As you all know I am a firm believer that your wedding invitations do not have to be an expected flat card with centered formal script text. At Ceci, I love to create something that's never been seen before. Think about how yours can take on a whole new format. In my designs, I always strive to create a whole cohesive creative package that informs guests of all the wedding events all in one piece. This one is one of my favorites.

Even though Maya was having a country wedding at the Red Barn in Vermont, she didn't want to focus on the traditional outdoor motifs one would expect. Instead I created a hand drawn illustration of the couple zooming off in their vintage Porsche to the country. The red ribbon tie unwraps to reveal it's her scarf flying in the wind. The whole invitation opens up accordion style to reveal the red scarf being carried throughout the composition. Twisting and turning along the way. Forming their monogram initials on the left then continuing and connecting into the script header of the additional weekend events. A playful clever take on the traditional ribbon tie.

All photos are courtesty Ceci New York. Design copyright 2009, Ceci New York, LLC.

Vintage tins, antique sheet music, and lush romantic gardens whisk you away to a beautiful spring day with this invitation design I created. This collection is dripping with details and I hope it inspires you to go beyond the basic black and white invitation for your wedding. Go ahead, don't be afraid and add some color to your inviting!

All aspects of this paperie suite were inspired by the vintage garden,  birdcages and love bird theme. The invite is a specialty die cut shape inspired by vintage mirrors and an organic unique shape that creates movement and happiness to the eye. The design details are all hand drawn and are a mix between grape vine leaves with a hint of vintage damask. The flourishes intertwine the vines to create that elegant statement. 

The back of the invite is actually a laser cut paper with Megan and Robert's crest presented in the middle. Two "love birds" sit under the tree in the center to tie in the theme.

The invite envelope is custom converted to match the invite die cut shapes and lined with vintage sheet music. I love doing colored envelopes with white hand calligraphy. It's such a nice touch. The custom stamps are made with a nod to the vintage tin cans used in the table settings. From the invites to the table signs, no detail was overlooked!

Check out below:

To be inspired and view more invitation ideas, please visit cecinewyork.com
All design and artwork copyright 2009 Ceci New York, LLC."

Photography by Corbin Gurkin Photography

Table decor design and event planning by Rebecca Stone of {duet} Weddings

Today I wanted to share with you one of my latest creations. Chandeliers are still extremely of the moment and hot on trend. I love the way they work on this design. Elegant and chic yet they make a bold statement on the black paper. I encourage you to take your invitations to another level and mix and match papers and inks. Consider mixed media - combining letterpress with foil stamping for that extra glam touch. Now a days modern brides are doing things differently for their weddings. I say embrace it completely on your wedding day!

To be inspired and view more invitation ideas, please visit cecinewyork.com

All images and artwork copyright 2009 Ceci New York, LLC."

Recognizing that wedding budgets always seem to grow before your eyes, I thought for today's post I would share my top 5 tips on saving where it counts on invitations. Don't sacrifice your image - follow my lead and you will be inviting with style!

1. Leverage printing styles - Try less expensive printing techniques like offset (flat) printing instead of the more expensive types like letterpress or engraving. You can still work with a custom designer and receive one-of-a-kind outstanding design with out denting your budget too much. If you compare, you might end up spending the same amount on a letterpress or engraved ready-to-order suite when you could have had something custom in offset printing! Make sure your designer still uses high quality papers though - you want to ensure the paper still speaks volumes about your taste level.

One note: letterpress and engraving cater to thicker papers. Offset is generally a thinner weight so make sure you check that it's to your liking. Tip: A good quality stationer will still offer nice thick textured papers - even with offset.

2. Send only the necessities. Instead of printing and including many insert cards with your invitations, consider creating a wedding website to give your guest all the information they will need instead. Try Project Wedding for modern new websites that can even match your invitation designs! Check out the Ceci New York collection. You can save hundreds of dollars by putting all that information on your website instead of sending in your invitations. Ask yourself, do your guest really need a direction card or is your location easy enough to find that they could Map Quest it themselves? You want to consider who your guests are what kind of assistance they need. Be polite and thoughtful - it goes a long way.

My recommendation is to send out a save the date that announces your wedding date along with your wedding website so guests can get all the details they need immediately. Save the dates are recommended to go in the mail 6-8 months before your wedding date. Plus, what I love about a wedding website is that it takes the pressure off of you to nail down exact details of hotels and accommodations right away. You can make unlimited changes to your site along the way with out any additional fees. Where printing reprints are very costly.

Vintage Rose Wedding Website

Symphony Wedding Website

3. Too many mailings? - From the save the date, rehearsal dinner, wedding invitation to the brunch invitation and so on, a wedding has so many invitations leading up to the big day. Instead of sending a completely separate mailing for each event, consider sending a nicer invitation package all in one mailing with  your wedding invitation. Guests receive a more cohesive package and you can ensure they're experiencing the whole wedding weekend at once instead of getting multiple invites that might have different looks and not feel as pulled together as they should (and God forbid potentially get lost in the mail). My favorite part- you end up saving so much money on postage, calligraphy and envelopes since you only have to do it once. All little expenses that sneak up on you and add up!

4. Maximize color! If your wedding has two main colors in your palette, pick one for the paper and the other for the ink. It's like getting 2 for 1. For example, if your colors are lemon and navy blue; select lemon paper and navy for the ink. Accent with a colored envelope for no additional costs. You get both colors for the price of 1!

Light blue paper with chocolate ink in offset printing:

Coral Paper with Red Ink in Offset Printing:

5. Get your head count straight. Remember one invitation typically invites two guests so if you're planning on having 200 guests total, you do not need to order 200 invites. Most commonly if you split the number in half then add an extra 25 you should be covered. My recommendation is to put your list together as soon as possible. I know it's sometimes the hardest task in all the planning but in fact, this is the first thing you should do. It effects everything from the venue to the caterer - know your head count before you begin. It will save you time and money from the get go!

Happy Inviting!

- Lisa "Ceci" Hoffman

For the past six years I've worked closely with brides designing their wedding invitations and now I am so excited that it was finally MY turn to walk down the aisle! In celebration of my own wedding this March, I wanted to share with you what I created for my wedding invitations.  

Ever since I took my first Spanish class in school and started to learn about the Spanish couture, I fell in love with Spain. I adored the beauty of it, the art and the romance. I loved seeing the flamenco dancers whirl across the dance floor in their brilliant red dresses and the way they rolled their R's so easily when they spoke. I appreciated the culture to it's fullest. So when I set out to find my perfect venue to get married, I immediately thought of Spain but the more we looked into the practicality of it, the sooner it became farther and farther a possibility. That's when my best friend introduced me to Hotel El Convento. It provided that old world spanish charm I had my heart set on and Puerto Rico didn't require a passport (very important detail to our non traveling parents)!  The goal of my invitation design (and wedding really) was to play up the vibrant Spanish culture and bring Spain to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am the perfect example of the Classically Cultural trend I am seeing - even though both my fianceé and I are completely American and have no Spanish blood in us, we didn't care. We embraced the culture and made it our own.

Alan, my husband has been constantly after me with the same request "When are you going to make ME some custom art? You are always making such beautiful things for everyone else, I want something too". So I created a hand watercolor painted us our own Spanish tapestry that became the liner and backing of my invitation.

I wanted to create a nice transition between the rich jewel tone colors and the soft elegant metallic palette of the cards. The envelope shape I created to start off with an intriguing interest in the mail. Just a hint of the red in the hand calligraphy and stamps so when guests opened the envelope the impact of the mural grabbed them. Our mural is a blending together of symbolic elements rich in historic significance inspired by 15th century spanish art. The tree of life is center with the leaves drawn in the shapes of my dress details represents our new life together. The peacock is a symbol of fidelity and was used to guard the royal courts back in history. Alan is a history buff so our aim was to create an elegant look that embodied a royal feast of family and friends deep with meaning. I hid a lot of little details in the painting that are for us, making it a forever keepsake. The back of the invite presented our crest that spoke to the theme. This detail we carried throughout the wedding as our mark.

This is definitely my most personal and challenging project to create me own invitations! I hope you enjoy seeing the results.

The entire wedding invitation suite:

A close up of the envelope and beautiful hand calligraphy:

A close up detail of the top of my invite. I hand drew these from the rod iron gates that I saw walking down the streets of Old San Juan. I love the movement and fine detail of them.

My invitation (front view)

And the back view which presents our mural I painted and our wedding crest. I lined up the rest of the mural with the lining so the painting continued flawlessly. It was a really nice touch when guests opened their envelopes to have the rich color pop!

A detail of the bottom of my invite. I love the way black tie was written:

The rsvp card is one of my favorite parts. I just love all the detail on it. Probably because it was inspired by my wedding dress (which I'm crazy for!). The details I drew from the dress so it all tied together. I also recommend considering doing a colored envelope for your RSVP. It was so fun for me to check the mailbox for my red envelopes. They always stood out amongst the pile of white mail. 

Now check out my inspiration boards below and you can see how it all connected. Old San Juan is full of inspiring details. Look to your own wedding location and see what speaks to you. I can find inspiration in anything - give it a try!

This board is all about the ceremony. The Cathedral we were married in is right across the cobblestone path from El Convento, where the reception was held. It's from the 1500's. I just loved how it went with our old world theme.

The Culture Inspiration

The Decor Inspiration:

The attire - note my red flamenco dancer fabric. Each of my girls wore a different dress - I had 9 in total! I designed them all each to fit the personality of each of my friends and my mother sewed them all for us. I owe a big thanks to my mother for her patience to create them with me. Thank you Mom! Note the details on my dress - see how they connect back to my invitations? Try that for yours too.

All designs copyright CECI NEW YORK.

A new technique that I've been incorporating into my invitation designs is lasercutting.  By incorporating intricate lasercut details and patterns, you can layer both colors and designs to create an intriguing package.

I love the way that invitations don't just have to be ink on paper, and I encourage you to consider new techniques and styles - and do something new and unexpected with your invitation.

Below are a few of my latest works - showcasing fresh color combinations with the lasercut designs.

For a royal and opulent look - gold and purple

For a fresh citrus punch - green and orange

Orange bird and branches bellyband inside a purple birdcage - both lasercut to make a perfect package. Pairing a bright color like orange with grey - a can't miss color combination.

To be inspired and view more invitation ideas, please visit cecinewyork.com

All images and artwork copyright 2009 Ceci New York, LLC.

I just wanted to share the new Cole Haan Ceci Air bridal collection with you. Working directly with brides over the years I've learned that a bride above all requires style but most importantly comfort on her wedding day. Being a big fan of Cole Haan's Nike Air technology in their Dress Air collection myself, I encouraged Cole Haan to create a bridal shoe line that pairs comfort with style for brides everywhere. The result, is the new perfectly gorgeous Ceci Air bridal shoe line!

The first collection that just launched this spring, is made up of eight different styles from ballet flats to sexy stilettos with fantastic rosette detailing. There is something for everyone. Also, they're all dyeable so even your whole bridal party can enjoy. For my own wedding, all my bridesmaids wore the CECI AIR OT PUMP. I had them dyed red to match their gowns. And my sister love them so much she wore them again for her own engagement party.

If you are worried about spending another cent on your wedding, here's an idea. When you're back from your honeymoon, dye them black! It's like two shoes (and a sneaker) in one fabulous stiletto.

View the entire collection at ColeHaan.com. They're also available at fine retailers and Cole Haan stores nationwide. Prices start at $298.

Enjoy!

For all you brides out there having a destination wedding who find yourselves asking the question, "just because I'm getting married on the beach does that mean I have to choose sea shells and palm trees as my decor theme?" My answer is not at all! Don't be afraid to try something different. I love the juxtaposition of mixing your modern personality and tastes with the natural beauty of your destination setting. Exchange the starfish for great modern decor elements and throw in pops of color like this invitation design I created for a couple getting married on the beach in Saint Martin.

They both loved bold graphic prints, damask designs in particular. The bride loved hot pink and the groom, black. The whole suite incorporated the perfect balance between color intensity and the calm of the usage of white space for the front of the invitation. The key is to make sure you don't over do it with too much color. Make sure you find the perfect balance.

The first thing guests saw when they took the invite package out of the black envelope was this fantastic laser cut sleeve out of black fabric. Presenting their unique damask print I created for them. The fuschia pattern peeked through that was detailed in foil stamp and letterpress on a great crocodile embossed paper. When guests turned the card over, they revealed the invitation. Not a sea shell in sight!

To be inspired and view more invitation ideas, please visit cecinewyork.com

All images and artwork copyright 2009 Ceci New York, LLC.

One of my favorite ideas to ask your guests to save the date is by sending clever vintage postcards. You can find various old ones on ebay.com (but might run into the issues of not be able to find the quantity you need) or you can have them created for you so you get exactly what you want. I like to send them in a clear plastic sleeve so they stand out in the mail yet you can still see all the fantastic postcard details through the plastic. They're especially great for destination weddings however, they truly work for any place you're having your wedding. Plus they're quick, inexpensive and full of personality! Below are some of my favorites from the Ceci Vintage Postcard Collections.

For tropical destination weddings, go for a stunning sunset beach image or highlight the incredible turquoise waters of your destination.

or play up a vintage surf vibe - hang 10!

If you're not having a destination wedding, don't worry, you can still send one from your chosen location - like in these New York examples.

Or for those having a outdoor garden wedding - show off the florals you love most.

For more design ideas and to view more vintage postcard designs, view the Ceci New York Vintage Postcard Collections.

Tip: Postcards print faster than most letterpress options out there so they're great for those in a time crunch!

Whatever you send, just send it in style and make sure your guests are informed with all the appropriate event details for your wedding. Remember, the save the date is just a teaser so don't get hung up on too much detail. Provide them with the date and location and any necessary accommodation and travel information and you're set.

Happy sending!

- Lisa "Ceci" Hoffman

A hot new trend that I've been loving, is seeing brides taking risks and not being afraid to be bold with color for their invitations. One of the best ways to do that (and cost effective too) is to consider trying a colored paper for the background of your invite. Then choose a contrasting color ink for your text to really make a nice impact. Below are some great examples ranging from classic to modern.

Sweet Mystique

Radiate an aura of thoroughly modern mystery and intrigue that celebrates the romantic contemporary spirit. Do this through the use of deep dark papers with light shimmering metallic inks. Mix it with classic elegant scripts and your guests will be dazzled.

Or if dark papers are a little too much for you, reverse the look. Go with light colored papers and dark contrasting inks like below.

Copyright © 2008 CECI New York, LLC. All Rights Reserved