I have just finished packing our first finished order for 2010 and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We created these hoity toity inspired invitations for Lauren and Dave who are getting married in March, thank you for giving us the opportunity to have some fun with this very bold, yet elegant colour combination.

Image from Design*Sponge

This is a great example of how a new take on an outdated practice can add sophistication to your wedding. Doilies are traditionally placed on plates as a decorative surface for cakes, party food or teacups. Custom doilies can be made in any size to fit any plate decorated with any design, add some personal flair with poetry or a message of thanks in your wedding design.

Contact us to get a quotation on personalised doilies for your wedding.

Image from Design*Sponge

Covering button badges with vintage or retro inspired fabrics that suit your wedding decor is an inexpensive yet innovative way to add some glamour to your wedding decor or favours. These badges can be used to attach placecards to serviettes or to close favour bags as shown above, guests will love them and take them home as keepsakes.

Button badges come various sizes to suit any application.

Contact us to get a quotation on these inexpensive little beauties for your wedding.

In part II of this post I will be discussing stationery for your wedding ceremony and reception, these stationery pieces are my favorite as they are often the most creative and adds a personal touch to your decor.

Wedding Programs

Programs are very important as keepsakes. The traditional approach is a small, bound booklet with the couple’s names on the front. But it can also be a single sheet of luxury paper if your ceremony is on the short side.

Programs typically include:

• The date of the wedding
• Names of bridal party members and their relationship to the bride or groom
• The order of events
• Titles of readings and songs

Some couples include a note to honor a deceased loved one, to explain rites within the ceremony guests may not know, or to offer a word of thanks to the hosts.

Menus

For a formal, seated dinner at a banquet table, place a menu at each setting. If your reception setup is an arrangement of small tables, it’s acceptable to have just one menu at each table. Another option is to integrate the menu into the place card.

Menu details include:

• A description of what will be served
• If a dish holds special significance, you may wish to explain why
• Wine and beverage choices
• If your wedding features cocktails, a list of options or the ingredients of your signature drink

Seating Cards

These tell guests where to sit-and the options for doing so are practically endless. Tie them to a tree with ribbons in your wedding colors, place them among a bed of flowers so that each guest can pick one upon entrance, or pin them to a decorated board.

The only two musts on a seating card are the guest’s name and their table number.

To save money some couples opt to have a seating plan designed with guest names and table numbers on, displaying the plan on a easel or faming it in a beautiful way can add a touch of glamour to your reception.

Table Cards

Designate each table with a name or number to help guests find their seats. Creative signs add to the festivity, such as clever names for tables or beautiful designs in your motif. Print the text in dark colors-reception lighting is often dim. Stand the table cards up in holders or tent them.

Place Cards

Place cards tell guests which chair is theirs. The traditional spot for these is at the head of each place setting, but they can also be hung with ribbons from the backs of chairs, for example.

Other than that, all you need is the guest’s name!

Gift Tags

Many couples use favours as part of their place setting to add to the decor of the table. Gift tags are a great way of personalising favours.

The tags on gifts typically say:

• A gracious message, such as “Thank you for celebrating with us!”
• The couple’s name
• The wedding date
• If you’re giving a donation, the favor tag can instead be a small card explaining your choice of charitable action.

Thank You Cards

Order thank you cards with your invitations in anticipation of early gifts, and to thank bridesmaids and the host of your bridal shower. These notes should be handwritten, and they should repeat an element from your wedding motif for continuity.

Thank you cards:

• Thank guests for attending and for any gifts
• Traditionally have “thank you” on the front and a personal note inside
• Include your new address, if you’re moving

Clients ask me all the time for a checlist of wedding stationery items, so I thought I would compile a list which also contains the etiquette for each item. In this edition I will be looking at pre-wedding stationery.

Save the Date Cards

The save the date card is the first official announcement of your wedding date.

Save the date cards should include:

• Your names and the wedding date
• The location, if you know it, so that out-of-town guests can begin making travel arrangements
• The words “formal invitation to follow,” or a similar phrase
• The URL of your wedding website

Accommodations Cards

These are optional, but it’s smart for destination weddings or if you’re expecting a lot of out-of-town guests. It’s enclosed with save the date cards to assist your guests with booking travel and lodging.

What you may include:

• Hotels near the ceremony and reception sites
• Airfare or other transportation information
• Maps of the area

If you’re limiting invitation costs, include this information on your wedding website and direct guests there on the save the date.

Wedding invitations

The wedding invitation is the most important item of stationery you will purchase for your wedding, and to that effect should be the most elaborate.

Key information to have:

• The names of the hosts (often the parents)
• The names of the bride and groom
• The day of the week the ceremony occurs, as well as the date, time, and address.

The invitation doesn’t travel alone. It’s accompanied by the following, all enclosed within the outer envelope:

• A reception card-especially if the party will be at a different location than the ceremony
• The response or RSVP card, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope
• A map or directions to where the ceremony and reception will take place

Events or Itinerary Card

If you’re planning a destination 0r weekend-long celebration, consider an events card. It can detail planned activities, such as golfing or an afternoon tea, so that guests can pack accordingly.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Within many families, the groom’s parents issue this invitation. Because they likely won’t be your responsibility, it’s not necessary for rehearsal dinner invitations to match your wedding invitations. However, it’s a nice touch. Talk it through with your future-in-laws and let them determine how to proceed.

In the next edition I will discuss all the stationery you will require to make your big day FABULOUS.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Konfetti, the excellent South African online Bridal Magazine. This week they published their September edition, and as always it’s jam packed with gorgeous real weddings, useful advice and a line-up of the most delectable wedding dresses you have ever seen. But what makes this edition extra special is that the editor found some space to showcase our bespoke invitations and stationery. Read the full article by visiting www.konfetti.co.za.

We love working with vintage themes when designing invitations, its a huge trend right now. The design for these invitations combine glamorous crystal and chandelier with down to earth french provencal. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we did creating them.

I’m very excited about the Concepts Bridal Library that is about to open its doors in Northriding. I visited Mariaan yesterday and the space for the showroom is magnificent. The Concepts Bridal Library will be a permanent wedding expo where brides can browse for suppliers at their leisure in a tranquil atmosphere without the crowds of a traditional wedding expo. Brides will also have access to an executive meeting room where they can book consultations with various suppliers.

The library will be open 7 days a week from early September.

For more information visit – www.conceptsbridallibrary.co.za

We wanted to ensure that these two colours translated into a wedding invitation that is both tasteful and delightfully frivolous.

To compliment the French provincal inspired catalogue design chosen by our client, we combined iridescent mauve paper with luxurious pink satin ribbon and high quality lace. The result…a vintage inspired beauty. Tell us what you think.

I just LOVE cupcakes, or fairy cakes as they are also known, they are beautiful to look at and delicious to eat, that is if you can get yourself to bite into the meticulously decorated exterior. This charming little cake is quickly becoming a trendy alternative to the mighty wedding cake. They will also add a little decadence to your wedding stationery when wrapped in boutique style boxes and used as table decorations.

This week I thought I would do some consumer research on the cupcake industry and feature may favourite suppliers.

The Cupcake Kithen (Cape Town)

The Cupcake Kitchen is a boutique bakery that specialises in high quality home style baking. The cupcakes are hand made using only the best quality ingredients including, Madagascan Bourbon vanilla, real butter, Belgian chocolate, fresh fruit and natural zests that promise to add a sparkle to any occasion.

Visit their website to see their fabulous collection of cupcakes or to place an order.

Minimum Order: 15  |  Custom packaging available

Hello! Cupcake (Johannesburg)

This little cupcake company scooped two awards at last year’s Good Food and Wine Show in Johannesburg. They have an extensive catalogue available for download on their website, giving you a lot of delectable options for your wedding.

Visit their blog to see some of the beautiful packaging they have done for weddings.

Minimum Order: 12  |  R200 per doz  |  Custom packaging available

i love cupcake (Johannesburg)

Make a date to visit one of the i love cupcake tearooms, in Athol, Parkhurst or Centurion, to sample one or all of the 18 flavours available. And if none of those tickle your fancy, they will also custom make cupcakes for your special day.

Visit their website to order some cupcakes or read about their latest projects.

Minimum Order: 6  |  | R132 per doz  |  Packaging available

All prices quoted are at the time of this post and are subject to change at the supplier’s discretion