Press On, Girls!



WRITER CREDIT: 
PHOTOGRAPHER CREDIT: 
Press On, Girls! | The printing mavens from Charleston's Sideshow Press open their online boutique

It’s been a banner year and then some for the gals at Sideshow Press (and sister company Stitch Design Co.) on Cannon Street. January marks the first anniversary of their pre-designed wedding suites, which, as they are now available online, effectively brought their couture letterpress creations to the masses. (Up until then, they offered custom work alone.) In the early spring, they outfitted a food truck look-alike with a letterpress machine and staged a “Moveable Type” event to school attendees on the old-time art. And they were recognized by Martha Stewart Weddings for a real-life invitation suite that scored a full page in the national magazine. Already lauded by The Today Show, Garden & Gun, Modern Bride, and Southern Living and sought after by top event designers in town and beyond, the excitement of 2012 has been icing on an already pretty sweet cake.

Sideshow first kicked off in 2004, when Virginia Gregg, Courtney Rowson, and Amy Pastre bought a 1926 Kluge letterpress and taught themselves how to print on anything and everything from baby blocks to cloth sacks and handmade papers. The group’s now known for mixing vintage and modern styles with clean lines and inventive materials and textures. And, says Courtney, they “hope to act as a bride’s inspiration, and have the themes from her papers infused through the rest of the wedding.”

As for the pre-designed suites, they fall into four distinct personalities: the feminine Great Gatsby, the eclectic Town Square, the Town & Country-esque Hunt & Gather, and the whimsical, outdoorsy Woodlands. “Our primary goal was to make the suites feel custom, without actually being so,” says Amy. They succeeded with aplomb. Envelope liners are works of art, and cards (from save-the-dates to RSVPs) are letterpress eye candy. Plus, the packages are practical, as couples can order as much or as little out from a set as they like. A standard set—including an invitation, outer and inner envelopes, reply card, and reply card envelope—starts at $1,500 for 100.

What’s next for the trio? DIY brides take note: they plan to produce a workshop that will teach attendees their tricks. “It’s an old trade, and one we want to actively participate in preserving,”  Virginia says.
        
For more information, call (843) 793-4560 or visit SideshowPressShop.com.

Photograph Courtesy of Sideshow Press (suites)

The Wedding Row

August 26 2019
Happy Monday, ladies and gents. First up on this week’s lineup? An adorable downtown wedding filled to the brim with beauty, sentiment, and lightheartedness. And you know it’s gotta be good when the...

August 23 2019
We loved Chloe and Blake’s dreamy downtown wedding from our summer print issue soooo much that we wanted to feature it here on The Wedding Row, too. So gals and gents, cozy up, grab a drink and...

August 22 2019
Cupid sure had his arrow locked and ready when Lindsay and David first met at SEWE the day before Valentine’s Day. Coincidence? We think not. Not only did they see each other almost every day the...

August 21 2019
Wedding Wednesday is in full swing and with Lauren and Bobby on tap, you’ll see why. Even though this pair attended different high schools and universities, distance couldn’t keep these sweethearts,...

August 20 2019
OK peeps. We may be just a little bit obsessed with this next styled shoot. OK, a lot obsessed. So get ready future bridal babes, or those just plain-obsessed with pretty, as  you’re going to want to...

August 19 2019
Smartie pants Jessica and Josh signed up for the same class during their sophomore year at the College of Charleston and that was what ultimately sparked the romantic connection between the New...

August 16 2019
Jazmin and Andrei might have met in Boston—where they still live—but choosing Charleston as the place for them to say “I do” was like coming home for the groom. (Andrei’s family moved from Romania to...

August 15 2019
Combine a few times crossing paths in Charleston, one meeting at Home Team BBQ during a Carolina/Clemson game where Billy second-guessed Aly’s availability (and passed up the chance to ask her...