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With a life-long passion for paper printing, Allison Chapman opened Igloo Letterpress in Worthington, hoping to spread her love of ink-pressed invites, cards and other paper goodies. But with no in-house graphic designer, affordable access to letterpress wedding invitations wasn’t always easy for customers. “We had quite a few people enthusiastic about letterpress who didn’t have access to making the design,” says Chapman, explaining images need need to be crafted on professional software to transfer properly. “We felt we weren’t serving the customer well, and we didn’t want to not have an option for people.” With that thought in mind, Igloo Letterpress has launched its first wedding collection in partnership with designer Robin Oatts of Genre Creative. We talk to Chapman about the ideas behind the designs and the letterpress concept.  

There are eight designs in the new wedding collection. How did you settle on these styles?
We’ve been doing a lot of custom printing for local families and have gotten to know the style and venues popular here in town. We’ve been reading a lot of wedding blogs and following wedding trends. And we really wanted to come up with template designs appropriate for different venues in Central Ohio.
We also though about what would show well with letterpress design. The Diamond design has such a strong typographic element. It just is killer. Black is perfect on the bright white paper. (On the back) you just can’t’ help nut run your fingers over it.

So you can print two-sided with letterpress?
Yes. Using thicker paper allows for double-sided printing. Most people are used to 80-pound paper, and this is 220-pound.

Do you have a particular favorite?
I love them all. But one of the ideas that we were really excited about is using the invite as a gift. We wanted to have a few invites that had a piece that people could keep. The Always Smile was designed that so people could frame the quote from Mother Teresa with a wedding photo for the couple. We hope that does become a keepsake.
I’m all about sequencing of invites, too. In Seal the Deal, the pink invite has slits in it so the RSVP paper slides into it. You pull the stripes to take it out.

Do couples have to use the wedding collection or can they design their own?
We still will do custom printing, because some people do have a graphic designer they can work with.

What exactly is letterpress?
Letterpress is a relief printing making process, inking the surface and pressing it onto the paper. Printing is done from polymer plates. The style is created on the printer and people approve through PDFs. Then we make the plates after everything is selected. You have a good sense of what the piece is going to look like before the press. Because we mix colors by hand, and add one at a time, we invite the couple to come at the beginning of the printing process and check the color.

How much will invites from the collection cost?
Price does depending on the number printed. Just an invitation, the starting price is $400 for 100 pieces. For the invited and RSVP card, it starts at $1,200 for 100 pieces. If people add on pieces or a thank you note or place cards, we can price out a multi-item discount for extra pieces. We like to print them all at same time so we can manage color and make it cost effective.

For couples looking into letterpress for invites, should they start the process earlier than normal? Will it take much more time to print?
Once we have the files approved (post design), we ask for a 10-day production window.

Will Igloo continue to add designs?
We are anticipating we’ll add seasonal designs. We had to slow down because we had so many ideas. 

–Beth Stallings

Dispatch photo credit: Shari Lewis

Dust off your toga and be inspired by the Grecians at BalletMet’s Togas for Tutus. Held at the Abercrombie & Fitch Café in New Albany, Togas for Tutus is a fundraiser and costume party to support BalletMet Columbus and its various programs. The 21 and over event on March 3 also includes dinner and mingling with dancers. It all starts at 7 p.m., and tickets are $125. If you can’t make the actual event, you can still support BalletMet: An eBay-esque auction is online, and includes items like artwork, performance tickets, and wine and dinner packages. Check out the items by visiting 3-3-12.com. Hurry, the auction lasts only until March 1. –Heather Weekley

Need a little home improvement? This year the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show is hosting HGTV’s Candice Olson as special guest during its annual event. The eight-day show, which runs Feb. 25 to March 4, provides resources and information on how to ready your home for the coming seasons. Olson appears March 3, but other highlights include a cake decorating contest, how-to programs and a garden showcase. Tickets cost $12 per person, with $9 discount tickets available for entry after 5 p.m. For more information on dates and times, visit DispatchEvents.com. – Heather Weekley

Need a hat for the May 4 Hat Day at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens? Over My Head Boutique is hosting a trunk show this weekend, highlighting local artist Brenda Risacher. The Westerville resident is showcasing her HatArtists collection of handmade hats and fascinators just in time for spring. Head to the boutique on Friday, Feb. 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. or Saturday Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to check out Risacher’s custom pieces. For more information, visit OverMyHeadBoutique.com. –Heather Weekley

Brush up on your poker skills, because the Junior League of Columbus is hosting its’ 8^th annual Casino Couture. Guests can enjoy casino games, live entertainment and a buffet dinner during the festive evening at the Columbus Museum of Art. The group will also honor local resident and member Connie Jump with the Sustainer Honoree Award for her contributions to the community. Tickets for the Feb. 25 event are $125 (or $150 for VIP admission) and it begins at 7 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit JLColumbus.org. –Heather Weekley

Grab your girlfriends and turn next Friday into a ladies’ night out at Monarch’s Fashion Frolic. Monarch by Jennifer Holmes, a fusion of all things fashion, promotes wardrobe rescue and recovery. The concept is to understand how to mix, match and accessorize newly purchased items with pieces you already have in your closet. Holmes is hosting the Feb. 24 Fashion Frolic event at 7:30 p.m. at Lindey’s in German Village. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while checking clothing from Ann Mitchell, a Columbus designer who specializes in a wardrobe staple: the little black dress. To RSVP or for more information, e-mail FollowMonarch@gmail.com –Heather Weekley  

Local designers Janet Feheley and Amy Hamilton will showcase their latest collections at the March of Dimes annual Chic Styles, Caring Cause fashion show. On Friday, Feb. 24, the Venue at Smith Brothers will host the March of Dimes event. Jeffrey Thomas will provide looks for men. Money raised throughout the evening will directly benefit the March of Dimes, which last year raised more than $82,000 for the health of babies and mothers. Tickets are $125 per person or $200 per couple. For more information, visit MarchOfDimes.com/Ohio. –Heather Weekley

Heading to Black Tie Blue Jackets this evening? Your list of players and significant others walking the runway is long—and exciting. Returning to join pediatric cancer heroes on the runway are Antoine and Karen Vermette (oh they of impossibly good looks!) along with several others, including Derek Dorsett and Ali Humbert, Kristian Huselius and Sara Ceccarello, Aaron Johnson and Courtney Kuhne, Jared Boll and Steve Mason. Newbies to this year’s show include James and Nicole Wisniewski, Vinny and Monika Prospal, Mark and Brett Letestu, Grant Clitsome and Valerie Simard, Ryan Johansen, John Moore, Derek MacKenzie and Curtis Sanford. Money raised from tonight’s event—a runway show, dinner, cocktails and auctions—benefits the fight against pediatric cancer. Here’s to a good night—and a great cause. –Kristy Eckert

Photo courtesy: Columbus Bride and Groom

Grab your fiancé (or a trusted girlfriend) and get ready for a date night with a wedding-planning theme. On Friday, Feb. 24, Columbus Bride and Groom hosts The Wedding Experience—its twist on the typical bridal show, designed to be less wedding convention and more intimate conversation. “It’s not just handing out a business card,” said Lauren Lawson with Columbus Bride and Groom. “You can taste the cake, get an up-do or braid, a quick makeover. Guests really experience what each vendor has to offer.” The evening will rotate between two Downtown venues—the Westin and Ohio Statehouse—and offer more than 100 vendors at each locale, but only up to two vendors per category. That way, couples won’t be overwhelmed with, say, the myriad florists, but can instead sit down with each one for a mini-consultation, Lawson explained. Couples will also be escorted by limo to each venue. The mini-receptions hosted at the fourth installation of this event (held at a different spot each year), will also offer mini dance lessons, hair and makeup tips, chair massages, décor and lighting examples, table settings and centerpieces, music from local DJs and bands, and of course lots of sweets, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails to sample. A few lucky attendees will get to participate in a mock bouquet toss and cake cutting, too. The idea, Lawson said, is to show what a wedding reception at these venues would really feel like. Even luckier guests will win fabulous prizes provided by the vendors at a wide range of price points. The evening runs 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $30/couple, $15/single and $25/per person at the door the day of. To register or for more information, visit ColumbusBrideAndGroom.com.

–Beth Stallings

Neutral colors and a little bit of sparkle seemed to be the trend on the red carpet at last night's 54th annual Grammy Awards. Here, take a look at some of the celebrity styles.

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-Heather Weekley

We're loving life at New York Fashion Week! The quick-and-dirty on fall fashion (that’s what they preview now): Plenty of what we saw last fall- texture mix of leather, fur, chiffon, sequins. The updates? Lace. Even more browns/creams. Some pops of color and color blocking- orange, maroon, green, blue. Overall, it’s like last year’s upscale vibe, gone just a little bit boho. We enjoyed Nicholas K, BCBG, Richard Chai, Kaelen, Tadashi Shoji, Candela and the Diet Pepsi up-and-coming designer show that featured CCAD grad and Columbus designer Genoveva Christoff. (We got to spend a little time with her backstage pre-show. Holy tight quarters!) Celeb-spotting notes: Saw Mary-Kate Olsen, Kristen Chenoweth, Debra Messing, Katie Lee Joel, Miss J and the traditional bevy of reality TV folks. (Kristen Chenoweth is flipping adorable!) Looking forward to today's lineup, including NAHM (a line by Columbus native Nary Manivong and Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter) and Rebecca Taylor. You can find live updates on FB and Twitter, and we'll post new slideshows on our site all week. Happy Fashion Week! --Kristy Eckert

We're in Manhattan for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (I took this pic just outside show hub Lincoln Center), and are excited for our (massive) lineup of shows today: Nicholas K, BCBG (always a big draw), Kaelen, Richard Chai, Honor, Tadashi Shoji (my personal favorite) and Candela. Our final show of the day will be the Diet Pepsi show, featuring up-and-coming designers, including CCAD grad and Columbus resident Genoveva Christoff. (I met with her last week and saw two of her three almost-finished looks. Looking forward to seeing her final products at the show!) Follow us on Facebook/CapitalStyle and Twitter @kristyeckert for live updates all day! --Kristy Eckert

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Woodhouse Day Spa in Dublin is offering a fun new workshop for you and your sweetie. Choose one of three sessions (Feb. 8, 15 or 22), and from 6-8 p.m. a trained massage therapist will give demonstrations and explain the benefits of the relaxing technique. The Couples Massage workshop also includes wine and desserts, and couples will leave with a gift card for a Woodhouse duet massage and two $20 gift cards for nearby restaurant Mezzo. Cost for the evening is $230. Call 614-790-8822 for a reservation. –Heather Weekley

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When I first visited the ballroom at Oakhurst Country Club, I left feeling a little sad. The space was gray and outdated. And I knew that, like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, there was so much potential here if it simply got a little love. Enter Two Caterers. In the span of a month, the team transformed a bland ballroom into an event space full of personality. The vibe is mid-century Mad Men--it's not a dated throw-back, but rather warm and inviting. You just feel cool here, especially when leaning over the copper-top bar to order a cocktail.
The first thing Two Caterers CEO Angela Stoll-Petro did when she got the space on Jan. 1: Paint. "Every surface you see has a fresh coat of paint on it," she said at the Feb. 1 unveiling. "The black on the ceiling took four coats!" Stoll-Petro admits she didn't do the heavy-lifting (execution was left to the pros), but she did design the look of Grove City space. Warm colors make the space inviting and cozy without feeling small. With its stone fireplace and grand piano, the entryway proved a great spot for some cocktail tables and conversation. A small, center room divides the entry lounge from the ballroom--the two together easily seating 300 (the ballroom by itself a comfortable 250). A dance-floor divides the ballroom room. The bar in the back corner got a new copper top and a glass tile backsplash--a pattern emulated along the back wall. It adds a great, yet neutral, interest point.

With phase one under its belt, the catering company will kick off phase two this spring and summer, which will include some outdoor updates such as new landscaping, updated railings on the outside patio, which runs the length of the ballroom and looks over the golf course, as well as a few curtain dividers so the patio can be sectioned off for smaller affairs. 

With such an amazing transformation, it's no surprise they're already booking weddings for 2012. Learn more or book an appointment to check it out at TwoCaterers.com.

- Beth Stallings

Get your sip on at Recreation Unlimited’s annual Flavors of the Vine event Friday, Feb. 10. Celebrating its 20^th year, Flavors of the Vine is a wine tasting and auction that raises funds for Recreation Unlimited’s camps and programs. Since 1958, the organization has supported children with disabilities by giving them the opportunity to partake in sports and recreational activities. This year, Flavors of the Vine will feature more than 150 different wines and fun live and silent auction packages including vacation getaways and dinner parties. The event is held at the Hilton Columbus Polaris from 6:30-9:30 p.m., and individual tickets are $100. For more, visit RecreationUnlimited.org. –Heather Weekley