Romantic Save the Date

Everything about Kerry & Tommy's wedding will be romantic and gorgeous...like a fairytale wedding. I am so excited to help style their reception and the church! First things first. Take a look at their bluish-purple & pink save the dates. Kerry wanted a ribbon, a calendar, and a framed photo. Then we put these save the dates into matching shimmery ivory envelopes. So pretty!
 
 See other Save the Dates from Copper Ink Wedding Designs by clicking here.

THANK YOU, Andrea for taking this great series of photos. They're beautiful! I owe you.

THANK YOU, Andrea for taking this great series of photos. They're beautiful! I owe you.

Vintage Wedding Invitations

Vintage refers to a year, or a period of origin. It's lovely, romantic, soft, flirtatious and fashionable. That must explain why so many brides are choosing vintage elements for their wedding. 

If you are also looking for vintage-inspired wedding invitations, browse Copper Ink Wedding Design's collection of invitations, save the dates, programs and more---all with a touch of vintage. 

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Some things, although "vintage", never grow old. Yesterday, I found these wedding vows, written and spoken by Paul Newman, to his wife, Joanne Woodward. I may have to borrow them someday: 

" Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the Art of Marriage: The little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say 'I love you' at least once a day. It is never going to sleep angry. It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. It is standing together facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding room for the things of the spirit. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful. It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner."

 

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Thank you Jenny M Photography for the beautiful images! Your photography looks like it belongs in a magazine. I love it. Thanks again. 

Thank you Jenny M Photography for the beautiful images! Your photography looks like it belongs in a magazine. I love it. Thanks again. 

Unique Wedding Program Sizes

Who says programs have to plain, regular, standard, normal, or traditional? If there's one thing I love about design, that's pushing the norms on sizes, folds, paper, and details.

Check out these four programs that are each unique: One is oversized, one is square, one is long and skinny, and one is a 4-page foldout program (with information about their wedding party on both sides!)​

Have a unique idea for a wedding program? I'd love to hear it.​

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Blush Pink, Gold and Ivory Wedding Invitations

These wedding invitations fit inside an #10 antique gold envelope, so they are a unique size, decorated with a crystal and custom patterned paper. Inside, the swirl ties the design together with the back side of the invitation, which lists their wedding website and a map of wedding day locations. It's a complete package--all in one piece--with an RSVP card for guests to return. ​

Copper Ink Wedding Design had the pleasure of gluing these crystals and tape-rolling these custom papers on each invitation. We also inserted the RSVP cards, tucked them inside the envelopes (pre-printed with their return address), stamped and sent them with love.​

Like these vintage invitations? See more by viewing Kelsey & Dave, ​Traci & Phil, Amanda & Trent, Abby & David, Andrea & Willie, and Amanda & Chris.

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​Click on Wedding Invitations in the header to see more invitations like these from Jamie & JJ. So pretty!

​Click on Wedding Invitations in the header to see more invitations like these from Jamie & JJ. So pretty!

Worn & Torn Save the Dates

Very cute, BoShana & Sean! These Save the Dates look worn and torn like an old photo, but are perfectly framed with custom details on the front and back. They chose feltweave paper for a great texture and true vintage/rustic look.

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Gold and Lace Wedding Invitations

Brilliant golds +
​shimmery latte paper +
​champagne envelopes +
​lace elements +
​a really fun RSVP card =
​Kelsey & Dave's most beautiful, elegant, personal invitation set.

All that glitters is not gold? In this case it is.​

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​I can't thank her enough. Ashton, your talent exceeds my expectations every time. Your designs are amazing!

​I can't thank her enough. Ashton, your talent exceeds my expectations every time. Your designs are amazing!

Vintage Gray Pocket Invitations

Soft grays, greens and blush pinks, all in a pocket. This 2-sided pocket saved Traci & Phil some money. They have four insert cards in the back of the invite and of course, their beautiful invitation on the front. All these pieces went into a soft gray, Euro flap envelope. Very pretty, Traci & Phil!​

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​Soft shades of these vintage colors really set the mood that guests should expect from their wedding.

​Soft shades of these vintage colors really set the mood that guests should expect from their wedding.

Purple & Silver Wedding Invitations

Take a look at Sam & Lucas' purple and silver wedding invitations! They are 2-sided with information on the back side of the actual invitation, and have an accompanying RSVP card. With silver shimmery paper and some watercolor flowers, this invitation was perfect for her.

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15 Phrases I Live By

If you really want to get to know more about Renee Halgerson and Copper Ink Wedding Designs, these 15 phrases sum up JUST about everything that motivates me. And how can I say it better than the originals who said it best? Here we go:​

1. On design: "It’s the art in design that touches hearts. It’s the art in design that brings joy; it’s the art in design that moves us to take action."  --AIGA Conference

2. On thinking big: "Big ideas are so hard to recognize, so fragile, so easy to kill. Don't forget that, all of you who don't have them."  --John Elliott

3. On travelling: "Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people."  --Leo Burnett

4. On volunteering: "All business is personal, so make your friends before you need them."  --Robert L. Johnson

5. On mini-vacations: "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."  --Leonardo da Vinci (I also credit this one to some of the best advice I ever got from my mother.)

6. On doing the right thing: “Customer service is a form of marketing that is much more powerful that advertising. Advertising builds awareness; customer service creates evangelists."  --Seth Godin

7. On leadership: "Leadership is about self-awareness, recognizing your failings, and developing modesty, humility, and humanity."  --C.K. Prahalad

8. On listening and communication: "It's fine (oftentimes good) if some people dislike you or disagree with you, but no one should misunderstand you. Everything you say should be clear."  --Tim Ferriss, author of "The 4-Hour Workweek,"

9. On doing more than necessary: “Accept not the prescriptions of the world. Otherwise you allow your life get eaten up by the incompatible expectations of people who don’t matter. Casual effort isn’t sufficient.”  --Scott Ginsberg

10. On staying busy: “Remember: When you stay insatiably proactive in occupying your mind, body and spirit with activities you enjoy, misery has no choice but to stand in line and wait.”  --Scott Ginsberg

11. On friends: "Did you know that the people who love you want nothing more than the opportunity to show you how much they love you? Believe it. That’s why they signed up in the first place: To be a source of support. I’m talking about your real friends: 

The people who know who you really are. 
The people who will gladly sit with you in companionable silence. 
The people who will enthusiastically carry you to the other side of the wall. 
The people who will reflect the best, highest version of who you are.
The people who, if you called them at two in the morning, would answer the phone with, “Are you okay?” and not, “Do you know how late it is?”  --Scott Ginsberg

12. On the unexpected things in life: "Until you fall, until your expectations are dashed, until you didn’t know how to get out of a situation and you had to figure something out, until you went to sleep at night crying over something — whatever it is — you don’t get the best of yourself until you’ve overcome something."  --Anne Berkowitch

13. On why I shouldn't give up: "You need a lot of passion for what you're doing because it's so hard. Without passion, any rational person would give up."  --Steve Jobs

14. On why I still write hand-written cards: "Make time for the people in your life. Unlike great ideas, people expire."  --Joshua Hays

15. On being a woman: "Anyone can give up. It's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart--that's true strength." --Anonymous

Copper Ink Wedding Designs Hits 100!

Copper Ink Wedding Designs just completed its 100th project! Congratulations to Andrea & Willie for placing the 100th order and getting $100 off your programs! And a huge thank you to the 99 that came before it. I can't wait for the next hundred.

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From Wedding Design to Home Design

Yep. Getting a little personal with a sneak-peak into my home. I got a wild hair this weekend and decided to paint my bathroom purple! Quite the transition...from guacamole green (that came with the house when I bought it) to deep purple ​with matte and high-gloss stripes. I added accents of cobalt blue and lime green with some artwork I made with fabric flowers and paper. Speaking of guacamole, my honey is making that for supper right now.  :)  Yum.

Copper Ink Wedding Designs loves the use of fun colors. ​Let me know if you'd like some help choosing colors for your wedding.

​Before and after. My bathroom is purple and striped!

​Before and after. My bathroom is purple and striped!

Coral & Navy Wedding Invitations

Congratulations, Brittany & Zach! I can't wait to see you get married in June. Take a look at their navy and coral (watermelon, as Brittany likes to call it) wedding invitations. They were printed on latte shimmery paper and tucked inside a two-sided navy pocket with matching shimmery navy envelopes. If you want to see another navy invitation, check out Amy and Jordan's. And here are navy and fuschia programs from Amy and Aaron.

Hearts and swirls and simply beautiful. ​

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Wedding Invitation Trends that are Catching Attention: Modern & Minimalist, Folk-Art Inspired and The Storyteller

Gone: the days when an engaged couple chooses a wedding invitation from a Big Book of template invitations. 
​Here: the days when engaged couples customize their invitation that's one of a kind and matches their style. Just like the worlds of fashion and interior design, weddings also carry trends and infinite possibilities.

​In my recent trip to Arizona, I looked into trends that are catching attention in the Southwest, so I can bring those ideas and trends to Sioux Falls, SD.

Copper Ink Wedding Designs found the latest trends in wedding invitations from Arizona. These three bubbled to the top:​

1. The Storyteller: This style of invitation tells a story about the couple. The design shows their guests a glimpse of how they met, the story of their relationship, and of course, the important information about their wedding day.
​The Storyteller = Full of Personality

2. Folk-Art-Inspired: This style of invitation ​are back by popular demand. Great art never goes out of style. With whimsical, happy drawings and handmade paper look, this style is for the unique bride who is drawn to designs that are different and eye-catching.
​Folk-Art = Nostalgic Nod to the Past

3. ​Modern & Minimalist: Sleek, clean lines, monograms, bold colors and fun paper are the combinations that make these invitations perfect for the modern bride. 
​Modern & Minimalist = Clean, Crisp, Elegant Designs

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Invitations with a Nature Feel

He wanted a wood-feel.
​She wanted earth-tones like moss green, cocoa & Ivory.
​He wanted eco-friendly paper.
​She wanted a laid-back nature feel.

And ​together, like any great marriage, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
​Add some raffia and some envelopes with a wood-grain texture, and you have the most beautifully simplistic invitations. It's gestault. 

Click here to see the entire gallery of wedding invitations from Copper Ink Wedding Design.​

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​Congrats, Amber & Michael!! It was such a pleasure meeting you.

​Congrats, Amber & Michael!! It was such a pleasure meeting you.