Acts of Love | Letters by J

No one knows finding the silver lining and acting in love like Jamie Lo, founder of custom bridal stationary brand Letters by J, who like many, has had her wedding plans postponed until later in the year. Whether you're newly engaged, or have found yourself with a bit of extra time until your wedding day, Jamie shared with us her advice on all things wedding stationary, and finding the silver lining with special stationary touches you can add to your day with the little extra planning time you may have.

 

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do? 

Hello I am Jamie, the J behind Letters By J; a Graphic Designer, Capricorn at heart, amateur plant mum and green tea enthusiast. Based on the beautiful Northern Beaches, I specialise in designing custom wedding and event stationery needs for your special day. My work is inspired by refined minimalism, delicate typography and illustration, luxe printing techniques and beautiful paper stock. I am a strong advocate for print mediums and have an affinity with paper textures - there is something nostalgic about it that oozes sophistication and sets the tone for your event. At the heart of Letters By J is my desire to design beautiful, memorable stationery to complement your story and your special day.

What is your favourite part of your work?  

My favourite part of the creative process is experimenting with typographic treatments and creating engaging designs for people to highlight their event. When it comes to weddings, I wholeheartedly feel honoured to be contributing to someone’s special day, helping to complete the overall experience and journey from the save the dates through to wedding day pieces and finally thank you cards. Seeing all the final elements come together in their styled environments, such as signage and place cards, is the most rewarding, bubbly, butterflies-in-the-tummy feeling. 

  

What is your advice when it comes to the final touches, such as paper stock and luxury finishings?  

There are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing your final touches for your stationery, from foiling to beautiful embossing to luxury paper stocks, and they all produce stunning results. As a Graphic Designer my goal is to guide couples in achieving their thoughts and feelings visually. I would highly recommend doing some research beforehand and deciphering what themes, colours, typography and paper finishes you are inspired by. Setting aside a budget for your invitations and stationery will also assist in the decision making. Ultimately, the most important thing to consider is your personal style and how you would like this to shine visually. Your invitations are your first point of contact with your guests, so this will help set the tone for your event. 

When should couples be sending out their save the date/wedding invitations? 

I would recommend sending your save the dates out approximately 1 year before the big day, especially if you have guests who will be traveling. My recommendation for wedding invitations is around 3 - 5 months before the wedding and allow at least 4 weeks before the wedding for your RSVP date. This will allow plenty of time to finalise your guest list and customise your wedding day stationery such as seating charts and place cards.

 

Now that some couples may have a bit more time before their special day, what are some unique/different ways to incorporate stationary into the day?

There is always a silver lining to every situation, so utilise this time to come up with creative ways to personalise your wedding even more. For example, instead of using table numbers for your reception, consider using travel destinations as your table names; suburbs or cities that have played a sentimental role throughout your relationship. Maybe where you got engaged or your first overseas destination together. Adding that personal touch can make your reception stationery that much more special.  

What are you seeing more of these days - digital invites or traditional paper? Are many couples combining the two? 

Digital invitations, websites and emails have definitely gained popularity over the years, especially if you are working on a budget. However, I also believe that couples are opting for the traditional, tactile invitations and combining these with digital platforms such as email RSVPs and hashtags. The two platforms create the perfect partnership when it comes to accessibility and organisation too. They are chalk and cheese, but complement each other very well. All of my invitation designs can be used digitally too, so there is flexibility in how you can communicate.

  

What advice would you give to couples who have had to postpone their wedding this year?

My heart goes out to all the couples who have had to postpone their wedding due to the pandemic this year - my fiancé and I are currently experiencing this ourselves. This is such an emotional and challenging call to make, whether you had just started wedding planning or you were moments away from celebrating with friends and family. In times like these, it is important to stay hopeful, stay positive and remember that the wedding industry is working collectively to help couples reconcile their new wedding needs. If your invitations have already been sent out, no need to worry, there are a plethora of wedding day pieces that can still be designed and customised to accommodate your new date and/or venue.