Recently I was commissioned to create a papercut as a wedding present.  As I talked with the client about the design it became obvious that this gift would celebrate not only the love between the wedding couple but also the deep friendship between the customer and bride-to-be.  A catalyst sparking off memories for the couple and for their friends and family who had watch the relationship blossom.

As part of planning the design I try to discover not only the details a client would like to include but also the story behind them.  In this instance, I learnt about a couple who born thousands of miles apart had met in London and been drawn together by a shared interest.  My client told of holidays together, shared passions and special nicknames, a romantic proposal and plans for the big day.

With pages of notes, my task was to now create a design that would tell this couple’s wonderful story in a way that was beautiful as well as meaningful.

They had travelled the world and yet so many of the key moments in their relationship took place in just one city. The idea of an illustrated map began to form…and so here is how I chose to draw a love story: