Real Wedding: Nicole + Brian

This past week, I flew to Destin, Florida for my college roomate's beach wedding.  Not only was it nice to take a mid-week break and fly to the beach, it was my first time ever experiencing a destination beach wedding.  After three days in the sun, too many tequila shots, and lots of dancing...I had an absolute blast and was so thrilled to have experienced this with them.

When Nicole asked me to help her design their invitations, I was up for the challenge.  She wanted something casual and less formal from a traditional wedding invitation.  Using their initials as a focal point, the invitation was highlighted by casual wording, a fun beach phrase for the reply card, and it was all printed on 110# kraft cardstock.  I just love how they turned out, and they truly were a reflection of Nicole and Brian's laid back style.

Enjoy these beautiful pictures from Aislinn Kate Photography, congrats Mr. and Mrs. Steele!

Freshly Minted: Grace in Bloom Engagement Party Invitation

Hooray!  My newest design is now for sale at Minted, Grace in Bloom.  This is the perfect invitation for an engagement party or even a rehearsal dinner invitation.  Be sure to check out this design and some of the others I have for sale, including this Mother's Day card.

Minted has been such a fantastic community for me to grown, learn, and experiment as a designer.  The range in talent on the site is remarkable.  I was SO excited when I learned this design scored 12th out of over 700 designs.  For someone who is self-taught, this was so very exciting!

Happy Shopping!

Grace in Bloom

Etiquette 101

The last several weeks I have been working with new brides and also designing many wedding shower invitations.  In these planning conversations, it's always amazing how many etiquette questions come up. Most of the time I feel knowledgeable and up-to-speed with your average etiquette questions, but every now and then I am even stumped. 

For instance:

• How do you address a couple who are both Judges, what is the proper way?
• Is it OK to start sending thank you notes for wedding gifts even though my wedding is months away?
• What range of prices should I have on my registry based on the number of guests I am inviting?

All of these are very real situations that often don't have a clear cut answer.  I decided to start a pinterest board titled, "Etiquette" in an attempt to house some of these tricky situations for both brides and everyday life.

So, do you know the answer to the above etiquette questions?  If not, check out my Pinterest board and check back as I will continue to update this.

Source

You're engaged, now what?

First off, congratulations to all of the soon-to-be brides that got engaged over the holiday season.  This seems to be the most popular time of year to get engaged and I personally know several girls who have recently started planning.

Have you found yourself wondering where in the world you are supposed to start?  What should you do first? Should you call a photographer or venue first?  I'm sure if you asked 10 women, they would give you 10 different answers.  I spent ALL of 2011 planning my wedding and here are my top 3 recommendations for planning assistance:

1. Emily Posts's Wedding Etiquette

This book was gifted to me by one of my bridesmaids, and it became such a lifesaver.  From the formalities to planning a wedding to the different types of floral bouquet arrangements a bride can carry, this book was oh so helpful for everything!

2. Mindy Weiss Planner & Organizer

Mindy Weiss is one of the most well-respected wedding planners in Hollywood.  I enjoyed reading and following her blog to dream about the exotic weddings she plans.  This book/organizer is her newest product and would be a great addition to the Emily Post Etiquette Book above.

3. BLOGS!!

Well, I truly became addicted to the blogosphere while planning my wedding.  If you enjoy finding inspiration on the web, this is the most resourceful place to find, learn, and gain wedding tips.  It can at times be overwhelming so be sure to take everything in small doses.  Here are just a few of my
favorite wedding blogs that I still follow today.

Style Me Pretty
Grey Likes Weddings
Snippet & Ink
Budget Savvy Bride
Ritzy Bee Blog

Again, congrats to all of you planning!  I will be updating soon about some of my current wedding invitation suites available so stay tuned!

Invitation Design: DZ Sorority

A coworker of mine recently approached me about designing her sorority's upcoming Founders' Day invitation.  This year was extra special because they were celebrating the new National President who happens to come from our local Louisville Chapter.

For this design, I mostly followed the brand guidelines laid out by the Delta Zeta Sorority which encompasses their logo and rose emblem.  I decided to frame the invitation with a classic frame.  The light pink lightens the heaviness since this is an event that will take place during the day.

Thanks Jenn for asking me to help, looking forward to working on many more fun projects such as this.