Stationery Sophisticate

It’s all about first impressions. For Lisa Hoffman, Founder and Creative Director of Ceci New York, the first step to planning a wedding is to create a memorable invitation that sets the tone for the entire event. Known for her custom designed wedding stationery, Hoffman spends a lot of time getting to know her clients before she begins her design process. We sat down with the couture invitation designer to ask her a few questions about her incredible work.

How do you capture the personalities of your clients in their wedding invitations?
Every invitation is a blank canvas and each client is a new opportunity to create something fresh and outstanding. For a destination wedding in Mexico, a laid back couple wanted something “beachy” but with luxurious materials and fine printing. We created a custom pocket folder that was lined in bamboo woven rattan paper. The cover was ivory letterpress with a Mexican tile pattern print and embossed with their logo printed on a pebbled textured paper. We used a tropical color palette mixed with lighter sandy tones. All elements said “beach” without the expected seashell motifs that you so frequently see. The three panel RSVP card was perfect for giving guests all the proper information - easy and convenient - just like they wanted it to be.

And, for a non-traditional couple?
A punk rock couple wanted their invite to reflect their love for DADA art. We printed on smoky grey plexi-glass so the DADA art collage showed through from the back when the guests took the invite out of the envelope. The back of the invite was full of personalized phrases and words with hidden meanings that were significant to the couple and their relationship. Bold pops of hot pink, including the calligraphy on the envelopes, were sprinkled throughout the invitation. Guests said they felt like they were receiving an award when they opened it!

You are known for your bespoke invitations. What is the most luxurious invitation you have created?
We created a romantic invitation for a couple who were married at their beach home in the Hamptons. The save-the-date was a custom molded aluminum pebble engraved with their wedding logo and details which was hand delivered to each guest in a custom made sage green suede box. The invites were hand calligraphed with a personalized message from the couple instead of traditional wedding invitation wording. They even hand signed each invite with their names. This couple wasn’t afraid to break tradition and do something original. And, it was completely appropriate, tasteful and elegant!

If you can’t afford the bespoke treatment, how can you incorporate small details to make your invitation more special?
Simple does not have to be boring. No way! That’s my challenge - to really create something fantastic within those limitations. Some great ideas are to bring in a quote that’s meaningful to you or lyrics from your first dance song. Use your venue as inspiration or play up a theme.
For a couple who were getting married in a Broadway theater, we designed save- the-dates after old movie tickets and theatrical posters. They were flat and in one color but what was lacking in features, we certainly made up for in creativity!

When are digital invitations appropriate to send?
Weddings are momentous occasions so, in my opinion, you shouldn’t skimp on the actual invitation. Use digital invites for informal save-the-dates when timing and budget are tight. You won’t have to worry about the long lead times for design and printing or the cost of mailing and postage. Another good tip is to put together a wedding website. One of my favorites is the Wedding Window which looks custom designed yet is inexpensive. Send out the link, update with info along the way and your guests will never think you’re not on the ball!

Lisa Hoffman, Founder and Creative Director of Ceci New York (22 West 23rd Street, Fifth Floor Penthouse, 212-989-0695), is a world renowned graphic artist and award winning designer of invitations. To set up an appointment, contact info@cecinewyork.com.

Notes on a Party introduces the Wedding Special, an entire week of editorial dedicated to fresh ideas, invaluable tips and interviews with the leading experts in the industry.