Watercolor Menus, Table Numbers, and Escort Cards (a look at the extras)

View of the table setting with my custom watercolor wedding menu card | courtney khail watercolors | photo by Elle Golden

The Extras- watercolor escort cards, menus, and table numbers by courtney khail watercolors

Oh the extras. A lot of people forget about these, but it's these pieces that can really tie everything together design wise. You also a little more freedom to play around with pieces like menus or table numbers since there are-usually- less of them and therefore not as visually overwhelming or expensive. Since I've already shared the watercolor wedding invitations I created for the Weddings Unveiled shoot, I thought today would be a great day to share more of the "day of" elements.

For the menus and table numbers, I utilized the same basic designs and artwork as the invitations, but I played with the shapes to give them more visual interest. (If you missed the post on how I created the artwork, you can find that here.) My circular menus fit perfectly inside the (absolutely beautiful) gradient blue plates Raquel chose from Ponce City Market's West Elm, which in turn acted as "frames" for the menu artwork. (Full disclosure, this was actually just a happy accident. I thought circles would be more fun than common rectangle or square menus, not to mention that the artwork really lent itself to the shape so I just went for it and hoped for the best. I had no clue if it would work with the design, but luckily, it worked perfectly.)

my original sketch for the menu cards | via courtney khail watercolors

The table number was also a spontaneous decision. Originally a square, I thought it needed something so the night before the shoot I started cutting away at the white space. In the end, the cut out mimics the border of the painted "bouquet" and ended up blending in seamlessly to the center pieces. Which was pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

Custom watercolor table number by courtney khail | photo by Elle Golden

As for the escort cards, Raquel told me the idea she had for displaying them, so I knew they couldn't be too busy. By removing the line work, the names (handwritten to mimic the invitation) pop from the paper, while the lighter artwork forms a floating garden when all of the names are arranged together.

View of Table | Custom watercolor wedding extras by courtney khail | photo by Elle Golden

Custom watercolor escort card detail | created by courtney khail | photo by Elle Golden

The Invitation Suite (Courtney Khail Watercolors for Weddings Unveiled Spring Inspiration Shoot)

The Invitation Suite (Courtney Khail Watercolors for Weddings Unveiled Spring Inspiration Shoot)

Custom Fine Art Watercolor Wedding Invitation Suite by Courtney Khail | photo by ellegolden

I absolutely love when I'm given free reign with designing. Which aside from sending over inspiration boards to give me an idea for the overall look and colors, is pretty much exactly what Raquel did. She trusted my expertise and ability and just let me create- and in the end she got amazing pieces. (I stress this point to anyone looking to work with an artist- whether it's for commissioned art for custom wedding invitations or for your home. Choose someone whose work and style you love, give them enough information- favorite colors, overall mood, etc- so they know what you want, and then trust them to provide that. By giving people the freedom to really create, more often than not you will be rewarded with exceptional art far exceeding anything you could have imagined!)

The color palette board I made to show the original inspiration (photo by Elle Golden)

But back to this suite. Raquel wanted a natural palette- lots of greens, blues, and whites- that evoked spring. After seeing her inspiration, I immediately envisioned a garden after a spring rain (Wow. Feels like I'm writing copy for the J. Peterman catalog with that one.) Subdued, yet still vibrant colors, with enough contrast for interest, but not so much that anything is jarring. Have you ever looked into a clear, blue lake? How close to the surface the water is barely blue at all- more crystal clear- but as your eyes look deeper, the water gradually darkens until it's almost navy or midnight? (If not, I suggest you go explore the outdoors more because the world is beautiful and you'll get to see things like what I just described.) I wanted my pieces to appear delicate, but strong enough to stand on their own, with subtle color variations like those that occur in nature.

Invitation by Courtney Khail Watercolors (photo by Elle Golden)

Like all of my work, I incorporated handwritten elements as well. With this particular one though, I kept the lines very thin. (The style was inspired by the handwritten notes my grandmothers used to send. Cursive, airy, and always consistent in the width- probably because they were written with a ball point pen. There was always something so feminine about their handwriting and I want to capture that in this suite.)

The design itself was directly inspired by spring time in the South. I'm originally from Augusta, Georgia and for Augustans the beginning of spring is marked by one thing- The Masters golf tournament. Always the first full week of April, the city is full of bright azalea blooms, dogwood blooms so bright they appear to be glowing, and tons of green- in everything from manicured lawns to the famed green jacket. I dialed back on the colors some, but still strived to capture the overall feeling of spring's "fresh start" with the artwork itself.

Watercolor RSVP by Courtney Khail Watercolors (Photo by Elle Golden)

And there you have it- the back story and inspiration of the invitation suite. Does it remind you of spring as well?

From concept to final design- watercolor mock ups by courtney khail

Custom Watercolor Design Mock Up by courtney khail watercolors

Good design always starts with a good plan. For the Weddings unveiled wedding inspiration shoot, Michelle and Raquel of Lemiga Events wanted me to create a watercolor "mock up" of the table and place settings to show Raquel's vision throughly before any actual styling began. It was so much fun to do and I absolutely loved how these turned out! (Fun fact- this service is also available for Lemiga clients so they can see what the overall design will resemble before their big day!)

Final Table Design featuring courtney khail watercolors fine art stationery | photo by elle golden photography

Custom Watercolor Design Mock Up of Table Setting by courtney khail watercolors 

Final Place Setting featuring watercolor fine art wedding stationery by courtney khail watercolors | photography by elle golden photography

invitations

Seeing how engagement season is in full swing, I thought this quote was only fitting. Invitations are your guests' very first glimpse into your wedding and although you most likely will not be able to invite every person dear to your heart, make sure those that you do invite feel special and excited when they receive your invitation. Plus, with all the time and energy you've put into planning an amazing wedding to celebrate the love you and your partner have, it only makes sense that the invitations to that event are just as amazing! If you're stuck on how to make that possible, I'd love to chat about all the possibilities and create a custom wedding invitation just for you! 

jessica + will wedding invitations

Pink Spring Wedding Invitations: jessica + will

Now that my sister and brother in law have been married almost three months, I figured it was about time to share their invitations with you all! My sisters favorite color is pink (she's the super girly daughter) so it was no surprise that when asked "what her colors were" she replied "blush and bashful." (If you have not watched Steel Magnolias that reference was probably lost on you. Then again, if you haven't seen Steel Magnolias you are seriously missing out. And not the new one- the original one with Julia Roberts. Go ahead and pull it up on Netflix. You can thank me later.)

Anyhow, back to my sister. I was honored when she asked me to do her invitations, but also knew it was a tall order simply because it was my sister. That's a lot of pressure because I wanted them to be just right. (And because I am a perfectionist that likes everything to match, I knew it also meant I'd be doing her menus, signage, escort cards, programs, etc.)

jessica_and_will_invitation detail via courtney khail

I knew she wanted a mix of styles- two parts English Garden tea party, one part the Great Gatsby, and a dash of Southern vintage- which creates a unique set of challenges. In the end, I combined my signature handwritten names with a sans serif font to mesh the modern with the vintage/intimate feelings of their hand inked names. Then I created a painting that combined the wildflower feeling she wanted with the bouquets of the 20's (with their long cascading leaves and petals) all while using the color palette of antique floral china patterns that would be found during an English tea party. (Well, I mostly stuck to that- I amped up the pinks since that's her favorite color.)

jessica_and_will_table cards2 via courtney khail

I love how it all turned out, but most importantly, she loved it which was really all I was concerned about!

And because I mentioned them above- here are a few photos of the other elements I did as well. (The programs mimicked the invitations, the escort cards were tied to small keys since the first time her husband said "I love you" he gave her a key necklace symbolizing that she had the key to his heart, the menus were kept simple but still combined the handwritten aspects from the invitation, and lastly- each table had a love quote that I inked and my sister attached to a gold backing.)

jessica_and_will_table cards via courtney khail

Everything came together so well and looked beautiful, but in the end (as always) all that mattered was the love between my sister and her new husband. No amount of beautiful details could outshine that!

Studio Sneak Peek: guest gifts

via courtney khail stationery and design

Amy and Craig wanted to give their guests a gift that was really personal and meaningful- something that would remind them of the wedding, but wouldn't just be tossed away like a cheap plastic frame with their wedding date imprinted on it. Because they were having a smaller wedding, I suggested a painting for each couple/guest. Using the same garden rose design I painted on their invitations, I created a 12 piece collection of paintings- each titled, dated, and signed with the edition number- for Amy and Craig to frame and give to their guests. Apparently, it was hit!

(Side note here, if you're looking to give small favors that you can buy in larger quantities, I always advise something edible or useful. No one turns down chocolate or matches, but most everyone will leave behind the one wine glass etched with your new monogram. That is, unless it's their monogram too, in which you'll see those people collecting a set of 6 from the ones everyone else left behind.)

so many pretty colors

So this has nothing to do with color inspirations (unless you count all the pretty colors you'll see when you click over) but... my new designs are now on the site!

I'll love you forever if you click over, take a peek (you may need to clear your cookies if nothing looks new to you,) and share with whomever you think would enjoy.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

From the Studio- Courtney Khail in Atlanta Weddings

A few weeks before we took off on our trip, the uber talented Ginny asked me if I could create a few samples for a shoot she was doing later that month- which of course I was more than thrilled to do! I wanted to tell you all about it sooner, but the magazine wasn't out. But guess what? It's out now! (which of course meant I dropped everything and drove over to Barnes and Noble to see it.) Want a peek at it yourself? Here you go. But seriously, this issue is dripping in beauty. Married, engaged, single- whatever- you need to take a look at this one!

Thank you so much to everyone involved! It was such an honor to be included!!

Oh! update- I just looked over at Ginny's website and if you don't believe me when I say you need to go look at the amazingness (fully aware that's not a word, but work with me) of this issue, hopefully this will convince you. She just posted about another story she styled for the same issue and it is absolutely gorgeous. See what I mean about you needing to take a look at this issue?

Studio Sneak Peek: blackberries and wildflowers

"Blackberries & Wildflowers" via courtney khail stationery and design (feel free to share but please credit my work and link back to my site.)

This is the last week of my new designs- I hope you've enjoyed getting to see them and learn a little more about how they came about!

While I love all of the new designs (like love love), there is something special about this one. Maybe it's because it's hand written, or maybe because it's so unique and colorful. Either way, I'm very pleased with it. Called "Blackberries & Wildflowers" it's the only design that incorporates fruit into the illustration. I have fond childhood memories of picking strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, so when I started thinking of an entirely wildflower based, summery design, I knew I wanted to incorporate berries somehow. Their rich colors, their lip staining juices, their sweetness, their smells- they perfectly represent summer to me. I also wanted a the bouquet of flowers to seem like you just collected whatever looked pretty to you as you walked through a field.Similar to the bouquets you'd pick for your mom when you were out playing. (I'm not the only one who did that right?) One of each flower- maybe two, but a very loose and colorful assortment. After researching and drawing out tons of wildflowers, I put those sketches away and drew this one entirely from memory. I didn't want anything to look too specific because I wanted my illustration to remind everyone of some flower they've seen growing on the side of a road. (Looking back though, I can tell I was greatly influenced by the Cherokee rose, wild plum blossoms, lilacs, and wild violets- just in case anyone was curious.) Grouping them so closely allowed me to create a "thicket" of sorts- almost an imaginary berry bush of my own. Because it feels very homey to me (and not in a rustic, weathered way because I think this could be just as beautiful if done formally too- but in more of a comfortable, embracing kind of way) I decided the sample invitation should be hand penned. That way, when you received the invitation it would be just as though you were opening a letter from a good friend.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do and thank you again for letting me share my new designs with you! I hope you had as much fun as I did. In case you happened to miss any, here is the complete list:

Modern Daisy

Wild Peony

Lilac & Rose

Sweet peas & Peonies

Blackberries and Wildflowers

Studio Sneak Peek: Sweet peas and Peonies

"Sweet peas & Peonies" via courtney khail stationery and design (feel free to share, but please give me credit and link back to my site.)

This is week four of my new design intros and this week the featured design is "Sweet peas & Peonies."

Okay so technically it's a ranunculus crossed with a peony, but one of the best things about being an artist is creative license and "sweetpeas & ranunculus" just doesn't roll off the tongue as well. Either way, I wanted a really dominant and sturdy center flower that would be framed and layered with more delicate blooms. After approximately 10-15 different takes, this is the one I finally decided upon. I love how the little blooms peak around the bigger "peony" and how one single stem branches out behind it creating both depth and height. Because it has a slight wave like feeling, I wanted to juxtapose that with an angular, graphic layout for the wording. By using different sans serif fonts and tweaking the spacing, I was able to create a save the date where both the information and the painting stood out without either part over shadowing the other.

Studio Sneak Peek: Lilac and Rose

"Lilac & Rose" copyright courtney khail stationery and design (feel free to share, but please give me credit and link back to my site.)

Week three of my new design introductions is the design "Lilac & Rose." I love how unique the lilac is- the color gradients, the shapes, the "petite-ness" of them. While they all follow the same basic design (petal numbers, growth patterns, etc) there are such beautiful nuances in them. I wanted to balance those nuances with the familiarity of a common everyday rose. By playing with scale and deconstructing the plant, I was able to bring focus on the individual lilac blooms as opposed to the entire plant. Once I did that, I arranged them in an almost dance-like pattern around the rose in order to keep your eye bouncing around the composition instead of getting stuck in any particular section. And given that I'd already taken a lot of artistic leeway with the lilacs size and shape, I decided to go ahead and play with color as well- morphing the normal purple into a warmer magenta, then a purple-ish orange and finally into a yellow.

Since the design itself has a lot going on, I opted for a simpler, clean layout that focused on the names of the couple and utilized a lot of white space so your eyes wouldn't get overwhelmed.