Today we are celebrating our friend Frances Ledgewood of Ledgewood Fine Stationery in Harvest, Alabama. With an impressive twenty-year career, Frances is a true luminary in the wedding industry. Below, Frances shares the passion and inspiration behind the company and team’s success.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’ve been married for ten wonderful years, a testament to my belief in the enduring power of love and marriage. My family is my cornerstone, including my three delightful children who fill my life with joy and laughter. Not to forget my two Persian cats, who add a touch of elegance and charm to my daily life.
Q: What sets you apart in the wedding industry? Ledgewood Fine Stationery understands that planning a wedding can be both exciting and overwhelming, and are dedicated to making the process of creating wedding invitations as joyful and seamless as possible. My collaborative approach allows me to work closely with brides, guiding them through each step of the design process. This partnership not only results in a design that exceeds expectations but also creates a memorable and enjoyable experience for our clients.
Wedding invitations are more than just pieces of paper; they are keepsakes that capture the essence of a couple’s love story. Ledgewood Fine Stationery understands the sentimental value that these invitations hold, and are honored to play a part in creating memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. Our passion for paper is fueled by the knowledge that our creations will become treasured mementos, serving as a tangible reminder of a couple’s special day.
Q: What inspires you? We believe that every wedding invitation is a work of art. Our passion for paper crafts runs deep, and it is this fervor that drives us to create intentional, handcrafted designs that capture the essence of each couple’s unique love story. We draw inspiration from our client’s stories, personalities, and wedding uses to craft designs that are not only visually stunning but also deeply personal. Whether it is the luxurious feel of cotton paper or the subtle shimmer of a beveled edge, Ledgewood Fine Stationery believes that the right paper can elevate an invitation from ordinary to extraordinary.
Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do? Building meaningful relationships is truly at the heart of what we do at Ledgewood Fine Stationery, and we couldn’t be more passionate about it. The journey of crafting wedding invitations is not just a creative endeavor for us—it’s a year-long tapestry of collaboration, communication, and connection with our clients. Each conversation, every shared vision, and the countless revisions turn into a beautiful relationship that transcends the boundaries of business. The rewarding aspect of this process is seeing how these bonds grow over time. It’s witnessing the excitement in our voices as we bring dreams to life, the trust client place in us to capture the essence of their special day, and the joy that comes from delivering something truly unique and personal. These interactions are the lifeblood of Ledgewood Fine Stationery; they fuel our creativity and push us to excel in every detail, knowing that each invitation is a piece of our story.
Q: How has working with Bella Figura impacted your business? The foundation of any exquisite wedding invitation is the paper itself. We are passionate about sourcing the finest quality paper— and for that we love Bella Figura. Their vast variety of paper textures, weights, and finishes are each chosen to enhance the overall aesthetic of the invitation. From traditional letterpress to modern digital printing, we carefully select the technique that best suits the design.
We created these colorful holiday cards with our friends at Paper Caper. Our Baldwin and Dahlman holiday samples provided the inspiration. We used the layout and fonts of the Baldwin, combined with the whimsical warm foil tones from the Dahlman. The ornament foil liner pattern is printed in champane matte on metallic rose quartz paper. Metallic red thread perfectly matches the red shine foil edge.
foil stamping: red shine | pink pearl shine | champagne matte | fonts: boheme floral, classico bold | paper: bella cotton white 2-ply | card size: sq-5 | foil edging: red shine | metallic thread: red | liner: ornaments pattern in champagne matte on rose quartz | envelope: bella cotton white | customization #69497
Zoe and Joe worked with our friends at No Regrets to create their lovely, fresh save the dates. We created an interlocking monogram. French blue and garden letterpress are used on the card, with garden edge painting enhancing the green elements. The envelope features a digitally printed version of our Augusta pattern, perfect for a summer wedding.
letterpress inks: garden + french blue | fonts: wordless script + argent + 1769 display | paper: bell a smooth cotton white 2-ply | card size: sq-6 | edge painting: garden | liner: augusta pattern in french blue | envelope: bella cotton white | customization #71056
Elissa and Michael worked with our friends at Creative Parties to create their lovely floral invitation suite. We created a custom pattern using our rose 2 + 3 motifs. This pattern was debossed on the invitation card, and repeated in white on light gray on the envelope liner. The cards were letterpressed in taupe, a beautiful compliment to the light gray envelope and liner. Corner rounding the cards added a romantic touch.
letterpress ink: taupe + blind deboss | foil stamping: white matte | fonts: adobe garamond pro, mozart script regular | paper: bella cotton white 1-ply + 2-ply + light gray 1-ply | invites size: f-8 | corners: rounded | liner: custom pattern in white digital on light gray | envelope: light gray | customization #71142
We worked with our friends at Custom by Casie to create these beautiful plum holiday cards. The card and envelope were printed in gold matte foil stamping, on lush plum paper. An overlay featuring a digital photo print, and gold matte foil was added. The custom bee- patterned liner is printed in gold matte foil as well.
Amanda and Cole worked with our friends at Lee’s Paperie to bring their gorgeous wedding suite to life. Our white handmade cotton stock is used throughout. Our Toussaint sample inspired the design, complete with blind embossing and desert letterpress. The handmade envelope lined in velvet creates a luxurious mix of textures.
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Shannon and Cesar through our NYC studio to create their beautiful invitation and program. We’ll let Shannon take it from here to share more about their wedding details!
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A BIT ABOUT YOUR WEDDING AND YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE EVENT? Our wedding took place this past August in San Francisco, CA. My husband is from the Bay Area, whereas I’m from NYC. Family is most important to us, so when planning the wedding, we really focused on inclusivity and comfort of guests, while executing a classic, elegant affair. Our ceremony took place in a Catholic church, and the cocktails & reception was at the historic Westin St. Francis Hotel in downtown San Francisco. Our biggest inspiration wasn’t a person or place, rather a sentiment: love. We wanted everyone–many who traveled far–to experience a warm and sentimental environment, while having fun!
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR COUPLES CURRENTLY PLANNING A WEDDING? Ask your most valued people (family, friends, godparents, etc.) what’s important to them. You may not be able to promise them everything, but at least there was communication. You don’t want people to be upset or disappointed the day before or day of wedding when they find out that xyz did/didn’t happen. At least you can say, “well it was discussed and we determined what’s best for us.” It saves any headaches or hurt feelings, and it allows people to feel heard.
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR INVITATION DESIGN & INK COLORS? We needed a bilingual invitation, so we saw a trifold design that Mariana showed us–it was perfect. She gave us the idea of having our church drawn on the front, which mirrored church doors openings. EVERYONE complimented it and said how unique and elegant it was, even if they didn’t speak Spanish. The color was a warm white, and we had a gold ink for the church design and denim ink for the inside print. Since our wedding was in late summer, we stayed away from deep fall hues and spring pastels. We also wanted something eye catching without being flashy, to exude an air of elegance so that guests can understand the wedding was a formal event.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR WEDDING? How fast the day goes! Everyone says how quickly things move, and it’s so true! Just enjoy it.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? Walking up the aisle with my father, and seeing my husband at the altar waiting for me. It was a magical and once in a lifetime moment.
FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR BIG DAY? We LOVED our flowers. They made a difference in the church and the reception room. They brought so much life and color, and everyone complimented them. We also rented some lounge furniture for our cocktail area, which allowed people to relax and chat.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE NEWLYWEDS? We’re enjoying our new chapter and we shall see what comes next 🙂
We had the pleasure of working with Finlay and Arthur directly to create their beautiful invitations. Our Andras suite inspired the design and palette. The size and card orientation was updated to a vertical a-7. This allowed more room to showcase the crest that Finlay created at the top center of the invitation card. Acadia inks were used throughout, allowing the custom crest to be the focal point.
Kyra and Kevin worked with our friends at Blacker and Kooby to create their wedding stationery. Classic black letterpress was used throughout the suite. The invitation card features a winston die cut shape, and matching inset border in pearl shine. The rehearsal dinner invitation card also features an inset border, in letterpress. A foil stamped version of our Tristan floral design is the perfect envelope liner to complete the suite.
letterpress ink: black | foil stamping: pearl shine | fonts: velvet hammer + addington | paper: bella cotton ivory 2-ply + 1-ply | invite size: f-8 | invite shape: winston die cut, bf-59 | liner: tristan pattern in pearl shine | envelope: bella cotton ivory | customization #71137
Fairchild was an idea I thought of while going to visit my Oma in NC for Christmas last year. We watched A Christmas Carol movie together and it got me inspired to design a card that had a traditional Christmas feel and opened like a book cover, but we could see inside to view the customer’s family picture!
I first built out the framed die cut and laid out the text on the inside. Then I moved on to the font choice and the Color palette; I wanted both to feel like the movie with an 1800s Classic Christmas look with an enchanting and charming feel. I chose our beautiful new Bordeaux paper for the card, paired with the gorgeous Wine Velvet and Mink Matte foil for the envelope liner. I’ve always loved using a foil color for Christmas cards, so I chose Green Shine paired with our Burgundy Shine and Mink Matte for the illustrations. Then I created some Classic Christmas motifs; a long and lush green garland with red bows and sparkly stars. I really enjoyed the process of creating this card and I hope you find it as magical as I do!
As with all of our designs, we can customize the colors of Fairchild. Below is a mockup with Fairchild set in Red Shine, Green Shine, and Champagne Matte on Evergreen stock, with the envelope liner in Fairchild pattern with Champagne Matte on Alpine velvet. The envelope inks are set in Cardinal and Holly MJ.
We worked with our friends at Swoozie’s in Charlotte to create Cayla and Jacob’s invitation suite. Our Carmine design provided the inspiration. The fonts were updated to a more traditional pairing. A custom liner pattern was created from the poppy motifs to keep everything bright and colorful.
letterpress ink: black | digital ink: cmyk | fonts: velvet hammer + brandon grotesque | paper: bella smooth cotton bright white 1-ply | invite size: f-8 | liner: custom carmine pattern in cmyk | envelope: bella cotton white | customization #71181
We worked with our friends at Lee’s Paperie to create Sarah and Evan’s stunning suite. We created a fully custom design using fonts and colors the couple chose. The invitation is letterpressed in an ombre effect, and is edge painted to match. The events card is foil stamped in white, on chambray stock. An ombre envelope liner is the perfect finishing touch.
letterpress inks: french blue + deep blue ombre + chambray | foil stamping: white matte | fonts: gotham + ms claudy | paper: bella smooth cotton bright white 2-ply + 1-ply + chambray 1-ply | invite size: sq-7 | edge painting: french blue + deep blue ombre | liner: elegant ombre pattern in french blue + deep blue | envelope: bella cotton bright white | customization #70864