Your Invitation Isn’t For You.
An invitation is never just paper. It’s an invocation—for them, not for you. I’m not sure whether or not this is a hot take, but:The invitation isn’t for you. It’s not for your mom, your planner, your executives, or even your Pinterest board.It’s for the person...
How Much Should I Spend on Wedding Invitations?
Several years ago, I wrote a post about the cost of letterpress wedding invitations. It remains one of the most popular pieces of content I’ve written to-date. It’s a question people want answers to. And, while the information in that post is some four...Here’s Why No One’s Coming To Your Party
You’d think they actually wanted my presence – or at least my money. I was invited to an industry event recently, presented by an organization I wasn’t familiar with. From what I can tell, it was their big annual event, maybe even a fundraiser. It...
I am not a printer
I received an inquiry recently. It’s the kind I used to get all the time. I don’t get them often anymore. Someone needed stationery printed. Notice – I didn’t say “someone needed stationery.” They needed it printed because they...
A Way to Say “I Love You”
Are you familiar with the act of someone crossing out their name or monogram on stationery? You might have seen it before and wondered why someone would do that. It’s a ritual that can be seen in cards by Yves Saint Laurent, Princess Di, and many others. It’s...
Tearing it All Up
I recently wrote about the problem with tearing paper – well, specifically when you’re tearing paper to mimic the natural, deckled edge of a handmade sheet. But sometimes you just have to tear some paper. One of the things I’ve encountered often on...
It’s a Little Less Quiet in the Studio These Days
For the longest time, A Fine Press has been me – Matthew Wengerd – and the incredible free-agents I bring in to help me complete certain projects. But that model can’t sustain every project I want to do. Sure, there’s something to be said for...
He Made What With What?
I have to admit: I’ve been a little obsessed with Making It on NBC. It could be my love affair with Parks and Recreation. It could be my mancrush on Jimmy DiResta (Nick Offerman’s not so bad, either). I won’t spoil it for you here, don’t worry,...
The WHY of Deckled Edges
I made a promise to myself that I’d only do it once. I felt a little uneasy the entire time, but I powered through it. It hurt like hell – both my hands and my heart (a little) – but I powered through. I tore the edges of a piece I was making and I...
This Week in Weddings
It was incredible timing to wake up today to Seth’s blog post on “coming attractions.” The key takeaway was this: If someone insists on experiencing your experience before you give them the experience, it’s really unlikely you’re going to be able to...Featured in Harpers Bazaar Hong Kong
Well, I can’t wait to get one in my hands, but I’m thrilled to see the images from the 2018 issue of Harper’s Bazaar HK’s Bazaar Bride issue! And a very big thanks to Tim Ku for his patience as I gathered some things to send to him for this...
A Luxury Wedding in the French Quarter
What a spectacular couple! When Ashley called to discuss her vision for her wedding, I was SO excited to explore the possibilities for their invitation. She and Paul compliment each other in so many ways and the yin and yang of their relationship became a recurring...
Custom Postage Just Took a Hit
I just found out that one of the most popular services offering custom postage is temporarily bowing out of the game. Well, I hope it’s temporary. That’s right. Zazzle.com is not offering custom postage right now. I have several friends with open orders...
Getting to the Heart of It
Occasionally you come into contact with someone and it just clicks. For some people, it happens all the time. Others, not so much. I’d like to think I can have an engaging conversation with almost anyone (especially if it’s in-person – body language...
The Signature is Dead, Long Live the Signature
I did it. Did you do it? I think it’s a rite of passage to spend your grade school years filling a notebook with subtle permutations of your very own name. Exploring the letterforms – their shapes and the beautiful interstitial spaces. At some point, we...
You Don’t Have to Send Wedding Invitations.
You don’t have to send out printed wedding invitations. There. I said it. And the collective world of stationers just lost their minds. // I don’t know if you’re aware, but stationers are a strange lot. They live and die by Emily Post and...
Stationery Is a Proxy
Stationery is a proxy. It stands in for you when you’re not there. Whether it’s your business card or the invitation to the biggest day of your life, your stationery should be undeniably yours. So you that people would recognize it even if your name was nowhere to be...
Three Ingredients to Stationery They’ll Never Forget
This week, it dawned on me. In working on the video for my latest project, I sussed out what all of the most impactful memorable stationery projects I’ve worked on have in common. There are three key ingredients that make for stop-you-in-your tracks stationery....Giant Human Skulls
I’m obsessed with skulls. With the exception of Jes Gordon, you’re unlikely to find anyone in the wedding industry who appreciates them as deeply as I do. The beauty. The metaphor. That’s why I was thrilled to hear about Ron Mueck’s show at the...
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