Little q Designs' wedding invites exude elegant restraint

Sometimes, when I look at wedding invitations, I just see expensive, uninspired stationery, overly elaborate and choking with frills. But when I look at the new ready-to-mail wedding invitations from Georgetown stationery company Little q Designs, I feel calm.

Perhaps that's because Little q designer Carly Marasco creates her invitations with restraint and an intuitive appreciation of good design. "My approach is organic," says Marasco, who has been inspired by a multitude of forms, such as "the structure of a dogwood blossom, the graceful arc of a Moorish doorway, the allure of a French flower boutique."

The 2008 ready-to-mail collection features 14 designs for couples who like the look of custom invitations but don't have the time or budget for one-of-a-kind stationery.

One of my favorite designs from this collection is the two-color, letterpress-printed Bombay ($938 for 100 invitations), in which flowers and leaves are entwined in perfect symmetry. Stone-gray ink can be paired with either popping aquamarine or subtle olive accents.

The London ($1,126 for 100) letterpress-printed invitations feature beautiful embossed details that evoke the laciness of traditional wedding invitations, but in a much more understated and subtly feminine way. Black, deep red or metallic gold ink is striking against a stark white background.

The two-color, letterpress-printed Kyoto ($939 for 100) is fun and bold, with a repeating hexagon background that perfectly displays Marasco's affinity for pattern. The floral elements are accented by Swarovski rhinestones, lending sparkle and dimension to the Asian-inspired invitations.

Green-minded brides and grooms will be happy to know that Marasco's inspired invitations are also eco-friendly. "Little q Designs proves that printing can be kind and beautiful too," says the designer, who uses 100-percent cotton and Forest Stewardship Council-certified papers and soy-based inks. Little q also partners with printers who recycle their ink waste.

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