Navy & Nautical

Our community, while famous for its beaches, is also a well-loved boating destination. So it is not uncommon for us to receive requests for wedding invitation sets that are nautical either in theme, look, or both. Here are just a few of our favorite designs that featured classic navy and natural linen paper stocks, starfish, and iconic sailing references.

Rustic Angus Barn Wedding Invitations

Alison and Justin "got hitched" last September at the beautiful Pavilion at the Angus Barn. Given the historic and rustic location, we were 100% on board when the couple requested we accent those qualities in the invitation suite. From the hand-drawn monogram with a western feel to the burlap band and cotton paper to the rsvp language, we took full advantage of designing to fit their charming theme.

Vintage 1930s Aerial Photographs of the Jersey Shore

Downtown Manasquan, New Jersey, c. 1932. Our studio was rebuilt on this site in the late 1950s.

Looking toward Manasquan Inlet, c. 1932

Sea Girt, New Jersey, c. 1932. The large building in the lower center of the photograph is the Stockton Hotel.
It was destroyed by fire in 1965.

Spring Lake, New Jersey, c. 1932. More of the grand hotels that once graced the shoreline (north to south):
The Warren, The Essex and Sussex, and The Monmouth. Only the Essex and Sussex remains today, not as a hotel but as luxury oceanfront condominiums.

Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, c. 1932. The original Jenkinson's Pavilion on the Boardwalk.

Shore Airport Letterhead (top) and the Pilot with his plane.

These photographs are family heirlooms and magnificent examples of history at the Jersey Shore. Matt's grandfather was a pilot in the area in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He owned one of the first airports in central New Jersey. We salvaged and restored these and several other photographs from his collection. Given that the shore has been developed so much since this moment in time, seeing empty lots this close to the ocean is amazing. Prints are available for purchase.

New Year's Eve Art Deco Wedding Invitation

Here is the Save the Date and wedding invitation set for our clients Lucille & Sean. Their New Year's Eve wedding took place in an old oceanfront hotel in Asbury Park. We were asked to produce something in an Art Deco vein using multiple fonts and metallic paper stocks. To us, it was a very cool project!

Typography in Manasquan

We spend a lot of time walking around Manasquan, and have noticed over time many compelling examples of typography.  The sun finally stayed out over the weekend long enough for us to capture some of these diverse representations.

Katrina & Muggy's Wedding Map

We are always interested when clients request a map of a very small geographic region, in this case just a couple of towns. It makes for a more graphic piece, especially accented by their choice of primary colors. We loved the little dog so much we reused him for the front of their RSVP postcard. The two pieces made for a cheerful wedding invitation suite for a fun couple.

Lulu's Palace Designs

Today we want to tell you about a friend of Invitations, Ink, Lauren Perrotto of Lulu's Palace. We hosted a double birthday/St. Patrick's Day celebration over the weekend, and Lauren baked this gorgeous (and amazingly delicious) cake for it. We were impressed with her attention to detail on the outside and inside of the cake. She was kind enough to throw in a couple of cupcakes for our niece and nephew as well. See more of her beautiful work here.

Mansion at Natirar Letterpress Invitation

The Mansion at Natirar is a gorgeous estate and wedding venue in Somerset County, New Jersey. Sandee and David commissioned illustrations of the mansion and this detailed iron gate on the Natirar grounds. We were delighted when they also opted for letterpress printing. Here are the beautiful results from Thomas Printers.

Our Clients Love Their Dogs

Over the years, we have been asked to include our clients dogs (and two cats) into their designs. Whether the canines were part of an illustrated map, a baby shower, or a wedding invitation, as animal lovers, we were happy to indulge them.

Manasquan Beach Recovery

This morning we walked up to the see the ocean and were thrilled to find that Hurricane Sandy beach recovery has finally begun. The giant debris-filled piles of sand are mostly gone and being sifted. We noticed buds on daffodils yesterday. It seems like the dark winter in our little town may finally be coming to an end!

Top Secret Birthday Bash

For his surprise 60th birthday, Brian's family booked "The Archive Room" in New York City. They requested that we play off of the archive theme and, of course, we jumped at the chance to do something creative. His wife and daughter gave us this old photograph and submitted personal facts, from which we drew his "dossier."  

Inside Our Studio

We just bought a new digital camera and decided to test it out by taking photographs of our studio interior. Many of our decorations are handmade by a local artisan (whale, plane, longitude/latitude sign, and boat) and help add to the eclectic nautical look we love.

The Endless Summer Save the Date

Amanda and John-Austin love old movies and they adore the ocean. He surfs and owns Caught Outside Photography and she spends her summers enjoying the beach. We combined their two passions into a movie poster parody of "The Endless Summer" (the colors from the original film and the concept from the sequel). Their dog Hobie was a must for inclusion into the poster. How much fun is this?!

Illustrated Map Wedding Present

Amy decided upon an original watercolor map as a surprise wedding gift for Andrew. She presented it to him the morning of their wedding. We loved using the subtle hues they chose as their wedding color scheme for the painting.

Kim and Matt/Tribute to Manasquan Beach

Kim and Matt sent us these lively photographs from their wedding about a week before Hurricane Sandy. The week that followed was spent preparing for a storm that continued to grow in size and ominousness. Needless to say, this was one time when the seemingly exaggerated hoopla turned out to be less than the reality. What followed was half a month without power, catching up for those lost few weeks, and adjusting to seeing our town so devastated. Then it was Thanksgiving...Christmas...and suddenly it was 2013.

We reopened the pictures shortly after the new year and were reminded of a pre-Sandy Jersey Shore: sunny, carefree afternoons spent in the sun, surf, and sand. Matt is a lifeguard in Manasquan, which inspired these seating and table cards. They are tiny replicas of each entrance sign to Manasquan beach. We sincerely look forward to seeing those signs again after Memorial Day, and to watching our town come back to life.

Grand Cayman Island Illustrated Map

Monica and Ryan commissioned this map as part of their destination wedding invitations. We enjoyed learning about the island during our research for the project. And of course, the excuse to use bright colors (and lots of them) was a treat!

Website Launch!

Today we are thrilled to announce the launch of our new website! 

We're grateful to the people who helped us get it up and running: Splendor Design and Justin & Mary Photography.

Tattoo Design

A change of pace from invitation design, we recently created a tattoo design based on the bride's love of yoga and her wedding date.