It’s been a little while since I have posted a new blog entry. I have been away for a week on a wonderful, rejuvenating vacation in the sunshine and now I am all charged up and ready to go.  Today I am going to post an invitation suite that I designed last spring.  The wedding was taking place outdoors in a garden and the Bride wanted a theme that would reflect that concept using her colour scheme of shades of purple and ivory.  This colour scheme was very popular last year and still remains popular with this year’s brides.  Of course, when I think of a garden wedding in July, I think of flowers in full bloom and so did the Bride.  Taking all of these factors into consideration, here is what I designed for her.  And just FYI the centres of the flowers are embellished with little ivory pearls.

Here is the invitation, response and map card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the reception stationery: table numbers, menus and name cards

After everything was put together the Bride was ecstatic with the results and she felt that the invitation suite reflected the style and location of her wedding perfectly.  We have lots of new designs at Social Notes, the new Envelopments Swatch Decks and wedding samples have just arrived this week and I can’t wait for an opportunity to start designing with them.  We would also like to let you know that Social Notes will be at Let Them Eat Cakes in Hamilton every second Monday of the month for Lynne Jury’s cake tasting events.  Please join us to sample Lynne’s wonderful cake flavours and consult with her on your wedding cake designs.  Until next time, please remember to  Love much, Laugh often and Live bravely.

Kindest Regards,

Deborah

With the New Year comes a host of newly engaged couples searching for wedding invitation inspirations.  As we bid farewell to 2011, here are some new trends for the New Year.  Some are continuations of trends that emerged in 2011 while others are new and are rising in popularity.

1.  Texture

Letterpress continues to rise in popularity  as well as distressed and worn looks that offer an antique aura.  Laser cutting, which traces and cuts intricate and delicate designs into the paper is also drawing some attention.  This trend, with gorgeous backing papers, produces a sumptuous looking invitation and I can hardly wait to create something using this technique!

courtesy of Hummingbird Card Company

2.  Bright Bold Colours

Here is a look at the Pantone Colour of the Year for 2012.  The bolder the better could be the catchphrase for the upcoming year.  Oranges and bright pinks ( think fuschia ) will remain quite popular as well as all shades of yellow.  Purple, which has been popular for several years now, should see a slow decline.  Metallic will remain strong.  Are these colours a little too bright for you?  Try thinking about using the same colours but in softer, more subtle tints, more in keeping with your particular taste.

3.  Patterns

Patterns, with fascinating colour gradients are eye catching, as well as stripes, damask ( which was popular last year ),  graphic borders and dots will see a continued trend.  These can be quite playful or they can be quite elegant, it all depends how you use them.

courtesy of Minted

4. Natural Materials/Eco-conscious Approach

The green paper trend will continue into 2012 and this will resonate with those looking to reduce the carbon footprint.  Earth-friendly papers like 100% cotton, recycled and FSC certified papers are great options for Eco-conscious brides and grooms.  One small caveat here, these papers can be tricky to work with, they don’t like printers, so be sure to work with a qualified invitation designer so that you can make the most of your green choices.

courtesy of INVITATIONS consultants

 5. Watercolour Washes

The lovely look of watercolours is a beautiful stationery trend.  Soft florals are my particular favorite and gentle landscapes are also popular.  This hand painted look is charming and romantic and perfect for summer or spring weddings.  Envelopements has just announced a new release, called Trellis and I cannot wait to use these little beauties in a design!

 6.  Vintage Designs

Integrating vintage wedding graphics is a reigning wedding trend!  As invitations are the first peek your guests will get of your upcoming wedding, you can set the tone for your vintage styled wedding by using vintage graphics and patterns, distinctive fonts and vintage-inspired elements.  Art Deco designs, french vintage and simple elegant designs a la Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn will help you borrow the charm from another era.

7.  Silhouettes 

Silhouetted designs, such as profiles and botanicals will enjoy popularity as well this year.  This trend was starting to make an appearance at the end of 2011 but I believe it will continue to get stronger.  It also will lend an vintage feeling to your invitations and wedding stationery.

courtesy of Albertine Press

What ever your wish, Social Notes Custom Invitations is ready to work together with you to create an inspiring design for your wedding stationery.  Please call 905 639 7393 or visit our website at www.socialnotes.ca and fill out the contact form to book an appointment in our Burlington, Ontario studio for a complimentary consultation. We are full of inspiration and ready to set our design ideas in motion.  We hope to hear from all of you  soon,

Until next time,

Deborah

photo courtesy of Envelopements

This is a question I am often asked about when consulting with new brides.  To put it briefly, including gift registry details in your wedding invitations is not advised and many guests are likely to consider the idea inappropriate and in some cases downright offensive. Suggesting a gift or monetary contribution on the wedding invitation diminishes the value of the celebration and while many of you will argue that protocol or etiquette is dated or no longer relevant,  I believe quite the contrary. Good etiquette is never out of place, just as good manners are never out of date.  If we think only of convenience and efficiency in dealing with our personal relationships we diminish the importance and magic of these milestone occasions in our lives.  Convenience is not an excuse for poor taste.  For many years  wedding guests everywhere have picked up the telephone, called or emailed the parents of the bridal couple  and simply asked where the couple is registered.  This information may also be passed along through your wedding attendants.  It’s easy, personal and has worked efficiently for many years.  With a little good planning there are lots of ways to bypass this prickly question.

Wishing you all the very best

Deborah

I am always looking for different colour palettes to put together to offer as inspiration to my clients.  In my last post, I showed you an unusual colour palette of blush pink, coral and black.  It is a striking combination and made me think of French vintage style.  French vintage is typically characterized by pale pinks, whites, greys and black. Now it’s time to show you what  I came up with by combining this style with this colour palette.

First of all, the outside of the pocket fold and mailing envelope, both in black linen with coral accents.  The pocketfold has a patterned vellum band together with a black satin ribbon under the two toned outside seal.

Here is the actual invitation and insert card array.  The invite is printed on  pale blush cardstock with coral backing and the same colours were used in the insert cards and response envelope. The beautiful frame around the invitation text is an authentic 1930′s French design. Below is a close up of the enclosure cards in the same shades of blush and coral.

And last, but certainly not least, here are the reception pieces in two different colour combinations.  Imagine this for a reception idea …….. white linen table cloths,  coral coloured flowers for the centrepieces, then set the tables using black plates and add in the menus and name cards at each place setting, alternating both of  the colour sets.  Stunning and sophisticated at the same time!

Until next time friends, I hope this will give you some inspiration for your upcoming wedding.  If you would like to arrange complimentary consultation at our Burlington studio, please use our contact page or telephone me to arrange one at your earliest convienience.

With Kindest Regards,

Deborah

This color combination is sweet, feminine and perfect for the sophisticated, modern bride looking for a contemporary twist on the traditional. Stay tuned to see what I have come up with using this really unique colour palette.

{© 2011 Blog Boutique | Jessica of Jessica Tierney Designs | Photo from Noa Noa}

One of Let Them Eat Cakes award winning designs

Lynne Jury, from Let Them Eat Cakes, is hosting another of her wonderful Tasting Events.  You can come in to her Hamilton shop, at 154 James Street South, between 7:00pm and 9:00 pm on Monday, September 19th, 2011 and sample her wonderful cake flavours and view her many award winning cake designs,  all for FREE.  At the same time you will be able to shop in an intimate and quiet setting for other services you might still be needing to make your wedding day special.  Social Notes Custom Invitaitons  from Burlington will also be there too! You come and chat with me about your wedding invitation design ideas at that time, and I can also answer any questions you might have about invitation etiquette.  My sample books and colour swatches will also be there for you to look through.  There are  lots of new paper samples from Envelopments and Soho Papers and some exciting new invitations styles to see.

Lynne and I hope to see you there, and we look forward to meeting with you,

until next time friends,

Deborah

I am always reading books and columns on the subject of etiquette and one of the more interesting  tidbits that I have come across is the correct format for the wording of the request line in your wedding invitations.  According to Crane’s Wedding Blue Book, the wording varies according to where the wedding is being held.  The correct format for a wedding ceremony held in a house of worship, i.e. a church, a temple, a synagogue or mosque,  is ” request the honour of your presence.”  The word “honour” is used to show deference to the fact that the wedding is taking place on sanctified or holy ground.  For weddings held in any other location other than a house of worship, the phrase ” request the pleasure of your company ” is used.  Both of these phrases are equally formal, they are just used under different circumstances.

I found this little tidbit interesting and I hope that it gives you some guidance with your wording decisions.  Etiquette 101 or What you need to know about Etiquette, will become a  feature, once a month.  If you have any questions that you would like answered please feel free to contact me.  Till next time, friends,

Deborah

]]> http://burlingtoninvitations.ca/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-etiquette-101-the-request-line-of-your-invitations/feed/ 0 http://burlingtoninvitations.ca/blog/how-to-write-a-thank-you-note/ http://burlingtoninvitations.ca/blog/how-to-write-a-thank-you-note/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:45:21 +0000 Deborah http://socialnotes.ca/blog/?p=129 Read more ...]]> While the thought of writing thank-you notes can be daunting in this age of email, it is much easier than you think and so much more appreciated than an email. Without further ado, sit down with some beautiful stationery and show your gratitude. Here’s a quick how-to to get you started. . . .

1. Greet the Giver ~ although an obvious one, the “Dear Aunt Jane” line is often overlooked.

2. Express your Gratitude ~ without any unnecessary lead-ins, simply say “Thank you so much for the fill in the blank.” If the gift was money, thank them for their generosity but do not directly mention money.

3. Discuss Use ~ say something nice about the gift and how you will use it.

4. Mention the Past, Allude to the Future ~ let the giver know how they fit into your life. {“It was great to see you at Jenny’s birthday party, and I hope to see you soon.”}

5. Grace ~ express your thanks one more time.

6. Regards ~ Simply wrap up the note using whatever sign-off feels right to you (love, yours truly, etc.).

7. Get it in the Mail ~ address the envelope, stick a great stamp on it, and post it.

Think of the sense of accomplishment you will feel, how appreciated the giver will feel, and the continued stream of gifts you will receive from a happy giver!

My Sunflower Inspiration Board

Moving on from here, I choose a 4×9 pocket fold from Envelopements in Tibetan Blue, with Pennylite as the accent colour and Classic Ecru as the invitation layer. Unfortunately, Tibetan Blue is no longer available, however Mercury Blue is a pretty close match. Happily, I think it all came together nicely all came together!

And last but not least, the reception table pieces…………

One little caveat here, the bride and groom’s names are fictitious, the names have been changed to protect the innocent……… I am busy designing another watercolour set, that has a much different feel to it so I will get back to work on that, and until next time…….

Live, Love and Laugh
Deborah

 For correct addressing, in general, of a formal invitation, everything should be spelled out in it’s long form:  

• Mr. and Mrs. A. Smith
• 514 Hillfair Place
• Apartment 302
• Burlington, Ontario
• L7N 2W5

 For Parents with one child at the same address the format is:

• Mr. and Mrs. A. Smith
• Miss Amanda Smith
• 514 Hillfair Place
• Burlington, Ontario
• L7N 2W5

For a couple with multiple children, all living at the same address the format is:

• Mr. and Mrs. A. Smith and Family
• 514 Hillfair Place
• Burlington, Ontario
• L7N 2W5 

Adult children, who are living at the same address must be sent their own, separate invitation and this is also the case for adult children who are married and/or living at a different address.  This is also the point at which you may indicate if you are expecting your single guests to bring along a another guest. The format for this is:

• Miss A. Smith and Guest
• 514 Hillfair Place
• Burlington, Ontario
• L7N 2W5          

I hope that helps clear up some of the confusion.  If you take the time to follow these little suggestions, your attention to detail will show your guests, right from the start, that you care about them not just as your guest, but also as an individual. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, as socialnotes@cogeco.ca.

Until next time, with kindest regards,

Deborah