the bartons
Tessa and Jordan decided to take the martial plunge on September 30th, 2023, surrounded by the towering trees of Central Pennsylvania. let me take you on a trip down memory lane because Tessa and I go way back. We're not just friends; we practically grew up together, from sharing bus rides to me babysitting her and her little brother, working with her mom at a flea market, and celebrating christmas eve together for almost two decades, she’s family. So when the news of her engagement to Jordan hit, I couldn't wait to jump on the opportunity to design their wedding invitations.
Tessa, with her impeccable taste, was on a mission for something beautiful, eco-friendly, and uncomplicated. No multi-piece suite for this bride to be. She wanted invitations that would be more environmentally conscious than a yoga instructor at a vegan cafe. que seeded paper - because why not turn wedding invites into a lovely gardening project? I sourced this gem from Megan at Rock Scissors Paperie, who was an absolute breeze to work with. The color of choice? "Natural" seeded paper.
As we geeked out over paper choices, we tackled the design. Tessa wanted a simple watercolor illustration of wildflowers but with a strict "NO PINK" policy. She also had a thing for script fonts, but nothing too formal or too “swirly". After some serious font searches on my part, we found the Goldilocks of fonts, and BAM! We were ready to print. scroll past the photos to read more!
just like everyone else, I had to sit on the edge of my seat like a kid waiting for Santa for their wedding invitations. and then, a text from my husband came in. Picture this: my husband texts me, dropping the bomb that our son, the aspiring letter opener, tore into one of the invites. Not only did he rip open the envelope, he ripped the entire invite apart. awesome deacon, awesome. But i knew i had some extras coming my way from tessa, Crisis averted. pHEW!
As the big day drew near, my role expanded beyond the world of invitations. Tessa and Jordan threw more requests my way, including a custom bar sign, vow books, and a sentimental generational portrait. Tessa wanted me to channel my inner artist and paint her grandmother, mother, and herself as if they were at her wedding. No pressure, right? I poured my heart into the portrait, capturing every detail, from her moms tattoos to the intricate embroidery on Tessa's dress to the pattern on her late grandmothers dress from the 80’s (maybe 90’s). This portrait served as a gift to her mother on the wedding day and is one of my proudest pieces.
We went all-natural with floral paper from White Dragon Paper for the vow books, complete with handwritten covers and real flower petals. Talk about being one with nature. these vow books proclaimed natural elegance at the ceremony. Now, the wedding day itself – I scored an invite as a guest, not just the hired paper guru. It was a day filled with the basics – beauty, love, laughter – but it was so much more. It was the merging of two families, celebrating the awesomeness that is Tessa and Jordan. I witnessed their first day as a married couple, and it was nothing short of magical.
Tessa and Jordan, you rock! Thanks for being your awesome selves and giving me the chance to dive headfirst into this creative journey with you. Can't wait for our next adventure!
