Friday, April 18, 2014

Wedding Invitation Etiquette



That sure is a lot of rules to follow... 

A Few Rules of the Game:

Wedding invitations are probably one of the most sweated invitations of your entire life! There are so many rules out there that you can follow. Then, there's always the option to throw conventionality out the window and break them all! Whichever way you choose to go, here are a few rules of thumb to be sure you won't have your guests saying, "OMG. I can't believe she thought this was appropriate!"

#1 Follow Form

Invitations convey more than just the simple message of who, what, when, where and why. The weight of the paper, the elaborate nature of the font, the delicate way you tie the whole thing together - that all conveys a certain style, level of formality and a sense of what your special day is all about.

Thicker paper with a more elegant font usually conveys a more formal wedding while a whimsical design and block style lettering can let people know this is going to be a little more relaxed!

When it comes to envelopes, I tend to stray away from the idea that ALL invitation envelopes must be addressed by hand. Who has the time or the patience when you're trying to iron out all of the other details?? I have had numerous envelopes printed with a beautiful calligraphy font and they look stunning.

Another way to allude to the formality in your wedding is the actual wording. On my website, there are helpful links to a wide array of wording styles - from formal all the way to unconventional!

#2 Mention the Major Players

Who is hosting this shindig? Typically, those people are shelling out the big bucks to ensure you have the day of your dreams. They need to be listed as the ones who are inviting the guests. So whether you say, "Mr. and Mrs. John Doe request the honour of your presence" or "Katie and Jack want to share their special day", they need to be given the credit of inviting everyone.

#3 No Kiddos?

How can you let someone know not to bring their kids along without stepping on their toes? Very carefully. You can easily let them know by way of omission. On the inner envelope, if you have one, just list out the parents' names and not the children. Alternatively, if you don't have an inner envelope, list out who is invited on the outer envelope when you address it. A simple way to include everyone is by saying, "Mr. and Mrs. John Doe and Family". 

If you wanted to exclude the children? "Mr. and Mrs. John Doe".

#4 Invitations to Everyone

Traditionally, anyone over the age of 16 gets their own invitation, even when living in the same house. Couples of all kinds always get one invitation - they are invited as a couple!

#5 Use Enclosures

Enclosures are handy little inserts you can put in your invitation packet that advise guests of certain things. You can use them to advise of attire, reception locations, directions to the venues, an RSVP for them to send back to you, hotel locations, etc. You can use them to give out whatever information you need! Just make sure it's not all on one cluttered card... it looks bad!

Yes, all of those enclosures WILL increase the weight and possible thickness of your invitation. Most invitations actually do cost more than a normal letter in postage to mail. Take one of your invitations, stuffed and in an envelope, to your local post office to see how much postage your invitations will need. Sometimes, you may even need them hand canceled by the staff there so that they don't get ruined going through the scanner.

#6 Don't Fish for Gifts

I always like to advise brides to resist the urge to put in their registry information as an additional card. It makes you appear to be fishing for gifts rather than caring about the person you're inviting. If you want to point people in the right direction, I am a fan of creating a wedding website and including THAT information on your RSVP. 

Ex: "For more information about the festivities to come, check out our website www.weddingwire.com/stevenandmichelle" 

On your website, you can include a section for your registry. That way, you give guidance for people who want to buy a gift without seeming like the gift is more important than the guest.

#7 Think Ahead

I'm always surprised when brides approach me one to two months ahead of their wedding day expecting their invitations to be turned around and mailed out NOW! If you're dealing with a hand crafted stationer, chances are it takes them a little while to make those tiny pieces of art. Each one is meticulously cut, placed, secured and tied up with a tiny little bow just for you. It is very difficult to get an invitation set turned around in a week or two. 

So my suggestion is: plan ahead. Invitations are usually mailed out 6-8 weeks before the big day. You should probably be shopping for your invitations about SIX MONTHS before the day comes around. That way, you have ample time to design, order, double check, address, and mail out your invitations, giving your guests the time they need to send back their RSVP. 

The coolest thing about weddings today is the prevalence of information online! This little list is by far not a comprehensive list of rules you might or might not want to follow for your wedding. Using that simple little Google tool, you can find a wealth of information at your fingertips.



With all of that available to you, there should be no problem finding the perfect combination of etiquette and formality to fit your style!


Friday, April 11, 2014

2014 Wedding Trends to Expect from The Knot


TheKnot.com released a few surveys and trend reports ahead of the 2014 wedding season. It's already common for brides-to-be to plan their weddings with apps, checklists, Pinterest boards and other virtual helpers, but what exactly are they "pinning" that's new? Here's a look at some of the top wedding trends for 2014, per theKnot.com's press release:

Woodland Weddings
The big wedding theme this year looks rustic and natural with sophisticated, glam accents, like the weddings of Sean Parker and Kate Bosworth. The centerpieces are branchy and green with lots of lush flowers and a pop of sparkle. For fashion, brides will don long wedding veils and dresses with ethereal lace and floral embellishments. A fun animal motif printed on everything from the invites to the ceremony programs, escort cards and more pulls the look together.

Looks like I'll be adding a few "animal motif" invitations to my new sample list!
 
Please Don’t Instagram My Wedding
Many couples don’t like the idea of guests attached to their phones throughout the ceremony and reception and are opting for unplugged weddings, a la Michael Jordan’s recent wedding in Palm Beach, Florida. From providing a phone check at the door to adding a note in their wedding websites or ceremony programs asking guests to refrain from taking photos or video, couples are stepping away from social media at their weddings.

I know I would prefer to have my guests unplugged... enjoy the wedding yourself... not through the lens of technology.
 
#SuperCharged Guests
This is literally the opposite of the unplugged wedding. If brides want their guests capturing the entire wedding day via a custom hashtag, they’ll ensure their phones stay charged all night with charging stations at the reception. These chic charging stations don’t have to look like an airport kiosk; brides are dressing up tall cocktail tables with pretty linens and having florists create small flatbeds of roses or wheatgrass with little flowers and cords popping up.


All-Nighter Weddings
Couples these days like to party more than ever, and want their weddings to last as long as possible. Enter the all-nighter wedding. Once the reception ends, the party continues. Couples keep the fun going by changing up the style and vibe and moving the party into another room or even an alternate venue. The after-party even has a completely different décor look with couture late-night comfort food bites and custom drink pairings. One big important to-do for those taking this route: arrange for transportation home or back to the hotel so that none of the guests drive home afterwards.

I know I couldn't have done this one... I was exhausted after all of that planning!!
 
Jeweled Necklines
The bridal fashion runways were full of simple, classic wedding dresses with added sparkle along the neckline -- from sheer illusion necklines with small beading to larger embroidered rhinestones and crystals. Picture the gorgeous looks of Lake Bell and Christina Ricci’s wedding dresses. And since most wedding photos are taken from the waist up, sparkly or unique details are best captured on the neckline or around the waist of the wedding dress.

I wonder if I could add a hint of sparkle to some new samples... strategically placed rhinestones?
 
Trash-the-Dress Backlash
There’s a counter-revolution going on in wedding photography and videography. Instead of trash-the-dress sessions (where brides spend a day with their photographer taking fun shots “trashing” their gown in the mud or a nearby lake), formal portraiture is back in style. The Southern bridal portrait tradition is going mainstream, as are formal bridal party portraits and family shots too – sometimes even sans smile!

Well that sounds boring... but oh well, it's your memories!
 
Brights Are Back
Gone are the days of all-white weddings. This year, big pops of bright hues are back for wedding color palettes. We’re not talking about a rainbow of color here. The idea is to take a neutral, muted palette, like whites, ivories and metallic gold, and to add a bold color like poppy red, tangerine or indigo blue. Brides will infuse color into those big details that everyone will see, from a pop of color in all of your florals and incredible colorful sugar flowers to bright nail polish to match.

Excited about this one - I'm already planning a "Sunshine Yellow" sample!
 
The Year of the Flower
While flowers tend to show up in 99 percent of weddings, this year, floral arrangements are getting a serious upgrade. Think oversized cascade bridal bouquets and elaborate flower installations that hang over the dance floor. Flowers are being woven into the décor more than ever by draping elaborate displays over tables, having fresh flower ceremony arches, decking out cake canopies with flowers and displaying escort cards and seating arrangements on a fresh flower wall. Don’t be surprised if you even see a confetti cannon shooting rose petals during the couple’s grand exit.

I feature real, dried flowers on some of my invitations... they turn out very delicate and unique!
 
Long Live the Photo Booth
Photo booths are nothing new for weddings. We’ve seen them evolve from vintage photo booths with monogrammed photo strips as favors to point-and-shoot booths that project guests’ photos in real time over the dance floor. Enter the slow-motion video booth. Using a special infrared camera, a videographer creates an amazing keepsake.

The Dream of the ’90s Is Alive
The ’90s are back in a big way – from the ready-to-wear fashion runways to home design trends and even Billboard’s “The Hot 100” music list. Plus, the ’90s were the party decade, so it may not be surprising to hear that ’90s-inspired details are on trend for weddings this year. We’re talking temporary tattoo wedding favors, hip hop music groups or even break dancers to entertain guests while the band or DJ takes a break, and crop-top wedding dresses.

Can't wait to develop some new invitation lines that can help brides of 2014 share their journey of love with the world!
 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

New Website Design With Wordpress = Small Business Win

It took me an entire day, but yesterday I finally got our new website up and running!
It's so nice :)  I'm very happy that it is able to fully support my Etsy shop home in the "Shop Online" section as well as display pictures of my work in a way that doesn't require me to build a listing for each one. 

PLUS the best part....


..... not as expensive as Volusion.

My website was actually pretty cheap and fairly easy to build. My first website was with Volusion.com - now that company is great for those who are really into having a storefront based entirely on their website. It honestly was just too much for my little boutique's needs.

With the new site, I started with HostGator.com - a simple, cheap hosting site with a pretty easy to understand C-Panel (that's where you build your stuff)! It was super easy to buy the domain www.wildflowersandlace.com for one year and buy the hosting services for three years at only $3.96 per month.  I was able to pay for it all up front too, so that relieves me of a monthly bill coming to my inbox.

Next step: Install Wordpress so that I can select from thousands of free themes and easily build my website from a visual point of view instead of trying to learn all of the code and tech talk. Here's how user friendly the dashboard is.

 You can easily add new web pages, customize your overall appearance, add pictures and more.  I went with a free theme named "Arcade" and love it. It's not very well integrated with social media, though, which is a definite con. However, I wasn't ready to pay for their full version just yet. Maybe in the future I will, but until then this will do just fine.

You are also able to add these neat little forms in certain pages - I wanted a form for my clients to fill out in order to submit a final approval on their proofs as well as a form for potential clients to fill out in order to contact us with information about their event.

The plugin FormGet helped me add in some online forms with a very basic drag and drop system. I could customize my questions, make answers required or not, and then when a client fills the form out, a neat little email pops up in my inbox telling me that, hey, you have a new lead!

Wordpress is completely free to install, the theme was completely free, so the total cost of my website for three entire years is:

($3.96 x 36) + ($12.95 x 3) = $181.41
Hosting        +  Domain Name = Website Cost

That breaks down to just roughly $5.00 per month... for a website.

As opposed to Volusion, which was charging me $20 per month... for more than I needed.

Don't get me wrong - Volusion is a very powerful online retail tool that has AMAZING features.... it was just too much for my shop.  With this, I am able to still sell online while linking to my Etsy shop, link to my social media sites, blog, showcase my previous work, collect new inquiries online, and organize my final proof approvals all within an attractive website for much less.

I call that a SMALL BUSINESS WIN if I ever saw one.


Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Wedding Wire Rated!


Exciting! We've gotten amazing reviews and can't wait to add more - please don't forget to review your vendors.. it's a huge source of pride and knowledge for us.

We're excited to have won 5 stars every time, and can't wait to keep it up!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Top Wedding Invitation Trends of 2014

Thanks to ElegantWeddingInvites.com for this insightful article! We love hearing about the latest wedding stationery trends - time to craft up some new design suites!


No. 1 Lace, Damask and Pearls

A classic that never fades is lace, damask and pearls, which will continuously popular and one of the hottest wedding invitations in the year 2014. For more lace wedding invitations, please click here.
vintage pink wedding ideas with lace decorations 2014
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classic and vintage lace and 2014 trending damask pink wedding invitations
No. 2 Floral
Floral wedding invitations have always been hot but in 2014 they’ll be even bigger, from traditional blooms to shabby chic patterns.
shabby chic boho inspired floral wedding ideas 2014
shabby chic vintage floral cheap wedding invitations online
shabby chic fabulous elegant lace floral wedding invitations 2014 trends
No. 3 Vintage
You’ll see vintage luxury inspired by the Art Deco era – like Great Gatsby.
vintage key inspired 2014 rustic neutral color wedding ideas
2014 trends vintage wedding invitations with floral decorated
floral vintage wedding invitations with burlap rope decorations for 2014
No. 4 Hint of Sparkle
Whether it’s a small paillette or a frame decorated in sequins, these styles will be big bonus to your perfect wedding invitations.
modern pink and gold sparkle wedding ideas 2014
2014 rustic gold wedding invitations with hunt of sparkle
modern luxury gold and brown damask  wedding invitations with hint of sparkle
No. 5 Stripes & Chevron
The color navy blue is one of the hottest wedding colors next year and some of the weddings are nautical theme. Stripes and chevron can best describe the nautical and work with the color blue.
2014 trending gold and green chevron wedding ideas
2014 navy blue stripes nautical and beach wedding invitations online
cheap stripes navy blue nautical wedding invitations
No. 6 Burlap
Like it or not, burlap will increasingly work its way, but in different ways, like a burlap rope or decorated by burlap.
country rustic burlap wedding ideas for 2014 trends

fall maple leaves burlap cheap wedding invitation online
 rustic lace and burlap wedding invitations online
As low as $0.94,Click to See the Details of the Invitation above, left one,right one
No. 7 Color Matters More
Hot wedding colors for 2014 include coral, turquoise, peach, gray and my favorite, navy blue, all of which can be mixed with a variety of secondary colors to create a beautiful effect.

Back Up and Running

For a period of time here with my new job jobs, I thought I would not have the resources available to continue with my shop!!

Luckily, some sense was talked into me by my husband and my new director... you have the option to hire someone to help you keep it going without incurring too much cost. So, believe it or not, we've grown to a team of THREE instead of just us two. Never imagined that would happen!

Introducing Julie Faulkner, my sister and now, the person who has enabled me to keep my doors open! She will be handling a lot of the assembly, so please give her a warm welcome to the team!


We're excited to have you on board!!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Peony - Flower of the Year

According to the wedding planner to the stars, Mindy Weiss, the Peony is the "flower of the year" for weddings and has been for two years straight now. This romantic flower is one of my favorites and I absolutely love how many color variations there are!


Anyway, I love them so much that I fashioned one of my invitation suites around them. The Coral Peony is my most popular suite on Pinterest and has been re-pinned everywhere! I just love the color combination and think it is a very soft, feminine wedding invitation.




There are a few more wedding trends I'm excited about this year as well!

Neutral color palettes - not sure why, but I sure do like the palettes of grey, brown, blush pinks, etc. They just exude elegance to me, if you do it right.

Gleaming wedding invitations - I love adding a little bit of shine to my invitations. Whether it is through heat embossing, ribbon, or the paper itself, I think a little bit of glitter and gleam is a fantastic highlight on an invitation.

Going natural - The "going green" thing has been embraced thoroughly, and rightfully so. I am looking forward to creating an invitation suite centered around being all-natural. The use of recycled papers lends a unique touch to a suite and several of those papers are actually quite cool to work with!