Start of The Process

Sample initial layout drawing for mood board

Today, I am taking a little time out from working in a job to record a little about our process here at BOYGIRLBOY. I have just been putting the finishing touches on some artwork that will eventually become part of a mood board for a lovely bride and groom who will be tie-ing the knot in April next year. 

We begin initial development of the design for our seating plans almost straight away but the real meat and bones of the work really begins when the invitations are ordered because, when that happens, the wedding party will be certain of the overall look and theme of their big day and the approximate number of guests. 

I received the invitation on the post last week beautifully presented in a lovely cream box and containing the invitation made with crisp, cream card and tied with a sage, satin ribbon. Exquisite. I derive from this much useful information. The colours: sage and cream, the style: very simple, crisp and elegant and the fonts: one is a swirling calligraphic script and the second, capitalised in bold roman sans serif. If I cannot match this font exactly, I will liaise with the stationers to get it just right. 

The number of invitations dispatched is eighty and I know from the bride that the tables will most likely seat ten people each so we are looking at eight tables. Now we have everything we need to begin on the mood board. 

This seating plan will be double mounted so I will match the inner mount a closely as possible to the sage and keep the main mount a textured cream. I am still waiting for the type of flower the bride has chosen for her bouquet so the photo aperture remains empty for now. Some couples like to include an engagement photo or other picture of themselves together but this bride is currently toying with "a white or cream bloom" to be confirmed. I will design a layout, similar the one above, for them to consider together with samples of mountboard, fonts, and frame profiles for the final desicions. 

The mood board will be sent out six to eight weeks before the date in April when the final guest list has more substance and the number of tables have been finalised. At this point we will begin on the actually production of the seating plan itself but the final guest list will not be inserted until seven to ten days before the wedding ready for dispatch to the venue.  I will revisit this project on the blog in future weeks as the seating plan takes shape.