As promised, we wanted to share with you a little bit about the story behind the romantic, gothic wedding invite featured in the latest Bride & Bloom magazine. When working with a new couple, it's very important for us to get to know them as much as we could in the short amount of time, and to fall in love with them as well. That's one of the secrets to creating a unique invite just for them. The odd thing about this one was that we were asked to create a set of invitation for the sole purpose of publication in the magazine... without the story of a real couple. Because that's not how we normally work, we decided to sit down and create our own story for our imaginary couple, Vladimir Nikolsky and Natalie Ivanova (naming them was part of the fun!).
About Vladimir Nikolsky
Vladimir is a successful, but down-to-earth young man who owned a quaint coffee shop in Old Town Pasadena. Although he's quite good at running his shop, he really is a poet at heart. His love for words and language and expressions is known by all who've been in his shop. They would occasionally see him at open mic night on Thursday nights sharing one of his many poems.
About Natalie Ivanova
Natalie is a sweet Russian girl who's a little shy for she's new in the area. She's a very skilled crafter who's generous about giving away her handmade crafts. Even her new neighbor grew quite fond of her almost instantly. Her passion for creativity doesn't end at the sewing machine. She's also very good on her beat-up guitar, singing and writing songs.
How They Met
One lazy Tuesday, Natalie decided to take a break from her sewing project and took a stroll down to the nearby coffee shop by her apartment. She's been meaning to go ever since she moved in, and was she glad she finally did. She caught Vladimir's attention when she said hello because he was fascinated by her accent. They made small talks and when he learned that she wrote her own songs, he invited her to come to one of their open mic nights. So she did. And her sweet voice inspired him to write a poem, which he read at the next poetry night and it was no mistaking that he wrote it just for her. And thus their love story began.
Our Inspiration Board
soft luscious ruffles, shades of purple, intricate lace patterns, elaborate dresses, velvet and silk fabric, antique beading and jewelry, mansions and castles, romantic gothic flair, a hint of Russian folk art
.
Preliminary sketches for the Vladimir & Natalie Invite
So now you know the story behind the Vladimir & Natalie invite. Even though we didn't get to "meet" them, we felt like we knew them all along. We always love hearing stories, how couples meet, how relationships grow, what they love about each other and what makes them look at each other with that unspoken understanding. We'd love to hear your story! We know everyone's got one. How did you meet your spouse or fiancé? And what makes you warm and fuzzy inside?
This is simply amazing! You ladies are beyond awesome!!! Congrats again!
Posted by: joanna dyckhoff | Jul 21, 2008 at 09:50 AM