Hi! I’m Ericka, the designer, illustrator, and calligrapher behind The 11 a.m. Creative, based in DC.📍I create fine art wedding stationery for couples and planners who care about the details, process, and experience.
A little about me:
🪭 I’m a long time art lover, and my favorite artist is Leonardo da Vinci. Not because of his painting style, but because he was proficient in both science and art!
♥️ I have created art all my life, but my background is in healthcare. It has shaped how I show up for my clients. I understand the importance of having someone on your team who not only delivers excellent work, but also listens, collaborates thoughtfully, and leads with kindness. Because the journey is just as important as the end result!
🌹 I love romance, fantasy, history, culture and travel. My mind and heart are open to your stories, traditions, and experiences that influence the event you want to create.
👠 I was once a bride. I’ve walked in those shoes and know what it’s like to navigate the endless design choices and decision fatigue that comes with wedding planning. I built my process to gently guide you through stationery as a part of a complex, once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
💌 If you love the idea of working one-on-one, directly with the artist for your custom wedding invitations and day-of paper goods, let’s chat!
🔗 Inquire through my website. Link in bio.
Portraits by @rmbrandphotography
Glam by @infinityartistry
#FineArtWeddingStationery
#CustomWeddingInvitationsDC
#WeddingStationeryDesignerDC
#DCWeddingVendors
#LuxuryWeddingInvitations
#CalligrapherDC
When should you start the custom wedding invitation process? The answer: earlier than you think. 🤓
Working backwards from when your final guest count is due, here’s how the timeline looks:
✔ Guest count: due 4–6 weeks before the wedding
✔ RSVP window: 1 month before that
✔ Mailing: at least 2 weeks (longer during holidays)
✔ Production: 4–6 weeks
✔ Design + proofing: 1–2 months (depends on the complexity of your design)
That’s why most couples book their stationer 7–8 months before the wedding date. Starting early gives us time to collaborate, refine, and create stationery that is truly bespoke and feels intentional.
I do a deep dive on stationery timeline on the blog! Link to website in bio 🔗
Save this post to reference later, or forward it to a friend who’s planning their wedding. 🥂
📸 @annieluiphotography.flatlays
#CustomWeddingInvitations #WeddingStationeryTimeline #WeddingPlanningTips #LuxuryWeddingStationery #CustomWeddingInvitationsDC
#CalligrapherDC
When you fall in love with design, you start noticing beauty everywhere - in museum corridors, crumbling architecture, and the quiet rhythm of a garden.
It’s all part of the process!
But the real magic starts when couples and/or planners bring their spark, a color story, a memory, or a feeling that becomes the heartbeat of the design. My job is to translate that into something tangible, a work of art that feels unmistakably you. 🎨
I love looking at old-world artistry through the lens of modern love. To me, modern love is authentic, true, and a little playful, free from the stuffy boundaries of tradition yet still reverent of the art that came before it. 😌
🖋️ Custom Wedding Invitations DC | Fine Art Stationery | Wedding Stationery Designer | Calligrapher DC
#dccustomweddinginvitations #customweddinginvitationsdc #dccalligrapher #fineartstationery
Humans have always made beautiful things. An act of hope, love, and celebration. To mark what matters. To preserve it.
That is part of why I love creating keepsake copies of custom wedding invitations. Long after the wedding day passes, your fine art wedding stationery becomes part of your story and a glimpse into the beginning of a family for future generations to discover.
Housed in a velvet presentation box, this piece was created as both stationery and heirloom. I drew a medallion frame with the phrase “to love and cherish” sitting at the center as a quiet nod to the vows, the history, and the sentiment behind the celebration itself.
I believe joy is worth making permanent. ♥️
#custominvitationsdc #fineartweddingstationery #heirloomweddingdetails #calligrapherdc #luxuryweddinginvitations
Photos by @annieluiphotography.flatlays
What does “custom design” actually mean for fine art wedding stationery? And how does it work? 🧐
It usually starts with something less concrete:
a mood, a place, a color, a texture, a feeling, a painting, a piece of architecture
Maybe you want the day to feel romantic and European, or moody and old-world, like an art museum. Maybe your venue has beautiful architecture that deserves to be part of the design.
From there, we turn that direction into a concept.
Then comes the artwork, calligraphy, material sourcing, paper selection, print finishes, and all the tiny design decisions that make your custom wedding invitations, menus, signage, and wedding day paper feel like they belong in this mini-world you envisioned for your celebration.
That’s custom design. 😌 Built from scratch around your event, personality, and the atmosphere you want to create.
#custominvitationsdc #fineartweddingstationery #luxuryweddingdetails #calligrapherdc #weddingdaypaper
Photos by @rmbrandphotography
For cheerful toasts in French châteaux or garden estates. 🥂 These silk menus with hand-painted watercolor florals were created to bring movement, softness, and a breath of spring color to a curated fine-art tablescape.
#custominvitationsdc #calligrapherdc #fineartweddingstationery #silkmenus #frenchinspiredwedding
Cover photo @annieluiphotography.flatlays
Subtle stationery details for the quiet luxury vibe: 🤫
- Painted edges
- Custom monogram
- Letterpress
When you need something understated but more than a printed piece of paper to go with your distinctive florals and decor.
Works beautifully for weddings in museums, estates, and historic venues where layered design matters.
#custominvitationsdc
#fineartstationery
#calligrapherdc
#luxuryweddinginvitations
#customweddinginvitationsdc
Cover @annieluiphotography.flatlays
Not all fine art wedding stationery printing methods are created equal. And why do the costs vary so much?
The price comes down to the level of setup and skill required.
✔️ Digital printing is efficient and versatile.
✔️ Letterpress is pressed one sheet at a time using an antique press.
✔️ Foil uses a custom plate (die) to stamp onto the paper to create a bold, metallic, slightly indented finish.
✔️ Embossing uses TWO custom dies (front and back) to create the raised texture.
You don’t have to choose just one. The possibilities are endless!
A knowledgeable wedding stationer should be able to guide you to the best option, or to combine methods to achieve the exact vibe you are going for.
I break it all down on the blog.♥️
🔗 Blog post is up on my website. Link in bio.
Cover photo by @annieluiphotography.flatlays
#fineartweddingstationery
#customweddinginvitationsdc
#weddinginvitationsdc
#custominvitations
#fineartweddinginvitations
There’s a very small window to transform a historic venue or museum like the National Archives from “open to the public” to “ready for an unforgettable event.”
My role as a full service stationery artist goes beyond design, addressing, and mailing. It also includes logistics, and even onsite setup in Washington DC and surrounding areas in Maryland, and Virginia.
As the artist behind your paper, I am just as invested in your vision as you are. I know how each piece was meant to be displayed, especially the more intricate elements of day-of stationery.
During tight setup windows, I work alongside your planner and vendor team as an extra set of hands to ensure every detail is placed with intention and care.
This means your planner can stay focused on the overall event while I focus on executing the paper details exactly as designed.
This is a day in the life of a full service stationery artist in Washington DC. And I love it! ♥️
If you are planning a wedding or event at a historic venue or museum and want a seamless, fully executed design experience, I would love to work together.
#CustomWeddingInvitationsDC
#luxuryWeddingStationeryDC
#fineartweddingstationerydc
#CalligrapherDC
HistoricVenueWedding
#MuseumWedding
Cover photo: @rmbrandphotography
Quick wedding day tip from a stationer:
For day-of stationery, don’t forget to group your place cards and menus!
By table number and alphabetically is easiest.
If you are working with a stationer, give them your list so it can arrive already sorted for you.
This small step will save your wedding planner and/or day-of coordinator time, which can then be allocated to the many other important details of your special day!
Planning & design @createyouevents
Florals @_dear_flower_
Place cards & calligraphy @the11amcreative
#customweddinginvitationsdc #calligrapherdc #fineartweddingstationery #luxuryweddingstationery #fineartweddingdc
Did you get all your Christmas packages on time?? 🎁
Though the US mail system is not perfect, there are steps you can take for a smooth mailing experience for your wedding invitations: 💌
1. Confirm postage in-person at the post office
Get your invitations weighed by their scale and get confirmation on correct postage amount.
2. Avoid high-traffic mailing weeks.
Holidays, winter storms, and major election weeks slow everything down.
3. Keep spare invitations.
They’re helpful for photos, styling, and last-minute guests. Also, account for the fact that 3-5% of mail is lost in transit.
4. Mail early.
It’s the single biggest factor in reducing stress.
Save for later! 🔖
Or if you want to learn more while you wait for Holiday dinner,
My Guide to Mailing Wedding Invitations is up on the blog.
Linked on the website in bio! 🔗
#customweddinginvitationsdc #calligrapherdc #fineartweddinginvitations #weddingplanning
