Posts tagged ‘pink wedding’

February 27th, 2012

{Inspiration} Sequins – More sequined wedding invitations

Eggplant purple wedding invitation with sequins

 

Sequins are hot right now.  They’re everywhere.  While prior to 2011 most of us might have remembered them mostly as adornment on our gymnastics and dance leotards from childhood (I remember!), they were rethought last year as a hot embellishment for literally just about everything – couture runway gowns, home décor, hair accessories, you name it.  The wedding industry was certainly not left out of that trend, as you are probably already very aware.  And it’s a good thing, because sequins can do marvelous things for your wedding’s overall look and style, and they’re actually much more versatile than most of us give them credit for.

BLING – Used in large quantities and metallic colors,  sequins provide a lot of bling to whatever item it is they’re embellishing.  Consider adding crystals to boost the bling.

VINTAGE GLAMOUR – Used in delicate, pale, or washed-out hues like champagne, peach, or light gray, they lend a vintage glam look.  Perfect for weddings with a vintage Hollywood theme.

WILD FUN – In bright or hot colors, sequins add fun to their platform.

SOPHISTICATION – And used sporadically, in smaller quantities and rich colors, they add elegance, dimension, and intensity of color as they reflect the light they catch.

Pale gold and blush pink wedding menus with sequins

 

We created the wedding invitation at the top of this post using a suede-like aubergine purple fabric, embroidered with an undulating wave pattern and embellished with matching eggplant-colored sequins.  This wedding invitation is more sophisticated than it is blingy as a result of the rich purple hue and the relatively minimized use of sequins.  If you could only reach through the screen and touch it, you would find this invitation incredibly tactile and warm, thanks to the soft faux suede fabric and raised embroidered waves.

We created the place-setting menus above using cream-colored papers printed in chocolate brown.  Blush pink sequins and tiny, clear glass beads were sewn into a twist of pale gold mesh fabric as an embellishment.  These menus have a vintage feel with the slightest hint of glam.

What’s your take on sequins?  Will you incorporate them into your wedding style?  Contact us at Dogwood Blossom Stationery to schedule a design consultation to discuss your custom sequin wedding invitations.

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February 14th, 2012

{News} We’ve been featured in Orlando Wedding magazine!

More big news!  More excitement!  Orlando Wedding magazine featured two of our Welcome Bags in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue, out on newsstands right now.  As the article says, welcome bags are a fantastic surprise for out-of-town guests to find in their hotel rooms.

Celadon green and tangerine, hot pink and emerald green wedding welcome bags

 

Our welcome bag, featured on the left, was created with a Kraft paper gift bag with twisted handles.  It was stenciled along both sides with a celadon green peacock feather.  A square tag, printed on cream, is attached with a tangerine orange ribbon.  A closing clasp is created for this bag using jute twine that loops around the welcome bag tag.

Our welcome box, featured on the right, is a custom-created hot pink box.  It is adorned with white ruffle ribbon and emerald green satin ribbon.  A white faux chrysanthemum sits on top of the box and holds in place a round welcome tag, printed on pearlized white and adorned with two Swarovski crystals.

Have you been scouting for unique welcome bags for your out-of-town wedding guests?  What are you planning to include in your welcome bags?  Contact us at Dogwood Blossom Stationery to begin custom-creating your welcome bags!

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March 23rd, 2011

{Invitation Inspiration} Fun with Gingham

Gingham wedding invitation in black, hot raspberry, and lemon yellowGingham place-setting menu in black, hot pink, and yellowGingham fabric wedding invitation

Last year around this time, a bride called and asked me to create an invitation using bandana fabric.  To date, it’s one of my favorite projects, and I have her invitation posted in my Weddings Gallery and on lots of other online galleries!  Part of the reason why her wedding ensemble is one of my favorite projects is that when she asked me to use fabric, my first instinct was to panic.  Using fabric on invitations was new for me, and I didn’t really know where to begin.  But I told her I’d try it out and see what happened.  Well, the results were amazing!  That bride opened a whole world of opportunities for me!

Since creating her wedding invitations, I’ve created many, many more invitations using fabrics, for various events and occasions, and have actually decided to layer my business cards onto fabric.  (Yes, it’s just that great.)  (I’ll post my new business cards on this blog at a later date so you can see just how incredible they are – I dare you to throw my business card away!)

So on my last trip to the fabric store, I saw black and white gingham, and this little lightbulb went off in my head.  Wouldn’t that look awesome with some bright colors – like hot pink and bright yellow?  Maybe with a fluffy bow?  Something super fun…  Perfect!

The result is what you see above.  I created a square, gate-fold invitation using hot raspberry pink cardstock and tied it closed with a fluffy satin ribbon in lemon yellow.  Inside, the invitation is printed on bright white in a casual handwriting font paired with a formal block font.  A layer of black and white gingham sets off the invitation with unexpected flair.

To demonstrate how the look comes together at the reception, I created place-setting menus using the same materials, designed to slide into a pocket-fold napkin.

Also while I was at the fabric store, I saw some light blue and white gingham… it would look great on a birth announcement…  Hmmm.

Invitation & Menu: Dogwood Blossom Stationery

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March 5th, 2011

{Advice} When to mail your wedding invitations?

Coral and Jade Green Save-the-Date

The date you mail your wedding invitations is important.  Send them too late and your guests won’t have adequate time to book travel.  Send them too early and you risk (dare I say it?) being forgotten amidst the chaos of the rest of life.  And how does sending a save-the-date affect your invitation mailing date?  Here are some guidelines for mailing wedding invitations:

1.  If the majority of your guests are local:

Mail your wedding invitations 4 to 6 weeks prior to your wedding date.  This is the traditional mailing timeframe, and because local guests won’t need to book travel, this should leave adequate time for them to put your wedding on their social calendar.

If you sent a save-the-date and most of your guests are local: Still mail your wedding invitations 4 to 6 weeks prior.

2.  If a significant number of your guests live out-of-town:

Mail your wedding invitations 6 to 8 weeks prior to your wedding date.  This gives out-of-town guests time to book travel, but it isn’t so far in advance that your wedding will be overlooked.

If you sent a save-the-date and many of your guests live out-of-town: Still shoot for mailing your wedding invitations 6 to 8 weeks prior, but since your guests have been well-informed, if you can only manage 4 to 6 weeks prior, don’t fret.

TIP for inviting out-of-town guests:  Be a hero to out-of-town guests by including information about lodging near your wedding venue.  Let them know how far the suggested lodging is from the nearest airport, and give them some idea of the transportation situation:  will they need to rent a car?  Is there public transportation available?  Are you providing a shuttle service between the suggested lodging and your wedding venue?  Include this information on an enclosure with your wedding invitation, if possible.  Otherwise, include this information on your wedding website, or ask family members to share it with others.

3.  If you’re having a destination wedding:

Mail your wedding invitations 2 to 4 months prior to your wedding date, depending on whether your wedding will be held in this country or another country.  Mailing your invitations out early allows guests to obtain a passport, if needed, and arrange for travel.

If you sent a save-the-date and you’re having a destination wedding: Mail your wedding invitations 2 months prior if you included travel information with your save-the-date.  If you did not include travel information with your save-the-date, mail destination wedding invitations at least 3 months prior to your wedding, and include travel information with the invitation.

TIP for destination weddings:  Consider using the services of a travel agent to help your guests book their travel.  A travel agent will ensure that all your guests understand your weekend itinerary and know when to arrive and when to depart.  She’ll also help your guests get the best rates, prepare properly for travel, and serve as a singular point-of-contact during their trip.  Send your travel agent’s contact information in your save-the-date or with your wedding invitation.

So when should you order your invitations?

After you’ve determined the appropriate mailing date for your wedding invitations, the next step is making sure you order your wedding invitations far enough in advance to get your invitations in the mail.  Here’s a quick guide for turnaround time on wedding invitations, from first thought to mailbox:

Online/Mail-Order Invitations: Order pre-designed invitations from online and mail-order sources 1 to 3 months in advance.  Expect delivery of your invitations in 3 to 8 weeks, depending on the company you’re ordering from, and the type of printing process you select.  You’ll need at least week to address your envelopes if you’re doing it yourself.  If you hire a calligrapher, give her at least 3 weeks to address your envelopes.

Custom Invitations: Contact your custom stationer at least 3 months in advance to allow time for a design consultation, sample creation and revisions, and order fulfillment.  If time is an issue, ask your custom stationer to send your mailing envelopes in advance so you can have the addressing done by the time your invitations are complete.  Custom stationers will often arrange for calligraphy services on your behalf, also.

Save-the-Date: Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, LLC

The save-the-date in the photo above was created in a coral and jade green palette.  It uses multiple layers, including textured white, pearlized coral, a custom modern geometric wallpaper design in jade green, and a final printed layer included a circled-date calendar.

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February 15th, 2011

{Invitation Inspiration} Mixing Formal & Fun

Black and fuchsia square wedding invitation in slimline mailing boxBlack and fuchsia square wedding invitation in slimline mailing boxBlack and fuchsia square wedding invitation in slimline mailing box

Several weeks ago, I met with a new client for a design consultation, and she was in a conundrum.  Her wedding is going to be very formal, but she really wants an invitation filled with color and printed with her wedding motif.  She was concerned that a colorful, highly designed invitation would not convey the formality of her wedding.

While it is true that in days past formal invitations were very straightforward – black text printed on white or ivory cards with few accents or design work – that isn’t the case today.  Formal invitations can be just about anything you want them to be.  However, there are a few guidelines that will help your guests understand that your event will be formal.

TYPESTYLE

Typestyle can be the first indication of what to expect at an event.  While there aren’t hard-and-fast rules, and anything is possible within the world of design, here are a few tips for choosing the typestyle of your invitation.

Serif fonts (think Times New Roman-style), also called block fonts, are very traditional, and work best for very formal weddings.  Consider pairing a block font with a traditional script font and you’ve got a very classic, formal typestyle.

In the photos above, for instance, I used a classic all-caps block font with a traditional script font.  To make it more interesting, I switched the usual roles of the fonts: I used the block font for the bride and groom’s names, and the script font for the invitation text.  (Note:  When using script fonts for invitation text, be sure to choose a script that’s easy to read, and be sure to print it a little larger that you might print a block font.  Remember, one of the most important “etiquette” rules is ensuring that you make things easy for guests.  It’s not all about eye-candy!)

On the other hand, a script font that verges on modern “handwriting” tells guests that the event will be less formal, perhaps even casual.  This type of font is best used for less formal weddings, outdoor weddings, beach weddings, or destination weddings.  Sans serif fonts – those without the little nubbies on the ends of the letters (think Arial- or Verdana-style) – are also great for informal events, but depending on their usage, they can also be used for a formal wedding with a contemporary look and feel.

WORDING

Wording is the second major indicator of the formality of your wedding.  If you’re planning a formal wedding, it’s best to stick with traditional wording and leave out additional text like rhyming lines.  Also, be sure to spell out all words, even numbers, and do not use abbreviations.

Did you know that technically, wording varies based on whether you’re being married in a religious setting.  For instance, if you’re being married in a church, the wording: “requests the honour of your presence” is appropriate.  If you’re having a civil ceremony, the wording: “requests the pleasure of your company” is appropriate.

For less formal wedding invitations and casual invitations, wording can literally be whatever you’d like it to be, as long as the who, what, when, where, why information is being given.  Abbreviating dates is perfectly acceptable if you choose to do so, and will often help convey the fun and casual nature of your event.

ADDITIONAL LINES

If your event is black-tie, it is acceptable to print “Black tie” or “Black tie optional” in a lower corner of the invitation or below the invitation text.  Likewise, if you’re having a beach wedding and you don’t want guests wearing heels, consider printing “Casual attire” in the corner.  Doing so will give your guests official “permission” to dress down.

So… now that you have a few general guidelines, go for it – mix some fun, color, and unexpected elements into your formal wedding invitation!

And above all else, remember: the most important thing to keep in mind – not just for your invitations, but for all aspects of your event – is to make things easy and fairly obvious for guests.  Convenience and conveyance of information is the real reason behind etiquette rules, afterall.

Boxed Invitation: Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, LLC

The formal wedding invitation above was created in a black and fuchsia color scheme, accented with arabesques.  It is an oversized, 8.25” x 8.25” invitation with multiple layers of textured black, toothy whites, and smooth fuchsia.  This invitation is mailed in a black slimline invitation box and will arrive to guests in stunning style.

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December 23rd, 2010

{Fresh & Sweet} Daisy Wedding Invitation in Tangerine & Sherbet Pink

Tangerine and sherbert pink are perfectly fresh colors for an outdoor summer wedding.  A long and slender wedding invitation, featuring an orange and pink daisy trio tells of the relaxed and intimate wedding that’s to come.  I’ve always loved the idea of outdoor weddings – and had one myself!  There is something about fresh air, cool breeze, and warm sun that makes me feel easy and comfortable.  I imagine this wedding to have brightly colored, unmatched linens popping with patterns, sweet and juicy watermelon slices served simply and without any fuss, and a wedding cake whose Gerbera daisies in light pinks and oranges match those on the invitation.
Orange & Pink Daisy Trio Wedding Invitation

Inspiration for orange & pink wedding invitation

SOURCES (Clockwise from top):  Invitation by Dogwood Blossom Stationery;  wedding cake from Martha Stewart Weddings;  fabric from Etsy;  photo of watermelon by Kirti Poddar;  green glassware by Cambria Cove;  photo of Gerbera daisy bouquet by Stephanie Vacher;  seating card/favor tag by Dogwood Blossom Stationery

Please leave your feedback and comments!

What’s on your inspiration board? Need a custom invitation for your unique color scheme?  Denise {at} DogwoodBlossomStationery.com

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