This is a return client, who not only has provided great inspiration, but also offered the opportunity for much artistic license on my end with the design process. Both times she has been fabulous to work with, and I’ve gotten to produce two very different pieces. The first, seen here (invitation) and here (rehearsal dinner) were favorites immediately. Said client now has a son getting hitched and came back for another round of letterpress goods for the rehearsal dinner.

Her starting inspiration was from an editorial in the Winter MS Weddings 2009 featuring a country wedding. The elements she wanted to explore was a monogram, something classic however not too formal, crysanthemums, reds/greys and something significantly different from the previous work I’ve done for her.

I was pretty excited by her initial ideas, foremost that she wanted to use a red/charcoal combination for coloring which was right in line with the more patriotic colors in the Fall 2009 Pantone lineup. The three ideas I explored all tied into some element of the inspiration photos or the crysanthemums.

Left: A large initial/monogram blind debossed (indicated in the proofs in light grey) with simple center-set typography. The idea behind this proof mimicked the larger-than-life monogram on the table cloth above. The client ordered table cards, escort cards and place cards as well so the larger monogram could be easily carried across all pieces and even into the linens if the client ended up going this route.

Middle: This proof reflected a more formalized picnic theme; the dotted striping reflective of old-school gingham or stitching with the crysanthemum as the central element. Similar to antique tablecloths, this proof tried to best reflect the feel of the event being put on. The inclusion of the “W” above was also there to establish the monogram element, however after seeing it in that particular typeface all parties agreed that it looked too much like a Weezer picnic.

Right: The last proof was quite simple and minimalist. I drew from the stitching on the napkins in one of the photos to create the pattern along the left margin and set the type in Bembo to give it a more traditional feel without the traditional center-set layout.

Photos of the finished piece to come next week! To see the proofs large and in their full glory, click on the above image and you’ll be re-directed to the flickr feed.