Wedding Inspirations | Invitations

In the wedding world, we all know that Invitations are important.  They set the tone for your day, convey information to your guests about where, what, how and why.  They give the color scheme, the mood of the wedding and much more.  They are THAT important! 

I am obsessed with the following invitations!  Love the green antique looking paper of the first one.  I could totally have fun styling this wedding!

Images courtesy of Furniture Home Design | Whimsical Prints | Wedding Paper Divas

Wedding Notes.....

Iowa has some wonderful Wedding Stationery experts.  The following are all trusted and premier Vendors of the Preferred Wedding Book

Zephyr Weddings will customize your invitations and all your Wedding Stationery to reflect your style, within the parameters of your budget.   Their attention to detail is wonderful!

Lotus Moments, a wonderful shop in Des Moines has ideas for every event.  Their creative staff will work with you to create the perfect invitation to express your Wedding Story.

Invitations | Design and Color

An invitation tells a lot about the couple sending it.  Not only does it answer Who, What, When and Where, but it also tells your guests what type of event they will be attending; fun and spunky or an elegant, black tie  affair.  Think back to a time when you have received such a piece of paper in the mail.  The envelope was so beautifully addressed and looked so interesting that you couldn't wait to open it to see what was inside. 

Your invitation is the first glimpse that your guests will receive concerning your wedding.  It needs to be inviting, creative and above all, something special that conveys what type of event your guest is invited to.  Missy Drescher from Drescher Photo and Design does custom invites that are as beautiful to look at as they are to receive.   I am a great lover of design and color, so when she sent me these samples, I was delighted to share them with you.

Drescher Photo & Design is a member of the Preferred Wedding Book

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Wedding Invitations | Zephyr Weddings

Sarah Clark, from Zephyr Weddings sent me some beautiful invitations that I wanted to share with you.  They are located out of Coralville, but help clients all over the U.S. with beautiful wedding stationery.  Sarah and her team know the importance of your invitation, since it is the first glance that a guest has of your upcoming celebration.  They know that the colors, script, and wording is just as important as the paper that you choose and the way that your inviation is packaged.

Weddingsiniowa.com  Iowa Premier Vendor:

Zephyr Weddings

The Favor of a Response......

A wedding starts and ends with paper; the Save the Dates, the Invitations and finally, the Thank You's.

An Invitation is a very important piece of paper that you will send to your guests. Not only does it tell them the obligatory who, what, when and where, but your invitation also lets your guests know how to dress and act. It also lets them know who are the hosts, what they will be doing after your ceremony and other pieces of information.

So -- the crazy and zany lettering on a pink invitation means fun and your guests will probably arrive in khakis and shorts, but send the same guest a letter pressed piece of paper on heavy card stock in an envelope that has been to the calligrapher, and you will undoubtedly have your guests arrive in black ties. All of this from one piece of paper; your style and character transformed through ink and words.

In addition to the invitation, you will also enclose a response card. You know, the little card that asks your guests to check off yes or no for their attendance. This is where we will differ - I am not a fan of the check marks. They require very little effort, are not personal and have no character when it comes to sharing in each other's lives.

Long ago, a response card was a blank piece of paper that the guest wrote on telling the engaged couple that they would be happy to attend and can't wait to see you, or no, they are unable to come to your wedding because they will be vacationing in Europe. In short, response cards were tiny notes of love and well wishes. Where has this lovely tradition gone? By way of hurry and scurry, a mark by the chicken box and a drop in the post box. I have even heard of e-mail RSVP's now. This, too, is very sad.

How fun would it be to receive a beautifully written little note expressing the guest's pleasure of having been invited to such a wonderful affair. Still better, how about displaying the response cards at your wedding? Letting your guests who attend share in the lives of your family and friends; revealing yet another gem of the day to share.

I think that some traditions are meant to be kept.

The two top pictures of invitations are from www.Imprintcopies.com

The response card tree is from www.Projectwedding.com

A lovely duo!

Have you seen the paper work from Drescher Photo and Design? It is a husband and wife team. He does the photography while his wife is the creative genius behind these wonderful invites and thank you card. Love her work!!

I am not leaving out his genius as you can tell from these photos.

Now this is a lovely duo!

Words of Wisdom

Here are some words of wisdom from the American Academy of Wedding Professionals.

Copyright 2009 Deborah McCoy, all rights reserved.

Today we'd like to talk to you about the right way to ask for gifts. After all, we know it's impolite to include registry information in an engagement party, shower, or wedding invitations. and what's worse is to ask for cash!

The reasoning is this: You cannot dictate to your guests the type of gifts you'd like to have. and it's not up to you to tell them where to purchase them. And to ask for cash is the ultimate faux pas especially when your wedding invitation only asks your guests for ".the honour of their presence." and that's not spelled P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S.

So how do you solve the problem? Spread your registry information through the grapevine. Tell your family and bridal party to spread the word. and use the Internet to your advantage. Most couples have wedding websites to provide information to their guests and family members concerning all pre-wedding festivities and parties, etc. Putting your wedding registry information on your website for your guests to access is perfectly appropriate.

When it comes to showers, your hosts can be a little pushier. Maybe you'd like to go to the Caribbean on your honeymoon so your maid of honor throws a Caribbean Honeymoon Shower. When guests call to inquire, the MOH will say, "Sue and Bob really want a Caribbean honeymoon so I thought I'd help them out a bit. Bring a gift they can take with them and if you can't think of anything, greenbacks will do : -)."

Although the bride and groom may never ask guests for cash, the guests may ask your family and friends and bridal parties what you'd like to have and in this case, it's OK to tell them.

Fashion and Weddings

Thinking out of the box for your wedding is very important if you want to tell your story in a unique and stylized way that stands out from every other wedding. Doing a little homework on the web or visiting area boutiques can yield ideas that you might not have thought of before. Watching fashion trends, reading up on the latest wedding magazines or watching specific television shows about weddings can also give you ideas. Here are some interesting sites for inspiration for your event.

Love the cocktail dresses on this site for bridesmaids dresses. Cute, chic and the prices are right! Don't let the word "prom dress" put you off. The dress below is absolutely stunning and would be beautiful for an evening wedding. http://www.angelwears.com/

If you love vintage jewelry and are looking for a specific piece that shows off your style, how about checking out: http://isadoras.com/

The wedding invites on this site: http://www.duvalinvites.com/ can inspire you to great heights with their couture designs. Love these designs for a formal wedding.

Invitations and wedding stationary

I can't begin to tell you how important your invitation is to your overall success of your event. It is the first glimpse that your guests have to this wonderful wedding that you have planned. It tells them where, when, how, what, who and why. It tells them how they should dress, how they should act, what type of wedding gift to purchase, and how formal or casual a day they will find when they arrive. Your invitation speaks volumes without ever having to utter a single word! So taking great care in chooing this important document is a must.



If you would like help with your invitation, please let me know. We can set up a "mini - seminar" and help you select the perfect invitation to show off your style and tell your wedding story. After all, it is your story to tell, not someone else's so your invitation should be unique to you. specialelegantevents.com

The invitations shown are from mypersonalartist.com