Read more:http://www.invitationstyles.co.uk/

And since we’re inviting you to join us this month for a virtual wedding extravaganza, we’re starting things off with a round up of lovely stationary ideas.  Invitations and accent pieces are a great way to set the stage for the tone and theme of your wedding.

The Basics:
At a minimum you should probably consider the following items:
Save The Date Card
Invitation & Envelope
Response Card
Place Cards
Table Numbers
Thank Yous

The Extras:
Get a little fancier with these add-ons:
Reception Card
Inside Envelope
Menus
Programs
Direction Maps
Calligraphy
Return Address Stamp or Embosser (we like the ones from Paperwink)

The Colors:
Here are a few color schemes calling our name this year but many of these come in multiple colors.

Blues, clockwise from top: Minted, Crane, Gryphon, Minted

Lemon & Grey, clockwise from top:Elum, Smock Paper, Minted, FoglioPress

Ruby Red, clockwise from top: Minted, Wedding Paper Divas, Wiley Valentine

Chocolate, clockwise from top:Paper + Cup, e.m.papers, Night Owl Paper Goods,
Shine Invitations, Crane

Lime Green, clockwise from top: Two Trick Pony, Elum, Wedding Paper Divas, Elum

Budget-Friendly Tips:
We could go on and on about stationary but the fact is, it gets pricey in a hurry. Here are some ideas to consider if you’re on a budget:
- Choose an invitation that allows you to put reception info on it so that you can skip the separate reception card.
- Skip the inner envelopes.
- Post one menu per table instead of one at each place setting.
- Choose flat printing over letterpress.
- Have a talented friend or family member? Ask them to design your invites or do your calligraphy as a wedding gift.

1. There are some beautiful fruit bearing trees at this location. Try and get some shots of the bride and groom walking through these trees. With a few good applied Photoshop actions, you can turn these shots into period portraits with a rustic feel.
2. Look for the balcony. Get some pictures of the bride, bride and groom and others on the balcony. Make sure you are far enough back to pick up the entire building and some of the beautiful landscaping. You can always zoom in or crop to get some close-ups. This shot will have a princess in a castle type feel to it.
3. At the ceremony site, line up the bride and groom in front of the last row of chairs. Frame the ceremony structure in the background. This will perfectly frame your subjects in the wedding area.
4. There is a beautiful, old, red telephone booth on premise. A fun shot is to take pictures of the bride or the bride and groom kissing in the booth, posing in front of the booth, or sticking their faces out of the booth. Later in Photoshop apply a 50′s retro action.
5. On the grounds, you will see a large tree with a large long low hanging vertical branch. A tree swing has been attached. From a distance – so you can get a good portion of the tree in the shot – capture the bride and groom on this swing.
6. Look for the bench that is covered in blue tiles. This location is a stunning place to take some shots of the bride alone – especially if that dark blue compliments her skin tone. The white dress creates a strong and memorable contrast with the dark blue tile. This is a good location to get pictures of the bridesmaids as well, if their dresses go well with the color of the tile.
7. Find the green bridge. There are a number of angles from which you can shoot the couple or groups; however, if the riverbed is dry, get down in it. From this lower angle you will be able to capture your subjects with the large trees towering overhead.

Professional photographers in Orange County speak highly of this location as a place to shoot a wedding. By following these tips, a photographer will better be able to combine the beauty of the couple with this wedding location.

Wedding invitations are crucial but they need not eat a chunk off your budget. If you want to save on these, you can choose a one-leaf, two-page invitation to announce your wedding. And the quality does not have to suffer.

What are the advantages of using postcards as wedding invitations?

Advantage 1: Save on paper and printing cost

Postcards are thick cards printed on both sides. These are usually mailed out without any envelopes, so if you truly want to save on that, you can go for this unconventional way of sending out your wedding invitations.

Even with front and back sides, you can still make an announcement that has all the crucial information. Print the most important wedding details on the front page. For example, ‘You are cordially invited to celebrate the union of John and Jane’. Below this, add the event, date, and the venue of the ceremony and reception.

On the back page, you can add the secondary information such as attire, wedding registry, RSVP numbers and a small map for directions. For your layout, leave a small space for mailing and postal details.

However, if you’re not too comfortable about the idea of sending out such invitations without envelopes, printing companies can offer the same envelope printing to your convenience. You can even add a more personal touch with envelopes that helps adhere to the theme of your wedding design.

Advantage 2: Save time

With postcards, you only need to design and layout two pages so you can devote more of your time to other aspects of your wedding such as ceremony and reception planning.

There are countless of invitation templates available in the net, some of them specifically intended for weddings. You may use any of these or design your own.

With your own design, you can incorporate a bit of your and your partner’s personality into the invitation, or even share your special moments together by adding pictures. Playing with your postcard printing options can help make your photo-rich invitations look color-rich and sheen-rich, as well.

You can create a classic design, or even opt for a more contemporary look. Formal or a little spunky, you can determine everything that goes into it and exactly how it would look like.

Advantage 3: Save on mailing cost and time

Some printing companies offer direct mass mailing so fresh off the printers, your wedding invitations can be mailed to your family and friends. You don’t need to have the invitations shipped to you, and you certainly don’t have to mail each one out either. Talk about more savings.

Prepare your mailing list and send them to the printing company. Discuss mailing terms and delivery periods to make sure that your invitees will get their announcements on time and respond to your RSVP request.

With wedding postcard printing, less doesn’t mean inferior, but it can surely spell a lot of savings.

Classic wedding invitations look like they are quite old fashioned. Most of the time, they come on one sheet of paper, without any folds. They are often in an envelope with a sheet of tissue paper, and usually have one or two colors. The background is usually white or off white, and the color of the printing is a dark color. There is usually a boarder, and the wedding invitation has important information about the wedding on the inside. This information consists of who is getting married and the time and place where the ceremony is being held. Classic wedding invitations are usually all the same general size, and they have a very formal and traditional tone to them. However, the colors and borders can be customized. It is also possible to customize the text on the invitation to make it your own.

When to Go Classic

There are several situations where a classic wedding invitation is the best choice. If you are very religious, and the biggest factor in your wedding is going to be the traditional, religious aspect of it, you may enjoy having the classic wedding invitation more than you would enjoy having a different, more contemporary wedding invitation. If you are inviting many people who have very traditional values, and you want to make the traditional values into what is most important in your wedding, you may also prefer to choose the traditional and classic wedding invitation.

You want to make sure that your wedding follows this traditional theme after your choice of invitations. This is important because it can help you make sure that you are on track for a formal celebration right from the start. Often the more classic and traditional wedding invitations are the best way to show right from the start that you are planning a traditional and formal wedding. If you are not planning a traditional wedding, it is still possible to use this formal invitation. Although it may not match the exact theme of your wedding, the invitations are very simplistic and you are sure to find one that works well.

When to Choose another Option

Even though there are plenty of reasons that you might want to choose classic wedding invitations, there are also some times where that style is not the best choice. If your wedding is very informal, a classic wedding invitation just is not going to match the theme or setting of your wedding.

Many times, traditional afternoon weddings, followed by evening dinners and receptions do well with the classic wedding invitation. However, weddings that are in the morning, with afternoon receptions, or weddings that are in the early evening with late night receptions are ceremonies that might benefit from a different type of wedding invitation. You have to use your best judgment and ask yourself if a traditional wedding invitation is really the best style for your ceremony.

In addition, if you are having a destination wedding, you probably do not want to go with the classic wedding invitation. A destination wedding is a great time to explore different possibilities when it comes to choosing this type of event , so you want to be sure that you are leaving your options open for the type of wedding invitation that you want to send out. A destination wedding in another location such as the beach, or a different country, may call for a more creative wedding invitation rather than a classic wedding invitation. In this case, you may want something that is the color of the ocean or a landmark of the country where the wedding is taking place. These are just a few informal ceremony ideas where a traditional themed wedding invitation would not work as well.

No matter what, you are going to have a decision to make. You want to take into consideration the overall theme or idea behind your wedding. You also want to think about the time of day, the type of wedding you are having, and the level of formality that your wedding is going to have. All of these factors are very important because they help you to show how important your special day is, and they help you to choose the wedding invitation that is going to mean the most to you. Your wedding invitation should be something that you really love and enjoy.

These are colorful, happy and inviting and you can make them unique. You can make them yourself, get a designer to do them for you, or visit an online store, and order them designed specifically for you. Wedding invitations are going to be the first impression your guests are going to have of your wedding, and it is an important detail.

Summer weddings are beautiful, they can be held out-of-doors, in gardens, vineyards, on the beach, in parks, national parks, in fact at any beautiful outdoors venue, and these generally cost less. To convey the spirit of romance and excitement to your family and friends your invitations should be unique and elegant.

Tropical themes can be floral, and floral designs are one of the most popularly chosen for invitations. There are thousands of varieties of flowers you are able to use, and a favorite tropical flower is the hibiscus. Using color combinations of sea-blue and green with beige, or turquoise and brown, even hot pink for this flower, can still set the tone for an elegant, yet light-hearted occasion.

Beach and tropical themes for weddings are very trendy at the moment and have always been popular for summer weddings. This evokes images of Hawaii, beach sun-sets, palm trees, coconut groves, strolling handing hand along the beach, paired foot-prints in the sand and names written inside hearts on the sand next to the shore. All very romantic and at the same time exciting!

Invitations can be decorated with beach sand sprinkled onto glued paper, with small shells, starfish, dolphins, and with ribbons, thread or twine for added decoration. To make these invitations yourself, you can find all these necessities at your local scrap-booking shop. If you don’t have the time or inclination, your Tropical Themed Invitations can be done by many different stores which make them unique and don’t charge the earth.

If you are planning to get married far from home, then destination invitations are ideal. They will showcase the destination you have chosen and entice your friends and family to join you in your celebration. Select a tropical theme for your wedding invitation that has something of the beauty and charm of your destination include in it and make your wedding memorable from the very first detail to the last.

Images of the guests frowning while fanning themselves under the heat do not induce an “awwww” moment in photographs. The picture gets uglier if the beach bride experiences this discomfort as well. It’s not just the heat but the sun itself. Of course, many would like to make most of their stay in the beach wedding destination, get a tan and what have you. Some people may not be aware of their tolerance to sunshine, but the beach bride isn’t about to gamble on that on her beach wedding. Showing off that gorgeous tan will be appreciated more if we are sunburn- and heatstroke-free.

There is a blazing sun that corresponds to any promise of good weather. Consider the early morning or late afternoon sun for the beach wedding ceremonies. Sunshine during these times is generally friendlier than any other hour within the day. Gawkers, passers-by and their gate crashing pets may not also be around during less sunny hours. An indoor reception after the wedding ceremonies by the beach doubles as protection from the dreaded rain or too much sun. Since the wedding ceremonies will be held beachside, arrange a covered area with comfortable seating.

Sunscreen application before going out to the beach is mandatory. Little beach wedding dresses hardly provide that much coverage to the sun, so apply and re-apply sunscreen as needed. Sunscreens with high SPF generally provide more protection than those with lower SPF, so know when reapplication will be necessary.

We already know that long sleeved dresses are not exactly beach wedding worthy, so have the female guests wear hats for extra protection against the sun (think fashionable straw hats that go really well with beach dresses).

Sand reflects as much harmful UV rays as a concrete pavement, even when a person is under a shade. Have guests use eyewear with UV protection.

The beach bride can get really preoccupied on her beach wedding day, but she must not forget to keep herself hydrated. Have water and other non-alcoholic refreshments within reach at all times. It’s a wedding, yes, but alcoholic drinks simply do not help rehydrate a person’s body. This will not only be beneficial for the beach bride, but for the guests as well. Sun safety should be given much thought especially for a beach wedding with elderly and small children in attendance. They belong to high risk groups when it comes to sunstrokes and heat exhaustion.

Jewish symbols are hallmark representations of the Jewish faith. Their images are enduring, and they cannot be shattered or sullied. Secondly, any symbol can be depicted in any artistic style – from impressionistic, classical, to post-modern. Thirdly, any color can be used to infill or outline the symbol.

Jewish verses, the invitation’s wording, can be ornate, eloquent, and spiritual. The words are beautiful and memorable, and nothing can detract from that. Secondly, any font, font size, calligraphic script, or custom lettering can be used – from Old English to Comic book lettering. Thirdly, the font can be raised, embellished, colored in, or highlighted in any number of ways with modern printing techniques.

Combining information from the previous two paragraphs will yield a precious, precisely original card that molds the best of old and new. The trick is to retain the images and verses of yesteryear and jazz it up with color, custom fonts, and modern artistic representation.

But, how do you do it?

Websites that specialize in invitations for special events like to showcase and include as many customization options as possible. You can write what you want the invitation to say, choose a background or upload your own, insert Jewish symbols as clip art or pick your own from their selection, and specify the font, font size, font color, and font effects vis-à-vis printing techniques. All of these cost extra, of course, but the thing to remember is that the option is available to you, and you needn’t sway toward the ultra-modern or the antiquated. A delicious combination of both is at your fingertips.

Colorful papers, transparent paper, floral embellishments, high-end designers’ work, simple or extravagant borders, photographs, religious symbols, and textures, ribbons, and bows are all choices you can make to integrate.

Bar Mitzvah Invitations are something your child will remember, and likely keep, for the rest of his life. He will show it to his son and share the story of the event with his family. Perhaps nothing is important as the entrance into manhood, and the invitation needs to be stylish, beautiful, and enduring to match.

There are so many different areas of the event that need attention; therefore this could be a very expensive undertaking. There is planning the place of the event, what time it will be held and what food will be served. The bride and groom will also have a lot of things to get ready for. They need to select a DJ and decide on the type of ceremony they prefer.

Above all, they must remember to send invitations to family members and friends. The invitation is very important, as it is the first thing to give people an idea of what kind of style your wedding will be; in other words, it gives them a first impression of your important day.

It is important to remember this when you make your invitation selection. For example, a theme wedding will require invitations reflecting that same theme. If your wedding is planned to be more traditional, the invitation style should be a traditional one. However, if your wedding will be contemporary, your choice should be for contemporary wedding invitations.

There are a few things to consider when you are searching for either traditional or contemporary wedding invitations. The design of the invitation should reflect who you are. There are even funny wedding invitations if that’s what you’re in the market for. Many couples mail a ‘save the date’ card before they mail their invitations and these are often humorous in nature. If this suits your personality you might consider doing a search for ‘funny wording for wedding invite’.

One way to spice up your wedding invitations is to use contemporary designs. Fun fonts and a variety of materials are combined to create a memorable effect. Pretty paper and ribbons can be incorporated into the invitation. Due to recent innovations in printing technology, you may find that it is less expensive than you might have thought to create invitations with your own personal touch. You can even design the invitations yourself.

First, use invitation wording that mirrors you and your family’s attitudes, beliefs, and personalities. People are sick and tired of reading the same old phrase on invitations. The popular phrase emblazoned across the annals of bridal magazines, and history in general, is the following: “Blank’s parents request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, or son.” Consider new and innovative ways of saying the same thing so people don’t feel lukewarm about attending your wedding. Pull them in with invigorating, personal phrases that suggest warmth and kindness and a special call out to them especially. Here is a good example:

Because you have witnessed our beautiful child grow up along with us, Name and Name invite you to partake of the spiritual blessing of our wedding day.

Another good phrase might be the following:

Mr. Name and Mrs. Name lovingly and happily invite you to the marriage of their daughter, Name, to Name. There will be festivities, a reception, and a reception dinner to follow. Wedding favors are mandatory. Gotcha!

That last bit has a little humor because people read the word mandatory and think they have to do something. However, all they have to do is show up and accept the wedding favors. Humor and love can humanize and personalize your wedding invitations.

A second way of personalizing your wedding invitations is to designate the place where you live with some special importance. If your hometown or wedding location offers some sentimental boost to your heart, then make it known on the invitation. If you live in the Australian outback, use a kangaroo. If you’re going to a beach destination for some fun in the sun, use images of seashells, the surf, or sand castles. For Western weddings, use cowboy boots and hats. If you’re at a romantic spot for the wedding, especially if you’re flying in guests to go there, use that scene’s romantic architecture. You can’t get more romantic than the beautiful canals of Amsterdam, Holland. You can also use your favorite paintings or movies if you’re an artist or movie aficianado. Anything that evokes your personality or your partner’s preferences are ideal. Your guests will get a real sense of who you and your spouse really are.

The next piece of wedding stationery that you will need to pick out is a bridal shower invitation. The stationary for this invitation will most likely be selected by someone other than the bride, but the bride’s style, preferences, and personality should still be taken into consideration when picking out the bridal shower invitations. These invitations should reflect the style of the bridal shower, and they should include who the shower is for, when it will be, the address and driving directions to the location of the bridal shower, where the bride is registered, special instructions about what the guests should expect, and information about how the guest can RSVP.

After the engagement announcement and the bridal shower, the next thing that will need to be designed or picked out is the wedding stationary that the Wedding Invitations and thank you notes will be printed on. There are many options available for wedding stationary. You can go with a pre-printed set of wedding stationary, you can order custom wedding stationary, or you can design your own wedding stationery. The cost for each piece of wedding stationery will vary depending on the grade of paper used, the printing options that you select, as well as the quantity that you order it in.

If you would like to save some money on your wedding invitations then you can look at prepackaged themed invitations. These packages come in a variety of themes including contemporary, modern, classical, romantic, and funny, and they usually include both invitations and envelopes. In addition to offering invitations and envelope sets, companies that offer packaged pre-printed themed invitations also usually offer matching thank you notes and envelope stationery sets. The price of themed invitations will vary based on the vendor, the quantity ordered, and quality of the paper used.

If you want to get away from traditional wedding invitations then you can always opt to create unique wedding invitations using your own imagination and multimedia technology. One option for creating unique wedding invitations is to design the wedding invitation around a photograph of the engaged couple. This photograph can be a studio portrait, or it can be a simple snapshot taken of the couple on vacation or having fun. The second unique wedding invitation option is to create a video invitation using a digital video camera and editing software. This video invitation can be as simple as a photo slide show of the couple followed by information about when and where the wedding will be, or it can be a movie of the couple that reveals that they are getting married and that the person who received the video is invited to attend. The last unique wedding invitation option that you have is to send out e-invitations. This is a very cost effective wedding invitation option for weddings with a small or tight budget. Your guests can receive their invitations via email and then respond immediately simply by replying to the email. This will save you money on both wedding stationery as well as postage.

If you would prefer to stay away from store bought wedding invitations all together then you can always make your own wedding invitations. Handmade wedding invitations can be made in several ways. You can personalize blank cards with calligraphy, stamp art, or prints of your artwork. You can also personalize your handmade wedding invitations by writing a personal note to each guest on the invitation or by adding a photograph to the invitation.

There are a few different methods of printing wedding invitations, engraving, thermography, off set printing and laser printing. The first three methods are usually done by the professionals that you would pay to custom make your invitations. They are the more expensive options of printing wedding invitations.

Keep in mind that it will take a little more time and a short learning curve if you decide to print your own invitations but nothing you can’t handle. The first step is to locate your blank wedding invitations; there are hundreds of resources online to shop for your blank invitations. I would suggest you order early enough so you can check out their quality and also to make sure you like the invitations you will be using.

If you are still a little skeptical about ordering them online then you can search your local print shops and office superstores. They should have a selection you can physically see and choice from at their store.

The most common and best method of printing your own wedding invitations would be by using a laser printer, if you don’t have a laser printer at home you can use one at a print shop to print your invitations. I would suggest buying one due to the recent price reduction with these types of printers, you can also use it for your regular day-to-day printer and the ink is less expensive per page printed.

Here are a few tips to remember when printing your wedding invitations.

1. Buy a few extra blank invitations; you will make a few mistakes during the learning curve of printing your own invitations.

2. Choose a font that is easy to read and has a formal look to make your invitations look professional.

3. Do a few test runs to make sure the invitations look professional, watch to make sure the printing is aligned straight on the invitation.

Don’t worry about special tools or cutting equipment, I’m going to explain the easy may to make professional looking stationery at a third of the retail price, you will however require scissors and perhaps a craft punch of your choosing.

First, a note about where to get your supplies, Over the last couple of years making your own wedding stationery has seen a huge growth in popularity to such an extent that there are now dedicated web sites selling everything the D.I.Y bride requires, when making your own invitations these are the type of web sites to purchase from, they know the market and what the bride requires, making it easy for you to find the right products.

Step 1. The first rule of designing is ‘keep it simple’, and with that in mind your first decision is card blank colour, this is usually white or ivory, think of the card blank as your canvas, a good card blank will already have ‘Wedding Invitation’ printed on it, always choose a card blank that is of a standard format size such as A6, A5 or DL when folded, this will make life so much easier when you come to print the inserts.

Step 2. Choose a colour theme that will be used in the design of your invitations, at this point most brides will opt for their bridesmaid dress colour, others will choose a currently fashionable colour. When designing your invitation, items such as ribbon, die cut shapes or other embellishments should be chosen with your theme colours in mind.

Step 3. The final stage of designing your own wedding invitations is to select appropriate embellishments, keep in mind that weddings are a traditional social gathering and some convention in your design is expected, popular embellishments are entwined rings, entwined hearts, bride and groom, flowers, or ribbons and bows.

You now have the basic principal of handmade wedding invitation design, all that’s left to do is decide where to place the embellishments, ribbons or other decorations to create a pleasing design that’s personal to you, and remember ‘less is best’

E-Invitations

Many people send birthday e-cards. You can take that a step further and send your invitations online. Although this is somewhat unconventional, this way will certainly save you money. Plus, your guests can easily reply.

Direct Manufacturers

You can often get massive discounts (up to 50%) by working directly with the manufacturer and not the retailer. Even with the lower price, you’ll still get Beautiful Wedding Invitations. However, as you can imagine, dealing with the manufacturer rather than the retailer involves a bit more hassle. But if your mind is set on getting affordable invitations, then by all means consider this option.

DIY (Do It Yourself)

There’s nothing wrong with having cheaper invitations simply by making them yourself! This can be a tedious task if you have many guests, but if you’re having a smaller wedding, this is a good option. Also, if you want to save time, you can purchase wedding invitation kits. These kits have all the raw materials you need to make awesome invitations.

Local Shops

There may be great sales at your local printing stores. Also, smaller vendors are more open to giving you a discount especially if you need many invitations.

INVITATIONS

Your invitations reflect the tone of your wedding, whether it’s black tie or casual chic. More formal weddings may require more formal invitations, which are traditionally white or ecru and engraved with black or charcoal ink. A square of tissue paper is also inserted to protect the type. While classic and understated, the cost of these invitations can quickly add up to the purchase price of a small car, but with slightly better gas mileage. What’s a budget-minded bride to do?

More and more couples are veering from standard invitations and choosing papers in unusual sizes and colors, incorporating interesting textures and using graphics, motifs and monograms. Many couples are also doing away with the traditional unsealed inner envelope, which not only reduces costs, but also reduces waste. And besides, how many of your guests are going to remember how many components were included in their invitation? (Hint: if you DO have guests who will notice, seat them all together so they can drive each other crazy)

Another option is to purchase materials to create your own invitations. Thanks to the popularity of scrapbooking and paper stores, it’s never been easier to create Unique and Memorable Wedding Invitations. Do you and your guy have a favorite color, song, vacation destination or hobby? Don’t be afraid to incorporate it into your invitations. Your guests would rather see a heartfelt invitation than have to discard the tissue paper that protects a random printer’s work. (Not that there’s anything wrong with using a printer. But hey…the cost of those little sheets really adds up!)

At this point, you might be saying, “But traditional IS my style! How can I afford it?” Put those fears to rest, girl! Make some “test” invitations on plain paper, playing with font size and type, then purchase blank cards and matching envelopes (which are available at scrapbooking and hobby stores and mass retailers nationwide) to print the real deal.

No matter what kind of invitation you choose, be sure to mail them 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding so your guests have time to plan…and to shop for a really awesome gift!

WAIT…THERE’S MORE

Remember when you were a little girl and you dreamed about your perfect wedding, right down to the invitations? Why didn’t anyone tell us about the reply cards? Or the reception cards? Why are there so many cards?

Response Cards Response cards are usually sent with your invitations and include a self-addressed stamped envelope. These are used to help determine how many people will be attending and usually include menu options for your guests to choose from. But I’m going to tell you a secret: you can create your own reply cards. Just purchase small cards with matching envelopes, print them yourself and then insert them into the invitations when you are addressing them. Best of all, you can do this whether you’re making your own invitations or having them professionally printed.

Reception Cards Reception cards are included inside wedding invitations to let guests know when and where the post-wedding festivities will begin. Traditionally, this is a small card that asks guests to join the newlyweds and their families for a celebratory reception, and gives the date, place, and time. But remember the “Response Cards” secret I revealed above? It works here, too! Print them yourself or even (gasp) print the reception information inside the invitation itself. It will give your guests one less thing to keep track of and save you lots of money.

AND EVEN MORE…

Believe it or not, there are still other paper-related items to think about.

Wedding Programs Sure, wedding programs provide useful information and make charming mementos, but there’s no need to break the bank. While some couples choose to do a booklet type program, budget-minded couples are using simple card stock with a vellum overlay, tied together with a ribbon that matches your color scheme. Others are simply printing them at home (or a friend’s home) on unique paper that plays up the wedding colors or motif. After all, how many people (besides your closest friends and family) are going to keep it as a memento? They’d rather you use the money you saved on programs to help with your honeymoon expenses, make a car payment or buy a lottery ticket.

Menu Cards The idea behind menu cards is that no one likes to sit down to a meal when they have no idea what they’re about to be served (think school cafeterias). However, this can easily be combined with the Reply Card (see above). And of course if the meal is buffet-style, menu cards are not really necessary, since there is usually something to please everyone.

If you do feel that menu cards are necessary, it’s simple to print them yourself…just pick up some good old card stock. If there’s a good story behind why you chose a certain dish (you’re serving New York Style cheesecake because you met in New York or hot dogs because you met at a ball game), including this story adds a unique element to your menu cards.

One thing that may be very helpful to all involved (you, the caterer, the bartender and your guests) is to create a drink card or two. If you’re limiting the open bar to a certain amount or type of drink, a drink card is the perfect place to spell that out. Just get an easel or frame so the card can be posted at the bar.

Place Cards Are you having a buffet-type meal at your reception? If so, skip this section, since place cards are not necessary. For the rest of you, place cards are tent-shaped cards that are placed at each place setting to show people where they should sit. You can easily print them from your home computer, but why not make the place cards for your reception a little unique? Make your wedding favors do double-duty by attaching a name tag to each one and using them as place cards. If you’re making your own favors, it only adds one simple step, but saves you money in the long run. You can also use stones with hand-painted names or tie name tags around wrapped silverware. Use your imagination! Place cards don’t necessarily have to be one more job for the printer.

Thank You Cards Ok, brides. You all know what these are, and there’s really no need to have them printed. Simple thank you cards are readily available almost anywhere, and as a bonus, most of them even say “thank you.” Your handwritten message inside is what’s important, so invest most of your time there. As a reminder, these should be sent out no later than one month after your honeymoon. If you receive gifts prior to the wedding, those thank you cards should be sent out immediately.

Save the Date Cards What? No really…I didn’t know what these were. Here’s the scoop: save the date cards are sent to guests pretty much the second after the groom pops the question, so that guests can plan ahead. If you send out your announcements 8-10 weeks prior to your wedding, there is probably no need for save the date cards. However, if you have friends or relatives who will be traveling great distances (especially from other countries), a little heads-up would be nice. However, this can be done by greeting card, letter or phone call. That should be sufficient to “save the date.” If you do feel that you need to send save the date cards, you can easily make them yourself.

To help you finalize your invites, many wedding planners, retail outlets and online dealers offer different samples of invitation cards. You can begin your search on the Internet, as it is the easiest way to have a look at sample invitations. There are many websites that give you access to a wide range of shower invitations. Not only can you get Sample Invitation Cards, but you can also get sample wordings and designs. This will help you to mix and match and make invitations cards according to your choice. You can also personalize these cards to see how the final invitation would look. The cost of these cards is comparatively lesser than that those available in the retail outlets.

While choosing invites from the sample, you should consider the theme of your party. You should choose the design in accordance to the type of bash you are organizing. Be extra careful about the text you use in the invitations. You can put some nice poetry in the invites. It should give the details of date, time and venue of the ceremony. You can also mention the different activities or games you plan to hold at the event. All this will excite the guests and make them look forward to your bridal shower party.

You may wonder why people will choose Letterpress Wedding Invitations. One of the reasons is that couples love the effects of the deep impression given by this kind of printing method. Other kinds of printing techniques cannot really produce such kind of deep impression.

As a result, letterpress wedding invitations are always interesting and elegant. When it comes to the materials that will be used, couples and printers will usually go for the idea of 100% cotton paper. This kind of paper is usually very soft. This will make the deep impression more elegant and beautiful. Besides, this kind of paper does not contain any wood fiber. This means that it will be more environmental friendly.

From the above, you will probably know that why brides and grooms will go for the idea of letterpress wedding invitations. However, you have to be very careful when you are choosing the printer. You should try to order a sample before you order your own cards in bulk. This will help you to make sure that the quality of the cards will be high enough.

Apart from the above, it is also important to understand you cannot really print photos if you are going to choose the technique of letterpress. As a result, you will need to go for other kinds of cards if you want to put your pictures on them.

Start shopping right away. You won’t feel rushed or pressured into buying something, and you’ll be able to shop smart.

Simple plain dresses are usually less expensive then the ones with lace, pearls/beads etc..

You could buy a plain dress and add lace, beads etc.. yourself. Or get someone to do it for you.

Rent or borrow a dress. If you like your mother`s, sister`s or friends dress ask them if you could borrow it. But don`t be offended if they refuse as a wedding dress is very sacred to most women.

Look around second hand shops/charity shops. You`ll be surprised at the amount they get given, and they are usually inexpensive.

The venue:

Book the ceremony/reception well in advance you may be able to negotiate a better price then you would if you left it to the last minute.

Have your wedding on off-peak months. November to April rates will probably be reduced. Christmas weddings are more expensive though so if you are planning a Christmas wedding you will have to cut your finances.

Instead of a grand ballroom or banquet hall, think less-expensive venues, like publicly owned buildings and parks, registry office, the church or temple hall, the backyard, the beach, a restaurant’s private room. You may have to get a permit to marry in a public place, but it will be less than a private banquet room.

Catering:

Look around for caterers. Get different quotes before you decide on one.

Choose cheaper entrees, like prawns instead of lobster, vegetables like broccoli instead of asparagus will cut the cost, too.

Cut down on courses. If you’re having a cocktail hour, do you really need an appetizer course? Do you need soup and salad?

Instead of waiter service, have a buffet bar.

Think ethnic! Mexican, Indian, Italian, or Chinese food is fun and much cheaper per person than the traditional wedding menu. See if your favorite restaurant caters.

If you are having a themed wedding create your menu around the theme.

Have the wedding cake only as dessert and eliminate any other sweets (eclairs, pastries, etc.).

Consider a wedding breakfast or brunch (omelettes, muffins, pancakes, French toast), or a tea (a variety of tea flavors, finger sandwiches, scones and jams, etc.) to save money.

The more tiers and decorations your cake has the more expensive it will be.

Buy your own drink it will work out a lot cheaper then paying the caterers or venues prices.

Photos:

Compare hourly fees and package deals to see which is more cost-effective for you.

Give disposable cameras as wedding favours. Then you can get copies of the days events from family and friends.

Have a professional photographer take the formal pictures and shoot the ceremony; have guests take all reception photos.

Visit your local college`s photography department and check out some of the students’ portfolios. They will do your photography a lot cheaper and just as good as a professional

Ask friends and family to video the big day for you.

Flowers:

Use flowers that are in season and/or locally grown they’re less expensive than out-of-season flowers that must be shipped to your area.

Have bouquet with just a few large flowers, like orchids, tulips, lilies, or sunflowers, tied with a ribbon.

If you are marrying at Christmas or Easter, your church may already be decked out beautifully.

Arrange to share the cost of ceremony decorations with the couple marrying directly before or after you that day.

Use silk or dried flowers instead of fresh ones in table centerpieces.

Music:

DJs are less expensive than live bands.

Ask a family member or friends child to sing at the reception.

Hire music for the evening reception only. People are usually to busy chatting to notice any way.

Ask at the local college/university for young musicians.

Invitations:

Send invitations that are light enough when completely assembled to require only a single stamp for mailing.

Make your own invitation cards. They are cheaper and more personal.

If you are having a themed wedding make cards to do with the theme.

Transportation:

Limousines are cheap enough to hire for an hour. Find out in advance how long the ceremony will take.

Only hire a limo for the bride and groom; have attendants driven in relatives’ cars, or have them drive themselves in groups.

You might be able to hire a horse and carriage for just as less. Check the Yellow pages for any in your area.

We hope these are of some use to you. Good luck