Rifle Paper Co. 2017 wedding collection and inspiration

Flowers are the lingua franca of weddings, and no one knows this better than Rifle Paper Co.’s proprietor and painter-in-chief, Anna Bond. We’ve had the privilege of working with Anna since before the October 2015 launch of our collaboration, and there’s nothing quite like watching her translate her hand-painted artwork into beautifully wild floral wedding suites. This year’s Rifle Paper Co. wedding collection blooms with garlands of fresh-cut flowers, garden herbs, and wild botanicals.

Anna explained that her “inspiration comes from seeing nature’s beautiful shapes and inspiring structures,” but don’t confuse her work with documentary. Though she’s observing the natural world, on canvas she likes to experiment with form, pattern, and shape. “Translating my ideas to paint and paper and experimenting and refining color along the way often leads to exciting surprises along the way.”

Flowers have long been part of Anna’s repertoire, but she recently found herself painting a more edible set of flora—lavender, rosemary, thyme, and other garden herbs. These illustrations were originally destined for recipe boxes, but they immediately became one of her most popular products.

“Being in nature is immediately centering to me, and I wanted to find ways to bring that into the home—I can’t imagine any place you need that sense of calm more. I think people responded well to something that was naturally beautiful, but didn’t require much attention. You don’t need to do much for them—herbs want to grow.”

The sense of home and comfort that comes with aromatic herbs is a natural fit for a rustic wedding invitation, and we were so excited to reimagine Anna’s artwork for such an occasion that celebrates the beginning of a new life.  “Nature’s already figured out a way to make everything beautiful,” she says. You just have to bring it to the ceremony.