With a business name like, ‘The Blackline Bottega’, you would be right in assuming Lauren works predominantly in black and white. But a common misconception about her work, and monochromatic stationery as a whole, is that it is synonymous with traditional, elegant, evening affairs. And to that, she says, absolutely not! She’s here today to let you know how black and white stationery works beautifully for any wedding theme and style!

Black and white stationery is the perfect foundation from which to build your wedding; regardless of whether your wedding palette is black and white or if you plan on introducing another colour palette on the day. We’ve executed monochromatic stationery for an array of weddings;  tailoring the calligraphy, hand-lettering and design of the stationery to suit the venue and overall mood of the day.

Image: Lucie Studio

COASTAL WEDDINGS

With beautiful views and sun-kissed water in the line of sight, black and white stationery has been a  popular choice for couples wanting to make sure that the view they’re celebrating against isn’t compromised by their decor. Creating stationery for couples like Christine and Mitchell, who celebrated their day at Sergeants Mess against the backdrop of Sydney’s Chowder Bay, meant ensuring that the suite felt modern, clean and relaxed. A key aspect of creating monochromatic stationery for a coastal wedding is ensuring the designs looks light and modern; as anything too heavy or complicated detracts from the setting and is at odds with the relaxing lull of the ocean.

Image: Lucie Studio

CONTEMPORARY

Image: Dan Evans Photography

With the elevated backdrop of a winery, art gallery or contemporary space, black and white stationery can be used to soften a space without introducing new palettes. For venues where the existing colour scheme is monochromatic, I would encourage the use of textures or opaque materials to soften and inject ‘some romance’; think linen, acetate or cotton-rich card stocks and rounded or arched stationery. Lisa and Hien tied their love knot at Mitolo Wines, McLaren Vale; a  stunning, contemporary winery with black exteriors and clean straight lines. In order to blend the couples’ romantic vision with the stark architecture, we introduced frosted acrylic signage to create layering between the florals and dark exteriors. The lettering was kept simple and clean  — inspired by the flurry of an artists’ signature — and the design was kept elevated with a clean serif typeface. Focus on making the stationery blend softly with the space, rather than trying to make it the hero of it.

Image: Dan Evans Photography

MODERN BOHEMIAN

Images: Matt Godkin 

There was once a time when “Bohemian Wedding” would have been conjured up visions of barefoot brides, teepees and DIY flower crowns; but the theme has been evolving. Modern bohemian weddings are elevated and give a subtle nod to minimalism; building from a  monochromatic or neutral palette and incorporating textured decor such as earthenware, antique glassware, agate stones, shells and crystals. Ensuring the stationery is soft and delicate for a modern bohemian wedding is key. For Eloise and Bobby’s modern bohemian affair at La Porte Space,  Sydney, the stationery featured organic, delicate hand-lettering and a rounded, all lower case serif typeface on deckle-edge papers. Texture is key for Modern bohemian weddings, so using stone/agate as a table setting, helps to create layers of texture across the table. Carefully consider the balance of soft and hard textures; matte and shiny; and the tactile quality of your stationery and decor. A  modern bohemian wedding is a sensorial experience.

Images: Matt Godkin 

EUROPEAN AFFAIR

Image: Leila Scarfiotti

There is absolutely no reason not to inject a little drama and personality into your monochromatic wedding; particularly when you’re tying your love knot overseas and incorporating elements of your destination’s culture into your day. Kate and Jon wed in Florence, Italy and wanted their lettering to feel modern and organic. We gave a nod to the artistic history of Florence using deckle-edge papers and created organic, line-drawn symbols as a way of marking various events and locations for wedding guests. By pairing this back with serif fonts, we ensured that the stationery felt grounded in the centuries’ old venue where the reception was held without feeling traditional and stiff. The beauty of European wedding venues is that they often come with history and beauty that requires little adornment, so focus on making your stationery complimentary and styling relatively simple. The key to bringing some modernity into a wedding like Kate and Jon’s is incorporating some contemporary details such as the line drawings and modern hand-lettering style we used.

Images: Leila Scarfiotti

MONOCHROME STATIONERY FOR A COLOURFUL WEDDING

Header & Image: Jarrad Seng

Whilst the previous weddings featured stationery indicative of the wedding day to come (black and white stationery for a black and white wedding), this doesn’t always have to be the case. Using monochromatic lettering or calligraphy on the wedding invitation can give your guests a hint of the wedding-day vibe without giving away too much (and allows you to make last-minute changes to the finer details!). Abbey and Ben, who were married at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills continued the playful monochromatic calligraphy from their wedding invitations through to their wedding menus and signage; revealing details about their day slowly and creating consistency across their wedding.  The black and white stationery grounded the tonal palette of soft greys, whites, pinks and peaches featured on their wedding day. When requiring a menu that will be the hero of the tablescape, go big or go home — making sure the menu is eye-grabbing, printed on thick cardstock, and sized proportionately to the plate.

Image: Jarrad Seng

CLASSIC & ELEGANT AFFAIR

Image: The Blackline Bottega

Lastly, there is black and white stationery for the more traditional, elegant, monochrome wedding.  After all, a black and white theme lends itself wonderfully to a black-tie affair. Using more traditional calligraphy styles and character forms helps set the tone for the rest of the stationery and wedding day. Combining this with traditional printing processes like letterpress on thick cotton-rich cardstock creates a timeless finish and gives a beautiful tactile quality to the stationery. We encourage couples with this theme to alternate between white on black, and black on white stationery, and to consider how their names in calligraphy can be used in different ways to create cohesive stationery that doesn’t feel like more of the same. For Catherine and Joshua’s engagement and wedding stationery, we made their names in calligraphy work hard for them across the suite but continuously changed the layout, colour and typesetting to ensure that the suite felt like it was evolving. The engagement stationery featured lots of white space and unconventional typesetting whilst the stationery for the wedding adhered to more traditional designs. When planning a black and white wedding, a circular menu on a black or white plate can help to build layers on the table without having to introduce new colours and tones.

Image: The Blackline Bottega

About The Blackline Bottega: The Blackline Bottega is a Sydney-based, creative studio specialising in graphic design, calligraphy & hand lettering for bridal clients, luxury and lifestyle brands. Founded by Creative Director Lauren Hung in 2014, the studio works with both local & international clients to capture their distinctive story in beautiful design that elevates their brand or event.