All bridal couples approach their wedding preparations quite differently from each other. Some couples decide that they would like to give their wedding an ultra-personal touch by doing everything themselves from creating handmade wedding invites to decorating the venue. Other couples prefer to delegate their wedding to experienced professionals in the field while they just supervise the overall preparations to make sure it meets their expectations.

Is any one way better than the other? Not really. Do-it-yourself wedding preparations give the wedding a warm, personal touch whereas professional wedding preparations help you achieve a perfectly coordinated look. Of course, a little bit of both would result in a wedding day that’s perfect in every way.

In this Internet age where everything you need to know about organizing a wedding is available at the touch of a button, hiring a wedding planner can seem like an outdated concept. Do you really need to hire a wedding planner?

Why hire a wedding planner

While the internet may be a great source of information on everything including organizing a wedding, it is just that- a source of information. Can the internet recommend the best local vendors from where you can source your requirements to fit your budget? Can it inform you of the best local choices when it comes to looking for flowers, lighting and the hundreds of other smaller essentials that go towards preparing for the wedding?

There are certain things the internet just cannot do. Most important of all, the internet cannot give you the personal touch that only a wedding planner working closely with you can bring to the reception.

Moreover, every bride wants to look her radiant best on this, the most important day of her life and the groom would love to be able to bask in her reflected glory.

This is never going to happen if the bride and groom are sweating the small stuff, obsessing over details and haggling about a hundred different particulars.

A wedding planner will take of all the details- big and small. Since she is so intricately involved with the bride and groom she gets to know their likes and dislikes and can ensure that even the minor details are in accordance with the couple’s taste. She is also aware of the couple’s budget, which makes a huge difference when it comes to weeding out the vendors who don’t fall within those confines. Orienting the couple’s budget to the appropriate vendors means that much less leg work for the bridal couple themselves.

One of the biggest advantages of hiring a wedding planner is that, unless she is new to this profession, she has done this several times before. She knows the proper sequence of events and how they should be handled; she knows what is required and where to get it and she knows what is absolutely necessary and what is not.

What a Wedding Planner Helps Out With

Here are just some of the things that any wedding planner will help the bridal couple with:

• Select the bridal gown and all the accessories
• Choose the attire for the brides maid and the maids of honor
• Suggest venue and decorating options for various venues
• Suggest flowers, flower arrangements and appropriate florists
• Select music that is appropriate at different times during the wedding that is also in accordance with the bridal couple’s tastes
• Help with the invitations and assorted wedding stationery
• Help get quotes from different caterers and alcohol vendors
• Keep everything organized and moving smoothly on D-Day, from getting the car decorated and making sure it is on time to getting the venue decorated and making sure that everything is where it should be
• Support and calm the bride as she suffers the inevitable bout of pre-wedding jitters

When you hire a wedding planner, what you get for your money is precious free time. By taking care of all the details, the wedding planner in effect gives you the gift of time; time that you can spend doing poignant last minute things like spending a few moments more with your family. Surely that’s worth any price you have to pay?

For more resources about Weddings or even about Wedding Stationery please take a look at this website www.blissfuldesigns.co.uk

Every bridal couple wants their wedding day to be special and unique. They go to great lengths to ensure that their wedding is like no other and that everything, from the bridal gown to the reception décor is one-of-a-kind. In making a wedding a successful affair, every detail counts, including the wedding stationery.

While the wedding stationery may not be as highly visible as the bridal gown or the wedding cake or the reception décor, it creates a subtle influence on the tone of the wedding and its importance should not be underestimated. Wedding stationery silently but definitely ties in all the elements of the wedding and portrays the image you want to set.

Personalized wedding stationery is sophisticated and elegant and is a strong indication of the bridal couple’s eye for detail.

The Wedding Stationery

Here are some of the more popular wedding stationery options. You can choose to have some or all of them for your wedding.

Before the wedding you’ll need:

• Save the date cards
• Wedding invitations
• R.S.V.P. cards

On the day of the wedding you’ll need:

• Place cards
• Table numbers
• Paper napkins

After the wedding you’ll need:

• Thank you cards

If you’d like go all out and impress your guests you can personalize a few more items, including:

• Favor boxes
• Menus
• Confetti cones
• Cake boxes
• Napkin rings

Matching your Wedding Stationery to everything else

While it is not absolutely compulsory to have everything matching, having a distinctly common element linking all the aspects of the wedding does make the wedding look well put together.

Trying to impress your guests with exotic peacock themed invitations could very well put you in a quandary as you try to match the color scheme to all your other stationery as well as everything else. When designing your wedding invitations, look ahead and decide whether or not the same theme can be carried on throughout the wedding. Better to keep it simple rather than give up half way because the whole idea has suddenly become too troublesome.

Impressing your guests with personalized wedding stationery

Along with the other wedding décor, personalized wedding stationery offers bridal couples yet another way to display their creativity. With beads, sequins, shells and an endless assortment of fonts and graphics, the possibilities are endless.

Personalized wedding stationery designed with real dried flowers are perfect for outdoor weddings or if flowers are the main décor theme. A spray of silk flowers as a wedding favor would be a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Planning on having a beach wedding? Beach-themed personalized wedding stationery in the shapes of starfish, seashells, dolphins or sailboats are easy and fun and go well with the theme. Guests are sure to be impressed with the detailed planning and will look forward to their beach-themed wedding favor.

There are plenty of options for Christmas themed personalized wedding stationery if the wedding date is around Christmas time. To create an unforgettable impression, put each Christmas themed invite into a tiny sled and send to the invitee. It’s sensational!

Origami wedding stationery is perfect for a Japanese themed wedding. The look on the faces of your guests when they see it is well worth all the months of painstaking paper-folding.

Keep in mind however that is no need to get tied up in knots trying to create complex personalized wedding stationery. Guests are just as likely to get impressed with personalized wedding stationery that is simple, neat and elegant.

When organising the most important day of your life, marking the occasion with an exquisite handmade wedding invitation is a must. At Blissful Designs we are experts in designing handmade wedding and party invitations to make sure that every brides tastes and ideas can be showcased from the very beginning!

Our team of designers work tirelessly to make sure that we can offer a vast range of designs to co-ordinate with every brides theme and ideas. From traditional designs to more contemporary wedding invitations at Blissful Designs we have wedding invitations to suit all tastes.

What to look for in a handmade invitation?

There are many companies offering handmade invitations, but when choosing your wedding invitations be careful not to be swayed by price alone. Things to consider when obtaining samples from companies are the quality of card and envelopes being used. We believe that the very least that card should weigh is 260gsm, anything less than this will not withstand the post and handing. The quality of envelopes should also be checked, for quality and colour match. When spending a lot on handmade wedding invitations it would be a shame to send them out with a poor quality envelope.

Most companies will offer their invites in a postal box, usually for an extra cost, but this is always worth considering when sending delicate designs through the rigours of the post.

Most of all be sure to make your choice as personal as possible, change the design slightly, match the design to your colour scheme, maybe add your names to the front of the wedding invitations if possible. Most brides want to know when choosing a handmade wedding invite that thousands of other brides won’t have the same one!

Imagine walking into a reception venue and seeing uncovered plastic hired chairs or worse still, hard upholstered chairs in colors that clash with the wedding décor. Nothing can be as disastrous as blue or magenta seats when your wedding colors are a combination of ivory and white or just plain gold all over.

With wedding chair covers you can concentrate on the other aspects of the reception venue without worrying about the type of chairs that will be provided. Whether you choose to buy or hire them, wedding chair covers offer you the perfect way to cover up the original shape and color of the chairs and tie in all your wedding decor elements without having to spend a fortune.

Versatile Chair Covers

Chair covers are undoubtedly versatile. They allow you to create or re-create the total atmosphere in the room to one that suits the tone and mood of your reception.

Chair covers in ivory or white satin will complement and enhance any traditional wedding decor whereas chair covers in floral prints or crisp white cotton can make the outdoors look even more refreshing at any garden wedding reception.

Chair covers in red and white or pink and white are the ideal complement to any Valentines Day Wedding while chair covers in red, green and gold would look stunning at a Christmas wedding venue.

All it takes is the correct choice, color and styling of fabric to achieve just about any look you wish with chair covers.

Chair Cover Hire: Value For Money

Unlike most of the other wedding décor details where you have to sweat over the little details yourself, chair covers can easily be hired without detracting from the personal aspect of the wedding décor. Chair cover hire companies offer an amazing wide array of chair covers in a stunning range of fabrics and designs to suit any wedding theme décor and any style of chair. If you cannot find what you are looking for, you can get it custom-made to your preference and in the colors of your choice, for you at a small fee.

The best part about using wedding chair covers is that they offer you tremendous value for money. Considering the dramatic impact they create, wedding chair covers are relatively cheap to hire when compared to the other wedding décor elements.

What’s more, when you hire chair covers, the company you are hiring from, will almost always include a set up and tear down service, including the ever-so-intricate sash tying service, so you have that much less to worry about on your wedding day.

Every bridal couple has their own distinct vision of what their perfect wedding day would look like and the style of wedding invitations they would like to send out to their guests.   Some bridal couples want handmade invitations that are exceptionally elegant and sophisticated to match their similarly planned wedding reception whereas others prefer traditional all-white handmade wedding invitations as an introduction to their traditional all-white wedding reception.

Other handmade invitation styles run the gamut from elaborate and artsy to contemporary and casual; each style unique and distinctive, unlike run-of-the-mill store-bought wedding invitations where the only difference likes in the details of the wedding.

What makes handmade wedding invitations so special?

Anyone can go to a store and buy ready-made wedding invitations; the only deciding factor being the budget. A bridal couple with a higher wedding budget can go ahead and buy the most expensive invitations they can find whereas a bridal couple with a more restricted budget would have to spend some extra time looking for something cheaper. However, no matter how much you may spend on ready-made wedding invitations there is always something missing- that personal touch.

Having handmade wedding invitations reflects your commitment to creating an ambiance that is fitting for your wedding. They reveal your creativity, thoughtfulness and attention to detail and are sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests. More importantly, handmade wedding invitations give your wedding that distinctly personal touch that can never be bought or replicated.

Do you have to make handmade wedding invitations yourself?

Making homemade wedding invitations yourself can be a marvelous thought and you can certainly pull it off with élan if you have a limited guest list and plenty of time at your disposal. However, if you have a large guest list and limited time, you are better off getting homemade wedding invitations done by more professional hands.

Advantages of ordering handmade wedding invitations

Ordering handmade wedding invitations can save you time and money.

Professionally done handmade wedding invitations have a distinctly handmade look and this is because they are hand-made; the only difference being, they are made by hands other than yours.  Besides looking sophisticated and elegant, getting handmade wedding invitations professionally done has other benefits as well.  For a bridal couple who have set their heart on sending out customized handmade wedding invites, getting them done professionally frees up a lot of their time; time that could now be spent on the many other aspects of wedding planning.

Another huge advantage of ordering handmade wedding invites is that most professional wedding card makers would have everything they require right at their disposal. Trying to achieve the same effect yourself may involve having to buy special equipment and tools that could be a considerable expense.

Being able to order handmade wedding invites can also be a big boon to bridal couples who have the idea in their head but are not adept at executing it. It is important to make sure you explain your idea well and see the finished sample before ordering your handmade wedding invites en masse.

If you’re feeling creative, or have a friend who is, why not have a go at making your own wedding stationery.

We have put together a selection of diy invitation items available to purchase on-line.

We are happy to give advice and assistance to help you on your way.  If you are trying to source a particular craft item or card blank please feel free to email helen@rednell.com for free advice.

Timescale

Plan well ahead as you will have so many other things to do.  Decide when you would like to send your invitations out and allow time to prepare your design, source your materials plus you may need several weeks to make them. There are so many craft outlets selling all sorts of items for card making.   We supply a range of d-i-y items including card blanks and envelopes to make your life easier.

Decide what stationery items you will be making and what size card blank you want for each.  If you decide you want an unusual shaped card, make sure you can find an envelope to fit it first!

You may want to consider card blanks and sizes for: Save the Date, Wedding Invitation, Evening Invitation, RSVP, Order of Service, Place Setting, Menu, Table Number, Thank You Card and Table Plans.

The Design

Experimentation is the key.  Don’t be afraid to use a range of materials - beads, wire, feathers, flowers and so on.  Avoid putting too many different elements on your design, sometimes less is more.  Practice your design on folded plain paper or old card scraps first.  Use coloured papers, ribbons, wording or inserts to incorporate your wedding colour.

Plan how your design will be incorporated into each stationery item.  Will all your design elements fit on a smaller thank you card, for example.   How will it look on a table plan.  Consider using one particular element, a paper flower for example, which can be used with other items on some of your stationery and on its own on other items. This will give your stationery a themed look.   Make sure your design is not too time consuming, difficult or fiddly.

Budget

Decide how much you want to spend on your diy stationery, either a cost per item or total budget.  It’s very easy to get carried away with all the craft items available.

Glue

Avoid using water-based glues for paper elements on your design. They tend to soak into the paper making creases and indentation.  Use pva for your card embellishments (but only sparingly). Glue sticks are ideal for sticking papers to card or for inserts.  Try using glue dots or stick foam pads.  Allow time for glues to dry.

Production

Get some sort of production line going.  Make up each element from your design ready to place on your card rather than doing one card at a time.  Make sure you are well away from anything that can spill or stain your invitations.  Store away from heat and sources of smell.  Make sure your hands are clean.  If you are doing lots of gluing, keep washing your hands as it tends to get everywhere.

Inserts

Inserts can be handwritten, printed on an inkjet printer, photocopied, or you could have them professionally printed.

Always remember, DIY stationery can be time-consuming, but the end results will be worth you while.

Wedding decorations are the most significant part of your overall wedding theme. Not only do the wedding decorations you choose reflect your personality but they also create the mood and ambiance of your wedding and present your guests with a setting that is beautiful and memorable. Running the gamut from formal and traditional to casual and modern, whether you choose a simple affair or an elaborate one; the right decorations add drama and style to any wedding.

There are no rigid rules when it comes to wedding decorations. It all depends upon your personal tastes and the type of wedding atmosphere you wish to create. Is it a formal night time affair in a ballroom or is a more casual daytime outdoor wedding? Do you want the atmosphere to exude old-world romance or do you want it to be more contemporary and casual?

Choosing the theme of the wedding

The best way to choose a wedding theme is to either go with something that both of you are passionate about or else go with the season or time of the year.

If both of you are passionate about a hobby, maybe you could reflect that in the wedding décor. You could start by creating a list of all the things you both enjoy, from sports and hobbies to animals or objects. Then eliminate items from your list until you are down to just two or three that could be put together easily yet tastefully, without breaking either your sanity or your budget.

Choosing the color scheme of the wedding

Once you’ve decided upon the theme, you have to now brain storm an appropriate color scheme. If you’ve decided to have a Valentine’s wedding, one of the most popular days for weddings,  you cannot deviate too far from the color scheme of red, white and pink and if you’ve decided to have a romantic Victorian wedding, any color is alright as long as it is white.

Creating the right atmosphere with your wedding decorations

While some themes have laid-down color schemes, there are other themes where you do not have to worry too much about any specific colors; you can just incorporate any color that happens to be your favorite. For some themes, such as a Hawaiian wedding or a nautical wedding, the color scheme plays a much smaller role. What is important however is incorporating the right elements of the theme in order to re-create the right atmosphere. Ropes, shells, starfish and lifebuoys are perfect for the nautical theme and a profusion of flowers in every color for the Hawaiian theme.

Whatever the theme or color scheme, it is important that you keep your wedding decorations simple and elegant. Small, simple touches do more to create a lasting visual statement rather than loud garish decorations that detract from the occasion rather than enhance it.

As with every other aspect of weddings these days, it is no longer de rigueur for wedding invitations to be traditionally designed and worded. Instead, wedding invitations are now considered the perfect way to offer invitees a sneak peak into the unique personality of the bridal couple and an inviting glimpse into the character of the affair. In order to achieve this however, it is important that you choose the appropriate wedding invites.

Take a look at any offline or online store that creates wedding invites and you will see that they stock a wide range of wedding invitations in every style and color possible to suit all kinds of weddings.  While this means today’s bridal couples have an endless array to choose from, it also makes the task of choosing the right wedding invitation that much more difficult.

How to Choose the Most Suitable Wedding Invitation

There are several different aspects of the wedding that you need to take into consideration when selecting your wedding invites. Some of the most important aspects include the tone of your wedding, the color scheme of your wedding and the theme of your wedding.

Tone of the Wedding - Are you planning an ultra formal reception hosted in a five-star hotel or is it a more casual barefoot-in-the-park affair? Not only are the style and design of formal wedding invites distinctly different from that of casual invites, even the wordings and the font of the wording are different.

Color Scheme of the Wedding - Though there are no laid down rules about designing invitations of any type, sending wedding invites that complement the wedding color theme is an unwritten rule that is followed by almost all bridal couples. Matching the color of wedding invites to the wedding décor ties in all the elements of the wedding and shows that you have taken the trouble to take care of the minutest details.

Theme of the Wedding - Are you having a theme wedding? Is it a Valentine’s Day Wedding, A Christmas Wedding, a beach wedding or a Victorian wedding? Each theme has a distinctly different tone and the appropriate wedding invitations for each of theme would give your guests a better idea of what to expect. Sending a shell- shaped, casually worded wedding invite for a Valentine’s Day Wedding would set a jarring note to the whole event but would be perfect for a wedding that is actually being held on the beach.

When choosing the most appropriate wedding invitations you may also want to consider the season that your wedding will take place, the type of flowers you are having in your wedding and whether or not you want to incorporate a specific religious or ethnic theme.

Choosing the most appropriate wedding invitations is an important part of achieving the right atmosphere; it in fact sets the tone of the whole wedding.

Almost 90% of brides to be, start to look for their wedding invitations once a date has been set. The one thing we normally find is the complete wedding stationery range can sometimes be forgotten. The most popular stationery item is obviously the invitation shortly followed by the name cards used to identify the seating location of the bride and grooms guests.

Wedding Invitations / Evening Invitations

The invitations are by far the most popular item of stationery for today’s modern bride.  The invitation is the most personal way of inviting your guests to the wedding. It can be tailored as much as needed to provide the relevant information about the wedding and the events throughout the day.

Thank you Cards

Thank you cards are the perfect way to let your guests know how grateful you are of their special gifts they bought you, or even just for joining you on your big day. Your thank you stationery is normally customised with your personal message for you to pass onto your guests and usually provided for you by the same company that made your wedding invitations so that the design can be carried through.

Order of Service Booklets

Your order of service booklets are an essential part of your wedding service. Whether you are marring in a church or opting for a civil ceremony, the order of service or order of the day for civil ceremonies, gives your guests that essential layout of events for the service or ceremony. When marring in a church most couples use the order of service booklets to print hymn words and list prayers or readings. Most churches will ask you to provide your guests an order of service booklet and will give you a copy of their version of hymns.

Place Cards

Your guests will need to know where to sit when they arrive at your wedding reception, so a place card is an essential when planning your stationery needs. Many stationery companies will be able to make these for you to match your wedding invitations, and most will also print your guest’s names on them for an extra cost. It is also popular for brides or bride’s families to handwrite the place cards to save money and add that personal touch.

Menus

If you are having a wedding reception then you will need to inform your guests of what they will be eating. Whether it is a simple reminder of the meals they have already chosen or an insight into the delights ahead.

RSVP Cards

When sending out your wedding invitations, you will need a way for your guests to inform you whether they are able to make it or not. The easiest way to do this is the send out RSVP cards with your wedding invitations. Most stationery companies will be able to provide these to match your wedding stationery. Blissful Designs offers these for free with your wedding invitations.

Direction Cards

When your guests need to travel to a venue they are not familiar with, the sending direction cards out with your wedding invitations is really the easiest way to get this information across. Most companies will print both a map and directions and any other details you need.