Thursday, May 10, 2012
A few months ago, Kim, owner of paperKuts Studio shared advice at our Smart Bride Bootcamp on shopping for wedding stationery. There were so many questions presented by brides at our camp that I thought you, our online readers, might also want to know a little more about wedding stationery. So I reached back out to Kim to ask specific questions that might benefit you.
Invitations give your wedding guests the first impression and taste of your wedding style; so, it helps to get expert advice on how you want to be represented and where you can save vs where not to cut-corners. Here's what Kim had to say about wedding stationery during our Q+A.
What exactly does a wedding stationery set include?
There are two basic elements for wedding stationery: invite and RSVP card. Everything else would be considered additional items, such as: reception card, accommodation card, maps, related events…you name it! You can add anything to your invite that you want or need.
What are some great ways to save on wedding stationery?
Ways to save can include:
*eliminating the extras (lined envelopes, embellishments, etc.)
*order standard sized invites (saves you from spending extra on postage)
*include RSVP on invitation
*basic printing (use black ink)
*order extra invitations with your initial order so you don’t have to order more expensive ones if you run out
The best way to save on invites is the DIY way! Even with that, you have to be careful. If you are not a ‘crafty’ person, then it can become costly if you make a mistake, have to purchase more, etc. With the Internet, you can find anything, so, to me, knowing your budget is primary. You can easily get an estimate on how much your stationery will cost.
Are there trends you're seeing brides do for wedding stationery that's both affordable and creative?
Sometimes what’s trending is not what a bride wants. So, I believe it is truly the brides decision and what she wants for her big day! I’ve had brides that purchased a basic invite and added a crystal or a bow. Some have used calligraphy to add a special touch. Also, having a custom invite can be affordable and specific to meet the bride’s needs.
What are some red flags? Are there things that appear to be inexpensive for wedding stationery that actually turn out to be surprisingly expensive?
Items that turn out to be expensive really depend on the needs of the bride. Any additional item that you add on will add to the cost of the invite. What I really find to be costly is waiting until the last minute, not proofing the invite (and not catching mistakes before they are printed) and not ordering enough invites. Most invites are ordered in increments of 25. When you have to go back and order more, it is expensive.
What do you think brides should keep in mind when they're sorting out their wedding stationery?
Brides should keep in mind their budget, what the impression is that they want to convey, and their primary needs.
How does the theme of a wedding affect wedding stationery?
I believe your invitation sets the tone for any event that one is having. If a bride has a certain theme in mind, it can really affect her choice of stationery, the cost, and if the invite will have all of the additional items that she might need (RSVP, accommodation, etc). A custom invite might be needed in this case.
Can you tell me a bit about paperKuts studio and what it offers to the bridal community?
paperKuts studio is a cozy, home-based business. I offer stationery for any occasion and can provide all of the bride's needs, from beginning to end - napkins, favors, programs, shower invites, etc. I try to make my brides feel comfortable and confident in their choice of stationery. It is an honor if a person chooses to work with me and I want the experience to be a pleasurable one for all. Stationery makes me happy and I want anyone that visits to be just as excited about their paper choice as I am.
All invitations shown are a few of my favorites from the Marsupial Invitation line (via their Facebook page). This chic invitation line and others are available by contacting Kim of paperKuts studio.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: DIY & Budget Wed Finds, Invitations & Paper Goods
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Thursday, May 3, 2012
All of the paper goods for the Cedarwood's Style Show were designed by Designs in Paper. It's no surprise that we were left swooning over every table's unique paper creations - from invites to program fans. We decided to do a round-up of some of our favorite paper goods from the style show. Custom paper is often overlooked but as you see, it can add a sophisticated touch throughout your event. Fall in love with some of the great details and contact Designs in Paper to let them create something special to fit your wedding vision.
Rustic Wedding Inspiration with Vintage Paper Accents by Designs in Paper
Read the full feature via these links: Cedarwood's Style Show Rustic Inspiration or via the Designs in Paper blog.
French Country Farm Paper Accents by Designs in Paper
Read the full feature via these links: Cedarwood's Style Show French Country Inspiration and via the Designs in Paper blog.
Tangerine Dream with Paper Accents by Designs in Paper
Read the full feature via these links: Cedarwood's Style Show Inspiration and via the Ace Photography's blog.
Rustic Denim Wedding Inspiration with Paper Accents by Designs in Paper
Read the full feature via these links: Cedarwood's Style Show Rustic Denim Inspiration and via the Ace Photography blog.
Photos: Ace Photography, Krista Lee Photography and Kristyn Hogan.
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Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Details, Design & Florals, Inspiration & Trends, Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
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Monday, March 12, 2012
First of all we'd like to extend a huge thank you to StudioWed for pushing back their open house so you can come to our Smart Bride Boot Camp, which starts tomorow. This doesn't mean there won't be a StudioWed Open House, quite the contrary, the date has just been pushed to Thursday, March 15. So to tide you over, we thought we'd give you a glimpse at one of StudioWed's newest vendors that the ABG team is quickly becoming giddy about...
Meet Hardink Calligraphy, a custom stationery/calligraphy company that I have a feeling you'll love too.
Hardink is owned by Elizabeth, our Twitter pal, who is a Nashville calligrapher. Out of her own need for unique, cool calligraphy when she was getting married, Elizabeth began designing and hand-lettering her own work. From then on, she's worked with brides to create their own hand-lettered paper products for their special occasions - be it showers, personalized stationery, or for their wedding invitations.
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
(Photo credit: Donald Yeager)
I asked Leigh Barker, who runs StudioWed why they picked her as one of their vendors and I could just hear the excitement in her voice, "She has fantastic, whimsical, gorgeous calligraphy and she's easy to work with and affordable." Leigh also mentioned something special that Hardink does which she recently treated herself to. "We had her create a stamp for my husband and I to use for return addresses!"
ABG Notes: This would be such a cool way to address your RSVP envelopes or cards!
Hardink Calligraphy is one of the vendors that StudioWed hand-picked for their studio. This makes it really easy for you to plan your wedding because they believe in their skills and know them very, very well to help you piece it all together. During their free, monthly open house, you get to speak to Leigh and Mary Alice about each vendor and ask all sorts of questions with no obligation whatsoever. So mark your calendars for March 15 and RSVP soon!
All stationery images courtesy of Hardink Calligraphy
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Invitations & Paper Goods, Unique Wedding Ideas
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Thursday, December 22, 2011
Before the wedding, there's one very vital detail every bride and groom have to focus on: Invitations. Gone are the days of boring script on shiny stock with a ribbon tied around it thanks to innovative designers with a love for weddings. Now we're seeing invitations that give guests a preview of what's to come with matching monograms, themes, and colors. We've seen a lot this year and here's today's roundup of our favorite custom invitation designs that we loved.
1) Southern Farm Wedding Style
This festive wedding invitation prepares the guests for an evening of outdoor fun and joy at the wedding. From the string lights to the wild flowers at the bottom, it tells people everything they need to know about the wedding. Plus, I love the song request detail! That's so considerate! More from Elisa and Grant's day here.
Invitation by Southall Eden Paperie. Picture by Brooke Boling
2) Burlap & Bling
Donette from Designs In Paper explained that the couple, Tracy and Chris wanted some bling and and some rustic charm added to their Southern-style wedding. "This suite is just all about the South - we can be relaxed and yet, very refined and elegant all together." Perfectly executed! (More from the wedding here).
Invitation: Designs In Paper; Photos: Left, Kristyn Hogan. Right, Mary Rosenbaum Photographs.
3) DIY Cool
You're probably thinking "Is there anything about this wedding they didn't love?" Truth be told, no. Nothing. Not only are Jamie and Andy one of the coolest couples we've ever had the joy of featuring, but their wedding details were unique and so much fun and their invitations were no different. (More on the details here!)
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Invitations: Emily Keafer; Photos: Pear Image Photography
4) Textured Invites
In my perfect world, all invitations would be printed using letterpress. I am a big fan of Arboreal Paper's work, but this one particular invitation is a favorite because of it's simple lines and typeface. There's something so chic and contemporary about the red orchid outlines on white space!
Design and Photos: Arboreal Paper
5) Music City Themed
For Claudia and William's wedding, Designs in Paper designed this stationery suite that reminds me of the honky-tonks downtown; a culture so quintessential to this city. To match the couple's Nashville themed wedding, they custom-dyed twine in their wedding colors to pull the whole look together. More here.
Design: Designs in Paper; Photos: Ace Photography
6) Fabric Invitations
What will these artistic designers come up with next? These invitations were custom made and printed on handkerchiefs! They're so charming and are such a wonderful keepsake! Be prepared to be wowed by the rest of the wedding here.
Design: Lucky-Luxe; Photo: Leslee Mitchell Photography
7) Classic Romance
From this Great Gatsby inspired wedding, the bride and groom went with a classic damask patterned wedding invitation to match their yellow and white color scheme. One of Sara's favorites, she loves the bright colors of the matching suite of stationery and "how all the pieces are tied together so well." For more from this wedding go here.
Design: Photo: Aerialist Press; Dove Wedding Photography
8) Eco-Friendly
From one of our Green Nashville Wedding posts by iHospitality TN, here are some more gorgeous invitations from Arboreal Paper. What I love with clean lines and letterpress, our blogger Sara loves with eco-friendly goods and services and picked these as one of her favorites. More from this post here.
Design and Photo: Arboreal Paper
9) All About Us
Your wedding is, contrary to what some crazy relatives like to believe, all about you and your groom. For this wedding Designs In Paper acknowledged the couple's ownership of their special day and incorporated a logo that "carried throughout a reception" - the logo was used on all the paper and other elements in the wedding. The look is an updated twist on classic invitations and is so pretty! More wedding details here.
Design: Designs In Paper; Photos: Evin Photography
10) Silhouettes
We love how the Miranda and Grant's silhouettes were used on the invitations and throughout their stationery, complemented by the curved shape of the invitation itself. See this ABG Real Wedding Feature here.
Design + Invite: Southall Eden Paperie; Programs: Williamson Co. Weddings & Events; Photos: Ace Photography
11) Poster Style
"I love this vintage flower graphic because it's not too girly," explained Shannon O'Kelley of Southall Eden when I asked why she liked this invitation. The black and white poster style print on the invitation give it a fun, vintage feel without being all worn or faded and is a style, Shannon says, is becoming more popular as well. More from this vintage farm wedding here.
Design: Southall Eden Paperie; Photos: Memory Snap
It's amazing what you can do for your invitation these days with a combination of a bride and groom's vision and a designer's creativity! These are but some of the fantastic work we've seen and we can't wait for more in the coming year. Check out our list of invitation designers - we're confident you'll find someone to suit your style from this list!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Inspiration & Trends, Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
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Friday, December 2, 2011
Happy Friday! The week's over, you can kick off your work shoes and put on some comfy wedding planning shoes, sit back and check out our favorite blog posts from around the wedding-sphere here in Nashville. Our favorites from this month should prove inspirational; from glamorous weddings to fun, Southern farm weddings and more. Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!
#10 - The Perfect Paper Goods by Designs In Paper
Pictures by Ace Photography
Designs In Paper created the stationery for this wedding to complement the country theme and the bride's colors. Take a look at the programs and table "numbers" on Designs In Paper's blog here.
#9 - Nashville Wedding Cars
Leaving never looked so good! Williamson County Weddings introduces us to Reggie and his sexy cars - great for your getaway or your grand arrival. Meet Reggie here. We too are BIG fans of his company, Nashville Wedding Cars.
#8 - Chicago Hotel Wedding by Myrick Studios
Whether you are getting married in Nashville or elsewhere, you can take your favorite wed pros with you! Here's a Chicago wedding photographed by a Nashville wedding photographer. There's only one way to describe this wedding - Glamorous! The bride and groom look like film noir pin-ups with the coifed hair and the Drake Hotel as a backdrop. Feast your eyes on more stunning pictures here.
#7 - Fall Chic Wedding Inspiration by Opulent Couture
Orange is a color I always underestimate but Opulent Couture has an eye for wedding design and pulled together some Fall wedding inspiration that may just turn me into a fan! Get some fabulous ideas inspired by the season here.
Picture sources here.
#6 - Pretty In Pink Wedding at the Loveless Cafe by jHenderson Studios
You'd never know this wedding took place in the dead of summer in August with the smiles on everyone's faces. Hard not to when it's such a fun, charmingly Southern celebration! Check out all pretty pictures taken by jHenderson Studios here.
# 5 - A Mini Metropolis
Speaking of jHenderson, we couldn't leave this one out, it's just absolutely adorable. Jenna and her husband have been busy getting a Superman themed nursery ready to welcome their little baby boy Clark! Get it? Up, up and away here!
#4 - Functional, Pretty Hostess or Holiday Gift by Designs In Paper
Need a gift idea? Shop local and share this cute 2012 calendar by Designs In Paper! Each month has its own unique design and is refillable for the following years. More details on how to order here.
#3 - A Delightful Day + A Nashville Couple Are Featured in One of Our Favorite Magazines
We're so proud of A Delightful Day who we all know plans some very exquisite weddings all around Nashville and even outside of it. The wedding they planned and coordinated for Ambra and Aaron was recently featured in Munaluchi Bride and we couldn't be more excited for them! More about the feature here.
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#2 - R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Sticks, stones, and words from others can only do so much, but the respect you share with your spouse/partner/beau is on a different level. Emily Humphries of Simply Yours Weddings lets us in on a chapter in the book she's reading for Bridal Book Club about respect. Curious? Find out more about Bridal Book Club and the chapter here.
#1 - Alisha + Erick's Reception at Houston Station by Jonathon Campbell Photography
The little details of this wedding celebration at Houston Station are just delightful! The space was transformed into a cozy reception hall celebrating the happy couple with the personalized paper goods made by the bride's sister - what a neat gift! See more pictures from the day here.
Houston Station is offering January/February/March 2012 couples the space for their wedding at 2010 rates. For more details on the promotion click here.
With so many great weddings this year, we hope you're able to find even more inspiration. We hope you've enjoyed our favorite blog posts of November and we are excited to see what December has in store for us!
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Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Destination Weds & Honeymoon , Inspiration & Trends, Invitations & Paper Goods, Wedding Resources
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