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Jenny Milwid is the creative force behind Leveret & Hare. We've been an admirer of her calligraphy and lettering from the moment we caught a glimpse of her Instagram feed. And lucky us, she was all on board when we approached her about collaborating on a new wedding invitation suite!

Pairing Jenny's modern style with letterpress was a dream come true. We are thrilled to introduce Jenny’s hand lettered suite—an invitation and a save the date—to our wedding line. As part of this exciting reveal, we asked Jenny to tell us a little more about herself.

Can you tell us a little about how you got started in calligraphy and lettering? What first got you interested?
I’ve always been interested in letterforms, but the first time I tried calligraphy was to create invitations for my wedding. I enjoyed it so much that I started practicing regularly. I then met Erin + Rose of Forêt and I told them that I wanted to pursue it more in a professional context. They were kind enough to give me a chance with one of their projects, and the rest is history! Without the inspiration and encouragement from these talented ladies, I would not be doing what I love today.

(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)

How would you describe your style?
I have a few different styles that I use depending on aesthetic of the project. I generally lean towards modern calligraphy, but take cues from classical calligraphy, especially Copperplate, in my line weights and rhythm.

(photo by White Loft Studio)

What is the most memorable or challenging project you’ve taken on?
This past December I worked with the award winning online shop, Eat Boutique, to create signage for their 2015 holiday market. They wanted to integrate my lettering in a variety of ways throughout the market, and the trickiest piece was creating the window signage. There were 10 windows (and 3 doors), approximately 5’x4’ in size, each. This was the first time I’ve designed and hand-lettered on such a large scale (and on a short timeline!), as the majority of my projects are 8.5”x11” or smaller. It was a great learning experience in terms of thinking through the design and application process (such as hand painting letters on windows backwards). You can watch this video to really get a sense for the space and environment we created.

(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)

What are some creative tools/aides you cannot work without?
A pen holder, nibs (I love the Brause 361 Steno Nib aka Blue Pumpkin and Zebra G), a light table, Rhodia blank and grid paper, and Sumi ink. On the technology side, it is my Macbook Air and recent addition iPad Pro + Pencil.

(photo by First Mate)

Which calligraphers and/or artists have inspired you the most?
There are many inspirational calligraphers out there. Here are a few that have been particularly influential: Seb Lester, master penman Jake Weidman, Written Word Calligraphy, Mon Voir, Molly Jacques, Jessica Hische, and Dana Tanamachi.

Still can’t get enough? You can find more recent work by Leveret & Hare in Style Me Pretty and Boston Weddings. Thanks, Jenny!

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Before we rush forward into the new year, I thought I would look back at some of our custom wedding projects from 2015. The best part of my job is getting to know so many wonderful clients, each with their own unique style and vision for their big day. It's not uncommon for me to sit down with (or Facetime in!) entire families to talk about what this all means for a couple’s stationery. Other times I get to "meet" our clients solely through email and phone conversations. In the end, all that matters is creating pieces that are inspired entirely by their ideas, voices, and of course, love for one another. Thanks to all our wedding clients who befriended and trusted us enough to take on this task. Read on for a few of our most memorable letterpress wedding invitations to date ...

GO BOLD OR GO HOME. Liz and Tucker weren't afraid to speak volumes with their non-traditional neon wedding stationery. With the help of Alexis, the wondergal behind The Little Things, they were planning a celebration on the Harbor Islands complete with a New England lobster bake and donut bar. I love how we paired their affinity for clean lines and minimalism with slightly cheeky copy that perfectly captured their fun-loving personalities. 

MODERN ROMANCE. This special collaboration was inspired by Kathryn and Jake’s love of Sonoma, resulting in a wedding suite that felt natural, romantic, and modern all at the same time. For the letterpress pieces we blended blush and white Italian papers and modern brush lettering (by Chelsea Petaja). Can't get enough? Check out the full suite (and fabric invitations!) on Oh So Beautiful Paper. (Hand addressed envelope provided by Leveret and Hare.)

NATURAL FORMS. Samantha and Michael had a farm-to-table wedding off the shores of Lake Champlain. They were inspired by the shapes of eucalyptus leaves they were planning to use as part of their wedding décor. We chose moody blue and sage inks to coordinate with Samantha’s bouquet. The simplicity of the natural elements and clean typography worked together to hint at a beautiful celebration by the lake and Green Mountains.

HANDDRAWN HOMETOWN. Lauren and Pete enthusiastically approached us about illustrating a view of Marblehead, Massachusetts for their invitation. Deb’s family lives in this North Shore town and so she got to drawing right away, nailing its seaside charm and landmarks. The end result was a heartwarming suite that felt like home. When you receive emails from clients that begin with “it’s like Christmas morning!” you know you’re on the right track!

SOMETHING BLUE. Even though Sonya and Chris were too far to meet in person, I was taken in by their warm personalities and southern charm. For their black tie wedding at the beautifully restored historic Swan House in Atlanta, they chose traditional text with accents of flourished calligraphy (by Jan Hutchinson) printed in silver. Incorporating hints of pale blue added a sweet touch that kept with the romantic and timeless look.

BEACHY REDEFINED. Shilpa and Lars were planning a destination wedding overlooking the beaches of Bermuda. And while they were excited to lounge in the pink sand and catch up on their golf game, their invitations needed to convey their elegant and formal affair. They chose a traditional layout with a custom motif printed in warm metallic gray and sage. A belly band with their initials completed their classic suite.

I could go on and on about many more wedding projects we've enjoyed, all with their own stories. But for now, I'll save them for future blog posts. If you're interested in learning more about working with us on custom letterpress stationery and want to see more, email us at weddings[AT]smudgeink[DOT]com anytime!

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We love you too, Boston! We are so grateful for all of our fans. Because of your support, Boston Magazine named us Best Wedding Stationery in their Best of Boston issue (still pinching ourselves!). Working one-on-one with couples on custom letterpress invitations and announcements was how Smudge Ink got its start. More than 10 years later, we continue to enjoy and cherish this part of our job. Thank you for inviting us to play a part in your celebrations all over Boston and beyond.

With Best of Boston on our minds, we did a small roundup of local spots and establishments that we find quite remarkable. Here are the winners of our unofficial poll:

BEST BOOKSTORE (Sarah): Brookline Booksmith isn't just my favorite bookstore, it's one of my favorite places on the planet! Whether I'm in the mood for a great children's book, classic, or new release, their collection never disappoints. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and makes excellent recommendations. Be sure to check out their author event series. (Also among the Boston Magazine winners!).

BEST COFFEE SHOP (Rheanna): Hands down, PS Gourmet Coffee in South Boston has the best ice coffee flavors. It’s not called home of the “bucket” for nothing.

BEST GYM (Clayton). Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville. Why? Indoor Rock Climbing. Free classes such as yoga and "broga" with purchase of a membership. Free trade coffee. Ping pong tables. Monthly complimentary beer tasting. Super awesome and friendly staff!

BEST RECORD STORE (Margaret): Deep Thoughts in Jamaica Plain is not only a great source for experimental music but also hosts great shows. (Also among the Boston Magazine winners!).

BEST FOOD TRUCK (Henry): Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese has turned an ordinary menu item into one of my all-time favorites. Go for the Green Muenster which has guac AND bacon on it. And I dare you to resist their french fries with rosemary and gorgonzola cheese.

BEST BRUNCH (Emily): Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain. I'm also really digging the art on display right now.

BEST GROCERY STORE (Sabrina): Thanks to H-Mart in Central Square, my fridge is stocked with kimchi, tofu, frozen dumplings, and other essentials. I end up going there a lot during the summer. My husband loves to bring their marinated beef bulgogi to BBQ parties.

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TWO WEEKS. That's the (extremely short) amount of time Clayton took to imagine and impeccably craft together his sister's wedding invitations. About nine in ten of his questions were met by incredulous looks from us. You want to do what? You need these finished by when? But in his ever upbeat and determined way, he turned his sister's love of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree into one of the most extraordinary invitation suites. From Clayton's rustic hand lettering, fold-out map, custom invitation pocket right down to the calligraphy and coordinating stamps, you could not be more excited to celebrate with everyone at his family's almond farm! We're especially thrilled you can read about and see more details of Clayton's labor of love on one of our favorite blogs, Oh So Beautiful Paper. 

When I asked Clayton if he had anything to add, he was quick to say he could never have possibly done this alone. While he left sweet gifts for all of us here at Smudge, he also wanted to leave a special thanks for his family. 

Thanks for contributing your two cents every step of the way in the design process. As much as I get annoyed, thanks for the constant reminders in the importance of food and sleep in the mania of procrastinated projects. Thanks for your love and support! Thanks Mom, Andrea, and Henry for the suite assembly line that ensured the invite's timely delivery. Thanks Ramsey and Liz for exchanging vows two weeks ago allowing this familial assembly line to successfully convene. Thank you Aunt Marilyn for the beautiful calligraphy on the envelopes! You and your uni-ball sign um-153 broad point white pen left a beautiful mark on the wedding suite! Thank you again Aunt Marilyn for inspiring me to create these invites as a gift to my sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law ... much as you do in offering your calligraphy services to the newlyweds you encounter in your life. Finally, thank you California Sunshine for reinvigorating me with the well-needed dose of vitamin D that I received from you while on my short visit to the West Coast.

Now hurry up and get married Andrea! I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to hit the open bar and dance. Love you, Drea!

- Clayton

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From day one, there was no question in my mind that we needed a wedding planner. Don’t get me wrong. It’s our wedding and of course we wanted to be hands on and involved. But honestly, there is something to be said for having an experienced professional to curate the options before for you and keep the decisions moving along. John and I didn’t want to worry about pulling every last detail together—and this is coming from a details person!

My first piece of advice to brides and grooms: please consider hiring a wedding planner! And my second piece of advice? Only hire someone whose style you admire, humor and work ethic you get, and company you enjoy. You need to find someone that you can trust entirely with your vision and will be your biggest advocate. Lucky for us, this was Jessie Baca.

Because of Jessie, our wedding exceeded our expectations in more ways than one (to come in future posts!). She didn’t hesitate to reply when I asked her the following question to help couples get a head start …

1. Budget

It is most helpful to start with the budget and have a good understanding of what will be spent on the wedding. Often couples have a unrealistic understanding of what a wedding entails money-wise. I think it is important to manage the expectation. Ultimately, I like to map out the budget so that your money is spent on the couples’ priorities and most importantly, not send them off to their honey moon completely in debt! The budget will affect every aspect of planning, so it is important to get a good grasp of this early in the planning process.

2. Priorities

The next thing I like to get a good sense of is the couples’ priorities. I usually ask couples what they want out of their wedding (besides starting a new and blissful life together!) I ask if they want their guests to come away having the best dance party of their whole lives, the best meal of their whole lives, the most heartfelt ceremony of their whole lives, or to have been in the most beautiful setting of their whole lives. Usually the answer is all of the above, but for the most part couples tend to lean to one persuasion or another.

3. Vision

I love to start with couples by asking what they envision their wedding day to be like. Often, it is just a “feeling” and I believe there is a way to craft an event to capture that feeling. Whether it be a rambling free-for-all or a sit-down ballroom affair, each “feeling” requires certain logistics, timing, and aesthetic to execute. Getting to know the clients is the best part of the planning process. After all, understanding their styles and preferences helps me to execute their vision on their wedding day. I ask about where they like to shop, their favorite restaurants, how they decorate their home. Anything that gives me a good sense of their style will help to get a consistent thread throughout the whole wedding and be sure to infuse the wedding with the personalities of the couple.

Thanks, Jessie!

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