Images, from left to right: 1 Invite and laser-cut chinese chops with glassine envelope. 2 The red strip on the invite and the 'kissing' chops on the reverse. 3 The invite opens out into a poster. 4 Reverse of poster. 5 Chinese myth.

A commission to design a wedding invite for a couple currently living and working in Beijing and who requested that the design reflect both their Chinese and British connections.

The design was based around an ancient Chinese myth: ‘According to the ancient Chinese, at birth the gods tie a red string around the ankles of the man and woman who will one day be husband and wife. As the years pass, the string becomes shorter until the two are united...’

This was reflected in the design with the use of a red strip across the top of the invite which formed a band once the invite was folded. This band was sealed with a fluorescent red-orange sticker, allowing the recipient of the invite to metaphorically ‘break the red string’ and so unite the couple. The chinese myth was printed in one long line across the back of the band.

The couple each had chops (Chinese stamps) made of their names: by placing them on either side of a fold, the chops ‘kissed’ when the invite was folded.