Ali and Maria

For Ali and Maria’s destination “I dos” in the Algarve, we piloted a first-class paperie experience that paid tribute to the historic setting, their playful personalities and their epic ocean-spanning, continent-crossing journey to tie the knot.

A passport-style save the date was just the ticket to announce Ali and Maria’s upcoming Portuguese wedding. A personalized blue-and-white tile pattern inspired by the host country’s iconic ceramic artistry was replete with symbols significant to the couple– St. Louis and University of North Carolina landmarks, airplanes, pups, rowing paddles and more. Accompanied by a brown leather luggage tag, this first impression was both fun and functional.

The whimsical, interactive and individualized elements continued in the formal wedding invitation. An inner vellum envelope embellished with butterflies and a favorite quote held a die-cut dial that spun to reveal the weekend’s schedule. A petite postcard provided a hand-illustrated snapshot of the ceremony venue – Ali’s family home – and encouraged attendees to practice important Portuguese phrases, such as “Cheers” and “I’ll have another.” Even the reply set had an extra level of engagement. A lighting round of This or That, which corresponded with Ali and Maria’s respective personalities, served as a mini Myers-Briggs test that helped build anticipation and tailor an ideal itinerary for each guest. All was revealed in the welcome note.

The paperie formats and motifs introduced earlier in the save and invitation became the icing on the day-of cake. Our tile design decorating the three-tiered confection, cocktail napkins resembling single ceramic squares and menus moving on grommets all made a synergistic splash at this memorable and meaningful marriage.