Vivid + Glamourous Real Wedding at The Palace Hotel San Francisco

Sometimes we are simply astonished by the talent and taste of our clients. Alyson bought her invites from Invitesite – which isn’t the defacto reason she has good taste! The photos below are evidence of  her full spirit and tremendous vision. She worked with us in the final month before her wedding on a special ceremony program to honor their blending of Greek and Filipino heritages – and we got to know her better.  She and Scott (InviteSite’s owner and lead graphic designer and letterpress printer) designed  a custom letterpress printed wedding ceremony program to compliment the spectacular wedding she and Nick held in September 2009.  Their wedding was featured recently on Style Unveiled in San Francisco.

You can see the full post here: what a spectacularly elegant and gracious wedding! These photos with text are excerpts from Style Unveiled:

The photos featured in the photo montage are from Verite Wedding Photography of San Francisco. Gorgeous work.

Helen’s comments: I especially love the table settings. The colors and organic materials help make the atmosphere warm and inclusive – qualities that can get lost in a large and ornate room with such grand space.  Brilliant. It looks like palm leaves were woven as runners — might be a nod to Alyson’s Filipino roots and rustic sensibilities.

An Italian gold pearlescent paper was chosen for the cover of the wedding programs – and we letterpress printed classic Greek key pattern as full bleed borders.  A detail shot :

Detail of Aylson + Nick's Wedding Program

Only 2 artists create original artwork for Invitesite’s wedding stationery: Scott Rubel and Diana Huff.

Diana Huff is an amazing illustrator. Her drawings are witty, beguiling and romantic. Tiffany, Crane, Bergdoff’s, Glamour Magazine, have all hired her to create illustrations  for their products.

Diana painted a fanciful piece of artwork for Chelsea Clinton’s Wedding, which has been all over the TV news. She also painted an original Mazel Tov sign, for Samuel’s of Rhinebeck, also featured. Isn’t the Chelsea + Marc Wedding Painting fabulous??

Chelsea Clinton + Marc Mezvinsky Wedding Painting by Diana Huff

The painting is  hanging in Wing & Clover — and  purchased as a gift by one of the Clinton’s guests. It has been featured on both Fox News:

and right at the beginning of CBS [national] Evening News, on Monday nite:

Access Hollywood features Diana’s painting AND Mozel Tov sign (crediting the artist, finally!). (NOTE 8/6/10 – ACCESS HOLLYWOOD has since removed the video from their server.)

And CBS Evening News used the painting and sign again as the lede images on last night’s newscast.  How exciting!

Wing & Clover seems like a fabulous place to buy documentary art and take workshops.   If you’re in the Rhinebeck area, check out their facebook page for updates.

These are the designs that Diana created for InviteSite’s wedding invitations:

Bella: Inspired by Marc Chagall.

Close Up Detail for the Vintage Wedding Invitations

Poetica Wedding Invitations | Art by Diana Huff

Nothing says I love you madly to the romantic environmentalist like a vintage engagement ring, selected to your taste and featuring your birthstone.  Born in March?  Isn’t this Art Deco ring just gorgeous?

VIntage Art Deco Aquamarine Engagement Ring

Birthstones were a HUGE trend all through the early 20th century. We posted a History of Birthstone Engagement Rings in the Wedding Articles section.

Thanks to Topezery for a great website with really good information. Just beautiful jewelry!

Tabletop inspiration for a Winter Bridal Shower. Your friends will feel warm and loved.

If you keep your color palette simple yet rich, you will evoke a warm and rich atmosphere for modest budget.

Cindy draped faux fur over a lovely hand hewn bench. Gold paper mats under very simple flatware. Pine Cone Placecards.

Simple Table Setting in Rich Warm Colors

Lovely pastries from Europan, Pasadena California. Bread Pudding, lemon bars, homemade banana custard.

Appropriate invitations? How about Key West Eco Invitations? Sparkly and crinkly matching paper:

Key West Eco Invitations

Weddings are as much about passion as about love and family. May and Todd are having it both ways: their Burning Man Wedding this summer, and a large reception for their families later this year. (Invitesite supplied the DIY wedding invitations to the reception party.)

May is a fashion designer, she made every part of her amazing wedding attire.  We just loved this wedding!

May is so sweet and wonderful. This is such a creative and heartfelt wedding. The photography is fabulous. The wedding was all DIY, of course.  May did a great job – the details on her dress are perfect!

Curious Josh for totally inspired and passionate photography.

We wish them both love, passion and fun, forever.

These are some of the dresses being auctioned on Ebay and are tax deductable.  Bid or just drool!

Cardinali Evening Dress : Mother of the Bride?

Cardinali Shimmer

Images via KCET flickr account. You’ll have to go the the Ebay link to see them in all their glory!  Some more here:

Dress was iconic for Marlo Thomas in "That Girl"

Note to models on the catwalk: If you are wearing vintage clothing: Walk the Vintage Walk!!  The current runway  style is way too muscular for clothes from the 1950′s and 1960′s. Darling. You’re supposed to float and sort of slide across the room in these dresses.

Cardinali Catwalk

About half way though the Cardinali fashion show retrospective, the models settled in and pulled back on the assertive modern runway style.