Since last writing about laser cut wedding invitations on this site I was disappointed to learn that Cartalia have moved their gorgeous range of laser cut wedding invitations away from the UK market as the company chooses to focus more on their home markets in Poland.  I also feel that the 10 year old designs from one of the early pioneers in the laser cut card field, ISIS, are starting to look a little dated.

So where is this article headed.  Well, this site received a tip off today about a stunning range of laser cut wedding stationery from the Hummingbird Card Company that has rekindled my love of the style.  The company started in 2007 so I am surprised that I have not come across them before.  Well, hopefully this site will help share the love around.

Humming Bird Card Company

The Hummingbird Company is run by two friends, Sally-Ann & Suzi, who both have a background in fashion design.  All their designs show off the gorgeous intricate effects that can be achieved with laser cutting.  As with any laser cut card the detail is not readily defineable unless there is some contrasting colour behind the laser cut edge.  The Hummingbird style in this respect is primarily to use white or cream card and create the contrast using soft pastel shade inserts.  This subtle contrast works perfectly to create classic designs of timeless appeal that do not draw any attention to the fact that they have been made using 21st century production techniques.  Cards can be finished off with coordinating ribbons and diamontes to add a handfinised touch.   I will pick out a few particular designs that grab my attention and write about them in more detail over the coming months when I have them in my possession.  In the meantime you will probably wish to take advantage of the Hummingbird Card Company’s sample service to get your hands on some of their cards yourself.  Please share your own thoughts on their designs in the comments below.

Letters design from Hummingbird Cards

Hello!Lucky have bought a whole new dimension to the wedding stationery industry with unique and modern designs, created in the traditional letterpress way.  The French Deco invitation is the perfect way to invite your guests to an elegant and sophisticated wedding with a 1920′s vintage theme.  They are printed on flat, thick 300gsm or 270gsm card using an antique press which is why they don’t come cheap.  The price for 50 invitations is £325.64 which works out at £6.51 each, but as with all letterpress printing, the main cost is in the set up, and they are priced on a sliding scale basis, so the more you buy, the cheaper they become, and the cost per invite reduced dramatically. 

I have mentioned my passion for Letterpress time and time again on this site and have been keeping a close eye on San Francisco based design outfit Hello Lucky since my article on the Letterpress movement in the States back in May.

Well, Hello Lucky caught my eye again in the lastest copy of Cosmo Bride (aug/sep) with a beautiful range of calla lily letterpress wedding invitations.  I have grabbed these images from their blog post about the Cosmo Bride commission.  This was a bespoke design which commands a fairly big price tag at £722 for 100.  If this is out of your budget do not be disheartened and take a moment to view their standard letterpress designs, many of which are a lot cheaper.   Also, the site is shared with their US operation so with pricing in dollars and the current exchange rates as they are right now it favours UK shoppers.  As a rough guide pricing tends to increase with the number of colours used in the design because unlike a modern printing machine individual colours need to be done separately when letterpressed. 

Ah,  my Letterpress dream has reignited again.  I am now off to persuade the wife to let me convert the shed into a vintage print shop.  Maybe I should just do it in away ….  I mean she never goes in there.  I wonder if there are any bargain Heidlebergs machines on Ebay… I’ll be lucky !

Letterpress wedding invitations has been the mainstay of the US wedding stationery market for so long but for some reason it has taken a lot longer for the beauty of this age old printing technique to take a grip of the UK wedding stationery market.  For better or worse it is fair to say that most trends from over the pond eventually hit our shores in some shape or form.  Well this is one fashion that I welcome with open arms.  As a result of this revival the number of Letterpress outlets in the UK has increased substantially over the last 18 months or so.

It must have been some 8 years ago now that I fell in love with the simple designs offered by The Letterpress of Cirencester and Piccolo Press in Scotland.  Aside from these two there were few other companies that offered letterpress wedding stationery until very recently.  What is interesting is that the new companies that have emerged have done so not out of a commercial drive to explore a new gap in the market but out of a love of the art of fine print.  This is good news for the consumer because the quality of letterpress printing is determined not by investing heavily in factory plant and resources (factors that typify the success of a modern print shop) but for a love of restoration and a passion for design and innovation.  Most letterpress invitations are printed on machines that are a generation or two old and the skill required to operate them can only be achieved by individuals who have patience and a true love for that work.  It is no surprise that when I read the history behind new suppliers that have started in the last 5 or 6 years they have begun in very humble surroundings such as a garden shed or garage.  Many have been introduced to letterpress by a relative in the old printing trade and have learnt their skills in a hands on apprenticeship and turned their hobbies into successful wedding stationery businesses.  Sounds like a dream job to me.

Have a look at some of the new entrants to the world of letterpress wedding stationery to see what gets them buzzing and see if you too fall under the letterpress charm for your choice of wedding invitation.

• Willow Wood
• Cardlab
• Whites Letterpress
• Hello Lucky