Wedding Ideas That Make Planning Fun

Gone are the days when do it yourself shower invitations or wedding invites looked like a school project. In a very real way, you can do a lot more for a lot less with these printable creations than ever before. Here are a few things to look for to make your efforts stand out…

It goes without saying that a little word processing ability and an inkjet or laser printer will be necessary. Plenty of examples of wording can be found by looking at sample invitations on the web. In addition, many stationery websites offer wording suggestions. Sites like www.verseit.com are dedicated to the art. We have plenty of articles with tips on making printable invitations. Start at our store's stationery and invitations link and you'll find links from there. We also have a navbar item called "Do it Yourself Ideas" that will help as well.

Blank die-cut invitations are great because they work for handwritten informal notes and there are versions for shower or wedding invitations as well. On the more informal side, they typically feature fun logo cutouts with an adhesive foam backing that you apply after printing the text with your printer.

As things get more formal, there are kits that feature translucent papers or vellums with holes stamped in the top. You can tie these to included cardstock that provides a firm backing.

One nice variation of this is a product that uses photo paper as a backing. You can print a picture in full color or edited with sepia tone coloring, etc. and use it as a backing. Tied over it with ribbon is a translucent paper upon which you print the invitation's text.

There are formal papers with gold, silver, and pearl borders as well as gilt edged or handbordered printable papers. Folders and sleeves are popular ways to dress up invitations. Borders are ranging from chocolates and pinks for shower invitations to pearl, silver, gold, and even velvet trimmed designs on the more formal end. Borders and jackets embellished with vintage designs in soft colors are also continuing to increase in popularity.

Finally, brides and shower hostesses are embellishing vellum overlays and envelopes with embossed designs. Self inking stamps are all the rage right now, too. From simple address designs to custom wedding logo designs, they are a great way to add a custom touch to papers, envelopes, and less formal invitations.

Check out our stationery and invitations link at the end of this article for pictures of the things we're talking about. Most of all, don't think of printable invitations as a way to save money. Think about them as a way to customize exactly the way you want to customize.

February 9, 2007 - What Do Cake Toppers and Bouquets Have in Common?

More than you might think. Both of them are essentially for decoration, but we're talking about something different than that. Both of them look better with flowers - but there's more. Take a minute to consider a few tips that can make both your wedding cake and your bouquets look that much better… If you're saving money, there's nothing unusual about using flowers from your ceremony to pull double duty as decorations for your cake or other items.

• If you're using a monogram cake topper or something else that's shiny and reflective, use flowers to add a colorful splash to that reflection.

• If the base of your topper is showing, flowers can easily hide that while adding color.

• If you feel that your topper is a little small for the top of your cake, consider adding a Styrofoam base for it that is covered with icing - flowers can cover this as well.

• You can accent your bouquets with picks that add glittering sparkles in the form of icons that carry your theme. Those same picks can be used on your wedding cake to accent the floral decorations, carry your theme, and simply add some sparkle to complement your shiny cake topper.

Whatever you do, let creativity and personal preference rule. In other words, feel no pressure. Have what you want without worrying about what's "in". Your guests aren't going to turn down a piece of cake because it doesn't look exactly the way they'd imagined.

February 21, 2007 - What No Bridal Shower Should Be Without

We get a lot of questions about things that might work well at bridal showers - themes, coordinating items, and all of that. But there is one thing that is basically free that no bridal shower should be without. Ignoring this one thing causes some fairly big problems. It leads to awkward silence. It makes the event seem to drag on forever. And it makes at least some of the guests feel uncomfortable for most of the time. What is this thing a bridal shower absolutely should have?

Participation! It sounds so simple but it's true. Bridal showers are among those events that are big enough to include people that may not know each other well but small enough that there needs to be a way to keep everybody talking. It's easier than you might think, but there are a couple of things to remember.

We feel comfortable around people with whom we have things in common. So, keep your activities focused on those things you all share. Whether it's your relationship with the bride to be or the common experiences of life, keep it fun and light. Avoid negative or racy games or conversation. This event is all about support and fun. Similar to the wedding day, there's a sort of purity about good bridal showers. Weddings and showers are a celebration of marriage, friendship, and love with the support of family and friends. Anything less than that type of atmosphere can backfire quickly.

Instead of stressing about making the perfect treat, make an activity out of that very thing. Dip strawberries in chocolate or make something else that everyone can participate in.

If you're still not convinced that participation matters more than the perfect decorations, favors, or treats, consider this. Think of a party or event where you had a good time. What was it that made that event a great time? Were you thrilled by the decorations, the favors, the food?

Those things might have been nice, but I'll guarantee that if you had a good time it was because of people. People were nice to you, you were nice to them, you had great conversation, laughter, and so on. Chances are, you don't even remember the little things about that event - just the good time you had with the people there. If you're planning a bridal shower, spend most of your time on finding ways to add participation and you'll have a great shower no matter what you choose for decorations, favors, and food.