personalized custom wedding invitations

one very important detail to know when choosing wedding invitations is that many designers offer to personalize some of the custom designs they have in their galleries. this is good news for brides who may love a design but not its color scheme, or love a color palette but feel it needs an extra custom touch.

consider these two options from our safari chic collection — both are safari-themed destination wedding invitations featuring similar design and font elements, yet each is uniquely styled to the event and personality of each couple.

while the first is rustic and organic, using recycled materials and an earthy color palette, the second option is sleek, slightly more formal — and at the same time more playful and wild. i adore the addition of the guinea fowl feather, which adds a unique natural opulence.

bottom line is, never be afraid to point out the things you love about a stationer's work and ask them to personalize to your tastes. many designers (like me) take pride in making something new out of a design they already love.

real weddings • rika and jeff • a safari wedding

in fall 2008, i was contacted by rika and jeff, an amazing couple seeking custom, highly personal, eco-luxe safari wedding invitations for a destination wedding in africa. i was delighted to work with them, and had a blast crafting a design that met their original, earthy-yet-elegant vision.

i was even more delighted when i saw recent photos of their exceptional event, which took place at the tuningi safari lodge on the madikwe game reserve in south africa. it's no surprise that the imagery of the backdrop, the decor, and the intimate details were as unique and impressive as this happy couple, who got engaged at the lodge over a year ago. congratulations to them both!

the wedding photos featured here are courtesy of the august issue of the tuningi lodge newsletter.

invitation options • a la carte or full service?

there are so many decisions to make when planning a wedding — so many items to choose, so many tasks to complete, so little time to do it.

as a recent bride, i was very deliberate about which tasks i chose to handle myself, and that has absolutely influenced the level of service we provide at paper olive.

our core service is intended to make the invitation process the smoothest, easiest part of your planning. you've got enough to do, after all, so our package prices include key things like rsvp and invitation envelope addressing and adhering rsvp postage.

and for those brides who can't or don't want to fumble with tying and stuffing, assembly is included. in fact, we'll even take the invitations to the post office for you. you merely cover the outer postage.

of course, during these economic times, brides who dream of chic invitations but don't want to splurge on every last detail also have lots of options.

choose letterpress invitations but print the envelopes digitally to balance your costs. swap a silk box for a silk envelope. for brides with elegant handwriting, you may choose to address your own envelopes. modifications are welcome, and the possibilities are endless.

at paper olive, it's all about you. enjoy yourself!

destination africa — a safari wedding

"your wedding ceremony takes place beneath ancient african ebony trees in a lovely area overlooking the sand river where crocodile swim by and hippo can often be heard grunting their territorial calls..."

such is a wedding described by into seychelles, a luxury travel service that specializes in arranging spectacular destination weddings within the indian ocean islands of seychelles.

for the adventurous couple who is daring of spirit yet still desires luxury as they explore the indescribable wilds of africa, into seychelles offers a wonder of choice.

wildlife is abundant, and the decor of the singita game reserves — a key partner of into seychelles and a supplier of luxe african honeymoon accommodations — certainly pays homage to the unforgettable african landscape.

so in love are we with the idea of an african safari wedding that we've designed luxury invitations to make the idea even more unique.

our safari invitation suite features all of the natural elements and color palettes one would expect from a seychelles honeymoon and game safari wedding, but with all of the elegant details a bride and groom of distinction would still expect.

it's original, it's unexpected, the entire concept is out of this world. married in africa. what are you waiting for?