Hi everyone! Mimi here from invitation design studio Mika78. I’m super excited to be with all you lovely 100 Layer Cake readers! I’ve got a few posts lined up for the week and can’t wait to share them all with you. First up - I thought it would be fun to take you through a Mika78 Bespoke design process from concept to reality. Most people only see a finished design, but there’s a whole fun and creative process that we take to get there. I’m going to share a recent project I worked on for Joy + Frank, two of the sweetest people on earth (yay for awesome clients!).
The Inspiration: Joy + Frank were planning a destination wedding in Jamaica, but they didn’t want a beach or island theme. Instead, they wanted a design that was classic, chic, and elegant. For the Save the Dates, they loved the idea of something unique and really personalized that would “wow” their guests, but nothing overly ornate or overdone. They loved the idea of streamlined design with a bit of the unexpected. Their colors were beautiful shades of amethyst and silver.
The Design Phase: I always start every project with a mood board and sketches, then translate my ideas to the computer. Here I’ll take you through the sketches and digital renderings of each concept.
Concept 1: Mini-Calendar Magnet: This concept was inspired by those cute mini-calendars (you know the kind that you tear off month to month)? The calendar would have a magnet backing, so guests could hang the Save the Date reminder on their fridge. I wanted to sew colored thread to bind the pages of the months, so guests could pull off each page as they got closer to the wedding date. The calendar would then be wrapped in translucent washi paper, and then tied with a thin purple string and custom-made monogram sticker. Everything would be mailed in a clear envelope with a custom mailing label.
Concept 2: Save the Date + Custom Wrapping Paper: This design was inspired by the couple’s cute engagement story. Frank proposed under the most magnificent arch at the Arches National Park in Utah (he even asked a complete stranger to take a photo of the proposal from the distance – how romantic!). When I saw this photo, I knew I had to incorporate it into one of the concepts, so I thought it would be fun to create a modern emblem inspired by the stunning photo. The Save the Date would be printed on super thick cardstock with purple edge painting. Then the card would be wrapped with a custom designed wrap printed on Kraft paper (ties into the natural setting of the Arc) and then finished off with a custom mailing label and sticker.
Concept 3: Vintage Map and Custom Mailer: Since Joy and Frank were planning a destination wedding in Jamaica, I thought it would be nice to create one concept with a travel feel. I found these great vintage maps while at a flea market and instantly knew I wanted to incorporate it somehow. I really wanted this to “wow” their guests, so I thought the map would have more impact at a larger, more realistic size. I came across this wonderfully thick parchment paper that had a great vintage feel that was perfect for the concept. I also created a custom printed tube to mail the map in.
The Final Design: The couple ended up going with the Vintage Map concept. Here are some photos:
I have some fun do-it-yourself projects lined up for later in the week. See you then!!
xo,
Mimi
