Jennifer & Eric
- Debbie Allan
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
A Napa Valley Wedding Told Through Paper, Place & Story
Some weddings stay with you long after the final piece of stationery is packed away.Jennifer & Eric’s Napa Valley celebration was one of those - not just because of how beautiful it was, but because of the full journey we took together to bring it to life.
This was a wedding shaped by place, by trust, and by a shared belief that stationery can do far more than simply communicate information - it can set the tone for an entire celebration.
From Across the Atlantic: Where the Story Began
Jennifer travelled from the United States to Scotland for her consultation, accompanied by her lovely mum something that immediately made the experience feel even more special.
There’s a particular kind of trust involved when someone is willing to cross an ocean to sit down and talk through ideas face to face. From one mother-and-daughter duo to another, it felt like a meeting of hearts as much as minds two generations coming together to create something meaningful, thoughtful, and lasting.
We spoke about Napa Valley not simply as a destination, but as a feeling. The warmth, the landscape, the relaxed elegance, and the sense of celebration that comes with being surrounded by vineyards and open skies. Jennifer and Eric wanted their guests to understand the spirit of the place before they even arrived.
That shared vision became the foundation of the entire stationery journey.
Wedding Venue: Harvest Inn
Set among vineyards in the heart of Napa Valley, the Harvest Inn provided the perfect backdrop for Jennifer & Eric’s wedding day.
The relaxed elegance of the setting mirrored the tone we had established through the stationery warm, natural, and effortlessly beautiful. Seeing the illustrations, colours, and design details come to life within this space was incredibly rewarding, as everything felt exactly where it belonged.
Save the Dates: Setting the Tone from the Very Beginning
From the outset, the focus was on capturing the relaxed elegance of Napa Valley sunlit, natural, and timeless. Illustrated elements inspired by vineyard landscapes were introduced at this stage, gently setting expectations and offering guests a first glimpse of what was to come.
These early designs established the colour palette, illustration style, and overall mood that would carry through every piece of stationery that followed.
A Signature Gatefold Invitation Designed for Maximum Impact
At the heart of the invitation suite was a gatefold invitation designed in our signature wraparound illustration style.
Rather than treating the artwork as a decorative feature, the illustration was designed to wrap around the invitation itself, creating one continuous vineyard landscape that unfolds in the hands of the guest. As the gatefold opens, the scene gradually reveals itself echoing the experience of arriving at the venue and taking in the surroundings for the first time.
This wraparound approach allows for maximum visual impact while still feeling elegant and intentional. It’s a defining part of our work because it allows storytelling and structure to exist together immersive, but never overwhelming.
The invitation wasn’t just something to read; it was something to experience.
Layered Details & Thoughtful Design Choices
Soft blue tones were chosen throughout the main suite to reflect Napa’s open skies and late afternoon light, while layered elements added depth and calm.
A vellum bellyband overlay gently softened the artwork beneath, introducing refinement without obscuring the illustration. The wedding timeline was integrated directly into the design, ensuring it felt purposeful rather than added as an afterthought.
Envelope liners featuring vineyard pathways created that first emotional pause before the invitation was even opened, a quiet moment that set the tone beautifully.
Each element worked together as part of one continuous story.
A Custom Wax Seal That Became a Design Thread
One of the most meaningful details of this wedding was the custom wax seal, designed specifically for Jennifer & Eric.
Originally created for the stationery, the seal became a visual motif that carried far beyond paper. It was later featured on the wedding cake and incorporated into the favours - a perfect example of how thoughtful stationery design can filter through to other elements of a wedding day.
This is where bespoke design truly comes into its own.
When stationery is designed intentionally, it doesn’t exist in isolation. It becomes a thread that can be woven through décor, styling, and personal details, creating a sense of cohesion that guests may not consciously notice - but absolutely feel.
Rehearsal Dinner Invitations: A Nod to Americana
In addition to the wedding stationery, we also designed rehearsal dinner invitations, allowing the design story to evolve while still feeling cohesive.
These pieces leaned into a more playful, distinctly American aesthetic, incorporating red, retro-inspired dinner elements as a subtle nod to classic Americana. While visually different from the main wedding suite, the rehearsal invitations still felt connected carefully balancing personality, place, and purpose.
This contrast added depth to the overall stationery journey, showing how design can flex to suit different moments of a wedding weekend while still feeling considered and intentional.
Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Gott’s Roadside
Jennifer & Eric’s rehearsal dinner took place at Gott’s Roadside in St Helena a setting that perfectly complemented the more playful, retro-inspired rehearsal stationery.
This venue offered a relaxed, distinctly American atmosphere, allowing the rehearsal dinner to feel fun, informal, and celebratory, while still thoughtfully designed.
On-the-Day Stationery: Bringing Everything Together
The design journey continued right through to the wedding day itself.
On-the-day stationery carried the same visual language established from the Save the Dates onwards from signage to printed details ensuring everything felt part of the same world we had created months earlier.
Nothing jarred. Nothing felt out of place.
Every detail worked quietly in harmony.
A Final Thought...
Jennifer & Eric’s wedding is a perfect example of why a full, considered stationery journey matters.
When you take the time to design with meaning, intention, and trust from Save the Dates, to rehearsal dinner invitations, to the wedding day itself the result isn’t just beautiful paper. It’s a cohesive story that filters through every detail of the celebration.
A Meaningful Thread: The Cooper Tartan
As a small, family-run Scottish stationery studio, it was a genuine honour to be asked to play such a significant role in Jennifer & Eric’s wedding especially one taking place so far from home.
To be trusted with designing pieces that carried family heritage, personal meaning, and cultural connection all the way to Napa Valley was something we never take lightly. From one family to another, being invited into moments like this and seeing those details come to life on such an important day is at the very heart of why we do what we do.
It’s a reminder that stationery isn’t just about paper. It’s about people, stories, and the privilege of helping to tell them.
If you’re dreaming of a wedding stationery journey that’s thoughtful, personal, and rooted in meaning, we’d love to hear your story. Our bespoke designs begin with a consultation and are created in close collaboration with each couple from Save the Dates through to the wedding day itself. If you’d like to explore what your own stationery journey could look like, we’d love to chat.
Credits
Harvest Inn: @harvest_inn
Willow & Ben Photography: @willowandbenx
Stationery: @alittlebitofloveliness
Day of Coordinator: @awe_planner
Cake: @flourandbloomcakes
Hair & Makeup: @glambydrea_
Florals: @jbloomsfloral
Cookies: @surfdogbakery
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