Microweddings :: Popular even pre-pandemic and here to stay!

Daunted by the idea of planning a wedding amidst all this uncertainty? I don’t blame you. We had a flurry of cancellations and postponements and combinations of the two this spring as the wedding industry basically shut down for a few months to held stop the spread of Covid-19. I felt so terrible for these couples who had spent who knows how much time and money planning this once-in-a-lifetime celebration only to see it all fall apart - and then not be able to publicly mourn it, as it seemed like the mounting tragedy of fatalities and dire economic situation for many people around the world was relatively worse.

Through the summer, some events started to creep back, in line with or despite local area restrictions and mandates. Being dependent on the wedding and events industry, part of me was relieved for colleagues near and far but another part of me was feeling very judgmental of people who proceeded with large events - especially now as we enter fall, the start of flu season, and are seeing record spikes in case counts across the country again. It’s a reflex, based on my understanding of this virus and its transmission and the news sources I follow, and not everyone feels like me! But it does seem to me that there should be ways to still get a once-in-a-lifetime celebration without putting our communities in danger.

Enter, the micro-wedding!

A microwedding is NOT an elopement - a quick, secretive getaway unattended by loved ones, or maybe just a witness or two.
A microwedding IS a wedding and reception (or meal), just, for far fewer guests (like, less than 20), but still full of all the same details you’d spring for if you were having a larger party. Mailed invitations, a photographer, extravagant floral, catering, a dreamy venue, hand-done paper goods, the perfect gown, a DJ - you name it! Whatever is important to you can still be there. The only difference is guest count.

One of the things we know about Covid is that it spreads faster indoors in poorly ventilated spaces, so having a microwedding outdoors is still a good option. But at least with fewer guests, you may be able to facilitate testing, or have a clearer standard for everyone on pre-event distancing expectations.

Microweddings didn’t come about because of a global pandemic - this piece from RealSimple in August 2019 espouses the benefits of having one instead of a traditional wedding. Before that, there was this October 2018 mention in Martha Stewart Weddings, but the good ol’ New York Times was on the trend as far back as 2017.

We’ve been lucky enough to be part of at least three, and the level of detail and customization we’re able to provide is hard to achieve with larger guest lists.

Take a peek at how three couples did it:


Provence, France :: Charlotte + Alex

Published on Style Me Pretty in 2018, and shot by Sophie Epton Photography, this dreamy wedding for 12 took place at Abbaye St. Eusebe in the South of France while the lavender was in bloom. You can see that the couple still had a gorgeous setting, a lavish set up for a meal, a luxurious vintage getaway car, and with only a few guests, we were able to hand-cut the vellum invitation wraps to echo the shape of the 12th Century Abbaye itself. Pure romance!

Blanco River, Texas :: Jessica + Chad

When all you want to do is be outside, fishing with your family and friends on the river, and maybe squeeze a wedding in, too - consider this intimate fiesta style soiree. This 18-person party was also published on Style Me Pretty in August of 2019. Planned by Westcott Weddings and photographed by Feather and Twine, some of my favorite details include the private location (likely logistically impossible with a larger group!), the fun welcome bags, the hand-stitched menus at dinner paired with tiny milagros charms- and tying in all the things the couple finds important into their sweet wedding crest.

Dunton Springs, Colorado :: Cammy + Chang

An all time favorite of mine, it looks like this incredibly elegant, high-end event was air-lifted and dropped into the middle of nowhere, Colorado. Shot by Sophie Epton (see a trend emerging? This woman loves a microwedding, too!) and executed to perfection with her team, including Remi + Gold on floral, Cammy and Chang were able to have a gorgeous celebration in a rustic, special setting. The ceremony site was backed with a view of the mountains and accented with an incredible floral installment, and the outdoor dinner party got details like agate place card and hand-calligraphed menus on deckle edge paper - a huge budget commitment for a large guest list, but totally attainable for their party of less than ten. For the rest of the gallery it’s available here, because yep, this one too was published on Style Me Pretty. Just proof that you can pack in all the same gorgeous moments worthy of publication on a much smaller budget!

2020:: Big News + Business Update

BSC has some exciting news! As of August 2020, ALL of our rental inventory is now owned by Valerie of @letteredbyvalerie in Austin, TX. We are so excited to be leaving all our favorites - yes, including the *acrylic cubes* - in the talented hands of this lettering + signage artist and look forward to watching her bring them to life in new ways for you at all your celebrations.

Val operates her own business, separate from BSC, thus pricing, availability, & design will be entirely up to her and her clients - we hope you’ll be one of them! We recommend her services wholeheartedly.

On a personal note, this year has brought more curveballs than most, as we all know, so I felt it was best for both me and the brand to take advantage of this opportunity to embrace clarity, simplicity, & focus. BSC will continue to exist and provide the same custom invitations, calligraphy services, digital design delivery and small paper goods signage we’re known for - but will no longer offer day-of rentals, on-site installation, or custom signage build-outs.

I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2017 to be near family & start my own: running a business across state lines worked for a while until it just didn’t. Now that I have a 1 year old (+ one on the way!), my availability is limited - an experience that our insanely talented & dedicated team member Bethany went through herself, in the past few years with her own growing family. So while it saddens me to say it, BSC will exist as a one-person collective for the time being. Bethany has been an absolutely essential artist, asset, & friend time this little operation and I am so grateful to her for her time, talents, and hard work. We will all miss her perfect letter forms!

Thank you for walking alongside us and working with us up til now, and hopefully, through this necessary evolution and adaptation. I so appreciate it and look forward to what’s next!

Press :: Meet our maker, Jessica Crowell Astrella

Jessica was approached by VoyageHouston, a local publication based on showcasing Texas talent and the stories of the makers, movers, and shakers who make up the business + creative community to share the story of how BSC came to be.

Check it out here to learn more about what we do, our biggest challenges, and our proudest moment as a business.



Blown Away :: K + P's real wedding that almost wasn't

We couldn't believe our good luck when Katie chose us to create her wedding invitations. 
She knew just what she wanted, nailed everything after one round of revisions, and was into all the fun details we love (letterpress! wax seals! vellum wraps! organic calligraphy!). A dream client!

Then we couldn't believe the bad luck - the week the invitations were set to arrive at her place was a week of torrential rain and flooding. Not only were we worried about a client, their hometown, and many of their loved ones and wedding guests, but it doesn't make for ideal mailing conditions. Images of flooded USPS routes, soggy envelopes, and running ink danced in our heads. Thankfully, the mail-out went without issue.

But the week of the wedding rolled around, and after all of the day-of items shipped, it became clear that the wedding was in the path of yet another weather disaster. The feature on Brides sums up the rest of the tale best...

From Brides.com:

"As the couple started to plan their October 2017 wedding, they kept coming back to Patrick’s family’s property in Mississippi. “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wiped out the home, so the thought of getting married there (with no restrooms, electricity, or venue!) seemed impossible,” explains the bride. “But we realized how excited we got every time we talked about it, so we talked to Sapphire Events about what it would take to make it happen.” They landscaped, added running water and electricity, and found the perfect spot for a tent—but yet another hurricane threatened to derail the entire thing. “The Monday before the wedding, there was a 20 percent chance of a hurricane forming on Sunday, but by Wednesday, a Category One or Two storm was headed directly for our venue, set to arrive in the middle of our Saturday evening reception,” says the bride. At the last minute, they scrapped their Friday rehearsal dinner and planned to have their tented wedding a day early. “Amazingly, nearly all of our vendors (and most of our guests!) were able to accommodate the last-minute change,” she says. “It may not have been exactly what we planned, but the most important thing for us was to get married, no matter what!” The photographs by Michelle Boyd Photography prove that even last-minute changes can result in a totally gorgeous wedding day—and don’t worry, they celebrated on Saturday, too!"

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Wedding Planner: Sapphire Events || Bride's Dress: Amy Kuschel, from Wedding Belles NOLA || Bride's Shoes: Loeffler Randall || Hair & Makeup: Flawless Bride || Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo || Groom's Attire: Luca Falcone || Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: Friend & Company || Floral Design: Kim Starr Wise || Paper Products: Boarding School Collective || Catering & Cake: Ralph Brennan Catering & Events || Ceremony Music: New Orleans Classical and Jazz || Reception Music: DJ JD || Rentals: Perrier Party Rentals || Transportation: Hotard|| Accommodations: Hotel Monteleone || Photography: Michelle Boyd Photography

Please Be Seated :: Let's talk Table Assignments!

One of the most common items we help to design and produce for our wedding clients are products that direct guests to their tables for a reception meal.

It's not essential for a successful party to have assigned seats, or even assigned tables, but benefits include ensuring that::

  • Your guests are socially comfortable by being seated with other guests that they know, are familiar with, or may have something in common with. Any meal is best shared with good company and sometimes it just makes more sense to seat your boss with your successful entrepreneur aunt and not your wild college drinking buddies.

  • Your guests are physically comfortable by being sure to seat elderly or differently abled guests at tables that are: easily accessible, on firm and level ground, or perhaps close to exits or restrooms for new moms. Seating very young or very old guests away from loud music or speakers is considerate, too.

  • Your guests feel considered and appreciated. Many guests take time off work and spend a good amount of money to attend your celebration, either via travel or finding the perfect outfit to wear or even getting an old stand-by dry-cleaned! You've invited these beloved people (or even distant friends or relations of your in-laws who are to be treated like beloved people, regardless) to be a participant in one of the most important days of your life, and we think that showing them you've taken the time to think about their table or seat assignment and even spent the time or money to calligraph or type their name onto a card or some other keepsake token goes a long way.

There are two strategies for seating your guests. 

Strategy 1 :: Table Assignments - with no specific seat assignments

If all you want is for guests to make it to a specific table and then seat themselves (so using no place cards), you just need a table assignment display.  There are three options for displaying table assignments::

Option 1:: A list of names, followed by table numbers
Typically listed alphabetically by either first or last name. Easiest way for guests to find their names and tables, especially if you don't want a bottleneck at the display due to venue space or timeline restrictions.

Paper:: Printed + foamcore mounted for easy display. We reused artwork from the couple's save the dates and invitation suite. Photo:: Michelle Boyd | Planning :: Westcott Weddings

Option 2 :: A list of tables, with guest names beneath
Often a pretty format, but as there is no alphabetization, if you have a large wedding, makes it a little tough for guests to quickly find their table. Makes for a nice visual interaction if you have a long cocktail hour and enough space for guests to peruse the display.

Wood :: One of our most popular items, a 6'x3' wooden board is sanded, stained, and hand-written with your table assignments. Time consuming with no room for error, these boards are one of a kind pieces of art and pricing reflects that. Photo :: Mint Photography | Planning :: Bird Dog Wedding

Option 3:: A display of escort cards
An escort card is a card or token (tile, shell, rock, piece of agate - literally anything that can be written on) indicating the guest name and designated table. Depending on the display, they make a mental note of their table and go find their seat, or, they can pick this token up and carry it with them to the table (or, are escorted by the card- hence the name) and then select their seat. 

If you/your planner have the resources to execute a vision like this, the actual escort cards are very cost effective for a display that has maximum visual impact! Westcott Weddings and Sprout Floral Design combined our escort cards with individual leaves (gathered by the groom from his family ranch!) to create the basis of the display. We also provided a fabric banner sign, which was an additional cost component. Paired with the white wall (a rental item) and that botanical accent arch, it was a stunning way to direct guests to their seats. Navy blue tented place cards with white calligraphy awaited them at their seats. Photo :: Nichols Photography

Strategy 2:: Table Assignments - with specifically assigned seats

This takes any option from Strategy 1 and simply adds a place card at the guest's assigned seat at their table. This is best for::
• long tables that hold a lot of guests, when you want to have a little control over who sits near whom

• meals with pre-selected dishes that a catering team would benefit from being able to find easily

• any couple who just likes the formality and care that goes into assigned seats

The next thing to consider is signage material. Pricing varies, so get in touch for a quote! These images should help get you inspired. 

New Faculty Announcement

We're in full on back to school mode, over here! Rather than ease into our sophomore year, we decided to really jump into the extracurriculars to celebrate our first year in business.

A huge congratulations to the Hanson family and a warm welcome to baby Harrison as Vice-Principal Bethany is on maternity leave for the rest of the fall. 

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Southern Summer: Amanda & Jordan's Berry Beautiful Wedding

The transition from Jessica's personal brand, J.RoCro Arts + Letters to Boarding School Collective has been a slow one, and not always linear. Sometimes weddings get featured by wedding publications months after the fact, so the items showcased may have been done at the time by J.RoCro and credited as such, but are now only available via Boarding School.  

The work is going to look the same, if not better, now, thanks to the benefits of experience and by adding Bethany to the team - in fact, this is one of the weddings where Bethany worked behind the scenes as an extra set of J.RoCro hands before BSC was officially formed.

Amanda and Jordan's Pecan Springs Ranch celebration is everything we love about summer. It felt free, and warm, and bright, and was full of both berry tones and actual berries. Throw in a few dashes of elevated seersucker and you've basically got a summer vacation for any boarding schooler. Plus, we get to kick off the first semester of 2017 with a feature on Southern Weddings! Check it out here.

We were lucky enough to provide some large signage, under the styling direction of Westcott Weddings, and everything was shot by the talented Feather & Twine photography.

 

Photographer: Feather & Twine Photography | Videographer and Lighting: Henry Weddings | Planner: Westcott Weddings | Venue: Pecan Springs Ranch | Florist: Bristol Lane | Wedding Cake: Green Lily Bakery | Caterer: Royal Fig Catering | DJ: Look No Further Entertainment | Special Details: Boarding School Collective | Paper Products: Posy and Pine | Bride’s Gown: “Style 2206” by Tara Keely | Bride’s Veil: Sara Gabriel | Bride’s Earrings: Lux Divine Jewelry | Hair Stylist: Jamie Heeneman | Makeup Artist: Makenzi Laine | Menswear: The Black Tux

Class Party! Launch Party with Birch & Brass

We are so behind and need to pull a few classic all-nighters to get our homework done, but had to take a study break to share these photos of the Birch & Brass showroom opening party (which doubled as our official launch party!) by the incredible Sophie Epton.

If you've never partied in a furniture warehouse, well darlings, reconsider.  Everywhere we looked there were stylish vignettes and unique pieces of furniture, envisioned and styled by the beauties of Birch & Brass. These women work incredibly hard, and are such inspirations to us for never compromising their vision or the quality of their offerings. The founder and creative director, Brittany Pigorini, continually raises the bar for small business ownership here in Austin and is such a leader in our community. We are lucky to get to work with them and love getting to enjoy the beautiful spaces they create, and were honored to be able to co-host the event with them.

The highlight of the evening was getting to see and meet the faces-behind-the-emails of many wedding + event industry professionals, made even more fun by the addition of Vannagram & Co., a vintage VW Bus photo booth where we could document some class-clown action...  

Delicious charcuterie and little morsels were provided by Coté Catering, and She & Him bartending kept the drinks flowing!  

We are so grateful that despite everyone's insanely busy autumns, people were able to pop by and celebrate with us. 

Is it time to have an anniversary party, yet!?

Top of the Class: Paul & Shamim's Big Day on Green Wedding Shoes

The secret to any group project lies in the strength of the team - and what a team we got to be part of for Paul & Shamim's wedding at the beautiful Prospect House here in Austin. 

Modern, minimal and stunning (including the gorgeous bride and groom themselves!), the wedding is featured on Green Wedding Shoes and you can enjoy it in all its clean finery here.  

Photo credit: Love is a Big Deal

Photography: Love is a Big Deal

Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals 

Planning: Heavenly Day Events

Venue: Prospect House

Floral: Remi + Gold

Catering: Royal Fig Catering

Back to School

Class is finally in session!
We are now open for business.

Eventually, we'd love all orders to be placed through our online store. For items listed there, we won't be providing quotes or proposals so we can spend more time making beautiful things for you. But until we get the store fully up and running with our full range of inventory and product offerings, please place all orders or inquiries via the Contact page or via an email to hello@boardingschoolcollective.com

More, soon!
 

 

Coming Soon

We're busy clapping erasers together and unstacking the chairs and wiping down the blackboards before opening our doors.

When the semester starts, though, this will be the best place to find updates, inspiration, and required reading for all things Boarding School Collective. 

Sharpen your pencils and shine your penny loafers - we'll be ready before you know it.