came together beautifully for their wedding day – the perfect start to our 2023 season.

Congratulations to The Russos! It was such a pleasure working with the two of you, and I hope your life together is full of love and laughter.

Vendor List:

Photography: @asya_photography_philly @samanthajayphoto
Invitations & Stationery: @dragonflypaperie
Calligraphy: @allicatcalligraphy
Printing: @revivalletterpress
Vintage Postage: @flourishfinewriting
Sealing Wax & Stamp: @artisaire
Handmade Paper Liners: @whitedragonpaper

From the couple:
“Amy was one of my favorite wedding vendors to work with! She was creative and incredibly nice. She created the most amazing wedding suites for my wedding and then incorporated those details into day of pieces for me as well. Everything was beautiful and stunning. I would consider her an absolute must for any wedding.”