It has been wedding season galore here at Gather Together, but we are finally getting back on the blog train with another friendly visit! Samantha visits our friend Sarah Almond, proprietor of Shed Letterpress and Union Press & Paper.


The Medallion Suite

As I meandered up to Shed Letterpress on a sunny Friday afternoon, I was pleasantly greeted by Stella - the office mascot/sweet pup. It set the scene for the warm and inviting shop and its fabulous owner, Sarah. With questions at the ready, I knew this was going to be a relaxing and fun visit to wind down the week.

Sarah is truly a woman of many talents. She balances customized paper design, commercial printing, and her own line of (adorable) greeting cards. It seems she has mastered all three realms with grace, but she secretly adores wedding design. From save-the-dates to invitations to escort cards and more, she enjoys working with couples who want to incorporate their personalities into their paper.

Sarah's belief is that an invitation should set the tone of the whole event. In fact, Shed Letterpress has launched a wedding invitation line under the name of Union Press & Paper. This new line will carry a variety of designs that will fit any couple's big day and match their wedding location and style. There will be no perceived notion of a traditional wedding, more a celebration of love between two people. We just love Union's mantra: "Thoughtful Design for Creative Couples."

The launch was introduced last April, but will hit the world wide web in about two months. If you are local to Asheville or are planning a destination wedding there, Shed Letterpress has paired up with Baggie Goose to be the exclusive provider of Union Press & Paper.

In addition to her line, Sarah continues to delve into the magical world of printing.





As she pulls out her cheeky greeting cards to show me a few examples of technique, I slowly eye the Heidelberg press and want to see it run. Of course, Sarah obliged. Her passion for printing is evident in the way she explains the process. While her "Cadillac" of printers creates almost identical invitations, cards and more, she finds comfort in the small imperfections. Equating letterpress printing to baking, she says, "you can make bread every day and it can be just a little different." Same with a 1930s printer, but the small imperfections reflect human understanding and appreciation of something made from loving hands. And that just makes you want to smile! Here are more of Sarah's beautiful wedding paper suites...


The Modern Tile Suite


The Palm Beach Suite


The Deco Silhouette Suite


The Sparrow Suite


The Vienna Suite

Interested in working with Sarah for your wedding? Contact her at info@shedletterpress.com and let the creative brainstorming begin. For additional products and information, check out Shed Letterpress, Etsy, Vespertine (Carrboro), Home with Heart (Charlotte), and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

'Til we Gather Together again...
- Samantha