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Why It's Good:
You may never select a more important piece of stationery than your wedding invitation. Think of the invitations as tantalizing hors d' oeuvres—it should give guests a taste of what the big day will be like. And along with your photos, dress, and ring, the invitation will have its place in the keepsakes of your lifetime.
Why It's Green:
We love snail mail, but the stationery industry has its environmental downsides—paper waste, toxic ink seeping into our soil and rivers. See below for reasons why each individual designer is a great green choice.
Where To Get It:
Click on the company name for a direct link to the website.
A Marriage Made in Paper Heaven
Right now, your balmy June wedding is still a midsummer night’s dream—but if you don't start now, your guests won't get their invitations in time. If you go custom, it generally takes 3-4 months, from your initial consult with the stationery designer to the day the stacks arrive, small paper treasures in boxes. Here, our selections, which should go out about two months before the Big Day:
Custom invitations are typically designed around your theme and colors; most packages include invites and reply cards; "save the date", thank-you, menu, and placecards can usually be added to your order.
Wiley Valentine (pictured, bottom): If you're a traditionalist, you'll love So Cal designers Emily Owen and Rachelle Schwartz's designs. With calligraphic flourishes and whispery hand-drawn flowers, the eye is on exquisite detail. Talk to the girls about the type of paper you wish to use; their green favorite (and ours) is the super-eco Neenah line. And don't forget to ask for the soy ink letterpress printing option. W.V. shreds all waste/misprints and recycles it for use as packaging.
Rosebud Design Studio: Like modern traditional but have eclectic tastes? Santa Monica-based Elana Iaciofano brings bling to her broad spectrum of custom and ready-made styles with shimmering foil touches. The "house" paper is a recycled stock; Elana can print with soy ink on request.
Cat Seto (pictured, top left): For the neo-baroque girly-girl, straight from San Fran's Russian Hill: Designer Cat Seto dreams up feminine scrollwork and florals in kelly green and carnation pink. Birds, cameos, and vintage poppies adorn these hand-illustrated invites; look for her new collection, "Mod Noir Florals", with lush dahlias in bloom. Cat's designs are all on sustainable, FSC-certified paper printed with soy ink.
Good on Paper (pictured, top right): Is she ever. Bay Area graphic designer Lisa Wong Jackson's whimsical creations are sweet (penguins in love) and bold (stunning red hibiscus). Like most custom designers, Lisa will ask a lot of questions—where you met, where you're getting married, something significant to both of you; you'll also give her magazine clippings and photos so she can suss out your style. The final result is one-of-a-kind. Invites can be printed on tree-free or recycled paper; vegetable inks are an option.
Studio Olivine: Weddings are Portland designer Julie Dutton's specialty. Her subtle nature-inspired close-ups (ferns, berries, peonies) are hand-letterpressed on sumptuously thick, snowy paper she makes by hand from recycled garments—so wonderfully heavy and tactile, the soy-ink images have an almost topographical feel.
And for the bride who wants total creative control: Artistic? Your very own painting or drawing can be "Created Green" (a certification program) at, among other places, Accell Graphics, a friendly green printer. Eco-basics like soy ink, recycled and/or FSC-certified paper are available, plus more; in place are also green energy, computer recycling, low-to-no toxic waste. Email ed@accellgraphics.com to discuss papers and custom options like embossing, die-cutting, glitter, foil, and thermography.
Ready-made cards come with or without text, and can include invitations to the engagement party, bridal shower and/or rehearsal dinner, and thank you notes. They can be custom-printed, printed at home, or handwritten.
Bonnie's Style Press: Former NYC wedding planner Bonnie Marcus lends a playful touch to her cards with fashion illustrations of, for example, elegant bride and groom dress forms. They can be custom-printed on the house's part-recycled-content paper or the green stock of your choice, and are carried by Saks, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and Harrods. Benefits breast cancer research.
Remanents: From the Garden State, Monica Anderson's lovely line of invites and placecards showcase simple images as a choker of pearls, a twinkling rock, table setting, or lingerie (hint, hint?). Partial recycled-content paper; benefits the Global Fund for Women. Find these at Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Fortnum and Mason, Kate’s Paperie.
My Green Velvet: We love the crisp delicateness of lilac on white in Ohioan Brice Corder's formal Thank You card with a rich violet gemstone at the center. Made with partial-recycled-content paper. (Coming soon.)
Some great budget options:
Invite Design: Green Line: Design team Genevieve Kenney and Nicole Bismark Wilson have put together a ready-made line with all the elegance of higher-end invites. The new "Green Line" collection comes with chlorine-free, 100% recycled (min. 50% PCW) or tree-free papers, vegetable inks, and details like hand-dyed silk thread or hemp string. All elements are biodegradable and the cards are hand-assembled locally in Ohio. Custom invites are also available.
Herman Yu: The Seattle designer's eponymous line includes simply beautiful, blank Flat Cards for all-purpose wedding use: Use to print invitations or pen heartfelt thank-you letters to your bridesmaids. We love the dreamy Pink Petals and Golden Berries designs. Printed with soy ink on 100% FSC-certified, sustainable paper. Now all you have to worry about is the dress, food, flowers, music....—Elizabeth McMullen
