Creating 14k Gold: What went in to Designing Vanessa Williams' Invitation

When global celebrity Vanessa Williams approached Adorn Wedding Invitations to design her Egyptian themed wedding invitations, the team was flattered and could not wait to start brainstorming creations that would surely mirror the grandeur of the luxurious ceremony. After an epic three-month journey of design and production work, the team crafted something Vanessa describes as “a beautiful piece of art”.

A Captivating Love Story
Looking out across the blanket blue river with her daughter, three continents from home, Vanessa was blissfully unaware that she was soon to fall in love with an American accountant, named Jim Skrip who was aboard the same cruise ship.  

Jim and Vanessa met in a moment of pure serendipity and quickly came to realize that they were both from the same place – New York State.

Amongst the gorgeous backdrop of the Egyptian landscape, Jim and Vanessa found love and each other. This sacred memory has stayed with Vanessa and Jim ever since, serving as inspiration behind their stunning wedding ceremony

The Invitations: Capturing the Magic

Vanessa and Jim needed a company that would be able to capture the unique essence of their design, and a company that would also mirror the luxury of their ceremony.

UK business, Adorn Invitations, were the perfect choice and although capturing the magic of this particular story was no easy feat, their design team was fuelled by the romance of Vanessa and Jim’s love.

Drawing on three key Inspirations; a gold theme, Vanessa’s gown and a shortlisted mood board – the team worked for months to create a fitting design. 

Using the intricate lace detailing on Vanessa’s gown, the team hand drew an exact replica of the outline and then developed a single shape which, when multiplied, created a seamless and uniform pattern.

This was then transferred onto a program which would allow the shape to be laser cut onto all of the pockets on the outside of the invitation.

The Colours of Romance and Egypt

The chosen colour that would grace the invitation and matching accessories was Pantone’s colour of the year – Marsala. With deep, earthy and exotic tones, the colour beautifully emulates passion and romance.

Golden, shimmering highlights were also chosen to contrast and glisten against the rich backdrop of Marsala. Beautifully mirroring the Egyptian environment of where the couple first met, the gold utilized in the foiled lettering and encasing.

The End Result

Perhaps the most extravagant element of the design, the 14-carat gold lotus flower acted as a signature of the invitation collection. The flower which delicately sealed the front of the invitations were all individually hand applied to symbolize new awakening and blossoming love in Vanessa and Jim’s relationship.

Sealed with a wax stamp and personalized logo, the luxurious invitations were finally complete, capturing the magic of Vanessa and Jim’s love beautifully. 

Vanessa and Jim married last year on the fourth of July, and described the invitations as “a huge hit with [their] guests”!