turn your invitations into a keepsake with a custom illustration

Struggling to figure out the best way to make your invitations feel personalized to your wedding venue? A venue sketch is a wonderful option! Whether you’re getting married in your hometown chapel, a cathedral downtown, or a private estate, a custom illustration of the wedding venue is the perfect way to give guests a glimpse of your big day. This small detail can make a big impact! So why settle for ordinary when you can elevate your wedding stationery to extraordinary with a custom illustration?

 

 

Your wedding is a collection of carefully chosen details, each with a story to tell. A custom venue sketch can capture one of the most significant details of your day—the place where you’ll say “I do” or celebrate with loved ones—and infuse it into your stationery in a way that feels both elegant and deeply personal. The illustration gives any invitation suite a fine art quality—perfect if you want your wedding stationery to stand out without being over the top.

From a local whiskey distillery to a villa in Italy, I’ve created venue sketches for brides worldwide and’d love to draw a custom illustration for your wedding.

One of the first venue sketch invitations I created was this design featuring the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana. The illustration of the Basilica is the highlight of this letterpress invitation suite! It’s featured prominently on the main invitation to the ceremony and printed on a tiny tag attached to the suite with a ribbon.

 

Not getting married at Notre Dame? No problem! The beauty of these designs is that I can create a custom illustration of your venue wherever it is- like this invitation for Emily and Steven’s wedding at Arlington Hall at Turtle Creek Park in Dallas, Texas.

For Andrea and Chris’s Bronx Zoo wedding, we created a detailed illustration of the historic Center building in New York, adding a dash of elegance with black letterpress and gold foil details.

While the illustration is commonly featured on the invitation, it could also be printed on the reception card, an envelope liner, or a save the date.

Don’t forget about your wedding day stationery! Incorporating a venue illustration into your ceremony programs or menu cards makes these keepsakes even more special.

 

I love the idea of using a venue sketch for destination wedding invitations! Guests will be delighted by the custom illustration of the location they’ll be visiting soon, and it makes those invitations a precious keepsake and souvenir. When Erin and Peter tied the knot in Tuscany, we used a sketch of Borgo Stomennano on the main invitation. Paired with a floral vellum folder and deep hunter green, the invitation felt as lush as the Italian countryside.

Love the idea of using a custom venue sketch on your wedding invitations? The samples shown here are just a few of the illustrations I’ve done in the past. I’d love to sketch your wedding location! Click here to see additional existing venue illustration invitations.

Whether it’s a nod to your ceremony location or a dreamy reminder of your reception spot, a custom venue sketch makes each piece of stationery a little more you.

If you’re ready to add a personal touch to your wedding stationery, I’d love to help you bring your vision to life. From selecting the perfect placement and style to finding the most memorable angle of your venue, I’ll guide you every step of the way to make sure your sketch is everything you’ve imagined—and more.

Considering a custom venue sketch or simply curious about the process? Reach out anytime! I’m here to help answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and create something uniquely yours that’s as special as your big day.