Why I'm Expanding into Wedding Newspapers (and Why They're So Much More Than a Trend)

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know me as a live wedding illustrator - sketching guests, in a colourful and flattering style, so couples and guests can take a tangible piece of the day home with them.

It’s personal. It’s nostalgic. It’s about making something just for you.

That’s always been my favourite part about my work.

But recently, I’ve noticed something’s shifted.

After illustrating at so many incredible weddings, I noticed something that kept tugging at me:
Couples were pouring their hearts into every detail of their day - from handwritten vows to curated playlists to the shape of the champagne glasses - but when it came to paper goods?

It felt like... an afterthought.

Menus, orders of service, even keepsakes - often beautiful, yes, but a bit safe.

And I couldn’t stop thinking: what if they weren’t?

What if the paper goods felt as personal as the rest of the day? What if they were designed with heart, and made to be kept - not tossed in the bin?

That’s when the idea for wedding newspapers took hold.

It started quietly. I designed a few mockups, just for fun. But it lit something new in me.Because wedding newspapers aren’t just a quirky alternative to an order of service. They’re a blank canvas for storytelling.

You can share your love story. Interview your parents or grandparents. Shout out your dog. Add your days in numbers. Sneak in a crossword. Make your guests cry (in the best way). It’s your voice, your tone, your people.

And when they’re done right - with style, design, sentiment and soul, they become more than paper. They become keepsakes.

The kind you’d find in a little vintage shop 30 years from now, with your names printed on the front.

So I started creating my own wedding newspaper templates.

They’re inspired by the nostalgia of ‘90s magazines, but with a design-led, editorial feel. Cool-girl but timeless. Sentimental but not soppy. Personal, practical, and - most importantly - beautiful enough to display or save.

They live alongside my live illustration work - not instead of it! As part of this growing mission to help couples make meaningful, artistic, personal choices on their wedding day.

If you’re a bride who cares deeply about the little things - if you’re planning a day that feels like you from start to finish; these might just be for you.

Thanks for being here,
Harley ♡