A wedding invitation is the first clue guests will get about your wedding style and theme. It helps get them excited for the big event, and even gives guests clues about what to wear! Don’t skimp on these as this will give the impression that guests are going to a cheap wedding before they have even got there.For those of you tying the knot in 2008-2009, here’s information you won’t want to miss about invitations. First and foremost, the biggest trend is:Customization Being unique is chic. Regardless of what current fashion might be, your invitation design ultimately rests on what is meaningful and special to you and your fiancé. So if you select colors or a style that isn’t “in” but has significance to both of you; go with it – it’s your wedding.Winter Weddings This winter, onyx black is back as the color of chic sophistication, and when used with silver and snow white, it speaks volumes. Forest green and plum are also gorgeous in winter, perhaps paired with a jeweled brad or silky tassel for added glamour. Spring Weddings For a spring wedding in 2008, an invitation’s color scheme can echo the colors of the blooming gardens with sky blue, leaf green and magnolia pink. Summer Weddings Summer brings hotter weather and high-voltage tints will be everywhere -especially apple green, aqua blue, bright yellow and sunset orange.

Fall Weddings

As autumn arrives the palette will mellow to saturated shades of rusted orange, deep scarlet and chocolate brown. Softer shades reflect the tones of the harvest season. Embellish your invitations with a translucent sash and tuck in a skeleton leaf for a distinctive look.

Trendsetting Stripes

Pinstripes are a hot look now, whether they’re vertical, horizontal, multicolored, or in shades of your signature hue.

Bejeweled

Embellishing your invitation with small rhinestones, tiny pearl-toned beads, or miniature Swarovski crystals makes a low-key invitation style fashionable. A refined invitation sporting clean type and subtle colors that gets glam with a rhinestone buckle.

Going Bold

Though the use of color has been a wedding trend for years, white is making a comeback in an unexpected way. We’re seeing bright color card stock with sleek white type.

Vintage Patterns

Move over motifs…allover patterns are gaining popularity. Your
invitation designer could create a pattern based on your gown, for instance — a ring of rosettes, a square of lace appliqué, or a beaded vine.  There are so many divine vintage and damask patterns available.

Modern Monograms

A monogram is basically a pair of initials usually written in a fancy script/font style. The monogram can be placed on the outside of the inner envelopes, on the invitations themselves, and on other parts of the wedding stationery. Monograms are a good choice because they provide personalization to the invitations and add a touch of elegance. 

Designer Envelopes

Saving the suspense is so over: Why not introduce your wedding motif on your invitation envelopes? Have your address personalized by your stationer this is so better received than ugly hand writing J And makes the invitation so professional.  You may not know it, but your invitations do more than just invite your guests. They also herald your event’s style and/or theme. The invitations lay the foundation for your wedding’s theme whether it be informal, traditional, seasonal, or a destination. Your invitations excite your guests about your affair so choose carefully!Ultimately, whatever design you choose for your invitations, it should reflect the mood, style, or theme of your wedding. Most importantly, you and your fiancé should love it!

So recently I have made this fan programme for a wedding that is going to be on Top Billing sometime soon:)  How divine!!!  Usualy it is an invitation  but this one is actually for the programme of the wedding - I hope its a hot day :).  Each lady will get one and its a garden themed wedding.  Whats nice about the fan invitation is that it doesnt have to have the Chinese theme it can be made into quite an elegant theme with the right colours :)  Lets hope it catches the eye of the presenter :)

Buckles, buckles, buckles.

This seems to be the new craze, Brides are using them as the themes to the entire wedding.  They realy do add a touch of class to any invite.  When they first came out in Durban in the beggining of the year we only saw real A quality “diamond” buckles now thanks to our friends in China we have divine affordable buckles to make our Invitations 2010 :)

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Hey DIY brides, So many brides I come across would love to make their own invitations to make it just that much more special,  This small, compact piece of equipment is awesome for making and scoring your own invitation templates and favour.  Boxes An essential piece of equipment for all card makers.

The Top Score Multiboard enables you to accurately score and fold your own cards and boxes such as the ones shown here in the picture. The Top Score Multiboard comes with its own double ended scoring and enbossing tool and an 8 page full colour instruction booklet covering all of the cards and boxes shown in the picture and more, so you will never be short of ideas. The tool also incorporates 2 different embossing lines - a swirl and a deckle edge for adding those finishing touches to your card creations.

Features include:

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While I was dusting off the old cutting board to make my thank you cards, it brought back some fond (and some not so fond) memories of all my DIY wedding projects.  So, I figured a helpful little do’s and don’ts post would be perfect for all you DIY brides.

If you’re making your own invites, check out my list of Do’s and don’ts before you get scrapping…..

Do-nt
-  be in a rush. Never cut or scrap when you are in a bad mood, or it will show in your projects
-  double up - Yes I know its easier to cut two, maybe even three sheets at time, but please don’t.  If you mess up one page, you’ve messed up double time. Plus when you double cut it shows unless you’re extremely accurate.
-  scrap while you’re eating or drinking - need I say more?
-

Do

-  test your design on a black and white printer and make sure its going to work before you go out and spend money on pretty papper and printing
-  buy the right tools.  dont cut your invites with scissors, rather get a propper paper cutter or Stanley Knife
-  buy a few sheets more than you need.  That way, if you mess up you have back up. The last thing you want is to make a mistake and the scrap-booking shop is sold out of your paper.
-  proof, proof and proof again.  Trust me, after having to reprint all my wedding programmes after I had cut and assembled them was not fun and not to mention an unnecessary expense.
-  make a few extra copies.  Whether its for your menus or invitations.  Even if you dont use them at the actual wedding, you’ll always have them for memories later
-  always ensure that your hands are clean before you touch your invites

Any more suggestions? Anything I’ve left out? Please blog it in the comments :)

How many of you ladies (and gents) are making your own wedding invitations?  Tell us about your invite and post pics if you want :)

Puzzle invitations are the latest craze and while some people may say they have received one before - there are now so many different kinds of puzzles u can get!

Imagine the surprise and delight when it’s all put together.  No border or backing tray, each puzzle separated for easy mailing. Any image printed on paper even photos!

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Anyone need any help on invitations?

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After being at the bridal show this weekend I was amazed at all the ingenious things that people come up with for weddings. Once such thing is this…

One of the stationers had this booklet, which let people not only let people know where they were sititng BUT who they were sitting with…

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Hello again Bloggers.  My apologies for being so out of touch. We at Starlicious Lifestyle Events have been moving studio to Kensington ,Johannesburg closer to our Salon - Colours Hair Grafix. We are in the process of renovations to create a small and intimate studio from which to work where we can serve you a glorious glass of champagne or tea, aherrm, whilst we sit back and talk about every little detail pertaining to your wedding.

One particular detail we wish to emphasise is the decor. This studio will offer all our brides to be a full resource of goodies and ideas for a wedding and or a special event party. From your invitations to the details of your flowers, tablesettings and more. This brings me to a discussion I had recently with a  bride about the stresses of creating a table setting that works.

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