A Chat with Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls, Part 2

Maybelle's work has appeared in numerous wedding publications, and certainly on this blog. Here are some more examples of her distinct style (as well as some download-able goodies and a discount...)


Bridal Shower Games and The Perfect Note, available from Chronicle Books.


An map and return address stamp from Maybelle's portfolio.


A Quaker-style wedding certificate.


A whimsical wedding invitation.


Backdrop calligraphy and illustrations for Martha Stewart Weddings.






For the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, Maybelle created table numbers that you can find and print out here - what a great way to have her beautiful work at your wedding, no matter what the budget.

Another huge thank you to Maybelle for stopping by today - it has been wonderful having you here at Snippet & Ink! Not only was Maybelle kind enough to take the time to stop by, but she is also offering 20% off her return address rubber stamps for all Snippet & Ink readers! Just email her at maybelle{at}may-belle.com with an inquiry and mention that you saw her interview on Snippet & Ink to receive the discount.

A Chat with Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls

I have been drooling over the beautiful calligraphy of Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls even before I knew who was behind the calligraphy, so you can imagine how excited I am to have her here today for a little chat, and to learn a little more about her and her work.



Snippet & Ink: Your website says that the first invitation you designed was for your own wedding. What kind of designing, illustrating or calligraphy had you done before that? Or, put another way, were you always illustrating and making pretty things?

Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls: I was a Fine Arts major with an emphasis in Ceramic Sculpture and Graphic Design. After graduation I got a job as a flight attendant and traveled extensively. I also moved around frequently and lived in Hong Kong, Boston and San Francisco. I really feel that these experiences helped fuel my creativity. During this time, I started illustrating my own maps of my favorite places in the cities I visited frequently. When I was planning my own wedding, I wasn't a calligrapher at the time. The thought did cross my mind that I should take lessons just so that I would be able that I would be able to hand address our own invites. In the end, though it would have been so nice, calligraphy wasn't a part of the overall design concept [of my own invitations].

S&I: Calligraphy is for so much more than addressing envelopes. What other types of projects have you done?

MIS: I have done some non-wedding related projects such as hand lettering for a few advertising agencies and fashion houses, packaging for C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. Recently I was commissioned to create illustrations for Chronicle Books: Bridal Shower Games and The Perfect Note, which is a stationery kit inspired by the letters and doodles that I used to send from faraway places. It includes note cards, envelopes, labels, rubber stamps and a book on how to write the perfect letter for any occasion. I was involved in every step of the design process and I am so pleased with the way it turned out. In the age of email and text messages, a personal note in the mailbox feels like a gift. The Perfect Note is a very affordable bridesmaid gift and the packaging is so beautiful it doesn't have to be wrapped.

S&I: You have worked with some big names, like Martha Stewart and J.Crew, as well as with smaller businesses and couples planning weddings. Do you have a favorite project, something that really stands out to you?

MSI: Too many! One of my favorites was a story for Martha Stewart Weddings, titled Tailored Cakes. I worked on set in New York for a couple of days. The story featured the beautiful cake designs of Wendy Kromer, Ron Ben Israel and Gail Watson. It was an eight-page spread and I created the background illustrations which were calligraphic swirls and loops done in chalk. The informal background against the elegant cakes created a beautiful contrast. That was so much fun! Another project that I loved working on was for a couple who commissioned me to write out a collection of their favorite prayers and poems. Each guest at the wedding was given a limited edition copy of these books. I felt that everything about this project captured the love between these two people. Most recently I was asked to create a wedding certificate modeled after the Quaker marriage certificate. It is typically signed by each guest at the wedding. The couple wanted to have a keepsake of their union, so they hired me to create this for their special day.

S&I: What is the best part of your job?

MSI: First of all, I feel so lucky to have found something that I absolutely LOVE to do. I don't really consider myself a calligrapher but more of an artist. Not only is the actual work very meditative, it's never the same and I love being involved in the overall design and feel of an event - I get excited about these details. I have had the extreme pleasure of working with some of the most talented people in this business, as well as brides and grooms who have considered me to be part of their family. I feel grateful to have been able to build great relationships in the process of doing something that I am so passionate about.

S&I: What advice could you give to a couple on a budget who loves calligraphy but feels that it is out of their price range?

MSI: A nice way to incorporate calligraphy into the wedding invitation design would be to have the couples' names written in calligraphy and then scanned and used as part of the artwork. You could also have a rubber stamp with the return address made, something that will come in handy later as well. If time permits, take a calligraphy class - you will be amazed how relaxing it is to practice.

S&I: Is there anything else that Snippet & Ink readers should know about you?

MSI: I never imagined in a million years that I would be doing this. My husband Greg Stukuls, a woodworker, has always been so supportive of my creative endeavors since the day we met. He inspires me in so many ways and I would not would not be the same person I am today without him. We also own a home furnishings store in San Francisco, called Stumasa. The name of the shop is a combination of our last names and it is a place where our talents and ideas intersect.

S&I: Snippet & Ink is all about inspiration. What inspires you?

MSI: I am inspired by my experiences, life. Whenever I am in a new city, I don't head for the usual places, instead I go to local markets, shops, grocery and hardware stores. I can spend hours looking at gadgets and packaging. I find beauty in everyday objects. I take note about the way a shopkeeper arranges the merchandise or wraps a simple package. I do this because I know in some way this will all come back into my work in some form, and from these experiences I am always learning something new about myself.

Thank you so much to Maybelle for stopping by today - your beautiful lettering and illustrations are such an inspiration, and it is wonderful to get to know a little more about you! Check in later today to see some of Maybelle's incredible work...

DIY with Ez of Creature Comforts

Our DIY post this month comes from Ez of the always-inspiring blog, Creature Comforts. She makes all kinds of wonderful freebies for her readers (you can check them out HERE), and was kind enough to make one for Snippet & Ink! You can just click on the links below, to download seating card templates in two different colors, as well as a thank you card template.

DIY projects don't get any simpler or easier than this - thank you so much, Ez. Creature Comforts is one of my daily reads, and if you've spent anytime there, you know why!

Nutmeg Seating Cards
Berry Seating Cards
Thank You Cards

Minhee of Paper + Cup

Our mini-interview this month is with the exceptionally talented Minhee of Paper + Cup. Her darling school-themed wedding was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, and her lovely, creative stationery designs are all over magazines and the blog world. Today, she's here to share some tidbits about her wedding day with us!

What is the best piece of advice you received about planning your wedding?
The entire wedding experience is almost like a big happy blur! I do remember a friend telling me that it's not important that everything gets done perfectly, but what's most important is to enjoy every moment together with Truman [the groom]. It was so easy to get stressed out and overly obsessive about every little detail, but we tried hard to keep each other grounded. After all is said and done, all we are left with is each other. It doesn't matter if the flower girls' dresses are the perfect match to my flowers, napkins and whatnot! We learned to just go with the flow and have fun even when things didn't work out.

Now that your wedding is over, what is the best piece of advice you can give to brides?
Planning a wedding shouldn't consume your life for that period of one year, or however long you have. I wish I had more time to enjoy being engaged (we only had a little less than four months!), but in a way it was good for us, because I know how crazy I can get! During our short engagement, I learned to edit very fast and decide on things quickly. One piece of advice I'd share is to pick a theme, and make it a meaningful one. This helps you from getting side-tracked by so many endless options that can really take up so much time and energy.

What is your favorite photo from your wedding and why?



This photo of our nephew Joey and our niece Amanda was taken while everyone was busy mingling outside the tent. I love the expression on Joey's face - it's just pure happiness and you can tell that Amanda is smiling too. It just melts my heart. Kids were a big part of our wedding since we had a vintage school theme, and it was important that they enjoyed it as much as the adults did.

Thank you so much to Minhee for stopping by Snippet & Ink today. Minhee's wedding, her stationery, and her blog are such great sources of inspiration for me, and I always look forward to whatever new projects she has in store. If you haven't already, be sure to stop over and check out Paper + Cup, and definitely add the blog to your Reader!

{Don't forget this month's Reader Response question. Email me with your answers so I can include the in next month's post!}

Reader Response #1

I'm excited about this new feature, as part of Monday Miscellany - a reader response to a particular question every month. In September, I asked you to tell me, What was the most memorable thing (good or bad) from a wedding you've attended? Here were some of your answers:

Michelle: When our friends got married last September, the priest announced that everyone should exit the church and then follow the bride and groom to a picturesque spot because they wanted a photo with all their guests. It was great! As a guest it was really special to be included like that.

Natalie: I went to my uncle's wedding last year, held on March 17 - St. Patrick's Day - and the groom's uncle gave him a chicken foot, dyed green for St. Patty's day, for good luck (eek!).

Yep - that's a real green chicken foot!

Carolina: The music! A friend of mine married on the beach and her "coming down the isle" song was Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwiwo'ole which is a very beachy version and it was amazing - to be on the beach and have that song playing was truly magical. Also another friend married in New York City and hired a Motown band (her family is from Detroit) and I swear I've never danced so much in my life. The music made the party - for me the music makes all the difference!

Jesse: I was at a wedding where the bride and groom exchanged gifts as part of the wedding ceremony. Neither one knew what the other was going to give. She gave him a box of letters that she had written him since they started dating. He gave her a flowerpot filled with soil from every place he had lived. She was barely able to keep from crying. What a sweet moment!

Rebekah: The most memorable experience was being kept waiting at the reception hall for two hours while the bride and the rest of the bridal party cleaned the church up (as in, removing everything, vacuuming, etc.).

Dana: At a recent wedding I attended the couple invited friends or family to give a blessing or piece of advice during the ceremony. The bride initially asked me (her cousin) and her best friend to prepare something to get the ball rolling - in the end, it was a love-fest and more than ten people got up to share some sweet sentiments. It eliminated lengthy toasts and added a really sweet element to the end of their ceremony which everyone really enjoyed hearing.

Daniella: Friends of ours had a Wii station set up at outside at the reception for anyone to play. We played it for the first time, and had a great time. It was a great idea to have something for guests to do that was out of the ordinary, interactive, and fun. It's also great if there will be a lot of younger people in attendance, as weddings for them can get boring.

Erica: The bride popped her gum and blew bubbles throughout the ceremony.

Rebecca: The ceremony was so meaningful and personal that no other detail mattered. What made the ceremony so meaningful was that officiant knew and loved the couple, and their vows were amazing. They left everyone sniffling by the end. I remember that the bride said she vowed to fall in love with her husband every single day because he would be a different person from one day to the next.

Amy: At my aunt's wedding (she's been married before and has two married daughters), as she and the groom drove away, her oldest daughter chased their car halfway down the street yelling, "Come back, who's going to take care of us!"

Heather: My most memorable is story from my own wedding. When priest went through our vows, my husband Brent went first. He repeated the priest line by line. Then he got to the line, "I, Brent, take you Heather to be my lawfully wedded wife." Brent began to repeat the line, "I, Brent, take you Heather.... to be... my awful wife." Then silence. He looked at me with total shock and then I realized that I didn't hear him incorrectly, he did call me his awful wife. Then the entire church busted up laughing. The priest could barely stand up he was laughing so hard. Then he said the congregation, "Well I knew this guy was a joker but I didn't expect that!" Brent apologized to me a couple of times and he asked if he could do it again, and we did, and it was perfect.


Thank you so much to everyone who sent in a response! Now here's the question for next month:

What did you learn from your own wedding day?

Email your responses to me at kathryn@snippetandink.com!

A Chat with Elizabeth Messina, Part 2

I'm sure you've seen Elizabeth Messina's work all over the wedding world - including on this blog - but here are some more beautiful wedding shots.











You can also catch more of Elizabeth's work on the covers of two magazines currently on the stands...


Ines del Mar Weddings


Your Wedding Day

Thank you again to Elizabeth Messina, for taking time to stop by Snippet & Ink today and provide a little insight into her work, as well as for sharing these gorgeous photographs. If you want to see even more, be sure to stop by Kelly Oshiro's blog on Friday for a guest post from Elizabeth.

A Chat with Elizabeth Messina

Here we are with another Monday Miscellany! I'm so excited about this one... on the fourth Monday of the month, I will be featuring interviews with some of the most talented people in the wedding industry. Today, we're lucky enough to have one of my very favorite photographers here with us: Elizabeth Messina! Not only is she incredibly talented, she is also one of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet.



Snippet & Ink: You didn't start out as a wedding photographer, but rather doing editorial work. Why did you decide to make it your full-time work?
Elizabeth Messina: I have always considered myself an artist. Wedding photography found me. When a good friend asked me to shoot her wedding and changed my life. My natural inclination towards intimate and artistic imagery fit so well with wedding photography. There is so much love and emotion at a wedding - I feel so lucky to be part of such a special day in people's lives.

S&I: What is the best part of your job?
EM: That I am doing what I love and meeting so many wonderful people along the way.

S&I: Do you have a favorite wedding that you've shot, or one in particular that stands out to you?
EM: All of the weddings I photograph have a special place in my heart - each one is unique and beautiful.

S&I: What is the farthest you've traveled to shoot a wedding?
EM: France. Last summer I went to the Loire Valley to shoot Christophe Eme and Jeri Ryan's wedding - their wedding was featured in In Style Weddings. It was truly beautiful and they are the sweetest couple.

S&I: So many wedding photographers use digital technology now, but you use film? Why do you prefer that method?
EM: I shoot all film, and I think it greatly contributes to the quality of my work. Film is luminous and beautiful. I've always used film and hope that I will never have to give it up.

S&I: I have my own way to describe your photos (magical and timeless are two words that come to mind), but I'd love to know how you describe your style?
EM: My work is very intimate and artistic. I think it has a timeless quality and yet is also very contemporary. I try to be very thoughtful and aware while I am shooting, so that I can capture the nuances of every wedding I have the honor of being a part of.

S&I: What should a couple keep in mind when choosing a photographer for their wedding?
EM: It's important to feel good about not only a photographer's body of work, but also feel comfortable and at ease with the photographer as a person. A wedding photographer is intimately involved with most aspects of the day. The more at ease a couple feels, the more natural and beautiful the moments of their wedding day will be captured.

S&I: What would you say to a couple who is planning a wedding on a budget and considering skimping on photography?
EM: There are wonderful photographers in every price range. Be thoughtful when making a choice about photography - the images of your wedding are truly time capsules, family heirlooms. So much of the day is just a moment in time...the images allow you to share the magic of your day with generations to come.

S&I: As a recent bride yourself, do you have any advice for Snippet & Ink readers?
EM: Enjoy every moment. My wedding was such a special day, something I will always cherish. And when I want to transport myself back to that moment, I look at my amazing photographs (taken by the very talented Thayer Allyson Gowdy).

S&I: Finally, Snippet & Ink's tagline is "daily wedding inspiration." What inspires you on a daily basis?
EM: My three beautiful children...

Elizabeth, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by Snippet & Ink - your work is such an inspiration! Check in later today to see some of Elizabeth's beautiful photos...

Real Wedding: Kacie & Brandon

Kacie and Brandon's vintage-inspired wedding took place in the California wine country, and she sent me these photos knowing that I'm a northern California girl and would just love them. I've had these waiting in the wings since July, and I just can't wait any longer to share them with you - and today, following Paul Lowe's vintage-lace projects, seemed like the perfect time. This wedding is so full of handmade details - I know you'll appreciate it as much as I do, no matter where you're from. As Kacie wrote to me, "Every single detail meant something." Take a look and see what she means...




The ceremony took place this summer at Kacie's parents' home in the wine country, the same place where they were married twenty-seven years earlier, where Kacie grew up, and where her grandparents lived before that.




Kacie wore a flower made of delicate Alençon lace by the talented Myra of Twigs & Honey.


Kacie wore a Melissa Sweet gown, and sported vintage sunglasses throughout the day.


Kacie's bouquet, by Christine's Flowers, consisted of gardenias, blowsy garden roses, and stephanotis. Kacie and Brandon's siblings were their attendants.






Before exchanging rings, Kacie and Brandon had a ring warming ceremony, where all of the guests passed the rings and silently blessed them with love and good wishes.


100 guests joined Kacie and Brandon for the celebration.


Kacie and her father walked down the aisle to The Beatle's I Will, played by her cousin and best friend. Kacie and Brandon wrote their vows, and because Kacie was an English major, they included poems among the readings, such as Sonnet 17 by Pablo Neruda and a love letter by George Bernard Shaw.


Brandon and his groomsmen wore suits from J.Crew, and a single fragrant gardenia for a boutonniere.


Gardenias were everywhere, and the entire garden smelled like them.


Do you see the vintage glass drawer pulls?






In addition to champagne, they served Pinot Noir made from grapes grown by Kacie's parents.


So many of the details of the day - including the invitations, hanging votives, vintage hanky prayer flags, table cloths, pomanders, and doily favor bags - were handmade by Kacie's mother and family, mostly with vintage linens, ribbon and lace.


The handmade doily favor bags were filled with a classic wedding favor: white Jordan almonds. Kacie's mother also made small doily boutonnieres for guests to wear.


Instead of a sit-down dinner, there were Sonoma cheeses, fruit, and passed hors d'oeuvres, giving guests the chance to mingle and chat and dance at their leisure.




Kacie's grandmother, was not well enough to attend the wedding, but she did send her collection of silver mint julep cups for centerpieces, and gave her mother's (Kacie's great-grandmother's) engagement and wedding rings to Kacie as a gift.


A family friend baked the cake, with two layers of dark chocolate and one layer of lemon, covered in delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting, and decorated with gardenias. Along with cake, bite-sized desserts were passed around, and guests helped themselves at the gourmet coffee and cocoa bar with Kahlua, chocolate shavings, peppermint sticks, Torani syrups, fresh whipped cream. Yum!


Kacie and Brandon spent a month before the wedding painting the house and barn, sewing, and stringing lights in trees.


Hundreds of string lights and votives created a magical, romantic glow once the sun went down.




Kacie and Brandon are singers - they met in their high school choir and have been together ever since! - so music played a large part in the wedding. Kacie's sister sang a song she wrote during the wedding ceremony, everyone danced the night away to the music of the swing band, Stompy Jones, and toward the end of the night, Kacie and Brandon sang a duet. Then Brandon sang a song to Kacie that he had written about her.




After their first dance (to I've Got the World on a String), Kacie changed into a dress that was custom-made by Tawny of Amour Sans Anguish, made entirely of vintage doilies! Kacie's dad built the beautiful checkered dance floor himself. With all of the handmade details and creative touches, Kacie and Brandon were able to pull this beautiful wedding together for under $20,000. That may not sound like a budget wedding after our last two real wedding features, but for such a glamorous event full of so many details - and in the Bay Area! - it is quite an impressive feat.

Congratulations Kacie and Brandon - and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful wedding and all of these details with Snippet & Ink. And thank you to Brandon's sister, Lisa Dick, and Kacie's childhood friend, Dawn Heumann, for sharing these pretty pretty pictures.