An invitation is card, vows are ink on paper and a veil is fine net. We frame the paper and the fabric from a wedding with the mount each one needs, in one frame or in a matching set.
We frame the things people keep from a wedding: the invitation, handwritten vows, photographs, a veil, a garter, a handkerchief, the marriage certificate. These fall into two groups, paper and fabric, and each group is mounted in a different way. We can put them in one frame or in a matching set. The work is done in our workshop at 1242 Davie Street.
Paper: invitations, vows and the certificate
Paper items are placed behind a mat, a border of card with an opening cut for each piece. The mat and the backing board are acid-free, which means they are made so they do not turn acidic and stain the paper. Each sheet is hinged, held by small paper tabs at its top edge only, so it can be lifted out again.
Three details are particular to wedding paper:
Invitations are often thick. Layered card, raised printing, a ribbon or a wax seal all stand up from the surface. We add a spacer, a thin strip hidden under the frame edge, so the glazing (the sheet of glass or acrylic at the front) does not press on them.
Vows are usually written in pen. Pen ink fades in daylight. UV glazing filters out ultraviolet light, the part of daylight that does the most fading, and we recommend it for anything handwritten.
A marriage certificate is a legal document. You may need the original again, so it is hinged and can be taken out of the frame. It can also be framed on its own, the way we frame a degree. See diploma and certificate framing.
A drawing on board is protected like the paper above: an acid-free mat around it and UV glazing in front. Blossom Serenade, a coloured pencil drawing on artboard of two birds among red flowers, 70 by 50 cm, is one of the originals in our gallery.
Fabric needs depth, so it goes in a shadow box, a frame built deep enough that nothing is pressed flat. The fabric is laid on a padded acid-free board and stitched to it by hand at several points with fine thread. The thread can be cut later, and the fabric lifts off unmarked.
A veil is made of tulle, a fine net you can see through. On a white board a white veil is hard to see, so the colour of the board behind it decides how well the veil shows. We lay the veil over a few board colours at the counter so you can see the difference. A long veil is folded or gathered softly and stitched in that shape, with no hard creases pressed into it.
One frame or several
A single mat with several openings can hold the invitation, a photograph and the vows side by side. Adding fabric makes the whole frame deep, because the box must be as deep as its thickest item. Another option is one flat frame for the paper and one shadow box for the fabric, in the same moulding, the shaped length of wood or metal a frame is cut from. Our shadow box framing page explains how depth is worked out.
Choosing the mat colour
Wedding paper is often cream or ivory. A bright white mat beside cream paper makes the paper look yellow. We hold mat samples against the invitation itself and choose a white close to its tone. A thin second mat in a colour from the invitation can add a narrow line around each opening, and our guide to double mats shows the effect.
White has many tones in paint as well as in paper. Whispers of Winterlight, an oil on canvas of a small church among pine trees in snow, 30 by 40 cm, is painted mostly in white and grey blue, and a frame colour would be held against those tones.
The number of openings in the mat, the depth of the box, the outer size, the glazing and the moulding. Hand stitching a veil takes longer than hinging a sheet of paper. We quote at the counter when the layout is agreed, before any work starts.
What to bring or send
Bring everything you are thinking of including, and printed photographs in the size you want them shown. If you have two copies of the invitation, bring both, so one can show the front and one the inside. If you live outside Vancouver, send a photograph of the items laid out and the size of each. Printed photographs alone are covered on our photograph framing page.
Walk in at 1242 Davie Street with the keepsakes. Enter your email on this page for a 10% framing code to show at the shop, and see custom framing for the full list of what we frame.
How it works
1
Bring it in, or send photographs
Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.
2
We look at the actual piece
What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.
3
It is made by hand and fitted
Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.
Common questions
Can a wedding invitation and photographs be framed together?
Yes, a wedding invitation and photographs can be framed together behind one mat with a separate opening for each. All the openings are cut in a single sheet of acid-free mat board, and each item is hinged at its top edge. Bring the invitation and the printed photographs together so we can set the spacing with the real pieces.
How is a wedding veil mounted in a frame?
A wedding veil is mounted in a shadow box, laid on a padded acid-free board and stitched to it by hand at several points with fine thread. No glue is used. The veil is folded or gathered softly so no hard crease is pressed into the net, and a spacer keeps the glazing away from the fabric.
Is it safe to frame an original marriage certificate?
Framing an original marriage certificate is safe when the materials are acid-free and the sheet is hinged at the top edge with no glue. The certificate can then be taken out whenever you need the original. We also recommend UV glazing, because signatures in pen fade in daylight. Tell us if you expect to remove it often.
What colour mat suits a cream wedding invitation?
A mat in a warm white close to the tone of the paper suits a cream wedding invitation. A bright white mat makes cream paper look yellow beside it. We hold mat samples against the invitation at the counter in daylight, because the difference between two whites is hard to judge on a screen.
Will handwritten wedding vows fade in a frame?
Handwritten wedding vows fade more slowly in a frame with UV glazing, which filters out the ultraviolet part of daylight. Pen ink still reacts to strong light over many years, so hang the frame on a wall away from direct sun. Acid-free backing behind the sheet keeps the paper from turning brown from the back.
Can you frame a wedding garter or handkerchief?
Yes, we frame a wedding garter or handkerchief in a shadow box. The fabric is stitched by hand to a padded acid-free board with fine thread, and the box is built deep enough that the glazing does not press on lace or elastic. A small item like this often shares a box with the invitation or a photograph.
Can I show both the front and the inside of a folded wedding invitation?
Yes, both the front and the inside of a folded wedding invitation can be shown. The simplest way is to bring two copies, so one is mounted closed and one open. With a single copy, the invitation is mounted open, which shows the inside and hides the front. A deeper mat opening keeps the fold from being flattened.
10% off your custom framing when you show this code at our shop
We frame, stretch canvas and reframe by hand, in our own workshop inside the gallery at
1242 Davie Street. Enter your email and your code appears right here. Show it at the
counter and we take 10% off the job. The code does not expire.
Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
Opens in a new window.
In-shop offer · 1242 Davie Street, Vancouver
Get 10% off your framing at our shop
Add your name and email and your code appears on the next screen. Show it at the counter
and we take 10% off any framing, stretching or reframing job you bring us. It does not
expire.
Exceptional Service and a Truly Memorable Art Purchase
I had a wonderful experience with Van Art Hub Gallery. I came across two pieces by Melina Ghaemi — *Mad Mirrors* and *Small World in the Hands of a Stranger* — and immediately fell in love with them.
I contacted Van Art Hub Gallery, and they were incredibly helpful throughout the entire process, from arranging the payment to organizing the shipping. At first, I was a little skeptical and nervous about how everything would work, especially since the paintings were still in Iran and it was shortly after the war. But the gallery handled everything with such professionalism and care that my concerns quickly disappeared. Amazingly, they were able to get the paintings to Canada in just two days!
The pieces are absolutely captivating. Even when I picked them up from the frame maker and was simply carrying them to my car, several people stopped and asked me about the paintings. That says a lot about how striking and special Melina Ghaemi’s work is.
A big thank you to Van Art Hub Gallery for making this experience so smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciated their professionalism, communication, honesty, and integrity throughout the entire process. I would happily work with them again and highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing art through the gallery.
I got my order today and your work is really good. I didn’t expect to get a certificate for this painting, it was a surprise. Thanks for caring about small details.
The support team was really helpful and followed up nicely, wich I really appreciated. The painting is just like the photo – great quality and very detalied. I just wish it arrived a bit sooner, but honestly it was worth the wait.
I received my painting today. The support team was great and very responsive. The artwork is exactly what I was hoping for – even more beautifull in person. Truly a valuable piece. I’ll definetely order again. Thank you!
