I just got back from Atlanta Market, and but even before I went I was hearing that weddings are back, and in a big way — and really, that makes perfect sense after our previous prolonged era of pandemic postponement. Not only are weddings back, but more and more brides are turning their noses up at screens and returning to in-store invitation buying. To this generation of brides, the process feels new, but to the trade, it is a return to form. And that my friends is just one reason the timing feels so fortuitous for The Slate Album.
Our Chipotle culture is all about customization, but assembling an invitation suite from an album is the stationery equivalent of being measured and fitted for a gown by a Paris atelier. Just as a couture garment does not exist until the fashion house slowly brings it to life, every last element carefully considered and crafted by hand, an invitation suite from an album follows a similar trajectory. Thus each creation that arises from its pages stands apart from its mass-market counterparts in countless ways.
Paper + gift shops that offer albums (and invitation design services) to customers bring the artistry of each of those invitation ateliers into their spaces and brands. And when it comes to houses of stationery, Oblation Papers + Press has an incredibly rich and illustrious heritage. This year, its flagship celebrates a quarter century as a stationery staple in Portland’s vibrant Pearl District.
Appropriately enough, Oblation’s seeds were planted in the first days of founders Jennifer and Ron Rich’s marriage. As Jennifer recalled for me in this Stationery Trends Retail Profile, “We began our life in handmade paper on our honeymoon on the Oregon coast, tossing sea pods and grasses into a blender, and spreading the rough-hewn sheets of paper across every horizontal surface of our rented studio by the sea.”
The newlyweds sold that paper at markets and craft shows before opening Oblation Papers & Press a few blocks from the famed Powell’s Books. The destination shop offers letterpress printing as well as hand-papermaking on site, and even sells refurbished typewriters! But even before its flagship opened its doors, Oblation released its first letterpress wedding album in 1995 at National Stationery Show in New York City.
Over the ensuing 28 years, they’ve released a half dozen more albums for clients to share with their circles of letterpress lovers. Each design within represents not just the evolution of the Oblation brand, but its understanding of what discerning couples are seeking, and how to best deliver it.
True to form then, the Slate Album combines sustainable letterpress and gold foil options on one-hundred percent recycled cotton handmade paper, made daily in Oblation’s Portland, Oregon, studios. These 17 designs (plus options for business cards) are not just artisanal from a design perspective, they are earth friendly and of course completely American made.
“The designers at Oblation Papers & Press consider that a well-rounded letterpress album should surprise and delight those seeking something exquisite for their life event,” Jennifer told me. “They curate just the right mix of color, texture, typography and design to bring together fresh, modern elements that are embedded in historic, artisanal ways of making.”
Thanks to three additional colorways included with each suite, couples can easily envision each design in “their” colors. Other options include a choice of nine — yes, NINE — handmade paper colors, with deckled or straight edges, blind embossing, transparent wraps, ribbon and ties, wax seals and envelope addressing. With this kind of flexibility and visual bounty inside its covers, the Slate Album is an indispensable tool to offer the highest level of aesthetic craftsmanship to the modern bride and groom. After they review these, very little will compare!
The invitation for a wedding is a milestone in the path from the save the date that announces the event to the thank you sent for that thoughtful gift — and grateful brides report that their friends and family were knocked out when an Oblation creation showed up in their mailbox.
“We are beyond happy with our wedding invitations,” one enthuses. “One of my guests said that she opened her invitation and just sat in her kitchen running her fingers over the embossing and described the texture of the paper as ‘to die for.’ Highly highly recommend this company!”
So far bestsellers have been the Jamie and Lauren Suites. The Jamie Suite below offers an organic look with four deckle paper edges and asymmetrical floral illustrations. The artfully undulating vines introduce an earthy, organic element without feeling stuffy or formal.
Meanwhile the Lauren Suite below features clean lines, pops of color, dynamic blind embossing and modern style. This would be my pick! Although these suites have quite different vibes, they both show the potential of Oblation’s handmade papers and extensive design acumen.
Jennifer’s favorite suite is the understated yet delicate Gwenyth shown below. This suite features swooping calligraphy on blush handmade paper with shiny gold foil. It’s simple, it’s elegant, it’s artful … and it promises a gorgeous, romantic event to come!
With the Slate Album, no matter where your store is located, you bring a living piece of Portland onto your shelves. And, you get to help your clientele bring exquisite creations to life.
This week is the Faire Market — I know this since I’m receiving an exhibitor email every 10 minutes or so. Oblation Papers & Press is there with their ready-to-wear wholesale offerings — but not these albums. Just like so much in the stationery community, you have to do a little digging to get to the greatest treasures.
So while I hope you shop Oblation on Faire, I also hope you will consider bringing their magnificent Slate Album — to say nothing of their artistry and imagination within — to your shelves. Get started here!
