Whether it is nautical or beach inspired, the use of natural rope to tie around a wedding invitation is so adorable and perfect for couples who are “tying the knot”. (Get the joke?! Okay, so I beat you over the head with it…) Danielle and Michael are getting married at one of our favorite venues, the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in October. The main color of the wedding is deep plum purple and Danielle wanted to incorporate a starfish into the invite. The rope knot really add a special and unique touch to this invite. Enjoy!


Knotted Starfish
Annapolis Diamond Dash :: 8.28.10
The whole crew from Allison Barnhill Designs had a very exciting outing today! We were proud sponsors of the Annapolis Diamond Dash, where one lucky couple won a $20K diamond ring from Smyth Jewelers. The day started with ABD meeting the over 350 couples that competed at a welcome party at Park Place. We got to set up a few samples of our work (note: wind and paper do not mix) and watch the people get ready for the huge scavenger hunt through downtown Annapolis!
At 12 noon, we headed to our “challenge location” – Stan and Joe’s – on West Street. Kaitlin was already there and had our challenge set up and ready to go. Each couple would get a text to come to our location and when they got there, they had to actually make an invitation! One person would put the glue on the back of the card and the other person would center it on top of the backing. If they did a good job, then they received their code word to text back and move onto their next location.
We loved meeting all of the wonderful couples and watching the masses bike, run and scooter all through town. Such a great event for Annapolis and for Allison Barnhill Designs. So happy that we could help sponsor this event and so happy for the lucky couple that won! Enjoy these pictures from the big day!
Our table at the welcome party…


Kaitlin helping a couple do our challenge…

Big clue accross the street at Luna Blue…

License Plate Love
Kristy came to me with this fun idea for their save the date. She wanted their wedding details in the shape and style of a license plate — North Carolina, to be specific. Kristy and Scott met and went to Duke University and are getting married there too! So, I had the opportunity to sketch the chapel at Duke, which we used for the center of the save the date. The rest of the wedding details are designed around the sketch to pull together the license plate look.
Side note…those of you that know me know that I graduated from University of Maryland and am a avid Terps basketball fan — season ticket holder, in fact. So, if any other bride had asked for a Duke inspired save the date, I might have said no, but Kristy is my cousin and family comes before fan affiliation, so there you go! Enjoy!

Destination Delight
Dianna met with me a few months ago and brought her own inspiration picture for the invitation. She wanted a tropical invitation that incorporated her bridesmaid dress color of coral, with accents of turquoise and a lime green. I love how this invite all came together, including the inventive titles on her insert cards — and the use of the three colors throughout the invite. So tropical and fun! Enjoy!



Boxes and Bows
I’m so excited to share these awesome boxed invitations with you. Kristen and Tab came to me in search of an invitation that would make an impression on their guests. Kristen specifically asked for something that would make their guests feel like they were opening a present with lots of “layers”. This elegant and beautiful invitation was the design we created for this wonderful couple. I’m so glad we can make their dream come true! I know their wedding will be nothing short of spectacular! Enjoy!











