When Norrinda passed along these shots of her envelopes taken by the gifted Max Wagner it sent me on a surprisingly emotional trip down memory lane.

I worked with Norrinda and Fareed over two years ago-- they were some of my first clients, and Philadelphia locals. This is what I remember: 1. The couple had the most specific and beautiful ideas about stamps. They wanted a collage of marigold and fuschia and were committed to showcasing the spectrum of beautiful black heritage postage. These Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and W.C. Handy stamps were the perfect fit (along with a slew of others). 2. Norrinda is just a wildly radiant person, and this radiance has been well-documented in the tremendous press she's garnered from the cupcake empire she started with her mother and grandmother, Brown Betty Dessert Boutique. Every time she appeared at the door it was as though I was being visited by the Patron Saint of Creative and Intellectual Pursuits (she is also a practicing attorney).

And finally, as you can read on their wedding blog, Norrinda and Fareed both come from tight-knit families who are bedrocks of their urban communities. This was immediately apparent as I started in calligraphing the guestlist and, as I've snapped above (but changed the house numbers), guests literally lived right next door to one another, or down the street, or around the block. Envelope after envelope of the same zip code. At a certain point I put down my pen and -- this is one of the few times I remember this happening -- and I teared up thinking about these two communities on both coasts who, with their love and support, shaped these two remarkable, visionary young people.

So! You can see more photos of the celebration of this love and community on Max Wagner's blog. And, next up, a little collaboration with Brown Betty. Thank you, Norrinda, Fareed, Max, 90047 and 19131.