a european inspired wedding at the Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge

Cloie & Garrett at the Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge

When Cloie first inquired about custom wedding invitations with me, I was excited about her desire to have a European feel to her invitation suite, tying in deep green with luxury letterpress printing. The setting for their wedding was the Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge, a venue that opened in May of 2024 so they were one of the first couples to be married there! With it’s European style glass conservatory and beautiful grounds featuring a fountain, and ceremony site next to the water, it is absolutely stunning.

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I was thrilled when after our consultation call, Cloie emailed me and said “I feel extremely confident in your work & ability to execute our vision perfectly – Braxton and I would love to book with you for our big day!”

When a client is confident in my artistry and work it starts us off on the best foot and I am so proud of what we created for Cloie and Braxton’s wedding day.

Cloie and Braxton’s invitation suite featuring letterpress and emboss printing and custom artwork.

This wedding at Blackberry Ridge Conservatory was exactly that: soft, romantic, and thoughtfully designed from start to finish.

From the very beginning, the vision centered around elevated details and cohesive design. Every piece—from the invitation suite to the reception space was created to feel connected, tactile, and timeless.

A Cohesive Invitation Suite

The invitation suite set the tone for the entire celebration. Designed with a soft, romantic palette and layered textures, it introduced guests to what they could expect on the wedding day. Every part was beautiful on its own, but even more impactful as part of a full suite.

Elevated Paper Details for the Wedding day

On the wedding day, those same design elements carried seamlessly into the reception.

The seating chart was printed on handmade paper and the edges were embossed with the same design as the details card. Menus were finished with soft silk ribbon for an added layer of texture, while place cards were kept simple to not take away from the tablescape. These details may seem small, but they’re what create a guest experience that feels polished and complete.

Custom Fabric Signage

One of the standout elements from this wedding was the custom fabric signage.

Instead of traditional rigid signage, we incorporated soft textiles to bring movement and warmth into the space. The draping fabric added an organic feel that complemented the natural surroundings of the conservatory beautifully.

A One-of-a-Kind Dance Floor

To tie everything together, we designed a custom dance floor with white and grey marble. Again, we did not want to take away from the gorgeous venue but rather complement it.

Thoughtful Design, Start to Finish

What made this wedding so impactful wasn’t just one detail, it was how everything worked together.

From the first impression in the mailbox to the final moments on the dance floor, the design felt consistent, elevated, and personal.

Planning Your Own Blackberry Ridge Wedding?

If you’re planning a wedding at Blackberry Ridge Conservatory (or a similar venue) and want your details to feel cohesive and elevated custom design makes all the difference.

From invitation suites to day-of paper and large-scale installations, every element can work together to create a seamless guest experience.

If you’re ready to create something intentional and unforgettable, I’d love to work with you.

Cheers to Cloie and Braxton! Aren’t they just adorable?!

Planning & Design: Lauryn E. Weddings
Photographer: Stephanie Velez
Venue: The Conservatory at Blackberry Ridge
Flowers: Old Frond Floral Co
Videographer: Lucy Camryn
Content Creator: Champagne Social
Caterer: Culinary Creations Chattanooga
Cake: Cake Envy
Invitations: Golden Hour Paper
Stationery: Golden Hour Paper
Hair & Makeup: Beauty by Halee Brooke
DJ: Dj Prez - Superior Sound Media
Entertainment: Dj Prez - Superior Sound Media
Rentals: PROPHOUSE
Rentals: Curated Events Nashville
Rentals: BBJ La Tavola
Rentals: Nuage Designs
Dress: Dana Harel Design
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Transportation: Nooga Shuttles

What is your wedding invitation personality?

Discover Your
Paper Personality

Before you can design the invitation suite of your dreams, you need to understand what your heart is actually drawn to — and why it matters.

5 min read  ·  Wedding Planning

Your wedding invitation is the first tangible experience your guests have of your wedding. It arrives in their mailbox months before the big day, and tells them — without a single spoken word — exactly what kind of celebration they are being invited into. That's a profound responsibility for a piece of paper, and it's why I believe so deeply that getting the stationery right isn't just about aesthetics. It's about telling your story.

In my years as a wedding stationery designer, I've noticed that couples often arrive at their first consultation knowing only what they don't want. They've scrolled through Instagram, saved dozens of images, and still can't quite articulate the feeling they're chasing. That's completely normal — and it's exactly what this guide is for.

I call it discovering your paper personality: the combination of textures, printing methods, typography, and finishing details that resonates with who you are as a couple. Once you understand yours, the entire design process becomes intuitive and joyful rather than overwhelming.

"Your invitation suite doesn't just announce your wedding. It sets a promise — and every detail of your day should keep it."

Step One

Start with Feeling, Not Pinterest

Before you open a single tab, I want you to close your eyes and picture your wedding day. Not the flowers or the dress — the feeling. Is it hushed and intimate, like stepping into a candlelit library? Is it golden and expansive, like an afternoon garden party that stretches into the evening? Is it dramatic and considered, like a private dinner at a museum after hours?

The feeling you're chasing is your compass. Every decision…paper weight, printing method, envelope color, stamp selection — either points toward that feeling or away from it. Once you have the feeling locked in, the design choices become much less about personal taste and much more about craft.

Questions to ask yourself before your consultation

01. When you think about your wedding day, what three words come to mind first? (Be honest — "romantic," "fun," and "elevated" are all valid starting points.)

02. Where is your wedding? The venue — a historic estate, a mountain lodge, an intimate garden — has its own personality, and your stationery should be in conversation with it.

03. What does your everyday aesthetic look like? Your home, your wardrobe, the coffee table books you keep out — these are honest clues about what you're actually drawn to.

04. How do you want your guests to feel when they open the envelope? Surprised? Transported? Quietly moved? The unboxing experience is real, and it can be designed.

05. Is there anything from your family's history — a monogram, a meaningful symbol, a place — that deserves to live somewhere in your paper goods?

The Four Paper Personalities

Which one sounds like you?

Through working with hundreds of couples, I've come to recognize four core paper personalities. Most people are a blend of two, but one usually leads. See which resonates.

Paper Personalities:

1) The Romantic Traditionalist

You love things that feel timeless and deeply considered. You're drawn to deckled edges, handmade paper, and the kind of calligraphy that looks like it was written by someone who truly cared. You believe the details are the point.

Signature Details: Handmade cotton rag paper · Silk ribbon ties · Delicate wax seals · Vintage postage stamps · Soft, flowing calligraphy script

2) The Garden Romantic

Botanical beauty is your language. You want your invitations to feel like something plucked from a secret garden — envelopes lined with florals, illustrated frames alive with foliage, hand-pressed details that feel found rather than designed.

Signature Details: Toile envelope liners · Botanical illustration borders · Oval and die-cut enclosures · Sage, moss, and dusty green palettes · Tuscany-inspired landscape prints

3) The Refined Classic:

Clean lines, beautiful typography, and a restrained palette speak to you. You appreciate letterpress printing, navy envelopes, and scalloped edges that add just enough personality without overwhelming the composition. Less is always more.

Signature Details: Letterpress printing on cotton stock · Deckled handmade enclosures · A subtle pop of color · Audubon and botanical vintage stamps · Scalloped or other special die cut card

4) The Whimsical Storyteller

Your invitations should feel like opening a very beautiful letter from a very dear friend who happens to have exquisite taste. You want layers — a vellum wrap, a tassel, a wax seal — because you believe getting an invitation in the mail should be an event in itself.

Signature Details: Vellum overlays with wax seals · Velvet ribbon and silk tassels · Layered flat-lay presentation · Forest green and gold foil details · Embossed florals on thick cotton stock

Step Two

The Details That Make the Difference

Once you have a sense of your paper personality, it's time to think about the individual elements that will bring your wedding invitations to life. These decisions are where the magic really lives — and where a good stationery designer earns their keep.

The elements of an invitation suite:

• Paper Stock — Weight, texture, and finish communicate quality before a single word is read. Handmade cotton rag has a warmth and irregularity that no digital print can replicate.

• Printing Method — Foil shines and exudes elegance. Letterpress creates a beautiful, tactile impression into the paper. Flat printing allows for more color nuance. Each has its place.

• Envelope Liners — An interior print — whether a toile floral, a landscape scene, or a delicate pattern — transforms the moment of opening.

• Calligraphy — Hand-addressed envelopes are the single highest-impact upgrade you can make. They signal care in a way that no printed address can match.

• Vintage Postage — Curated vintage stamps are the jewelry of the envelope. They add color, personality, and the unmistakable feeling of something lovingly assembled.

• Wax Seals — A wax seal says: this was closed by a human hand, with intention. It's a small act of ceremony before the ceremony itself.

• Ribbon & Wrapping — Silk or velvet ribbon tied around the suite transforms a collection of paper into a gift. The unboxing experience begins before the envelope is opened.

• Die-Cut Shapes — Oval inserts, scalloped edges, and shaped enclosures break the expected rectangle and make guests look twice.

A Final Note

Trust the Process — and the Paper

The best invitation suites I've ever designed weren't the ones where the couple came in knowing exactly what they wanted. They were the ones where we sat down together, talked about the feeling they were chasing, and let the design emerge from that conversation. Your paper personality isn't something to manufacture — it's already there, waiting to be found.

When you finally hold your completed suite in your hands — the envelopes lined, the calligraphy flowing, the wax seals cooling — you'll understand why this process matters so much. You've created the first artifact of your marriage. Something tangible that your guests will keep, long after the flowers have faded and the cake has been eaten.

That's what paper can do. That's why I love this work.

If you have any questions about stationery or need help discovering your paper personality, send us an email at hello@goldenhourpaper.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Chateau Suite | Our new semi-custom design featuring your venue illustrated!

The Chateau Suite: Our newest luxury Semi-Custom Wedding Invitation design featuring Venue Illustrations!

Your wedding invitation is the first glimpse your guests receive into the experience you’re creating. It sets the tone, communicates the atmosphere, and becomes a keepsake long after the day has passed. With that in mind, I designed the Chateau Suite — a luxury semi-custom wedding invitation collection inspired by European architecture, heirloom details, and timeless romance.

This suite is for couples who value beauty, craftsmanship, and intentional design…and of course, want to feature their venue in their wedding paper

A Custom Venue Illustration That Tells Your Story

At the heart of the Château Suite is a custom hand-drawn venue sketch, thoughtfully paired with our heirloom calligraphy. Whether you are getting married at a historic estate, romantic vineyard, private residence, or European-inspired venue, your invitation becomes a meaningful reflection of your setting and gets your guests excited to join you for your vows.

Venue illustrations add depth and personalization that goes beyond a template — transforming your wedding stationery into a true work of art and an heirloom your family can treasure.

Heirloom Materials and Elevated Finishing Touches

The Château Suite was designed with tactile luxury in mind. The main invitation card can be printed on handmade paper and the details card is finished with delicate embossing on the edges. This offers a layered, sensory experience that feels refined and intentional.

This semi-custom wedding invitation suite includes:

• Main Invitation

• Main Envelope

• Oval details card with embossing

• Response Card

• Reply Envelope

• Digitally printed guest and return addressing (one less thing on your plate!)

Designed to Reflect Your Wedding Aesthetic

While the Château Suite offers a cohesive design foundation, each order is personalized to reflect your wedding vision.

Couples can:

• Customize the color palette to complement their wedding design

• Choose from available calligraphy styles, or opt for a modern font aesthetic

• Personalize the RSVP card to include meal selections, multiple events, or custom wording

• Add calligraphy addressing, envelope liners, custom wax seals, ribbon, vellum wraps…the sky is the limit.

This allows you to enjoy the experience of bespoke wedding invitations with the streamlined process of a semi-custom collection.

A Seamless Ordering Experience

To order the Château Suite, simply select your invitation quantity and preferred printing method on the product page. If you require a custom quantity or need guidance selecting materials, I’m happy to provide a tailored quote.

Looking for Fully Custom Wedding Invitations?

If you’re drawn to the aesthetic of the Château Suite but envision something entirely unique, I also offer fully custom luxury wedding invitation design. Each custom project is collaboratively created to reflect your story, style, and celebration with intentional artistry.

If you’re ready to begin or would like more information, you’re warmly invited to inquire on our contact page!

Daniel Island Club wedding invitation suite | Inspiration and Design

With a setting as beautiful as the Daniel Island Club for your lowcountry wedding, setting the tone with your wedding invitations is a must!

This wedding suite features handmade paper for both the invitation and the details card as well as gold foil printing for the return address and rsvp envelope addressing. Gold thread wrapped the suite and was finished with a custom wax seal with the couple’s initials which we could also use for their day-of paper goods.

The envelope liners were inspired by the lowcountry tide flats - a beautiful vintage image that brought in the location of the wedding.

What theme and wedding design are you hoping for your wedding? Are you getting married in South Carolina? Let us help you set the tone for your wedding day by inquiring here!

French's Point wedding | Emily and Gregory

I am finally getting around to blogging about a wonderful couple, Emily and Gregory…I had the pleasure of not only working with Emily closely but also with her mother!

Emily wanted something classic, beautiful and featuring her wedding colors, creams, dusty blues and greens. She quickly fell in love with our Jubilee semi-custom suite but wanted to amp up the personalization to truly make it fit her wedding.

With out semi-custom wedding invitation collection, we offer free edits to the text and color but Emily chose to also upgrade to letterpress printing, double thick paper and include a liner. We also included some adorable illustrations on her rsvp card for meal choices, including a little mushroom!

The suite was printed on double thick 100% cotton paper - gave a super luxurious feel and paired perfectly with the letterpress impressions.

We also created day-of items for the French’s Point, Maine couple - including a fabric wedding seating chart and custom cocktail napkins that included their monogram.

Their seating chart, printed on fabric which included the floral illustrations from the Jubilee semi-custom suite

It was a gorgeous affair and we are so glad we could be part of Emily and Gregory’s Maine wedding. See more beautiful photos below!

Our move to Charleston and Projects lately

Well, we have finally settled and bought a house in Charleston, South Carolina, so we should be here a while! My family and I (and this business!) have moved all over the country and we’re glad to finally be somewhere long term. Just a little back-story, my husband had been in school so we moved to Oregon for his coursework, then outside of Chicago for his internship and now we chose to move here to Charleston! Which is wonderful because there are so many inspiring creatives here and an amazing wedding scene.

Lately, a lot of projects have been centered around launching stationery cards, setting up for more luxury wedding invitations (think gold foil, embossing, and handmade paper!) as well as working on a lot of lovely first wedding anniversary gifts.

We absolutely love hand writing wedding vows in calligraphy for wedding gifts and had the pleasure of creating so many new sets this year. While wedding invitation design and creation typically falls in the winter and spring, summer tends to bring more of the day-of design for weddings as well as anniversary gifts.

A special anniversary gift we offer is wedding vows written in calligraphy on handmade paper. We source from a german company that has a wide range of color options. From white to cream to blue or even pink, we can have the anniversary gift fit your home decor perfectly or even go with the colors from your wedding day. Sizes up to 19x25” help us be able to incorporate up to 350 words, which helps your wedding vows be legible - especially if you had a lot to say on your wedding day. If you are interested or want to see more photos you can visit the listing here.

calligraphy vows | custom calligraphy | wedding vow art | first anniversary gift

from $100.00

Vows lovingly penned on your choice of paper and ink. 

I absolutely love penning wedding vows in calligraphy and would be honored to create this for you!

We will work together to find a paper color that best represents you as a couple and what would go well with where they will be hung in your home/to fit your wedding colors.

Featured photos show vows transcribed onto handmade paper (see photos to notice the lovely deckled edges). I also love working on regular paper.

Pricing is per sheet - some vows can fit together one on piece of paper!

Please note that I can fit 100 words on the 8"x10" size, up to 150 words on a 11x14, up to 200 words on a 12x18, and up to 350 words on a 19x25" - these are priced differently!

If your vows are longer than this (my husband and I's are!!) please send me a message and we can discuss options. 

Size:

Select Size 8x10 11x14 12x18 19x25

Add to cart

We work with each person (usually one person reaches out and it’s a surprise to their spouse!) to find the perfect color scheme and sizing.

Here are some photos of our most recent first anniversary gift pieces:

Handmade paper & Wedding Invitations | the guide

Handmade paper wedding invitations have become very popular over the last few years and we are a big fan of the trend! The fluffy paper, raw edges, and various color options really make your wedding invitations stand out. Choosing handmade paper for your invitations also adds an element of texture for your guests.

At Golden Hour Paper we have scoured the paper industry for the best handmade papers for your wedding invitations to add to our designs and offerings. You can view our portfolio here to see some of the suites that feature handmade paper in their design.

If you want to inquire for wedding invitations that include handmade paper you can do so below. We have years of experience working with it and can’t wait to create a beautiful invitation suite for you.

Below you can find a guide to our favorite handmade papers and how they can be incorporated into your wedding invitations!

FABULOUS FANCY PANTS

Fabulous Fancy Pants handmade paper is absolutely lovely and comes in 2 weights of paper: 150 gsm and 250 gsm (250 is basically double-thick compared to your standard cardstock). It’s one of the first papers we used in our business and can work with digital printing though it can be finicky!

Their paper is 100% cotton rag and each piece is handmade. Currently, FFP only offers an off-white paper and does not create custom dyed papers. They even offer “seconds” - blemished handmade paper - in their shop if you just want to get your hands on it to feel it and play around with it for a project.

We highly recommend their paper for letterpress or foil printing though at times it can work for digital invitations.

SHARE STUDIOS

Share Studios is based in Philadelphia, PA, where I lived when I first started Golden Hour! Stephanie is a true artisan and she is one of my favorite accounts to follow on Instagram. She created gorgeous blues and green papers (among other colors of course!) and uses unique fibers like kozo and abaca for her papers.

She offers custom orders of specific sizes and colors of paper to be used for wedding invitations and also offers envelopes and business card sizes! One of our favorite products of hers are her larger sheets, which we have used time and time again for our calligraphy vow sheets.

The papers would work best to be either letterpress printed or foil-printed.

SILK & WILLOW

Silk & Willow's handmade papers are made from recycled t-shirt cuttings and are each handcrafted. Silk and Willow offer handmade paper envelopes to bring together all pieces of an invitation suite. They also offer a beautiful array of handmade silk ribbons, some with flower impressions and other unique characteristics.

ARPA

Arpa's papers come in a variety of colors (ivory, grey, pale blue, pale pink, lavender, sage, and salmon) and only have a slight texture and deckle on their edges, making them the best paper for digital printing.

We love that Arpa offers a variety of colors and that they also carry handmade paper envelopes. One thing that can make things a little difficult with their handmade papers is that they only offer European sizing which is different than the standard card sizes for wedding invitations here in the US.

Well, that is all for today! If you have any handmade paper favorites out there, we would love to hear about them. If you have any questions about handmade paper or wedding invitations please drop a comment below or reach out to us here.

Best,
Maddy Kelly

Summer dusty rose romance | Styled shoot at Tyler Gardens

For this styled shoot, we partnered with a team of incredible wedding vendors in Pennsylvania (our old home!) to create a romantic french-inspired shoot with pops of corals and pinks. For the stationery goods we created handmade paper wedding invitations featuring organic calligraphy and serif fonts to tie in the french design and paired them with calligraphed envelopes and vintage postage with florals in the color scheme.

Tyler Gardens, a wedding venue in Bucks County, PA and it’s elegant charm created a gorgeous setting for this shoot. The historic mansion and 4-tiered gardens drip with old world charm, surrounded by wrought iron gates, elegant statues, stunning fountains, and romantic landscaping. A fairytale venue to say the least – especially when it is covered with florals by Faye & Renee Floral Design!

It was also really fun working with Olivia Caridi, (you might recognize her from the Bachelor a few seasons ago!). I loved how perfectly Olivia’s soft blush Erin Cole Bridal wedding gown and the groom’s coral toned tux matched the rich warm hues of the garden’s stone walls and staircases! Every last detail of this styled wedding shoot flowed together and perfectly fit our warm summer color palette.

Visiting this historic garden is like taking a step back in time to an era of elegance. Our sweetheart table looked just right nestled into the multi-tiered landscaping at Tyler Gardens in the golden evening light! I loved the hand dyed table runner by Hello, Bird. and the wild climbing florals by Faye & Renee Floral Design perfectly and organically styled by Arielle Fera Events!

We were simply overwhelmed with the beauty and variety of locations to shoot, and despite the 90 degree heat, we spent hours running around capturing it all and loving every minute of it. It was such a joy working with an incredible group of wedding vendors! See more from this lovely shoot on Style Me Pretty!