A major throwback to my graduation in 2009!
I studied Interior Design at the University of Georgia, so learning to illustrate and render was a big part of my background. When I came home to Charleston in 2009 after graduating with my fine arts degree, it was a rough time to find work in the construction industry. So I dusted off my markers and watercolors and started drawing some of the pretty scenery in my hometown of Charleston, and then I remembered my scrapbook + paper loving roots. I started creating watercolor wedding invites, and the rest is history!
One of the first Charleston wedding invitations we created with watercolor art was for Magnolia Gardens. The house and grounds there are beautiful and give guests a lovely preview of the wedding day.
Photo Credit: Leigh Heyward Photo
How does the process work for a watercolor wedding invite?
We always like to begin the process with a phone call or in person meeting. Even if you know you want to incorporate watercolor into your invitation suite, there are still about a million different ways to do that. It’s good to connect and brainstorm together about all the possibilities.
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Feature Your Venue
So many wedding venues are beautiful in their own right or at least in a beautiful natural setting. Creating a watercolor illustration of either the setting or the actual venue is a great way to give guests a sneak peek into the event. Check out this save the date that features the square in Italy where the couple got married…
Or this one that has some really fun national park artwork…
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Introduce Pattern
One of the ways we love to include patterns is in an envelope liner, but it also works beautifully on the edges as a border or the back of a card. Using table linens as inspiration is a good place to start to bring in a watercolor pattern element. This fun pattern features watercolor palms, pineapples and flamingos for a colorful and tropical day.
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Lean on the florals
Whether your wedding is spring or fall, a watercolor wedding invite full of florals sets the tone for a beautiful day. This Charleston wedding invitation featured the oak tree from the venue surrounded with flowers, butterflies, and other gorgeous spring elements.
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Do it all!
This Italian wedding is a great blend of watercolor elements – flowers on the envelope liner, a venue illustration on the vellum wrap, and adorable icons on the details card.
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Watercolor wedding maps
Often we will keep the invitation and other cards very classic and wording only, while introducing a fun watercolor element in the form of a map. It’s good to include your weekend venue(s) on the map, but it also helps to share other landmarks that could be helpful for planning. Think airports, major cities, etc., but also well known things to do that you wouldn’t want your guests to miss on their trip.
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Have a watercolor crest created
A watercolor wedding crest is something you can have forever. It is also the perfect element for creating cohesiveness across your wedding stationery. Check out this example of a wedding crest on the invitation that then shows up on the dance floor!
Favorite Venues for Charleston Wedding Invitations
Of course, the list is pretty extensive of our favorite local venues to illustrate. Over the years, we’ve had the chance to do so many and fortunately have artwork readily available for dozens of the most popular wedding venues. Here are a few:
- Lowndes Grove
- Middleton Place
- Magnolia Gardens
- Boone Hall
- Legare Waring House
- Kiawah Ocean Course
- Kiawah River Course
- Seabrook Island Club
- The Historic Rice Mill
- Hotel Bennett
- The Dewberry
- And so many more!
I didn’t start this business because I love printing – I started it because I love being creative and drawing and crafting and making beautiful things. So if you’re interested in designing a watercolor wedding invite, please don’t hesitate to reach out – I’d love to make something for you!
And as always, follow along on Instagram @dodelinedesign to see some of our newest projects.
Cheers!
Sarah
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