February 2024 custom suites.
2024 started off with a freaking bang. I signed a bunch of incredibly exciting clients, all with their own unique wedding visions and ~ most ~ of them needed to mail in February, nbd. It was a busy January to say the least. Let’s start our with 2 of these amazing suites…
Jesse found me on TikTok [ as so many of my clients have this past year! ] and I knew I liked her right away. She was open to so much creativity and her personality was vibrant and fun. I had my fingers crossed she would sign on to let me bring her vision to life and I’m thrilled she did!
P.S. Jesse is a wedding content creator in NYC and beyond! She is basically your behind the scenes, real time moment capturing bestie who gets all the best candid videos and helps put together a bunch of fun social media content from your big day, engagement shoot and more! I very much wish this had been around when I got married so I could have hired her to grab all those special memories on our phones.
You can find her on instagram @weddingdaycontentco
Our journey together felt so natural and carefree in the best way. After Jesse shared so many personal interests [ like her obsession with Taylor Swift ] and stories about her, her relationship and her wedding vision, I immediately had ideas flowing out of me. I began with painting the envelope liner design when she showed me pictures of the white and black checkered dance floor in the middle of this Italian villa - obsessed.
And then when her love of bows was shared, it was an immediate need. And don’t get me started on how much of a bookworm Jesse is! So that was just one other thing we bonded over and how the bookmark detail was born! I think every one of my clients needs a bookmark now, right?
Can you spot the Taylor Swift easter eggs in this collection?
More to come on this collection for Jesse + Henry as we dive into the incredible wedding day paper goods next! Stay tuned ;)
Welcome to the land of chic, letterpress beauty. So gorgeous I wanted to eat these when they arrived. Abby + John are getting married in Mexico and off the bat wanted a layered look. So when I designed this collection it started with the save the date being a teaser of sorts, into what was to come. I took inspiration from the blue Mexican tiles seen around Cabos and the rest progressed from there.
The venue itself it set on the beach so here’s the idea. The top white invitation represents the ocean washing up on the sand, with a custom die cut edge design and a blind impression to reflect the lines naturally seen the water. The sand colored piece beneath the invitation is the details card and Abby wanted it to give the impression of design in the wet sand along the water. We took the original tile artwork and turned it into this second blind impression. The combo is just, chefs kiss.
And to tie it altogether, the belly band with the blue tile design holding the two cards together really elevated the whole suite! This feels very different from my usual work where there’s a lot of hand painted illustration and I enjoyed being able to create in a more tangible way with finding the perfect paper and ink colors to coordinate with the watercolor tile art. More of this style, please universe, thanks.
A San Miguel revamp! I originally created a custom suite for a wedding taking place in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico back in 2022! A dream client situation where they gave me the creative freedom to create what I felt was right based on their inspiration. I painted this custom otami print for the vertical belly band wrapped around the whole suite and it is such a show stopper! I have had so many inquiries about this exact design and I’ve customized it a few times already, just like above for Vanessa and Kyle!
I customized the map, of course. Showing this couples wedding venue and church plus some other fun details like the welcome party bar!
And the Mexican star gold foil printed invitation remained, as it normally does! This is such a classic and timeless piece. It’s so easy to reuse and add other elements to the stationery suite to personalize it.
I love how this turned out and look forward to the next time this gorgeous collection gets another custom spin!
If you are interested in working together to bring YOUR custom wedding stationery vision to life, please fill out the inquiry form on my contact page or click the button below to bring you there! I can’t wait to dive into your wedding details with you :)
2023 wrap up!
The most unoriginal first sentence of a blog…what a year! lol sorry but that’s just how I feel every year and I know so many can relate…
The most unoriginal first sentence of a blog…what a year! lol sorry but that’s just how I feel every year and I know so many can relate. Learning and growing forever is my motto. And this was certainly a year of a lot of both.
I grew this business into a full blown, profitable, mini art + stationery empire this year. I often think about how “big” do I actually want my business to be? Because quality over quantity is important to me. I want to have my business and also have a life. I also love running things out of my home. Right now. When the kids grow older, maybe I’ll change my mind about that! But in this phase of my life with motherhood, it’s working.
I learned I have a unique sense of style to bring to the world. Something I always questioned as a creative. I think it took me 9 years to fully find my creative voice and at the same time, that’s also something that continues to grow. One major shift I made was using my own work as inspiration and actually stop comparing myself to other artists. I put up a mood board full of my favorite recent paintings and favorite wedding stationery pieces so I can glance at it whenever I want for a boost of confidence and inspiration.
I also learned, there’s never enough time to do it all. No matter what, I have a back of mind to do list of things that I may never get to. I may never organize my pantry to look like the home edit. I may never hang the shelf I bought for Mason’s room. JK that has to happen. But I may ever be able to have homemade meal every single night for my kids. But I will just continue to do my best.
I worked with such lovely people bringing their wedding stationery visions to life. I’m so lucky to have such wonderful, appreciative and excitable couples find me and trust me to work with them! I love how unique each one of their ideas are and how with a few conversations, I can get inside their heads and bring the imaginings there to fruition. We truly have so much fun!
I FINALLY created artwork that spoke to my contacts at Anthropologie for BOTH greeting cards and tea towels! A dream I have had for years and years is to sell my products in Anthro and it felt like it would never happen. What I learned is, it takes some to hone in on your personal style and you really have to earn a purchase like that. I was so desperate for so many years to get in there, I was thinking backwards. It’s not “Why won’t they buy from me?” - it’s actually, “What can I do to make them WANT to buy from me?” - This mindset shift made such a difference.
I also got 2 more big order with Home Goods! They first ordered cards from me before the pandemic and then after that, the world was weird. I’m honored to have the opportunity to sell my cards to a store that brings such joy to so many and allows them to get beautiful things at a fair price. With the large quantities they order, it allows me to drop my price to match their margins and still make a profit!
I love hearing how many of you have found my cards in Anthropologie and Home Goods and purchased them! It’s such a win. Thank you all for following my journey on social media, shopping from the stores who carry my products and shopping on my Etsy page! I love you all and I have a blast sharing my creative process with you and will continue doing so as long as you all stick around having fun with me!
I never imagined I’d feel comfortable talking to my phone and sharing videos of myself with the “world” but all of the positive feedback and inquiries I have received from doing this, makes it actually an enjoyable process. I’m surprised and pleased!
2023 was grand. 2024 - let’s do it again but this time, let’s throw in a Caribbean vacation! I am taking recommendations, thank you.
the holiday edit, 2023.
My yearly holiday tradition about dollar store tins, homemade vanilla extract and cookies, and of course, a mental health moment…
Every year I post a version of this blog because it’s still a tradition I love to keep up with! Homemade cookies, homemade vanilla extract and dollar store cookie tins! Let’s get into it…
Not to get all serious but…I know this season can bring on a lot of depression. I have experienced this myself especially during difficult financial years and when it comes to loss. The holidays have a way of bringing so much cheer, yet so much expectation. It can really be a mixed bag. My best unsolicited advice is to take as much time away from social media as possible and go real old school. Get together with family, friends, coworkers, anyone who feels like a support system and good, positive company. Share some cookies and hot cocoa, maybe a hottie tottie if that’s your thing. Just remember what the holidays are really about and that’s togetherness. The simpler the better!
If you feel alone, lost or unsure how to help yourself, I’m always at the ready with a recommendation for great therapists. I truly believe we all need one, ain’t no shame xx
Now, once we’ve taken care of our mental health and supported our loved ones as well, we can get merry, however that may be for us! I am personally a huge lover of gift giving, gift wrapping and card writing. It may be selfish but I absolutely love receiving cards (sort of my love language) so I think, if I give them, I’ll get them, too! Or at least I’ll up my chances. I think I’ve mostly trained my family by this point to give hand written cards, so I feel like I’m winning!
I also loveeeee wrapping gifts. I’ll make a night of it by putting on a holiday movie (The Santa Claus, every time) and have myself a cheery little night getting excited about everyone opening they’re adorably wrapped gifts. I mean that’s part of the fun of opening a present! Seeing the outside, wondering what secretive magic lives beneath the wrapping paper and bows. I also have no qualms with breaking tradition and using any color I want for holiday gift wrap. Life’s too short, make everything your own little celebration! Hey, throw some llama gift wrap in there while you’re at it! They’re sure to get a smile or at least a funny confused reaction ;)
A GREAT GIFT IDEA!
Okay, I did not make up this gift, I stumbled upon it and loved it so much I had to share it with all of you! But I AM adding my own special addition to it for all of you to download FREE! Let’s read on..
See last years holiday home edit post with more cookie making details here!
Recipe for the vanilla extract: *You’ll see links in here to buy the vanilla beans but I’ll also add it below!
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-vanilla-extract/
The bottles: *8.5 oz bottles with swing top work best!
The sticker label sheets:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XCND8ZJ/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A2PFIQQO7UBV3G&psc=1
Madagascar vanilla beans:
FREE printable download:
The labels are 1.5” x 1.5”, all laid out on one sheet. You then print them onto your label sheet from the link above, using any printer. They have dotted cut lines around each label for your convenience to just cut out with a scissor! After, you just peel off the back and stick it onto the front of your homemade vanilla extract bottle for the ultimate cuteness.
style me pretty, feature.
Whatttttt this luscious wedding that I designed the invitation suite for was featured on Style me Pretty???? Pinch me. Click here to see the whole blog post on their website!
Whatttttt this luscious wedding that I designed the invitation suite for was featured on Style me Pretty???? Pinch me. Click here to see the whole blog post on their website!
Catherine and David came to me to hand paint scenic details along with a love story for their custom stationery, which really set the tone on these romantic hills. The whole vibe is whimsical and outdoorsy and I loveddd creating their artwork.
Seeing the gorgeous photos by Elizabeth Burgi Photography blew me away. She really captured the romantic, sweet and outdoorsy details.
Being featured is always a dream come true! Thank you to this amazing couple for hiring me and their vendor team for bringing this incredible vision to life for them.
Vendors:
Photography: Elizabeth Burgi | Cinematography: TSI Video Productions | Event Planning,Event Design: Atlas Design Studio | Floral Design: Seascape Flowers | Cake: Edith Meyer Wedding Cakes | Invitations: Stephanie Tara Stationery | Ceremony Venue,Reception Venue: Holman Ranch | Catering: PARADISE CUISINE CATERING | Transportation: Pacific Monarch Ltd | Wedding Day Signage: All Together Lovely Design | Rentals: Chic Event Rentals | Beauty: Malina Terra | Bar: Wayfarer Mobile Bar
September 2023, custom projects.
September was the start of Kindergarten for my oldest, Logan! I’m shocked and not shocked. I feel like the transition was easier for me considering he has been in daycare / preschool and the latter is basically like a mini Kindergarten these days. But it was still an adjustment for our whole family! New hours, new lunch planning, new child care arrangements, new classmates, and so on… So after I got the school supplies, back pack and new shoes all the week before school started [ I only procrastinate things in my personal life, pinky promise ], it was back to business as usual! I’m so proud of all these kids going on new adventures with such brave hearts and positive mindsets. I hope to continue fostering that way of thinking for always.
I sent out another set of custom vow books this month! There must be a disco / glitter trend happening and I’m really happy about it. This time, it was another gold set but on a neutral palette. I kind of love them a lot, see pics below!
Custom phrase of choice: ‘ ALL THE WAY’
Sam + Elmo had their wedding in Catalina Island! I actually made a TikTok about the inspiration Sam presented me with for her day of stationery and signage needs because it threw me for a loop in the beginning! It was so different from anything I had done before. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to bring her vision to life in my own personal style, while still capturing the vibe from her inspo. After the initial panic subsided, I started thinking and sketching. The goal is always always to come up with something original - that’s my specialty, after all! And I can truthfully say I’m so pleasantly surprised with what I came up with!
It kind of started with the cocktail sign. I brought Sam + Elmo’s original artwork in from their invitation suite and then played around with a more stylized, graphic design style using pen and ink drawings that I vectorized for the drinks side and then carried them through to the seating chart and welcome sign to keep the aesthetic consistent. It’s kind of giving old Hollywood meets new tropical and I’m here for it! More of this, please!
Holiday 2023, edit.
It’s been my goal for yearsssssssssss to bring hand painted magic to more products than just stationery! From a business perspective, it’s smart to start with less expensive products so you’re not sitting on inventory that won’t move if sales don’t go your way. And all the while, you work on growing and setting goals for the future which is what I’ve been doing.
I am always looking for a special gift to give to my family and friends that feels unique and intentional. That’s why I knew I was ready to bring tea towels to the product family last year! And since my first towel release that was received so well, I’ve been hunting down new printers this whole last year, who could accommodate printing a design on the entire towel from edge to edge. I’m in LOVE and I hope you are, too!
In my holiday 2023 collection you’ll find NEW gift wrap, tea towels, gift tags and cards, of course! I’ll share gift guides that include both my products and some of my absolutely favorite things from other businesses like Ear Kit, Lomar Farms, Brightland, Anthropologie and more…
This year, the new towel designs feature edge to edge designs, MY DREAM COME TRUE! These were such a labor of love. The brainstorming process for any new collection is an absolute shitshow and I’m full of self doubt and fear that everyone will hate everything and I’m terrible at being a designer. But then Anthropologie orders your towels and you think, oh wait, maybe I don’t suck? That’s just a taste of what it’s like inside my mind. Fun place…
You’ll find 3 designs. in the new holiday collection - 1. Cookies for santa, 2. Dear Santa, more books please and 3. Figgin’ Menorah Hanukkah!
The perfect gift does exist. Magical, practical and simple - a tea towel with any of the above! Candles, Olive Oil, Aesthetic Spatulas…If you need ideas, message me anytime!
Next up - GIFT WRAP! A product I tried out years ago but didn’t do the proper product research, packaging or marketing. Every experience teaches you something and I’m here now 4 years later a much more seasoned business owner, ready to bring you that special touch for a special gift. Wrap it, tag it and write a sweet note! Mix n match all the tags with the wrap or coordinate them with their counterpart. Either way, it’s adorable and will be so memorable.
To shop the whole collection, click below!
August 2023, custom projects.
Augusttttttttt how did you happen already? Okay I think I say that every month but REALLY.
Probably my favorite thing bout August was this wedding suite for a wedding happening this December in Mexico! My clients gave me allllll the creative liberties, after sharing their vision of course. What can I say, when you trust your vendor - magic happens! See below…
In this suite there is a mix of watercolor art and letterpress printed pieces with a modern, tropical design. The invitations are die cut with a wavy edge to sit perfectly whimsically upon the info card featuring the custom border design I created first for the envelope liner and then brought here for some consistency but with a pop of pink on the ground. It’s all so perfectly perfect, I’m beyond pleased.
Sam and Elmo are getting married in September, which is so soon as I write this! Another phenomenal client who gave me a color palette and important details about the wedding but then essentially said “go do what you do” and LOOK WHAT I DID! It’s so good and the palette is so warm and organic. I can’t wait to see the photos from this wedding day!
The disco glitter vow books have been POPULAR lately! I always adore seeing the different customizations my clients ask for. Tessa + Preston are having a retro style wedding with lots of warm tones and gold accents so we went with gold glitter on their vow book set. How cute are these? You can order gold disco vows books through my shop listing here!
In addition to these gorgeous wedding suites, there’s always lot’s of product design going on behind the scenes! I’ll put together a summer 2023 blog post talking about all the things like designing towels for Anthropologie, working on new holiday artwork for the 2023 season [ that is almost upon us! ] and so much more!
my wedding, circa 2015.
My wedding anniversary is also, essentially, my wedding stationery business anniversary. My wedding was, like so many, the catalyst to starting this business. I have always been an artist, even though I felt weird calling myself that. Now at 33 years old I finally feel more confident saying it. I AM AN ARTIST! Ok calm down…
photographer: Clean plate Photography
My wedding anniversary is also, essentially, my wedding stationery business anniversary. My wedding was, like so many, the catalyst to starting this business. I have always been an artist, even though I felt weird calling myself that. Now at 33 years old I finally feel more confident saying it. I AM AN ARTIST! Ok calm down.
As an artist, it seemed only right to design my own wedding invitations. Of course I made SO. MANY. MISTAKES. like not putting a stamp on the rsvp envelopes??? I had literally no idea what I was doing - I just wanted to paint my own artwork. The font choice was terrible. The list goes on. But you have to start somewhere and look back and smile at the progress, right? Plus, I think it all came out pretty adorable regardless of all the mishaps!
We got married on August 29, 2015 at the Brooklyn Winery! I knew I wanted a city venue because of the incredible graffiti that I was all. about. for the pictures! BK winery stole our hearts the second we walked through the door and saw the vintage wallpaper and all the different rooms. I would do it all over again the same way but maybe just add the stamps to the return envelopes…
It was absolutely essential to me that every detail of our day felt authentic to who John and I are as people and as a couple. There was no tradition, no rules, no pressure to please. We did exactly what we wanted. We wore what we wanted. We picked the flowers we wanted and the venue we loved and we even went rogue with our wedding “cake”…
When the coordinator asked me if I wanted anything special for the walk after the ceremony, I thought of bubbles! I wanted our nieces and nephews to have a fun job which became, shooting the bubble guns! And they had a blast plus the photos came out SO COOL!
I designed these funky little floral tags for our place cards and each one had a feather attached! John and I have always really loved feather decor on both our accessories and home decor. John even has a feather tattoo! How stunning are the Brooklyn Winery’s menu cards?? Definitely part of what inspired my wedding stationery designer journey!
Our florist killed it. Rebecca Shepherd is a magician with flowers. We discussed a vision and she showed me inspiration that I approved - but the actuality was 10000000 times better. I actually learned how important it is to hire vendors you trust from my experience with her! I loved her work so I knew she wouldn’t disappoint and she certainly surpassed my dreams. I designed these sweet little table number hang tags to put on each iconic bottle of Brooklyn winery wine for each table. It was very “Stephanie, circa 2015” and even though I cringe at my painting ability back then, it still holds a special place in my heart because you gotta start somewhere! And this was my beginning before I really even knew it.
And for dessert. At this point you have to know how much I love dessert. And you may not have known but PIE is one of my top faves!!!! I love cake. Don’t get me wrong like loveeeeee cake. But it was a summer wedding ad my favorite baker had peach pies so there was just not competition. Apple and peach for the win. Everyone loved the unique experience! Plus BK winery puts out such a gorgeous spread with all vintage teacups and teapots and coffee urns. It felt very old English in the middle of Brooklyn.
I know what it’s like to plan a wedding and I know it can be stressful! We planned our wedding in five months because I’m a control freak and didn’t want to wait a whole year for a summer wedding. The trick? Make decisions that feel right and don’’t think too much about it. You saw a band and loved them? Book them. There’s always going to be another band, photographer, florist, etc who you love. There’s no one right way. There’s just the way you do it! Be at peace with each decision. If something feels wrong, don’t do it! If everyone opinions are stressing you out - don’t ask those people what they think! If they tell you anyway, let them but don’t take it to heart. People can’t help themselves but at the end of the day, it’s not their wedding. It’s YOUR day. Make it feel like you.
Thanks for reading!
xx Stephanie
July 2023, custom projects.
It’s July, sorry what? June was such a weird month with tons of rain. It didn’t feel like summer at all and now it’s like summer is almost over! Why is time like this? But also, looking back it has been a jam packed summer of projects so we did keep it moving in that rain.
There were day of artwork and stationery projects along with…
Tanya and James celebrated their marriage in Maui, Hawaii with their family and friends, with a cheerful, tropical, adventure packed celebration. The itinerary card we created for their guests to go in the welcome bags was. filled to the brim with activities to make the most of a getaway to Maui! Their wedding featured gorgeous pink blooms and island greenery with long, romantic tables on the beach for dinner. It was truly a magical wedding to see and I can’t wait to share some photos from their photographer soon!
Breann and Pavel celebrated their wedding at The Ryland Inn with whimsical, flowery and timeless stationery details. Breann had a clear vision that was easy to follow and she trusted me to bring that vision to life - a great pairing if you ask me. It is my job to interpret your inspiration and ideas and that job is done best with trust! We had so much fun working together, I will definitely miss this couple!
Taylor and Brian are getting married on August 5th! I shipped off some beautiful day of stationery pieces that were inspired by the San Miguel collection for my previous couple’s wedding last year! We changed up some of the color palette, sizes and details to make this collection unique. Programs, welcome / itinerary cards are photographed above. Not shown: table number cards inspired by Loteria symbols and escort cards with my hand painted otami print!
Not all pictured yet:
Meredith and Hubert celebrated their marriage in Porto, Portugal finally after almost a year of working together! It was such a fun time getting to know Meredith and sharing stories about our kids and crazy lives. I love connecting with my couples on a personal level. Planning a destination wedding is no easy fete and so Meredith gets major points in my books for planning this stunning destination wedding week while working and momming! Absolute rockstar.
These tote bags are SO FUN! The goal was to utilize their wedding crest across all different pieces to have cohesion and enjoy its beauty, really. I would use this bag all the time forever with this beautiful design on it AND it would bring back memories of the wedding making it a win win in my book.
Thanks for being here! If you’re interested in working together on custom stationery, hit the button below to fill out my inquiry form!
xx Stephanie
June 2023, custom projects.
June was the fastest month of the year, no? Maybe this year just feels so fast because of all the incredible destination weddings I’ve been working on! Destination weddings mean earlier deadlines so lots of proper planning and clear communication are required to avoid headaches! I have learned a lot this month about the shipping to other countries and costs, etc. Even being nearly 10 years into this business I know there will always be new things to learn to continue bettering my business and I am here for it. I want my clients to have the best experience!
Below let’s take a look at what was created and mailed in June!
Kelly and Pavel are getting married in Hualalai this August! This was a dream couple to work with, in the sense that they completely trusted me to conceptualize and create a one of a kind, bright and colorful wedding invitation suite for them. I was provided with all the necessary inspiration and information to go ahead and pull all the right colors and feels to bring you this incredibly fun, tropical stationery. I know their guests opened the invitations and had an emotional reaction - one full of excitement to celebrate this couple! More like this please, universe.
It’s been a sparkling minute since I’ve created a set of these custom, disco vow books! I call them “disco” because of the glitter. This pink set is a dream. They are so sweet and fun, I can’t wait for the couple to write their sweet promises inside and use them on their big day. I hope I’ll get some pictures!
FINALLY someone took my “Going to the chapel” greeting card design and had me turn it into a micro ceremony invitation card! This was so fun because I am already in love with this design. It’s inspired by, you guessed it, the chapel’s in Vegas! When elopements started trending over the last couple of years, it inspired a wave of iconic ceremonies. No more is it just a runaway couple getting married for cheap. Now it’s a creative statement and I’m obsessed.
I sent off a whole bunch of beautiful day of wedding stationery that I never got a chance to photograph! Some of which were a 1] venue illustration print for guests to sign around the border like a guest book! 2] wildflower table number cards, custom crest cocktail napkins and guest towels, 3] A gorgeous welcome sign with a tropical, pink floral border along with menu cards and a folded welcome / itinerary card for guests! I will get some photos taken of these smaller pieces soon to post! Anything you don’t get to see one my blog can usually be found on my TikTok, since recording things live is easier than styling a photo!
Thank you for reading along on my custom design journey for the month of May! I can’t wait to see what happens in June and I hope you’ll come back to find out! If you’d like to stay up to date with all the happenings in my stationery studio. join the fun with my newsletter!
Follow along @stephanietarastationery on instagram and TikTok!
xx Stephanie
May 2023 custom projects.
May felt like the wind down month. The beginning of this month was the tail end of the wild mailing season and as we neared the end, the beginning of lots of ‘day of stationary’ projects began. What is ‘day of stationery’? It’s any of the paper / decorative components that will be used and seen on the actual day of the wedding. Some examples are menu cards and signature cocktail signs. Below is an example of a really special collection we designed for Liz + Tim’s wedding…
Liz and Tim have their own blog post you can find here, featuring photos from their photographer from their stunning wedding day! I worked with their planners to create the above collection of ‘day of stationery’ goods. There’s a custom signature cocktail sign, featuring their cute pup, Arlo! There’s a timeless menu card, in an overlay style with a tassel at the top, all hand assembled. And there’s a double sided welcome note / itinerary card which is incredibly helpful to the guests for keeping up with all the fun wedding weekend events!
This suite takes my breath away. Meredith and Hubert had an “unexpected love story” after meeting on a blind first date, thinking absolutely nothing of it. Instead, it was basically love at first site and they have been together ever since. They even share a beautiful daughter! Their wedding is this summer in Porto, Portugal - a city they visited together and fell in love with while falling in love with one another! Talk about a full circle celebration of love.
Their wedding suite has all of my favorite things: Original paintings, personal details, velvet ribbon, vintage postage and it’s all square! The juxtaposition of the modern square shape with the classic artwork is a timeless showstopper.
Breann and Andrew’s wedding suite came together like a dream. They were super succinct with their vision and paired with my painting style, it was a perfect match! A venue painting paired with a custom crest made for the star of the invitation. From there, I built a whimsical design around that crest on the rest of the stationery. I have to say the way all the components layered together in the envelope is one of my faves! Playful meets elegant.
Thank you for reading along on my custom design journey for the month of May! I can’t wait to see what happens in June and I hope you’ll come back to find out! If you’d like to stay up to date with all the happenings in my stationery studio. join the fun with my newsletter!
Follow along @stephanietarastationery on instagram and TikTok!
xx Stephanie
wedding itinerary cards.
So you’re getting married and making a weekend or a destination out of it, YAY! And also, wait. What’s the plan? What are the important dates and times? Where is everything? What do I wear? Is there transportation? Do I need a hotel block? And so on…
So you’re getting married and making a weekend or a destination out of it, YAY! And also, wait. What’s the plan? What are the important dates and times? Where is everything? What do I wear? Is there transportation? Do I need a hotel block? And so on…These are the questions your guests will be asking themselves! Let’s make it easy for them.
The wedding itinerary / timeline or wedding details or wedding weekend card is going to be the saving grace for your guests. Along with a wedding website.
Here’s the thing. The card is the starting point. An immediate way for guests to peruse what the heck is up for this big celebration. They can wrap their mind around what’s to come and what’s expected of them. You can provide as much or as little information as you see fit on this card WITH a clear mention of checking the wedding website for additional information and maybe direct links for booking important things, such as hotels!
Wedding itinerary / timeline requirements: All event dates, locations, times and attire clearly stated. All transportation information / times clearly stated. Wedding website with clearly defined details for all of the aforementioned as a backup to the card!
Now what kind of itinerary card do you want? Let’s review some of the difference style I can create for you here, at Stephanie Tara Stationery! …
The map itinerary card.
The map itinerary card - the most popular option! On one side, it’s a one of a kind, hand painted map illustration. We include as many details as you desire and feel necessary for showcasing the are your guests will be staying at for your wedding. On the back side is the itinerary or details. There are multiple layout options here and I will always guide you on what I think is right for your stationery but they are all essentially the same when it comes to what information is being provided!
The love story details card.
The love story details card is the next most popular design! On one side, I paint all the important milestones of your journey together as a couple, leading up to your wedding! You can include as many milestones are you’d like. [ p.s. afterwards, I always recommend my couples order a large print of their love story art, to frame and hang in your new home! ] And on the back side is the wedding details / itinerary information.
The details enclosure card.
The enclosure card is a modern, simplistic approach to the details card. It’s super practical, holding all the other components inside its interior pocket. And on the inner flap is all the needed information. So it’s basically the perfect bundle of information designed beautifully. The enclosure card is very versatile and can be a variety of shapes and colors. This particular style was sealed with a wax seal, adding a level of sophistication that I personally adore.
The location to picture match, itinerary card.
A side by side, organized and easy to follow itinerary card. Matching the artwork from the front of the card [ which is a map in this case ] to the correlating information on the back of the card, is a fun way for guests to go spot each location on the map illustration on one side and then know what each one of them is going to be on the back!
The line drawn map and town outline.
For this map / itinerary card, the couple wanted a clean, line drawn map on one side, outlining some key locations. And since most of the couples guests were flying into Raleigh for this wedding and had ever been before, they provided a comprehensive list of fun spots to check out with a quick description of each, on the back side. I was impressed with this thorough “places to see” list that the groom organized, it was so thoughtful! The couples friends and family could look at this list and right away get a sense for what each spot was about and decide if they wanted to venture over in the time between any wedding related events.
The map and timeline.
The timeline can be combined with any of the above styles! On the right, you’ll see the timeline design which has an art deco feel, paired with small, line drawn symbols. You’ll see drawings of rings, champagne glasses, a shuttle bus and more! If I don’t already have a drawing for the event, I will work one up for you ;) The timeline is super detail oriented and it’s not recommended if you feel anything could change otherwise this may be confusing to your guests! I personally like the timeline as an itinerary card that is waiting for each guest in the hotel room welcome bag for destination weddings because the specific outline can be super helpful to friends and family!
Have questions about itinerary cards? Want to work together to bring your custom stationery vision to life? Inquire below!
real wedding, Liz + Tim.
I have to say I’m blown away by this wedding in the Hudson Valley. It was a PRETTY one! Lauren and Aoife from Jack & Grace Events approached me to design wedding day stationery for Liz + Tim and I was so thrilled to finally get a chance to work with this amazing planning team!…
I have to say I’m blown away by this wedding in the Hudson Valley. It was a PRETTY one! Lauren and Aoife from Jack & Grace Events approached me to design wedding day stationery for Liz + Tim and I was so thrilled to finally get a chance to work with this amazing planning team! Their attention to detail and passion to interpret the couples vision was everything I could ask for when working with wedding stylists / planners. It’s what we specialize in here, after all ;)
The stationery paper goods I designed for Liz + Tim, using all one of a kind, hand painted illustrations:
Layered menu cards featuring green tassels. Welcome notes | Itinerary cards featuring an illustration of the newlyweds cute pup, Arlo. Table number cards with a natural, watercolor foliage border. Square escort cards with a pop of hand painted florals and greenery. Signature cocktail sign with hand painted drinks + Arlo!
Okay so beauty is pain, right? I would say these fabulous menu cards are the perfect example of that saying. First of all, there were 235 of them! That’s a lot. But honestly, so worth it! A layered menu card with a green tassel adhering them at the top at each setting on top of these printed linen napkins is a vibe. My team and I worked for 2 straight days doing the assembly for these and we are obsessed!!
I’m particularly obsessed with their color palette. These flowers are dripping with romance and soft sophistication. I love how we kept all the paper goods to a white, taupe and green color palette to allow for the flowers to really pop at the wedding.
The cocktails: an Aperol Spritz & a Transfusion.
Both drinks were so fun to paint! Adding what became the signature Arlo bundle, to the top of the design, was the perfect finishing touch.
A moment of silence for the reception dress. How absolutely ravishing is Liz’s fashion sense? And the earrings, don’t think I didn’t notice those! I’m a die hard fan of couples being who THEY are and letting every details of their big day DRIP with that individuality and these two, nailed it. Cheer’s Liz + Tim! To a life time of good health and happiness.
BONUS FOOTAGE: The rehearsal dinner outfits. Like come ON, with this dress and those sunnies? It’s devastatingly gorgeous.
Vendor List:
All photos by: Kate Edwards Weddings
Planning and Styling: Jack & Grace Events
Florals: Three Notch Florals
Hair and Makeup: Upstyle Co
Specialty Linens: Nuage Designs Inc
Rentals: Smith Party Rentals
April 2023 custom projects.
Between March - June, usually things get * extra * crazy in the studio!…
Between March - June, usually things get * extra * crazy in the studio! Most weddings take place from May - September which means a good portion of my clients invitation suites need to be mailed during those months! April was not full of as much painting and design as March. It’s been mostly finalizing details then formatting all the stationery for print and gathering it all for review as each bit arrives!
First up, this stunning Idaho wedding suite arrived from my printers and was quickly assembled and mailed! The bride and groom are from Australia but the brides parents have retired in beautiful Idaho and will have the wedding on their gorgeous lands! It was so much fun seeing all these photos of the grounds in Idaho, a place I have never been and truthfully did not know was so stunning. This suite features a great amount of hand painted detail and the invitation card was also letterpress printed. I’m in love!
I squeezed in a venue painting for a stationery friend of mine to use for one of her clients suites! I do commission my painting services on their own, in addition to all of my other services!
A true labor of love! This couple is getting married at the brides family home in Rhode Island. We went on a journey making sure the florals for this design were as close to perfect as can be! [ I try to avoid using the word “perfect” since we all know, it does’t exist! But we can get close ;) ] I couldn’t be happier with how the final design turned out for this suite. It feels perfectly organic, summery and sweet.
And this couple also included a love story which you know is one of my favorite services I offer! The bride and groom were born in the same hospital, how cool? And I got to paint their cute pup! Take a look above at all the beautiful details.
I’m finishing up a beautiful beautiful Hawaii wedding suite featuring a lot of hand painted, tropical details from the Hulalai Four Seasons resort and it will be paired with a stunning white foil design on coral paper, invitation design. I’m so so excited to finish these details and share the completed suite! My couples are incredible for trusting me to paint their stationery vision to life!
And lastly, these stunning square save the date cards featuring a bright bougainvillea floral design went out into the world! This is an intimate wedding, only 50 guests. With smaller weddings you can splurge on more details such as the hand lettered envelopes ad vintage postage! You’ll see here this collection of vintage postage tells a story for the couple. The couple is from Cali [ top right ], the wedding will be in the Catalina Island so we added the American stamp to represent the destination [ bottom right ], there are bison on Catalina Island, which I’m sure will be represented in the invitation suite! [ middle ], and we had to include a beautiful pink flower to represent all the bougainvillea! [ top left ]
Telling a story using vintage postage is one of the charming details you get on your stationery suite when you go this route!
The wedding A and B list.
The reality is sometimes, there has to be a B list. The dream wedding resort or venue sometime's can't hold your dream guest list…
The wedding A + B list
The reality is sometimes, there has to be a B list. The dream wedding resort or venue sometime's can't hold your dream guest list.
What is the B list? The B list is the guests who potentially receive an invitation later than the A list guests, once you know some of your A list guests are a solid no.
Now, knowing that you are on the B list is obviously not fun so, we're just going to keep that hush hush. But for the soon to be newlyweds planning their wedding, this is just sometimes a necessary evil.
So how do you go about collecting these A list replies in a timely manner so that you can still invite your B list guests with ample time to RSVP?
First we take into consideration, is this a destination wedding or local?
With destination weddings [ either the venue is a destination for all or most guests are coming in from out of town ], you will definitely be sending save the dates.
Save the dates are mailed / sent 6 months to a year before the wedding date. Once you mail your save the dates to the A list, about 2 months later I would personally follow up with those recipients, to see if you have any definite no's. Now you know if you can send a save the date to some of your B list guests!
For invitations, you typically mail them 8-12 weeks prior to the wedding date.
If you are still hoping to invite some B list guests, I recommend mailing the invitations 14-16 weeks prior to the wedding date and requesting a reply by date about 8 weeks prior to your wedding date. That way, as replies start rolling in, you will still have enough time to mail out some or all B list invitations, which have a later "reply by" date on them than your A list invitations.
How do you have two different reply dates?
When you work with a custom wedding stationery designer, you have the advantage of that designer, personalizing your details! I work with clients all the time who request a certain number of their invitation suites and have a later reply by date intended for their B list guests.
These suites are held off until I receive word to mail them or sometimes my clients will hold onto them and mail out themselves, if needed.
Have questions? Shoot me an email!
Want to work together? Inquire below!
spring photoshoot.
It seems every quarter or so, I now have a photoshoot to schedule! Giving life to my stationery products and having fun with the products brings them to life for me. I absolutely adore writing and giving cards AND receiving them. It’s totally my love language. My assistant, Anushka, helps me coordinate all the pretty details and pose on the day of the shoot while my bestie Greg takes the photos! It’s a collaborative effort and the secret is to let loose and have fun with it.
I have been utilizing small checker prints in a lot of my most recent cards as either a background or a border print. So naturally, I wanted the backdrop for this shoot to be a big checker print. By some small miracle, I found a pack of mixed pink construction paper cut in squares making it WAY easy to throw this together.
Amazing confetti garland by Skippy Cotton.
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During the spring, my product focus is on new birthday, baby and wedding plus Mother’s Day and Father's Day!
This year I’m super excited that Anthropologie will be carrying my ‘brightest color crayon’ mother’s day card [ see in photo above, bottom right ]
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Celebrations are always in order with birthdays and weddings. Nothing screams celebration more to me, than a big old disco ball. You’ll see them featured in may of my greeting cards! Along with flowers, balloons and lots of desserts, of course.
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I have been absolutely obsessed with reading the last few months. I started to notice I wasn’t sleeping well at night after scrolling social media for way too long. I have always enjoyed reading but I fell out of it for a bit, you know life with small kids sometimes distracts you from your favorite hobbies! So I got back into it and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. I’ve really been into fantasy reads and lots of smutty romance to encourage some spice in my actual life, if you catch my drift ;)
With all that in mind, I design from the heart and my own life experiences so you’ll see #booktok inspired artwork below!
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My son turned 5 this year! We threw him an adorable birthday party in an art studio and he chose for everyone to paint a shark! He has really been loving all things under the sea lately, so this new birthday card below is inspired by my Logan!
Thanks for scrolling!
If you want to see my design journey in real time, follow along on instagram and TikTok!
@stephanietarastationery
To shop my latest collection, click below!
March 2023 custom projects.
March was a combination of new paintings for clients and products and assembling and mailing so may beautiful wedding invitations!…
March was a combination of new paintings for clients and products and assembling and mailing so may beautiful wedding invitations!
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Kate and Eddie live in Australia and are having their wedding in beautiful Idaho at Kate’s parents home. The grounds are insane, the views are breathtaking and I was lucky enough to get to paint all of it!
The mountains and ski slope photos they sent me for reference made me stop and consider moving, okay? Like I love all of it. One of the best parts of my job is mentally transporting myself to wherever I’m currently painting.
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Wedding clients Liz + Tim: All day of stationery for this couple, whimsical, organic greenery with white and pops of yellow and their beloved, precious pup Arlo! I also painted a signature cocktail sign for them including this delicious looking ‘transfusion’ cocktail seen below!
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Meredith and Hubert are getting married I Porto, Portugal! If you have been following for a bit, you’ll remember the beautiful porto city painting save the dates that were mailed out last winter! It’s important to get your guests prepared for the big trip ahead when throwing a destination wedding.
Below I painted a custom assortment of florals to compliment the couples color palette, along with all the locations where they are holding wedding events to put on their custom map design.
I am too excited to complete this stationery suite and photograph all the finished pieces to share with you!
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If you read the February custom projects blog post, you’ll remember Tanya and James! They are having an intimate wedding in beautiful Hawaii and I so loved painting their stationery to life. I finally received all the components from my printers and was able to assemble and mail these suites out to all their loved ones!
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I painted the gorgeous artwork for Melissa and Adam’s Amalfi Coast wedding back in the winter of 2022! Destination weddings sometimes take extra time to plan since communicating with overseas planners can cause delays. It’s super important to have ample time so there’s no rushing and stress! This suite also took a little extra time to wrap up because the couple went with hand lettered guest addresses, which turned out stunning on these bright blue envelopes!
Definitely need to add Amalfi to my list of places to travel, which is ever growing…
Thanks for scrolling!
To follow along on my journey, follow on instagram and TikTok!
@stephanietarastationery
February 2023 custom projects.
February was a BUSY month filled to the brim with new, original paintings and conceptualizing the most personalized wedding stationery for my clients.
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Wedding clients Mel + Greg: Wedding in upstate New York at an outdoor venue in the Catskills, lots of greenery and magical, twinkly, midsommer night vibes.
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Wedding clients Blair + Drew: New England summer at the family lake house, love story paintings, local wild flowers and color palette
Thank you for scrolling! Check back monthly to see all the custom artwork I paint for my clients and product line!
xx Stephanie
January 2023 custom projects
January was almost fully consumed with getting out my biggest wholesale order to date! Home Goods ordered around 17k cards, 10 different styles and they were shipping out and in stores nationwide! SO EXCITING AND HUGE!!!
Aside from that labor of LOVE, there was a scattering of custom painting projects going on for my wedding clients and I designed a few new cards!
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Wedding clients Kelly + Pavel: Wedding in Hawaii, Tropical, floral, whimsical and fun!
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Wedding clients Tanya + James: Wedding in Hawaii, Tropical + bright, lots of hand painted artwork! You’ll see bits and pieces below and I’ll share the full suite in a later post after they have been mailed.
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It’s about that time for me to be creating and releasing new products for all spring occasions to my retailers so that they can stock their shops up in time! I painted new artwork for Mother’s day, father’s day and birthday cards and they are now available in my shop, too!
Thanks for scrolling! Check back monthly for updates on all the things I painted for both my wedding clients and product line!
xx Stephanie
autumn | winter 2022 projects.
Custom hand painted artwork for wedding stationery by Stephanie Tara from 2022…
The end of my 2022 wedding season! It feels like every quarter I’m working on around 6-8 custom projects at a time, fluctuating between the artwork and design process to meet deadlines. One minutes I’m painting a love story and the next I’m diving into a map of Palm Springs. It’s a juggling act, for sure. One that I think I’ve kinda got down to a science at this point.
I am so proud of the original art I painted for my clients this past fall. I adore working with my couples and painting their visions to life. Let’s take a look below at some of what was created…
Some of what you’ll see below:
custom illustrations for love story paintings
menu cards, signature drink signs, table # cards
hand painted map designs
original artwork on story telling programs
