gala program

To follow up on last week's post about the gala invitation for the University of Oregon,  I thought that today I'd share the program book I designed for the event.

I updated last year's square format with this year's color palette, damask pattern and logo border. The metallic paper worked especially well with the dark pattern, giving it extra depth and lustre.

The inside front cover was a flood of chartreuse green while the first page featured a black pattern band behind the logo – I love the overall effect and contrast it created.

The interior pages were reformatted to reflect this year's modern typography and color while the grey stripes from the save-the-date made an appearance as a header at the top and bottom of each page.

The end result: an elegant program book that effectively reflected the prestigious nature of the event while not breaking the bank in terms of design or printing costs.

gala invitation

Last year, I was asked to design the invitation and collateral materials for a gala hosted by the University of Oregon to honor local leaders (read more here and here) and everyone was thrilled with the results. So thrilled, in fact, that they asked me to incorporate elements from last year into this year's design. And I was more than happy to oblige!

 

Starting with the save-the-date postcard, I changed the format and updated the color palette and typography. While green is definitely a UO color, using a lime/chartreuse version of it instantly sets a more modern tone.

I also used a tone-on-tone damask pattern for texture and elegance and added a curved border to enclose the event logo, which they chose to reuse from last year's design.

The invitation itself was presented inside a custom die cut folder of metallic silver cover stock that had a sticker with the logo and damask pattern applied to the front.

Once opened, the folder revealed a die cut invitation that matched the shape of the logo's border. It was glued in place above the pocket, which contained an informational card with bios of both recipients as well as the reply card and envelope.

While the package as a whole was quite stately and elegant, the use of a sans serif font (Helvetica Neue Thin) and color (PMS 583) gave the invitation a distinctly modern vibe.

My favorite part? The little round sticker used to seal the folder! Such a simple little thing, but it's what gave this suite the final finishing touch.

wine tasting invitation

I love designing event invitations – it gives me a nice little break from the more corporate projects I usually am working on.

Often the event itself will help dictate the design direction, as was the case with the winery tour and wine tasting event that the University of Oregon recently organized for some of its donors.

I started by sketching out some design directions and presenting those to the client. Then I developed their chosen design on the computer and applied a couple rounds of revisions before sending files to the printer.

I used elegant typography, a two-color palette and a pinstripe pattern to set the tone for this somewhat upscale social event.

 

Electronic or phone RSVPs meant that no reply card was needed, which kept things simple in terms of design and printing costs.

The cursive font is one of my current favorites and was a perfect fit for this project, since the ligatures and embellishments nicely mimicked grape vine tendrils.

 

So the next time you're in need of a special event invitation, consider using a custom design for a little extra pizzazz – you know where to find me!

more wedding style

A couple years ago, my baby sister got married and asked me to design, among other things, her invitation suite. She specifically requested a design that had been quite popular when I first debuted it as part of Cecily Ink (you can read about it here and here.)

Well, last fall it was time for another sister's wedding, and I was thrilled when she, too, asked me to design her invitation.

And yes, Marie also opted to use a best-selling Cecily Ink design. No problem, certainly made my job easier, especially given the relatively quick turn-around time.

Because both timing and budget were tight, I recommended digital printing. I chose a digital-friendly felt-finish paper so we could still get that wonderful texture. I also specified target PMS numbers so the printer could match the orange & brown colors as closely as possible.

Because the maximum sheet size for the printer's digital press is quite a bit smaller than a traditional offset press sheet, I adjusted sizes as necessary to still fit as many pieces as possible onto the sheet. This way, the bride could use her "wedding look" on things like thank-you cards, place cards and favor tags, too.

 

The invitation suite turned out beautifully and the bride was quite pleased. Thanks, Marie, for entrusting me with such an important part of your Big Day!