For many couples, their wedding day is the most important day of their life. It’s a time when they can get all their friends and family together to celebrate their union.

Remembering this special day in years to come is paramount, and the best and most popular way to do this is with wedding photo albums and wedding guest books.

More couples are deciding to choose the option of having their wedding photo albums and wedding guest books handmade in a beautifully constructed way. Being attracted by the fact that many companies now offer personalised touches and can combine them with the rest of the decor from the wedding, future brides and grooms choose to use these services.

Working in conjunction with couples, many businesses make the wedding photo albums and wedding guest books with their clients in mind, catering to their exact needs and requirements.

A wedding photo album can be decorated using a number of different styles, from floral designs including Triple Rose and Two Lilies, to Shells and Twisted Hearts. Each is elegantly put together into a book, which will include around 40 pages to put your photographs in and 20 tissue-like paper sheets to preserve them.

The wedding photo albums usually come in several sizes; small (around 16cm x 23cm), medium (around 20cm x 25cm) and large (around 28cm x 32cm).

Brides and grooms can choose from a number of different colours, to match the theme of their wedding. They can choose everything from the colour of the book itself to the text included within it.

Wedding guest books are not necessarily an item most couples will instantly remember to purchase, but they are a fantastic way of remembering the day.

They are, traditionally, a way for guests to voice their well wishes to the couple and also for the bride and groom to look back over for years to come.

Again, wedding guest books can often be tailored to match the wedding decoration, and come in a variety of styles, such as Romance Circle, Rose Bud and Kris Kross. All are stunningly and carefully handcrafted to ensure the very best service.

The wedding guest books often come in a variety of sizes to match the needs of the customers and the colour scheme can be chosen to match that of the wedding.

They also usually include around 40 pages, so that every guest has the room to write their personal messages.

Using the same company to cater for all your wedding stationery needs is advisable, as they can incorporate your wedding theme into all the products they make. It can also be a very cost effective option, which of course is something vital when planning a wedding.

Sending out handmade wedding invitations gives the bridal couple the opportunity to treat their guests to a totally unique and one-of-a-kind invite.

How handmade wedding invitations make a fabulous first impression

A once-in-a-lifetime affair, every bridal couple takes great pains to make sure everything is just picture-perfect on their wedding day. There are so many things to be attended to and preparations are started several months ahead. There’s the bridal gown, the venue, decoration for the venue, the guest list, caterers, bartenders; the list is endless. No matter how elaborate the plans are or no matter how early the preparations are started, the action till now is still all behind-the-scenes and involves only family and close friends.

The first real inkling the rest of the guests have about the wedding will be from the wedding invitation. It is essentially the first point of contact between guest and the wedding and offers the wedding guests a ’sneak-peak’ at what’s coming up.

Handmade invitations are customized to suit the wedding theme as well as the couple’s style; they set the tone for the wedding. A guest who looks at the wedding invite will immediately form an impression of what to expect at the wedding and customized hand-made wedding invitations create the most fabulous first impression of all.

Significance of Handmade Wedding Invitations

Giving a guest a handmade invitation creates a powerful impact on the guest. It says that despite all the other preparations, the bridal couple had taken time out to create a special invite for every guest. A handmade wedding invite makes every guest feel special.

A handmade wedding invitation to every guest is a way of saying you care for each and every guest individually and you’d feel honored to have them grace your special occasion.

Most bridal couples realize the impact handmade wedding invites can create and despite hectic schedules, more and more couples are taking the time to make handmade invitations for a fabulous first-impression.

Handmade Wedding Invitations as Keepsakes

Every handmade wedding invite is like a miniature work of art. With several personalizing options available including custom types of paper, styles of ribbon, shapes, fonts and graphic designs there are endless possibilities for reflecting the couple’s creativity and their personal styles.

When you give out unique handmade wedding invites, your guests are not going to toss it away like they do most store-bought invites. Handmade wedding invites are more likely to be treasured and given a place of honor among other memorabilia in the guest’s home. More and more bridal couples feel it’s surely worth taking the time and trouble over something that they know is going to last forever.

Handmade Photo Wedding Invitations

Handmade photo wedding invitations are not just unique; they are ‘You-nique’. Most bridal couples love the idea of photo wedding invitations because they are the most unique idea of all. Guests are unlikely to ever find a similar invite anywhere else; no matter where they look. Handmade photo wedding invitations can be customized using the chosen photograph and wordings as well as the chosen font. The picture type could be black-and-white, colored, sepia or antique and the color of the card could be taken from the wedding colors or from the photograph itself. The end-result- a handmade wedding invite like no other!

It is the ultra- uniqueness of handmade wedding invitations as well as the powerful message it conveys that make them far more popular than any store bought wedding invite.

Having a wedding that’s different from everybody else’s is something that almost all bridal couples dream about. It is the most special days of their lives and they want it to be an event that people will be talking about for years to come.

While personalizing your wedding day can be an undoubtedly expensive and time-consuming affair, it is one way to set it apart and ensure that it is truly one of a kind.

Here are a few suggestions and decorating ideas for personalizing your wedding and making it unique.

Monogramming

The traditional practice of monogramming is great for personalizing your wedding day. Incorporating the bride and groom’s intertwined initials on everything, from the chair covers and table runners to the wedding favors put a distinctly personal touch to the whole event. Do not forget to include the monogram into the wedding invitations and all the other wedding stationery as well. Personalized invitations and stationery and personalized wedding favors reveal your exacting attention to your detail from start to finish.

Get accessories such as your hand bag and cufflinks monogrammed and you will have some wonderful family heirlooms that you can pass down for generations. You can even get the bridal couple’s initials worked into the bride’s long veil for a look that’s ultra-coordinated.

Personalizing Your Wedding Day with Colors

The key to personalizing your wedding day with colors is to use color not to overwhelm but to add surprising accents. To personalize an all-white wedding you can either go with the monogramming or you could choose any one color and incorporate tiny bits of this color into unexpected places. Pretty pale blue pair of shoes that peek out every once in a while when the hem of the gown is lifted; a few stems of blue roses interspersed in the all-white bouquet, light blue candles strewn everywhere add delightful personalizing accents. Complementary or contrasting, the color combination of your wedding reception is yours to choose. To avoid a look that  is unnecessarily loud, remember to always use the lighter color as the all-over color and use the darker color as an accent color.

Using photographs to Personalize Your Wedding Day

Incorporating the bridal couple’s photograph into the wedding décor means you’ll have a wedding that is truly and completely unique. Once you’ve chosen the photograph that you wish to use you can choose colors from the photograph and use those as your wedding colors. Sepia photographs have an old-world look and feel and are a great way to personalize a traditional style wedding.

Colors, candles, flowers and photographs; the sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas for personalizing your wedding day. The best place to look for inspiration to kick-start your imagination is the internet where many wedding organizers showcase the best of the best. Borrow their ideas, add  your own unique detailing and you can be sure your wedding will truly be the only one of its type.

Alongside your wedding invitations and place settings, wedding menu cards are a key item, not to be forgotten when organising the stationery for your big day.

Wedding menu booklets promise to be a tasteful addition to the rest of your carefully selected stationary and table decorations.

Wedding menu cards give guests an idea of what is going to be served on the day and they then have the chance to decide beforehand, which option they want to choose. It can also inform guests if vegetarian or gluten free alternatives will be available.

Couples often order their wedding menu stationery at the same time as their invitations, place names cards and other stationery items required. This will often ensure that all your wedding stationery items will arrive together at the same time, leaving you one less thing to worry about.

When ordered together, you are guaranteed that all the stationery will all feature the same designs.

Many people choose their wedding menu stationery to reflect the style and theme of their wedding. Whether it will be a formal or casual affair, the perfect wedding menu stationery can be tailored to your individual needs, to reflect and accent the nature of your ceremony.

Choosing a sturdy, card-based material is a wise choice when deciding on a style for your wedding menu stationery as it will hold up better and they will stand up on their own when placed on the tables.

Standard wedding menu booklets are usually A5 in size, with a three page insert and can include personalised printing on the front cover. They are decorated with your chosen design to co-ordinate with the rest of your chosen stationery.

It may also be a good idea to frame the menu cards after use and they can be used as extra wedding favours for guests.

For that extra personal touch, DIY kits are available from most wedding stationery companies.

These kits contain all you need to recreate the stationery design of your choice by hand whilst holding onto that professional finish.

This time saving and innovative method takes the hard work out of making your own stationery whilst still being affordable.

Wedding invitations and stationery packs can be organised and ordered quickly and easily online.

Sending out handmade wedding invitations gives the bridal couple the opportunity to treat their guests to a totally unique and one-of-a-kind invite.

How handmade wedding invitations make a fabulous first impression

A once-in-a-lifetime affair, every bridal couple takes great pains to make sure everything is just picture-perfect on their wedding day. There are so many things to be attended to and preparations are started several months ahead. There’s the bridal gown, the venue, decoration for the venue, the guest list, caterers, bartenders; the list is endless. No matter how elaborate the plans are or no matter how early the preparations are started, the action till now is still all behind-the-scenes and involves only family and close friends.

The first real inkling the rest of the guests have about the wedding will be from the wedding invitation. It is essentially the first point of contact between guest and the wedding and offers the wedding guests a ’sneak-peak’ at what’s coming up.

Handmade invitations are customized to suit the wedding theme as well as the couple’s style; they set the tone for the wedding. A guest who looks at the wedding invite will immediately form an impression of what to expect at the wedding and customized hand-made wedding invitations create the most fabulous first impression of all.

Significance of Handmade Invitations

Giving a guest a handmade invitation creates a powerful impact on the guest. It says that despite all the other preparations, the bridal couple had taken time out to create a special invite for every guest. A wedding invite makes every guest feel special.

An invitation to every guest is a way of saying you care for each and every guest individually and you’d feel honored to have them grace your special occasion.

Most bridal couples realize the impact unique wedding invites can create and despite hectic schedules, more and more couples are taking the time to make handmade invitations for a fabulous first-impression.

Handmade Wedding Invitations as Keepsakes

Every handmade invite is like a miniature work of art. With several personalizing options available including custom types of paper, styles of ribbon, shapes, fonts and graphic designs there are endless possibilities for reflecting the couple’s creativity and their personal styles.

When you give out unique wedding invites, your guests are not going to toss it away like they do most store-bought invites. The wedding invites are more likely to be treasured and given a place of honor among other memorabilia in the guest’s home. More and more bridal couples feel it’s surely worth taking the time and trouble over something that they know is going to last forever.

Handmade Wedding Invitations

The invitations are not just unique; they are ‘You-nique’. Most bridal couples love the idea of handmade wedding invitations because they are the most unique idea of all. Guests are unlikely to ever find a similar invite anywhere else; no matter where they look. Handmade wedding invitations can be customized using the chosen design and wordings as well as the chosen font. The design type could be black-and-white, colored, sepia or antique and the color of the card could be taken from the wedding colors or from the venue itself. The end-result- a handmade wedding invite like no other!

It is the ultra- uniqueness of handmade wedding invitations as well as the powerful message it conveys that make them far more popular than any store bought wedding invite.

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

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!

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.

Always begin your thank you card by offering the correct greeting like “Dear Clare & Paul”. Many people forget to properly address this when writing the cards.

I would then personalize your thank you by mentioning the gift you received and maybe say how you would put the gift to good use. It is always nice to hear that your gift was kindly received.

To finish the thank you card, I would then maybe mention a past visit such as “I enjoyed seeing you last Christmas at mums birthday party, I was so happy to share our wedding day with you and hope to see you again very soon.” If you do not have frequent contact with the sender, a simple “I think of you often and hope you are well” will suffice.

Say “thanks” once more, “Thanks again for the gift.”

Wrap it up with a pleasant closing that uses words like “Love,” “Warmly,” Yours truly” or whatever suits you.

Review the letter for spelling errors and be sure to attach the correct postage.