Happy Halloween- Fall Inspiration!

Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed your Halloween!
A client of mine was looking for a fall look. Think colored leaves in gold, red currant and sage greens. Hot chocolate, and brown sugar. Yum. Here's a look at my inspiration board and notebook.




Photo Credits: The Knot Magazine Fall 2007/Winter 2008 issue, Painting : Van Gogh, Poster: Stenberg Brothers: Georgi (Russia 1900-USSR 1933) & Vladimir Augustovich Stenberg ( Moscow 1899-1982)

Some of my favorite silk box invitations!

For Brianna and Kevin's silk box wedding invitations Lela New York used a nautical theme. Using navy details like Italian papers and ribbons and sand colored details using woven papers. Brianna chose a cream colored silk and our square shaped box.

I also included starfish in the inside of the box.

Wendy and Sean were having a Newport wedding. Wendy chose the silver silk box invitation to go with her silver and aqua themed wedding. Lela New York tied it up in a silver silk thread with a Swarovski crystal closure.

She chose our booklet wedding invitation with custom drawn chandelier artwork! She also chose a special tissue paper that had actual gold and silver foil for a bit of sparkle. We also added Swarovski crystals for that added bling!

I used a shimmer translucent paper for end papers. And 100% cotton paper for the inside. Lela New York chose aqua and silver colors for the inside and outside of the booklet. The inside laid out all the information her guests needed for their weekend stay in Newport, R.I.

5 Steps to a Couture Invitation

I wanted to share with all of you some steps I consider when designing a couture invitation.

1. Always consult an expert.
An expert will help take your ideas and elements you would like to incorporate and turn them into reality. At Lela New York we offer a free consultation where we sit down with our brides for a one on one. We will generally ask her to have any fabrics, colors, or photographs they may want to include or use as inspiration present for our consultation. It helps to have a theme, it can be simple like a winter wonderland or you can choose to incorporate where you met or base your theme on a favorite poem. The best thing about having a couture designer is that every detail is custom and truly one-of-a-kind.

2. Think about color.
Color is important to create mood. It can reflect your theme, your brides made dresses, or your favorite colors. Your designer will help pick the perfect color to reflect your style and event. From green and crisp, cool in turq, classic in white, to hot and red express yourself in color!

3. Paper and boxes.
There is still the classic white and ecru cotton paper which can be very beautiful alone or embellished with warm elements such as flowers or ribbons. You now also have much more of a variety of papers to choose from. Choose from beautiful colored cotton papers to printed antique papers from Italy to Japan. Today we also have the option to box your invitation for that extra wow factor. Lela New York offers beautiful hand-made silk boxes in 100 colors to choose from. Have your designer show you the different options that suite you.

4. Print Method.
Choose from the now popular letterpress, or other classics such as engraving, offset printing (flat printing), blind embossing ( which is an impression without ink), and foil stamping (metallic foils that leave an impression as well).

5. Embellishments.
Make the finishing touches by choosing the right embellishments for your invitation. There are ribbons, Swarovski crystals, Japanese tissue papers, you can tie it, wrap it, choose custom artwork and more! But most of all have fun, this is your time to shine!

Welcome to the Lela New York Blog!

I am excited to be able to share with my clients and readers new trends in weddings and invites.
I will be sharing my inspirational images and thoughts with you as I develop my designs.
Enjoy!