About Sofia Sayer of Sofia Invitations

Hey, What’s so funny Sofia? Learn more about Sofia Sayer of Sofia Invitations and Prints….

Some fun facts about me (Sofia Sayer):

• I can quote The Lost Boys better than you and all your friends.

• I’m awesome at guessing the price of things and my life goal is to be on The Price is Right

• I am most proud of the fact I pushed two human beings out of my 105 lb frame

• I was devastated I got cut from my volley ball team in high school. I’m 5 foot 2.

• I’m a sci fi and horror genre nerd. My favorite book is Fahrenheit 451. My favorite author is Stephen King

• I try my best to be understanding of everyone. But I draw the line if you don’t think Seinfeld is funny.

• In another life I was a drummer for a rock band.

• I had a part in saving Seth McFarlane’s life (from Family Guy). No joke.

• I don’t watch any sports.

• I’ve had the nicknames long leg Liotta (maiden name), Sopafia, and Sof (but never Sofi)

• My celebrity crush is LLCoolJ. I was once in line next to him at Best Buy.

• I would most like to learn how to do the robot, like really good.

• Star Trek not Star Wars

13 Stripes Brewery Collaboration

We did a fun collaboration with our Taylor’s Mill neighbor, 13 Stripes Brewery for a visionary founders meeting called “All Good Things”. The founders meeting is for a large event they host called “Hymns and Hopps”. It is a huge event that attracts hundreds where people gather to drink beer and sing Hymns. Sofia Invitations made a unique invitation for the visionary founders dinner that is hosted before the event to organize the event, bring the founders together for fellowship, and to discover ways to carry the movement forward together. Pinpoint custom made a puzzle with the pieces pertaining to the event for the founders to engage in together.

All Good Things Invitation

The invitation is printed on cream card stock and features an engraved cork circle in the middle to give it the invitation a rustic unique feel.

Puzzle

The “All Good Things” puzzle contains reflective gold and silver acrylic pieces plus more displaying a guitar, paint brush, beer mug, music notes, paint tray, leaf, and SC. Engraved on the inside of the puzzle is the founders goal, “The purpose of All Good Things is to foster international gospel connections in unconventional ways”.

The Event

Check out this amazing event and brewery that we are stoked to be able to be apart of!

Less is More: The Best Simple Wedding Invitations

Simplicity

Simplicity is one of the founding and never failing rules in the design world. It is encouraged in graphic design, photography, interior design, painting, drawing, really any aspect of art or functionality. But as a wedding designer, it ends up being harder to keep invitation design really simple. There are so many fun ways to add in cute and eye catching elements so it is easy to go overboard sometimes. As brides scroll through Pinterest they are bombarded with a abundance of patterned envelope liners, floral arrangements, ribbons, belly bands, foil, vellum and your brain is over stimulated and overwhelmed. Although all those elements can be beautiful and elegant, sometimes the best way to get there is through a more simple design.

Check out this beautiful French invitation that embrace simplicity. This invite is called “Fleur 1” and was a collaboration with an artist in Paris named, Laura Horrocks by the PAPER/PAPER company. Beautiful work!

Acrylic Vellum Invitation

Here are the acrylic invitations that I had more of a challenge with because just how simple the bride wanted it. The RSVP and envelopes are digitally printed gold with a plane vellum wrap and neutral tissue paper wrap. The acrylic invitation were done in both Spanish and English for her guest. I think they turned out very elegant despite my urge to add more colors and design elements!

Here is another beautiful example of a simple design by the design studio, Graphikkart. This font is more dramatic but the colors and other design elements keep it elegant and natural.

Jennifer Egan, Sofia Invitations, and New Cannon Library Collaboration

See how the award winning author, Jennifer Egan, the beautiful historic New Canaan Library of Connecticut, and Sofia Invitations all have in common.

Let’s talk about Jennifer Egan for a sec…

Jennifer Egan, is a award winning novelist and short story writer. Her first major successful fiction book was A Visit from the Good Squad, a set of thirteen interrelated stories with a large set of characters all connected to Bennie Salazar, a record company executive, and his assistant, Sasha. The stories shift back and forth in time from the late 1960s to the present and into the near future. Many of the stories take place in and around New York City, although other settings include San Francisco, Italy, and Kenya. The book was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award and the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2011. HBO wanted to make a show out of her novel but she turned it down because of how complex and difficult it would be to portray the time line and characters. Although that book did not make it to the screen, her first novel, Invisible Circus did. Invisible Circus stars Cameron Diaz, Jordana Brewster, and Christopher Eccleston and is about a teenage girl who travels to Europe in 1976 in search of her older sister’s suicide. She has published short fiction in  The New Yorker, Harper’s, Zoetrope: All-Story, and Ploughshares. Her other periodicals and journalism appears frequently in The New York Times Magazine.

Her most recent novel, Manhattan Beach, takes place during the World War II era and tells the haunting and propulsive intertwined stories of heroine Anna Kerrigan, the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s only female diver, her father Eddie Kerrigan, who works for both the union and the mob, and nightclub owner Dexter Styles, Eddie’s complex and charismatic boss. The book went on the to on New Yorks Times Bestseller. It was also one of New York’s “One book, one new York” pick, named one of the best books of the year by NPR, Esquire, Vogue, The Washington Post, The Guardian , USA Today, and Time.

Needless to say, she is a big deal. OH, and she also dated Steve Jobs in college.

Library of My Dreams

New Canaan Library

is located in Connecticut in the adorable town of New Canaan, Connecticut. It has been the towns intellectual center since 1877. As the town grew, the people and leaders knew the importance of a center for reading and learning and so in 1913, they built the building that it still is today, letting its legacy and inspiration live on. This library is not just a building of dusty books and old people, it is a vibrant community resource for learning and innovation, offering an extraordinary print and digital collection, dynamic  programming, reader’s advisory services, up to the minute technology, technology assistance, and maker spaces. Through their art exhibitions, musical performances, documentary film series, workshops in robotics and coding, and wellness seminars, New Canaan is a place for much more than just learning. It is a place for community, connection, and culture.

Sofia Invitations

As I wrote about in my previous blog, I lived and worked in New York for over ten years. There, I cultivated and crafted my work as a wedding designer and my business grew. Having New York City as my backyard is how I created the New York Skyline wedding invitation, which is one of my best sellers. This invitation caught the eyes of New Canon Library.

I moved to Greenville, South Carolina to be closer to family and grow my business and start a family of my own. I have been here ever since!

Check out my website and etsy shop to see my other invitations and to see if I have designed your city skyline yet:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/sofiainvitations?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

How we all Connected!

One might be asking by now, how does this small wedding invitation business from South Carolina associated with a New York Times Best Selling Author and historic mecca of learning and innovation?

New Canaan Library, the booming place that is is, needs major donations to sustain and grow. Back in 1877, they started from volunteers, donated books, and money they raised together. They still are a donation based facility, which also means elite events and luncheons to keep those checks coming. They have various events throughout the year, and last year their 11th Annual Literary Luncheon featured (you guessed it), Jennifer Egan. She attended and read from her new book , Manhattan Beach. They need unique and creative invitations to invite the right people and right wallets to come and donate to the event and library.

So they contacted me to see if I could design a custom invitation that incorporated the setting of Egan’s Book, Manhattan Beach. I looked at vintage pictures of Brooklyn to base the buildings after. I decided on a horizontal gatefold to have more room to combine the Brooklyn Bridge, which was a major setting throughout the book. I wanted to do a dusty grey color to highlight the dark time period in New York where the war loomed, mobsters ruled, and grey smog was everywhere. The submarine hat was a reference from the book that is placed on the donation cards. Check out the results below!

I am honored to be apart of this event and loved how we all connected through the love of New York, innovation, design, and learning.

References:

https://newcanaanlibrary.org/about/

http://jenniferegan.com/books/manhattan-beach/

https://www.instagram.com/newcanaanlibrary/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Egan

http://www.hojaenblanco.com/jennifer-egan-y-el-arte-de-la-escritura/

Southern Charm

Being originally from Boston and New York City gave me immense hesitancy when my husband wanted to seriously start discussing moving and taking our business to South Carolina. Although in the south, the wedding industry is abundant and thriving, I was worried about how much I would have to change my invitation style and aesthetic to fit the Southern style. Was I going to have to add palm trees, pearls, and bible verses to all my invitations from now on? We decided to make the move to be closer to our parents and family since we wanted to start a family of our own. And of course the idea of having a back yard and more than one bedroom was super appealing as well. We have been here ever sense and it turns out the embracing Southern style and culture has been much more than just monograms and stale tradition. Check out some of my favorite designs I have done that have Southern style and charm that I have come to appreciate!

The Pineapple

The pineapple has been a southern icon for centuries. It represents hospitality, what the south does the best. In the colonial times, pineapples became so hard to come by because of the war and trading was limited. The hostesses of southern homes wanted pineapple at their dinner table for guest because it was known that pineapples were so rare and hard to find at this time. The guest would know they are valued and welcomed by the simple presence of fruit. The pineapple symbol still stands today!

Monograms

Monograms are a Southern tradition that will probably never die. Rather that is a good thing or not, I wanted to find a way to embrace the monogram into my invitations in a fun and creative way. See how these monogram belly bands enhance and give all these invitations a extra special and eye catching touch.

Fancy Fonts

So many modern designs are based around simple, clean, sans serif fonts. While that style is very beautiful and popular, the south has never stopped loving the fancy feminine fonts with all the curls and twirls that go along with it. Its fun to work with a bride who loves and appreciates the slightly over the top but oh so fun fancy fonts.

Doilies

While doilies are not originally a southern invention, they represent tradition and style; something the south values very much. This beautiful letterpress invitation features a blue foil doily design, a modern way to embrace tradition!

Magnolias

Magnolias are a southern icon through and through. They are grown only in the south and are even the state flower of both, Mississippi and Louisiana. Probably more popularly associated with the movie Steal Magnolias, a film about the strong bond and friendships of six southern women despite their eccentricities and complex lives. The film features Julia Roberts, Sallie Fields, Shirley Maclaine, Olympia Dukakis, and the queen and legend of the South, Dolly Parton. Take a look at how we incorporated the magnolia in this brides invitation!

100 % a Belle

This invitation includes all the big ones: monograms, pink, fancy fonts and letterpress. This bride wanted all the components of a traditional southern invitation and she got it.

Greenville Wedding

I had to post this invitation even though I did not design it. This bride, Meagan, had already had a design previously made but needed me to letterpress print it. I loved this design she made because it is modern and simple but still pays tribute to her city and where she is from. Greenville has little mice statues hidden throughout the city and has become a quirky trademark of the city that its businesses and locals have come to love. At the bottom of her invitation and RSVP, she has a little mouse illustration; as well as a map of Greenville on the details card!

Working With Sofia Invitations

As an invitation designer, I like to keep educated about where my clients may be looking to purchase wedding invitations. Online wedding invitation companies like Minted or Zazzle may seem like the best/cheapest way to go. These companies may be perfect for some couples, but if you are interested in a higher quality product (we care deeply about paper and are design sticklers) I encourage you to consider working with a custom invitation designer like myself.

As a designer, the most frustrating part to me is the misconception that working with a real person/designer is way more expensive than these popular online printers. In fact, there is no extra cost to discuss with me your visions and ideas for your wedding! That is all part of the process of working with a designer from the beginning. You get to talk about your ideas, color options, and sift through options till you have exactly what you want. And we work with all kinds of budgets, it is actually possible to get a completely unique invitation design without breaking the bank. Take a look at some of the custom invitations I have done in the past!

We are all indecisive and that is ok!

Look at all the different options that were given to this bride. She knew she wanted some sort of pink and grey but did not know what shade and how to combine those. She also wanted something traditional but feminine, and did not know exactly what that would look like. We only use the highest quality paper stock and products. Her invitation was letterpress printed on white double ply card stock. See how she picked and chose from different colors and fonts until we got to her beautiful final creation below!

“I want it, I got it”

This bride and groom were visionaries. They knew they wanted copper combined with handmade paper and a loose calligraphy font for their wedding invitations. We introduced the lace, the wax stamp, and the shimmery card stock…..to create a completely unique and memorable invitation suite. Take a look at the results below.

Vision Boards

Here is a lovely invitation done for a local bride with great taste. She had a hard time putting into words exactly what she was looking for so she did send over a little vision board for me to work from. This is never a problem with me, I love when a bride has a specific vision for her invite as well.

A Favorite

This is one of my favorite collaborations I have done with a bride. She wanted some of the popular invitation elements like a vellum wrap, floral accents, wax seal, and modern fonts but wanted something extra to make her invitation unique. So I thought of adding this leather band around the invitation with the wax seal on top. A fun twist that made the invitation stand out.

Reviews

“Communication was great. Product was on time. Price was spot on. Quality was exceptional. Overall, a wonderful experience. Everyone who received a basket with the labels was impressed! Thanks!!

”

— Joe Givens

“Beautiful work. One of a kind.”

— Chantel Sparks

“Sofia was extremely helpful and easy to work with. She made sure our invitations looked exactly like we wanted before sending them out. We are obsess with our invitations and can’t wait for everyone to see them!!”

— Sydney Hiles

“Absolutely loved these for my invitations! It was the perfect unique touch I was looking for! Everyone has been complimenting them since I sent out my invites! Thank you so much for your responsiveness and professionalism! Highly recommend!!”

— Christina Castronovo

Cool Wedding Venues in Downtown Greenville, South Carolina

The Old Cigar Warehouse as an amazing original Coca Cola mural on it's facade.

Are you getting married in Greenville, SC and looking for a cool and unique event space? Here are a few that I recommend.

Zen. 

Zen offers the perfect array of stylish options for your big celebration. The space is open and unique, with rice paper lanterns hanging from the high ceilings.

Bonus: Japanese Bamboo Garden. The facility's outdoor ceremony space sits within an exciting Japanese Bamboo Garden that includes water sculptures, decorative statues, and unusual plants.

Zen in Greenville, SC.

The Upper Room.

A newer space to Greenville, The Upper Room is located just off of Main Street downtown. They have modern and unique seating, great for photos.

Bonus: There is an amazing rooftop, open when the weather is nice.

Don't forget to check out the rooftop of The Upper Room.

Revel 

Revel is the only event venue located on Stone Avenue, between downtown and the Historic Earle District. The facade is modern urban, but the inside appears open and a bit rustic. It's also located next to a hip bowling alley!

Bonus: It has a cool outside promenade, artistic signage, and old whiskey barrels to add to the ambiance.

Revel has amazing decor that makes for unique photo ops.

Avenue 

The newest event space to Greenville, Avenue was designed by the celebrated architect, Keith Summerour. If you like modern design, this place is for you.

Bonus: Avenue has an amazing view of downtown Greenville.

Avenue in Greenville SC has a tastefully designed rooftop.

Old Cigar Warehouse

Built in 1882 and originally used as a warehouse to store cotton and cigars, the Old Cigar Warehouse was renovated in 2013 as an event venue.

Bonus: You can get some really great photos in front of the old Coca Cola mural on the side of the building.

You can't beat the old charm of The Old Cigar Warehouse.

Wax Seals for Wedding Invitations

A floral wax seal from Stamptitude

You may have noticed wax seals have made a comeback. We love this! Wax seals are so elegant and memorable. Wax seals are also a great way to add a personal touch to your wedding invitations, making them stand out from the crowd. And they are surprisingly affordable! Embossing stamps for wax seals can start at $30. Wax sticks usually cost about $5 each, and are available in a huge assortment of colors. A few of our favorite companies for buying wax seals are Wax Seals, Stamptitude, and Nostalgic Impressions. Wax seals can even be used on escort cards or business cards.....just think of the creative possibilities!

A white modern calligraphy place card wax seal from Wax Seals

A blush pink wax seal from Nostalgic Impressions.

Oprah's Favorite Things 2017: Gifts Ideas for Wedding Guests

Harbour Sea to Table Meal Kit: So Yummy!

Oprah's Favorite Things is an annual list of items that Oprah considers to be wonderful gifts for the holidays. I checked it out this year, and I noticed that many of the items on her list are excellent gift ideas for wedding guests. Are you having a tough time thinking about what you should give your wedding guests? Check out her list on Amazon, and see what we recommend here. At the very least, Oprah's list is great for inspiration.

Bellocq Chai Tea set. I bet this smells wonderful! And check out their BEAUTIFUL website!

Montes Dogget Cheese Trays. Works of art to serve your cheese.

Ordering Letterpress Wedding Invitations Online

Does it seem scary to buy letterpress printed wedding invitations online? Are you worried about the quality of the printing, types of paper used, or just feeling overwhelmed with options?

Whoever you choose to work with for printing your wedding invitations, we recommend ordering a sample pack of papers and previous invitation samples. If the business you are considering using has enough work and experience "under their belt" they will be happy to send you samples. If you let them know what more about your wedding inspiration, they should also be happy to include samples that may fit your style.

You can order a sample pack from us for $20. Email us today to request one!

P.S. It's also important to think ahead when ordering letterpress wedding invitations. Letterpress printing is an art form, and printers will always have a number of jobs to do. Most companies will print letterpress invitations in approximately three weeks. If they are designing for you too, you have to allow at least a week for this process.

Custom Laser Cut Belly Bands for Wedding Invitations

A custom city belly band we made of Boston.

Custom laser cut invitation products such as belly bands, tags, pockets, or more....add a unique and eye catching touch to your wedding invitation suite. We make custom laser cut products like this right here in our studio. But what kind of laser cut product is right for your wedding invitation suite? We think belly bands (the piece that wraps around the wedding invitation) are an awesome, and affordable, way to incorporate laser cutting into your wedding invitations. All of our designs are available in a wide arrange of colors. And if you have your own artwork, you can send it to us and we will cut it for you! Here are a few images of our laser cut belly band options. Pricing starts at $1.75 each. Contact Sofia today with any questions, or visit our Etsy site to see more options www.sofiainvitations.etsy.com

A custom copper laser cut belly band with a pineapple and monogram

How to Only Invite Specific Guests to Your Wedding

Our customers often ask us the best way to invite specific guests to their wedding, in other words….how do you only invite certain guests and make this clear to them on the wedding invitation?

The most traditional way to do this is to include inner envelopes with the guests’ names. But only a small percentage of our customers choose to address their customers this way.

Instead, most couples use wording such as this on the RSVP card:

1)       A line for ____ seats have been reserved in your honor

2)      ____ of _____ will be attending

Either way looks nice on the rsvp card, and is a polite way to tell your guests to only bring who is invited.

Sofia Invitations Blog

We are in the process of transferring our blog. To read blog posts going back as far as 2011 when we first launched Sofia Invitations, please visit www.sofiainvitationsblog.com