Weddings Summer 2009 > Planner

Deborah Delaney

Hand-lettering, engraving, and letterpress-printing are now within the repertoire of this calligrapher. Delaney, whose work has appeared in Martha Stewart Weddings, consults her clients extensively to personalize each set. She does not work with thermography, a less expensive alternative to engraving, but she will help clients choose a technique they can afford. A set of 100 printed invitations starts at $2,000.

Dempsey & Carroll

This 130-year-old shop is one of the last to use painstaking, old-fashioned engraving techniques, like creating raised designs from layers of color applied with separate steel plates. The Classic and Embassy collections-the most popular-vary in size: 100 engraved Embassy sets cost $1,250; a smaller Classic set is $1,130.

Dochelle Custom Creations

These custom invitations are packaged as individual boxes, replete with bright colors, bold patterns, and their signature Swarovski crystals. Each box ($9 to $52) includes the invitation, reception card, RSVP card, and lined envelope.

Double Happiness Creations

This tiny design studio frequently incorporates striking non-paper elements such as silver grommets, pressed flower petals, and bamboo into their cards to create super-personalized invitation suites (from $18). They also specialize in Asian weddings, for which they use traditional Chinese patterns and characters, foil stamps, and imported materials.

Ellen Weldon Design

With 30 years of experience as a calligrapher and couture invitation designer, Ellen Weldon can create everything from classic designs on Italian stock, tied with imported satin ribbon, to silk-screen printing on dried Egyptian papyrus leaves. She will even invent a font for creative couples. Invitations start at $30 each, and they include an outer envelope, invitation, and reply card and envelope.

Greenwich Letterpress

Sisters Amy Salvini-Swanson and Beth Salvini’s printshop has an old-world charm and focuses on handmade items and high-end stationery. Their letterpresses are powered with 100-percent wind energy. The work is done in-house, so clients can expect to receive individual attention. A set of 100 custom-printed invitations starts at $580.

HelloLucky.com

Order your invitations online from this San Francisco-based letterpress and design studio. Their invitations are charming and colorful-some have a retro feel.

Hudson Street Papers

This small shop’s seven books cover all the basics, but Hudson Street stands out with imaginative, colorful invitations like those from Inscribe (from $1.50 per card). More traditional ones from William Arthur range from $125 (for 25 basic invitations with envelopes) to $1,500 (for 500 engraved invitations with satin-lined envelopes).

I Do Invitations

Talented designer Sue Coe works with materials like Thai tissue and Italian paper. Her idiosyncratic designs feature original illustrations and commissioned calligraphy. Coe will also design save-the-dates, place cards, menus, and programs, and will coordinate with the wedding decorator. Prices upon request.

Joon New York

This Upper East Side printer carries ten invitation vendors, including Crane & Co. and William Arthur. For a three-piece invitation for 100 guests, couples should expect to spend about $1,000. Joon offers thermography for a few hundred dollars less per invitation package. Handmade paper and letterpress cost $200 to $400 extra.

Judith Ness Studio

Couples come to Ness not only for her 27 years of experience, but also for the sophisticated and refined invitations that showcase her custom-designed monograms and hand calligraphy. A set of 100 invitations, reply cards, and lined envelopes with engraved flaps starts at about $1,500. The talented engravers with whom she often works will cost a little extra.

Kate's Paperie

These enormous stationery troves have unparalleled selections of invites from big-name designers like William Arthur and Julie Holcomb, as well as boutique companies like Dauphine Press and Elum. Custom-printed invitations or pre-made ones that couples just fill in are available (about $15 to $20 for a box of ten).

Kenzie Kate Invitations

Mackenzie Sala’s graphic-design and illustration background informs the modern, hand-drawn quality of her invitations. Couples can choose one of the 24 templates, and then work one-on-one with Sala to customize any color scheme. Prices start at $1,200 for a set of 100.

Lincoln Stationers

For couples who can’t find what they want in the selection of top brands (Crane & Co., Vera Wang, and Julie Holcomb), Lincoln also offers beautiful handmade imported papers and a variety of printing processes including engraving, thermography, and letterpress. From $200 to $5,000 for 100 invitations.

Linda & Harriett

Word of mouth quickly spread about designer Liz Colson Libré’s quirky and customized designs, and in 2007, she officially founded Linda & Harriett. Couples on a budget should peruse the wedding collection, which Libré will gladly tweak to fit individual needs. Prices upon request.

Lion in the Sun

The in-house graphic designers and illustrators create custom invitations at this full-service stationer. They also carry more than 70 different lines, including an exclusive selection of work by local artists. Invitations from $4 to $40 each.

From the Winter 2008 New York Wedding Guide