ssararose

Another pretty walk for Ruby & I … Finally the rose...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:21:24 -0400

Another pretty walk for Ruby & I … Finally the rose garden is in full bloom. (at Memorial Park)

Big stack of freshly addressed envelopes.. Now just need to...

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:22:25 -0400

Big stack of freshly addressed envelopes.. Now just need to finish the pretty invites to put inside them :)

Peony party in our neighborhood

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:12:22 -0400

Peony party in our neighborhood

My parents have been in town less than 12 hours, and I’ve...

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:50:33 -0400

My parents have been in town less than 12 hours, and I’ve already put my dad to work at #houseofhuse

Nolan’s First Birthday Our Godson, Nolan, turned ONE last...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:45:42 -0400

Nolan’s First Birthday

Our Godson, Nolan, turned ONE last week!

Nolan’s Godmother made the invitations (that’s me, guys).

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Photo

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:56:50 -0400

Freshly clipped! And matching nails! 💜

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:45:41 -0400

Freshly clipped! And matching nails! 💜

First AnniversaryYesterday Patrick and I celebrated our first...

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:38:03 -0400

First Anniversary

Yesterday Patrick and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! If something can simultaneously…

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💕 One year today 💕

Sun, 12 May 2013 12:56:30 -0400

💕 One year today 💕

Bedside table.

Sat, 11 May 2013 13:34:34 -0400

Bedside table.

My lilac bush is ready to bloom!

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:42:04 -0400

My lilac bush is ready to bloom!

Happy Mother’s Day!This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I’d...

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:36:19 -0400

Happy Mother’s Day!

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I’d like to take a minute to say how much I appreciate my mom. I…

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Birthday WeekendSaturday was my birthday, and we did a little...

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:40:33 -0400

Birthday Weekend

Saturday was my birthday, and we did a little celebrating. Patrick and I started the weekend with…

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The Chicago YearsFour years ago today, I visited Patrick for the...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:49:03 -0400

The Chicago Years

Four years ago today, I visited Patrick for the first time since college. I was living in Dallas;…

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#husemovesWell, we’ve made the move! Technically it was about a...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:57:26 -0400

#husemoves

Well, we’ve made the move! Technically it was about a month ago, but it’s been a bit chaotic. We’ve…

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Which pens are still alive and making the move?

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:25:29 -0400

Which pens are still alive and making the move?

Printable: Fancy Diamond Thank You Cards!As we depart the city...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:10:05 -0400

Printable: Fancy Diamond Thank You Cards!

As we depart the city we’ve called home for most of our adult lives, I am feeling so grateful for…

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Ruby Bids Farewell to ChicagoRuby was born & raised in...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:30:43 -0500

Ruby Bids Farewell to Chicago

Ruby was born & raised in Chicago — a real city gal. We bought her on a whim after lunch one day.…

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Warm WishesIs Winter over yet? I actually do like the cold,...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:59:18 -0500

Warm Wishes

Is Winter over yet? I actually do like the cold, crisp of Winter. I would just prefer it to last…

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the making of: my wedding

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 23:05:00 -0400

Let me preface this by saying I LOVED MY WEDDING. That said, I am so glad it’s over.

My husband and I were together over the course of eight and a half years and engaged for a year and a half of that. We live in Chicago, but got married in St. Louis, where my family is from. Planning a DIY wedding from another city is complicated. Some aspects were much easier because you don’t have the luxury to shop around town. We made many short weekend trips down to St. Louis, met with 3 or so vendors each trip, and pick. Done. The only real issue was that me being a designer meant that I was completely particular about every detail.

I made every piece of printed material be it designed and printed or pen-and-ink calligraphy. I cut every. single. piece. of. paper. with my trusty X-Acto knife. The same one that got me through college and my twenties. I haven’t done all the math, but I know doing the calligraphy on the outer envelopes alone was over eighty hours. I am so pleased with how everything turned out, and how all my designs came together with everything on the day of the wedding. I would describe the theme (aside from ETERNAL LOVE!!) as “Disney Princess Chic.” I said it once as a joke, but it really did guide me in design decisions (“What would a grown-up Cinderella do?”)

I have somehow recovered and am currently doing the calligraphy on my friend Jess’s invitations for her September wedding. I am crazy, and I’m open for business - custom invites, wedding collateral and custom calligraphy. Etsy shop opening soon, but email me in the meantime at ssararosedesign@gmail.com.

Here are some shots of the process going into the making of my wedding. I thank my husband and parents for being worker bees when needed, tying strings and assembling invitations. I also thank Binny’s for keeping my sanity through this tedious but rewarding experience.

testing colors

chop chop chop

teaching myself how to do this & practicing forever

painting table numbers

inner envelopes

outer envelopes

escort cards

place cards too

invitation suite bundled with silver string & silver beads

rehearsal dinner invites

rehearsal dinner menus

reception menu detail

menus forever

ceremony program spines

psychotic

anyone need some ribbon?

Ruby was zero help whatsoever.