Handmade paper, elaborate flourished calligraphy, wax seals and velvet. This was the recipe for Audrey and Greg’s vintage wedding invitations for their fall wedding in San Antonio, Texas. For me as a calligrapher and wedding invitation designer, it had everything I love. From the texture of the handmade paper to the vintage postage stamps on the outside of the envelopes.
Inspiration
I met with Audrey and Greg back in May of 2021, when we discussed their (part) destination wedding at Club Giraud. Audrey and Greg met in Alabama, at work – they both work at NASA. The aerospace engineering runs in the family, as Audrey’s grandfather worked on the Apollo 8 project! We knew we wanted to incorporate the space aspect of their lives in their wedding stationery, as it was not just the way they met, but also is a big passion outside of work for both. As the wedding was at Club Giraud, the distinct French influence of the building was a huge point of inspiration. This inspired the overall old world feel for the wedding. Audrey is also a very tactile person, who loves different textures, so this played a huge part in their wedding invitation design process as well.
Vintage Wedding Invitations
Audrey and Greg’s wedding invitations started at the paper choice – handmade paper a must! The invitation card and RSVP card were printed on an ivory handmade paper – which refers to the vintage feel of the wedding. To create some contrast, we printed the Details card on a light grey paper, matching the outer envelope. For the envelope liner, we used a gold speckled handmade paper by Pressed Paper, reminiscent of stars.
For the design, we used a font reminiscent of Baskerville – a popular font created in 1757. This contributed to the vintage wedding invitation feel. The calligraphy we wrote by hand first, and then digitized it to incorporate it into the design. The flourishes contribute to that old world feel that we were going after for these invitations. Audrey & Greg’s names we printed in burgundy for a pop of color.
Envelopes and Embellishments
For the envelopes, we opted for an inner/outer envelope combination, to add to the elegant and formal feel. For the inner envelope, we used a burgundy envelope, with the handmade paper envelope liner. On the envelope we printed a loose floral wreath with “you are invited” in calligraphy. This to emphasize the personal and intimate nature of this wedding. For the RSVP envelope, Audrey and Greg didn’t want to design something beautiful, which would then return to them in a multitude when the RSVP envelopes would come back. Instead, the RSVP envelope was decorative – with the same floral wreath and calligraphy. It held the RSVP card (digital RSVP) and the Rehearsal Dinner invitation. For the outer envelope, we printed the address in a calligraphy font similar to my own calligraphy, and used a collection of vintage space-related postage. This included a vintage Apollo 8 stamp issued by USPS in 1968 – in commemmoration of Audrey’s grandfather, who worked on the actual Apollo 8 project.
To keep the invitation components together, we added a wide dusty rose velvet ribbon with unfinished edges, referencing one of the supporting wedding colors. In the middle we added an antique gold oval wax seal, creating more visual interest. For the design of the custom wax seal, we referenced the floral wreath from the envelopes, and combined it with a flourished capital C in calligraphy – signifying their married last name.
Day Of Items
Signage
Audrey collected a set of mismatched vintage frames over the year before her wedding day. We used these frames to house various acrylic signs, like the welcome sign. Audrey also placed space-related love quotes all over the venue. This added to the subtle space theme around the wedding day. The signs were written in the same style as the calligraphy in the vintage wedding invitations. Audrey and Greg also placed a telescope out in the outdoor area, for the guests to gaze at the stars, like the couple loves to do.
Escort Card Display
For the escort cards, we created leather tags with the guests’ names in calligraphy. Attached to the tags was a burgundy cardstock table tag with the designated table number. The leather tag serves as a tangible memento to the special day, without being “branded” with the wedding date, or Audrey and Greg’s names – making it more likely guests will keep and use them after the day has ended. We made use of the shutters in Club Giraud to display them. The table tags were hooked behind the shutters, resulting in the escort cards with the names hanging in front.
Leather Table Numbers with Aerospace Illustrations
On the table we used the leather in a different way – tented leather table numbers. Audrey and Greg had seen these used at a different CalliRosa event, and had fallen in love with them. We changed the composition of the design, and added 4 different illustrations of aerospace-related inventions. We added the table number, written out in calligraphy, underneath the illustration. The whole design was burned in the leather, making it permanent and creating a brown-burgundy outline of the illustrations etched in the leather.
Vintage Invitation inspired Menus
We continued the use of ivory handmade paper in the menus, and drew inspiration from the vintage wedding invitations. Audrey and Greg were eager to show their guests their gratitude for spending their special day with them, so we added handwritten calligraphy at the top of each menu. We had about 5 to 6 different versions of the menu, as there were quite a few dietary restrictions. This also helped the serving staff recognize who chose which meal.
Final thoughts
Looking back on this wedding, it was one of the absolute highlights of 2021 for me. Audrey and Greg were amazing to work with. They fully trusted me to implement their vision, and add to it in out-of-the-box ways. The end result is a beautiful balance between old world vintage, and subtle references to the couple’s love story and shared interests.
Vendors
Venue: Club Giraud
Wedding Planner: Robin with Wedding Planners LLC
Catering: In-house Club Giraud
Hair: Melody Edens Salon
Makeup: Johanna at Makeup Mavens
Florist: Eden’s Echo
String Quartet: String Music
Calligrapher and Invitations: Callirosa
Photography: Philip Thomas Photography
Second shooter: Christian Margain
DJ: Cutting Edge Edge Entertainment
Rentals: Peerless Events
About the Author
Charlotte Rosales is a calligrapher and wedding invitation designer in San Antonio, Texas. In her studio, CalliRosa, she creates everything from custom invitations, to place cards, envelope calligraphy and wedding signs. Charlotte serves the greater Texas area: Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, the Texas Hill Country and everything in between. Learn more about Charlotte and CalliRosa here!
Photos by Philip Thomas Photography
Enjoy some more pictures of this wedding below:
