• Wedding invitation examples: 2 different sets from 1 product

    wedding invitation examples: two versions of invitations from the same product - envelope liner, ribbon, belly band - Leah E. Moss Designs

    Seeing wedding invitation examples always helps bring a product to life! In today’s blog, I’m highlighting two couples who chose the exact same invitation from my semi-custom collection as their “base,” but ended up with wildly different results. Color palettes and varying bells and whistles transform the same starting point to vastly personalized end sets in these invitations — and it’s easy for you to do the same. Having versatility in an invitation that’s customizable is so important, so you can make sure it feels like your wedding!

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  • Leah and Adam | Our unique wedding at Downtown Boxing Gym

    our unique wedding in Detroit - Leah E. Moss Designs

    Our unique wedding celebration was on November 10, 2018 — black tie in a boxing gym. My dad walked me down the aisle in a landing bay for parked vans, accompanied by a live pianist. Adam built our chuppah with trees felled from my family’s cottage. He also built the tables our wedding party sat at, beneath mossed chandeliers hung from the industrial ceiling. Our band’s “stage” was set up in a boxing ring. I designed all the paper goods and wore my grandmother’s silk gown. We skipped the cake but staged an extra bartender for boozy hot cider add-ins at our dessert bar. That’s just how we roll. Oh, and it was all planned during our a seven-month engagement. A huge thank you to all our vendors, but especially Parsonage Events for absolutely blowing me away with their installation, the Downtown Boxing Gym for your incredible hospitality, and Casey Brodley for the photos and video we’ll forever cherish. Though I’m a notoriously private person, here’s a glimpse into our wedding day. It was certainly an unforgettable one.


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  • Calligraphy Supplies and more | Must-Haves

    While craft stores are everywhere, the calligraphy supplies I use are often a little more specific than what’s available at Michael’s, JoAnn Fabrics, or Hobby Lobby. The good news is that there are lots of online options for purchasing these specialty tools!

    calligraphy supplies - ink and nib - Leah E. Moss Designs

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  • Stevie and Scott | Intimate wedding at home, as featured in Martha Stewart Weddings

    Stevie and Scott hosted their intimate wedding at home in 2020. I was honored that Cassy Rose Events brought me onto this sweet couple’s vendor team to design their custom stationery. They had fewer than 30 guests on the grounds of the bride’s parents’ home for their ceremony and reception dinner. Their outdoor tented cocktail reception kept the after-party going a little while longer into the evening. No stone was left unturned with this event, proving an intimate wedding at home can be as elegant and luxurious as it is heartfelt and meaningful.

    This event was featured on Martha Stewart Weddings!

     

    Thanks to Blaine Siesser’s incredible film images, I can keep this blog short and let his captures do the talking. Except about the paper goods — you know I’ve got to share my two cents about those!

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  • Recommended Books

    Recently, I asked on Instagram if anyone in my community had some recommended books for me to to read… and I got so many responses!

    I’ve included some books I’ve read and loved recently (that I can vouch for), along with a crowdsourced list of recommended books. They aren’t in much of an order, but if this list grows to the point that they need to be categorized, I’ll do that. For now, it’s a hodgepodge!

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  • How to assemble wedding invitations

    How to assemble wedding invitations - Leah E. Moss Designs, envelope calligraphy, blue invitation, luxury invitation, luxury wedding invitations, elegant wedding invitations, traditional wedding invitations, assembling invitations

    Years ago, a sweet client of mine called me in a panic, wondering if I had ever heard of the “steamer” trick or the “freezer” trick to get sealed envelopes to pop open. In my calmest possible tone, I asked why she needed to get her envelopes open (with sweaty palms and a nervous inner monologue). She had chosen the most gorgeous, ultra traditional wedding invitations, and I had hand-calligraphed her envelopes. I started to panic alongside her, wondering what had happened, and if she didn’t know how to assemble wedding invitations.

    “Well, I bought enough postage for my outer envelopes and response envelopes. I got to the end, sealed everything up, stamped the envelopes and couldn’t figure out why I had so many stamps left over. Then, it hit me — I hadn’t stamped the response envelopes inside!”

    OH SH*T.

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  • “How late can I order invitations?” and other questions I’m answering lately

    how late can i order invitations - Leah E. Moss Designs

    Lately, my email inbox has felt like the Wild West. Every hour seems to present a different type of question, ranging from “we’d like to book you last minute” to “how do I know what to order” to “we’d like to learn about your postponement policy.” The most common question I’ve been getting has been “how late can I order invitations?”. It’s all over the place! And I get it — it’s for good reason. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now still for couples planning in the midst of COVID, vaccination rollouts, and inconsistent state-by-state protocols for events. I get that waiting as long as possible to decide about your wedding taking place as planned makes sense! So, in this blog I’ll be answering some of the common questions I’m fielding lately, so you’re ready to go with stationery, no matter what your event protocol looks like.

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  • 4 considerations for intimate wedding invitations

    Dark grey Semi custom wedding invitation with traditional monogram - considerations for intimate wedding invitations - Leah E. Moss Designs

    This summer, I worked with one of my clients on her postponement announcements after she and her fiancé decided to move their August 2020 wedding to a 2021 date. Fast forward a bit, and I got another call from the same bride. She told me they would be getting married privately in November 2020, with a small group of family, outdoors in her parents’ garden, in advance of their 2021 celebration. She’d need intimate wedding invitations, noting that just because it was small, didn’t mean it wasn’t the real deal. She wanted to ensure they were special and got her loved ones excited to celebrate with them.

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