Invitation Spotlight Category


The Designers Behind the Designs

Designers Behind the Designs

Part of wedding planning is making sure you have the perfect Invite to announce what will be the happiest day of your life. Designing an announcement comes with a lot of decisions: what font to use, do you add a picture, do you put in flowers, modern, contemporary, rustic, or classic? Here at Utah Announcements our portfolio is filled with so many different kinds of announcements, you are bound to find something that will fit your style. If we don’t have something you love, we can custom make an announcement just for you. We have three very talented designers on our team. Our designers work hard to put your vision on paper and provide you with a beautiful announcement. Our designers normally stay in the background, but this month we want them to really shine; so we have asked each one of them questions, so that you can get to know the wedding invitation designers behind the design.

Our first designer, Jamie Recalde, has been with Utah Announcements from the very beginning. She has worked with us since July 2013.

When did you start designing?
I started designing about 20 years ago. My mom owned her own company, and I took on different design related jobs. I remember taking a Photoshop class when I was 17 at an office supply store and really enjoying it. Because of the early exposure to graphic design, it became a natural fit for me when deciding to go to school for it.

What are your favorite designs to do?
I really enjoy designing wedding announcements! I love how different and varied they are, depending on the couple I am working with. I just really enjoy designing in general. It is a creative outlet for me.

What is your favorite part about what you do?
That I get paid doing something I truly love and enjoy. It just doesn’t seem like work. I love seeing the seeds of creativity being planted in my daughter as she watches me design and create. I love bringing life to an idea.

What is an interesting fact about you?
I have 9 brothers, and 1 sister. I have 3 wonderful kids,1 girl and 2 boys with another little boy on the way. I am married to a foot doctor, which seems like the complete opposite of what I do as a graphic designer.

What is your favorite part of a wedding?
I was never huge on weddings when I was growing up. But later on, in my early 20’s, I worked for a reception center in Provo Utah. Now I love every aspect of weddings. All the little details, all the varying representations of personality and taste, the happiness, the food! Weddings are just fun. Designing wedding invitations, for me, is a continuation of that love.

Favorite color?
I could never narrow it down. Even as a little girl I remember thinking, “how do I choose just one color?” There are just so many to enjoy! I do find myself gravitating to the more emotional colors like reds, oranges and yellows. But over all, I really love all the colors of the rainbow!

Favorite food?
I enjoy so many different kinds of foods, again, I am unable to narrow it down! I just enjoy food! Probably a little too much.

Favorite thing to do?
My family and I live in Southern California, fairly close to Disneyland. We go often and we love it. It’s a time for us to step away from our every day lives and just relax and enjoy each other and the creative genius that is Disneyland.

Allyson McFadden, has been with us since January 2014.


When did you start designing?

I’ve always been interested in art and design, but my first graphic design job came while working as a student at BYU. I did a lot of flyer design, and my coworkers taught me how to use more than just photoshop, which I had taught myself. It was really freeing for me to learn something like graphic design and I started to figure out how I could make more of my ideas come to life. I was really grateful for the opportunity to start designing for Utah Announcements in January 2014 and have been loving it since! I love everything to do with weddings, and I love design, so it’s super cool to be able to live my dream of working where those two interests overlap.


What are your favorite designs to do?

I love creative designs with unique fonts, and I have a special interest in watercolor and floral designs. It takes a lot more effort to design invitations like these, but they are SO GORGEOUS! They’re the ones I can be really proud of seeing in the portfolio.

What is your favorite part about what you do?
I get to help brides create their dream wedding invitations for an excellent price and work on some awesome designs that people will get printed and send to all their friends! I got my own invitations here and I still remember the excitement of seeing them freshly printed in person; there’s nothing quite like holding a physical copy of your design on high quality paper. 🙂 Sometimes brides are kind enough to send me a copy of their invitations and I get to relive that experience a bit.


What is an interesting fact about you?

I’m vegan! It started because I like to be healthy, but the more I learn, the more I care about our environment and the animals. It’s fascinating how something as intimate as the food we eat can affect everything from our individual bodies to the planet. I don’t miss the way I used to eat, I love that I can make a difference and I am!

What is your favorite part of a wedding?
Weddings are a celebration of the couple, and there are a ton of traditions for better or worse, but it’s super important to make sure you celebrate your wedding in a way that you believe in and a way that will make you feel comfortable and happy. I really enjoy activities that respectfully promote a couple’s love and unity; watching a slideshow of the couple falling in love over a lifetime is my favorite. It’s a really neat experience for wedding guests to see a bit of history and to fill in the gaps of what they know about the bride and groom.

Favorite color?
My favorite color is a really deep blue/purple.

Favorite food?
I recently made the most amazing strawberry mango pretzel jello (with coconut whipped cream and vegan cream cheese) and let me tell you, it was decadent!

Favorite thing to do?
Pet kittens, hands down! I could always use more kittens in my life! 😀 I also love doing everything with my husband, visiting amusement parks, home improvement projects, organizing things, and working on different art ideas.

Sara Wilson is the newest designer to join our Utah Announcement family. She has been with us since April 2015.

When did you start designing?
I was trying to find something to do when I was needing to stay up at night to prepare for working a night shift the next day. I started designing different prints and things on my computer. When one of my little sisters was getting married, my other sister and I decided to design her invite. I work full time as a nurse so on my days off, I would go over to my little sister’s house and design different invites and prints for fun. I then started designing more family and friend’s announcements and eventually took an Adobe class so I could get better.

What are your favorite designs to do?
I love the simple and classy ones that I get to use watercolor and sweet but different fonts. I also love floral designs and have many different ones to choose from.

What is your favorite part about what you do?
The best thing I would have to say is when a client gives me a general idea of what they want or they are just not sure and I am able to create something they really love. That makes me so happy 🙂

What is an interesting fact about you?
I have helped design the BYU intramural championship shirt for 2015 and 2016.

What is your favorite part of a wedding?
I love everything. My sister and I love looking at things online and watching wedding shows because we get to see how creative and how happy they are. I would say the ceremony and the family getting together is my favorite part, but materially, the dress and flowers are my favorite 🙂

Favorite color?
Turquoise

Favorite food?
Cheeseburgers, Diet Mountain Dew

Favorite thing to do?
I love hanging out with my family and playing sports and designing wedding invites 😉

We really couldn’t do what we do, here at Utah Announcements, without our fantastic designers. Each one of them have something different that they bring to our team. We are so grateful for them, their creativity and the variety that they bring to our portfolio.

Thank You Card Inspiration

You’ve spent lots of time thinking about the design but very little thinking about what you want your thank you cards to look like. So many generous people gave you gifts and you want to show them how much you appreciate them!

There are a couple key things to know about thank you cards. Formal etiquette says that you should send them out within two weeks of receiving the gift. However, this can be difficult when you get so many gifts at once. A good rule of thumb is to try and have your thank you cards out 2-3 months after the wedding. To help you finish them in time, try to develop a formula for what to say in the card that you can customize based on the individual and gift.

To save money on thank you cards, send out postcards instead of cards in envelopes. This can help you save money on postage and you will not have to buy envelopes. We offer 250 thank you postcards for $80 and 500 postcards for $100. This includes the custom design fee and shipping.

 

Our Most-Pinned Invitations

Every bride knows that Pinterest is a valuable tool in planning the perfect wedding. With so much inspiration and so many great ideas, it is a great resource for every bride-to-be. We recently went through our own Pinterest and found our five most-pinned invitations to share with all of you.

1. Kwinci and Todd

542 repins, 85 likes

By far our most popular design, Kwinci and Todd’s invitation is a stroke of typographic genius. The fonts and colors flow well together to create a beautiful message for your guests. The nontraditional wording highlights the important details that guests need to know, like the bride and grooms names and the time and place of the reception. The calendar is a cute touch that again reminds guests exactly when the big day is. This invitation is a great way to give guests a preview of your wedding style and colors, as well as give them all the important information they need.

2. Michelle and Jacob

87 repins, 7 likes

Michelle and Jacob’s design nails the chalkboard trend right on the head. The simple black and white lettering is beautiful to look at and does not distract from the cute couple’s photo.  The swirling accents add a nice touch and complement the cursive lettering.

3. Nichole and Parker

59 repins, 5 likes

With a design similar to Michelle and Jacob, Nichole and Parker’s invitation is very popular. The lettering in this announcement is very similar to the previous one and looks simple and classy. The photo background is a great way to showcase more of your engagement photos (because let’s be honest… it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few favorites, right?). This words and photo combination is a beautiful way to invite your friends and family to take part in your wedding day.

4. Hanna and Joseph

30 repins, 3 likes

Hanna and Joseph’s floral announcement is a breath of fresh air. Great for a spring or summer wedding, this invitation is often pinned on wedding inspiration boards. The gold coloring is classic and classy, giving a sophisticated air to their invite. The monogram adds an extra special and unique touch, making it all their own.

5. Melanie and Kolten

24 repins, 4 likes

Think of this as Michelle and Jacob minus the photo. This chalkboard design is a Pinterest hit. Its simplicity is its biggest strength, making it easy to customize with your own photo separately. The black and white colors are a classic choice and the mixture of fonts looks beautiful. This invitation works year round for many different wedding styles.

Well, there you have it – our most popular Pinterest styles! Feel free to check out our Pinterest for more inspiration and ideas. You can also take a look at our portfolio on our website for past clients’ designs.