Stationery Inspiration From The Pink Orange

I'm so thrilled to introduce you all to The Pink Orange, creating couture invitations and stationery for brides looking for nothing but exquisitely designed pieces.

Rebecca Ashby, the visionary behind The Pink Orange, was gracious enough to give us an inside peek at her studio, as well as answer a few questions for us!



Rebecca Ashby, owner and creator of The Pink Orange. I mean, how gorgeous is she? Photo by Clark + Walker Studios.


Rebecca, how and when did The Pink Orange come about?
I had been working in various types of design industries and, most recently before starting my business, I was working for a web development firm when I realized how much I missed the 3-D aspect of paper and the “touchy feely” of that part of the design industry. At that time, when I was feeling like I wanted to find my calling in the industry, my husband proposed to me. All I cared about was creating the invitations and other paper goodies. It hit me and I realized what I should be doing for the rest of my life! And so, in 2006 The Pink Orange was born and I haven’t looked back.



Inside The Pink Orange studio. Photo by Clark + Walker Studios


What inspires you to create a piece?
I use all of my surroundings as inspiration! The architecture, plants, color, shape and dimension. However, mostly, getting to know my clients and their personalities is a big part of my creations. Each piece I design is custom and unique, and therefore, tailored for that special day. So inspiration also comes from the clients I am designing for. Their story, their lives together and what makes them as unique as their wedding day.



Photo by Clark + Walker Studios


What type of client comes to The PInk Orange for their wedding stationery? What are they looking for?
I work with all types of clients, but each client comes to me because they are looking for something extraordinary. They want to be “branded," be it for their wedding day, baby or birthday parties, they want something special and unique that they just can’t seem to find elsewhere.

My wedding clients can range from just needing save the dates or invitations to starting with save the dates and wanting every detail down to cocktail napkins to match! I love coordinating every accessory and taking the stress out of the day, while adding in the fun!



Photo by Clark + Walker Studios


What is your process while working with a client?
Our initial meeting, or phone call if they are long distance, starts with a “get to know you” session. I feel this is important to do because after all, I’m designing for them! Just as I would talk through specifics when designing a logo for a corporate client, I need to dive into getting to know each client. We talk about their specific needs as well as their stationery budget and what they want to invest. During our initial meeting, we look at paper, color and previous samples of work so I can get a feel for their likes and dislikes, while talking details of what they might want specifically for their day. I will then brainstorm concepts after they have left and send a fully detailed estimate with rough concepts and pricing. There can be such variation in custom design, I like to give options so everyone is comfortable with what they are investing in. Once the basic concept is selected, the fun begins with of creating mock-ups for the client! That is my favorite part, seeing my ideas come to life. I present in person if the bride is local, and if they are long distance, I will send them through the mail so I can also include paper swatches and ink samples. Any other revisions that are needed are completed via email.



Photo by Clark + Walker Studios


Let's take a look at some of The Pink Orange creations:


Clark + Walker Studios



Photo courtesy of The Pink Orange.



Photo courtesy of The Pink Orange.


Thank you so much to Rebecca at The Pink Orange for stopping by and sharing your story with us! To see more of Rebecca and her gorgeous creations, please, please, please visit her website! It's definitely a do-not-miss and loaded with gorgeous inspiration. Thank you again, Rebecca!

Real California Wedding: Jenny and Jacob

Hello, hello! I have a real wedding for you all that features an adorable couple, Jenny and Jacob. These two had a beautiful wedding day at Junior League of Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA, and with all the personal touches like a cotton candy machine and other goodies a-plenty, this one was also a blast for all their guests. Photographed by the lovely Jennifer of Jennifer Williams Photography, let's take a look at Jenny and Jacob.














































Ah, how adorable! Thank you so much to Jennifer for sharing this amazing wedding with us today. Be sure to visit her blog for more beautiful inspiration. Jenny and Jacob, I'm wishing you many eyars of happy, happy memories together!

Off-The-Rack Bridesmaids Dress Alert!

I'm kind of obsessed with this gorgeous grey dress from White House Black Market right now:



Grey Tulle Soiree Dress


I love the party skirt, the belt which adds more casual feel, and the really beautiful wrapping details on the top. Love, love, love! So many of my brides are going for grey bridesmaids dresses next year, and this would be a great option.

The Owl Celebrate One Year, Again

Back in September, Mr. Owl and I celebrated our one-year anniversary. We loved that day because we did absolutely nothing. Maybe we ordered a pizza.

But, that wasn't the only thing we did.

The following weekend, we took a trip back to the small Upstate New York town where we got married and kinda sorta recreated our wedding weekend. We adore this town, and when we got married, we were too busy with preparations and celebrations to really enjoy it. It went by in the blink of an eye.

Also, I had some wedding day regrets. Gasp!

Part of this post will be to reassure brides that this may happen. Your wedding day will not be perfect. You'll second-guess a decor decision or the wrong song may play during your cake cutting. None of this matters though, on the wedding day because you're blissfully happy.

It may set in after-the-fact, though. And it did with me. Our wedding day was truly amazing. I still get giddy when I think about the feeling I had when I walked down the aisle and saw all our friends and family there to support us. It was something I'll never forget and will always cherish. We danced later that night to all our favorite songs, belted at the top of our lungs and even scurried away for a few minutes to sit back and take in the whole picture. But, there are also some things that have bothered me since.

First, I regret how I felt the morning of our wedding. I was a nervous wreck. It hit me the night before that all eyes would be on me, and because I have somewhat of an anxiety problem, it made me physically ill. I regret not talking to a doctor about it beforehand because during the morning of our wedding while I was getting ready with my most favorite women on this earth, I felt sick. I couldn't eat the room service breakfast Mr. Owl and I ordered to enjoy on our lovely screened-in porch. And once he left, the anxiety got worse. I just felt, well ... on edge and stomach-achy. This is my biggest regret. The feeling, luckily, went away right after we said I Do, and I scarfed down my salmon entree like it was my job.

Secondly, our flowers were so, so very wrong. In the beginning, flowers were not a priority for us. Photography and enjoying our wedding day were our two biggest priorities. Our floral budget was dismal at best. My Aunt DIYed our branch centerpieces, and we ordered bouquets and bouts from a local florist, thankful that they even took on such a small project. However, when the flowers arrived to my room that day, for a second I thought they delivered them to the wrong bride. They looked nothing like what I had requested. I didn't care that day, though. As long as we had something, "whatev!" was my general opinion on the situation.

Until we got the photos. I was really disappointed. I mean, my bouquet was the wrong color. Not that this matters at all in the grand scheme of our marriage, and believe me, I felt silly for feeling this way, but I wanted a do over with my bouquet.

Which, my little ones, brings me to the point of this post. During our wedding weekend/anniversary getaway, we recreated our wedding morning a little bit. I picked up a gorgeous bouquet that I ordered through an amazing floral designer, Heavenscent Floral Art, and Mr. Owl and I got ready together, enjoying every moment of it. I went back to the same salon and got my make-up done in the way that I was too scared to for the wedding (I felt like I couldn't pull off the vintage look), I put my dress back on and we had a photo session with the lovely and amazing Heather of Heather Bohm-Tallman Photography. And we went back to some of our favorite places to take some more photos.

And you know what? We loved it. We were both relaxed, not too overcome with emotion and really just had fun. We got some of the photos we didn't have time for on our wedding day, and were able to go all out with a more styled theme shoot. And later that night, we even reread our vows to each other.

Part of me still feels silly because we had our wedding day. It was done, and really, we can't recreate it because none of our friends and family would be there. But, this was something we did for us. So I must revert back to my "whatevs!" state of mind. Because honestly, I'm really happy we did this. Just call us Heidi and Seal.

And now, some highlights from our session.









Ah! I loved my bouquet so much!











For more photo sneak peeks, go to Heather's blog.

DIY Bridal Make-Up

I'm a really big fan of having your make-up professionally done for your wedding. Sure, we all have a face and make-up routine for going to work and maybe out on the weekends, but it's not every day that we're being professionally photographed. And the truth is, regular, every day make-up often doesn't hold up on camera. Lighting, flash and other elements can give you the appearance of looking washed out, through no fault of your own.

But, it's completely understandable when a professional make-up application is not in your budget. Here are some options for you:

1. Go to Sephora or MAC if you have one in your area. They will charge you $50, however, that $50 goes towards products that you pick out that you get to keep and bring home with you, be in a powder compact, foundation or the lip color you use for the wedding day (which you should always purchase and have on hand for touch-ups anyway).

2. Attend a make-up lesson from a professional. However, this option can be as expensive as getting an application done for your wedding day. However, the make-up artist will show you exactly how to apply make-up specifically for your skin type, coloring and eye shape, and you'll leave with a wealth of knowledge that will last a lifetime.

3. For budget brides, this is probably the most likely option: Turn to YouTube!

I used to be a self-confessed make-up moron before I found tutorials on YouTube. There are quite a few professional make-up artists that post step-by-step tutorials on how to do make-up, and some even do bridal make-up.

Two of my favorite websites are Make Up Geek and Pixiwoo (thank you, Brittany!). These videos will list the products that are used, do close-ups of the application and provide tips for how to do your make-up.

Here are some bridal make-up video tutorials:

Real E-Session: Erin and Ryan

Erin and Ryan are absolutely adorable. I can't get these engagement photos out of my head - they're fun, flirty and completely romantic. And they were perfectly captured by the lovely Alicia of Oakstream Photography. Let's take a look!


















































Stunning, yes? Thank you so much to Alicia at Oakstream Photography for sharing these photos with us today! Be sure to pop on over to her blog and stay awhile for more beautiful wedding inspiration!