My picks in Family & Occasions

London-based Chartula Studio, founded in 2003 by designer and illustrator Charlotte Hewson, creates some of the most sophisticated custom stationery on the market, inspired by sources and trends from around the world. She uses both traditional and modern printing technologies, from hand engraving to laser cutting, and produces eye-catching designs in hot colors such as rich purples, chocolates and tennis greens. Chartula has gained a solid reputation for quality, service and attention to detail, not to mention a high-profile clientele from celebrities to Britain's well-heeled social set.

Jodie Foster, Charlize Theron and Sandra Bullock are just some of the Hollywood superstars who choose Soolip to personalize their A-List invitations. Founded in 1995 by former fashion designer Wanda Wen, the West Hollywood shop comes highly recommended by Harmony Walton, owner of the nearby Bridal Bar, a boutique and wedding planning resource. "Soolip has the most exquisite paper stocks I've seen," says Harmony. "They have a great selection of cotton and eco-friendly materials and their letterpress the best in the business. Their work is very simple, classic and elegant—not over the top or too ornate; you pay for the quality, the product, the craftsmanship, not the theme or showmanship."

What started out as a labor of love for Luke Ives Pontifell, who launched a limited edition book business in 1985 while studying at Harvard University, has grown into one of New York's leading bespoke custom printing, binding and fine paper companies. In addition to publishing beautifully crafted books—which grace the shelves of some of the world's finest private and public libraries, including those at the White House, the British Museum and the Vatican—Thornwillow Press specializes in top quality personalized stationery from wedding invitations to birth announcements and holiday cards. Pontifell and his team use traditional European dyes, and can create classic or contemporary stationery with custom motifs or monograms, ideal for personal use or as a gift.

Not only does this Australian company offer an array of invitations in international styles, colors, fabrics and textures—from Swarovski crystals to Thai silk, French lace and Japanese paper—but it also designs church books, guest books and photo albums and a host of other accessories. One of the other bonuses is its delightful bonbonniere service, creating custom-made gift boxes which can be filled with confectionery or candles for an attractive place setting or wedding guest favor. All of Huetopia's stationery can be personalized with initials, a family emblem or logo in a variety of printing styles.

Ordering custom-made notepaper, invitations, birth announcements or visiting cards from this grand Parisian stationer may involve a wait of several months—not that that has ever bothered Cassegrain's very particular Parisian clientele, who endure the wait because it's worth every minute. Few stationers offer such a wide choice of quality papers and inks. Hand-engraving is done by both the copperplate and steel plate methods, which create a beautiful three-dimensional effect in the finished product. Service is all you would expect from an establishment that has catered to France's haute society for almost 90 years.

Brothers Giorgio and Francesco Pettinaroli are the fourth generation to run this great family firm, keeping it true to its original values and mission. As with everything Milanese, only the best will do, from the highly skilled craftsmen—including dying breeds such as lithograph engravers—through to the rare and precious papers sourced from small-scale, specialized mills. The result: an unrivaled portfolio of exquisite stationery that amounts to a unique social history of Milan over the past 120 years. Having the printing presses adjacent to the store not only means hands-on quality control, but also gives clients a chance to see their work in progress. The brothers eschew more modern technologies in favor of traditional manual or semi-automatic presses, providing a fascinating glimpse of a bygone era.

In a large loft in downtown Manhattan, cluttered with seven wrought-iron printing presses and towers of paper, Ted Harrington's century-old and family owned Stationers Engraving Company almost looks like a crazed artist's studio. Of course, Harrington is anything but mad: he produces fabulous classic and hand-engraved stationery for Cartier and such major fashion designers as Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander and Michael Kors. Apart from his speedy delivery (a turnaround time of days rather than weeks) clients love his technical virtuosity—which includes three separate color impressions to give greater richness and depth—and creative wizardry, like invitations for a beach wedding that come wrapped in raffia and placed in a small wooden box with sand and seashells.

When Nigel Rawlence founded the Wren Press in London the early 1980s, he believed the printing industry was destroying a great tradition of craftsmanship because of inefficiencies, carelessness and poor service. More than 25 years later, he now has locations in New York, Dublin and Hong Kong, and his quality and customer-focused approach has made Wren the stationer of choice for several luxury goods companies and countless well-connected clients—Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles among them. A believer in combining traditional skills and modern technology, Rawlence is also a stickler for personal service and strict security about the personal information of clients. Once a stationery order is complete, the company can arrange for fine calligraphers to write invitations and address envelopes.