The First Look Blog - The Truth About Your Wedding Invitations

If there is one thing I know to be true, there are endless blogs and websites that offer advice and tips to brides as they begin planning their big day. The First Look is a blog created by Dara Lynn Smith where she gushes over making planning a wedding easier and a lot less stressful. 

I'm excited to have joined her on her blog to give some advice of my own. πŸ˜‰ Click below to read more about The Truth About Your Wedding Invitations. πŸ’Œ

Photo Credit: Deni Dom Films

Photo Credit: Deni Dom Films

What I Think About Digital Invitations & RSVPs

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With the ever changing world we live in, it seems like the next technological advance is almost seconds away from being discovered. One of the latest items to affect the wedding and event game is the introduction of the Digital RSVP. In this new age of managing your schedule through your ever useful smart phone, it was just only a matter of time that digital Invitations and RSVPs would hit the market promising a cheaper way to afford one of the most important details for your special event. While I’m totally up for not breaking the bank for your big day or special life time event, but here are a few points I would like to make about digital RSVPs and Invites.

πŸ“§ Digital Invitations are great for INFORMAL Events. 

Having a backyard BBQ or small get together is in no way shape or form a time to break out the paper and send out paper invitations, especially if they are last minute (although you totally could if you really wanted to πŸ˜‰πŸ˜Š). There are some great sites that will provide designs as well as a system to include all of the attendees emails. They are even known to collect an RSVP count and even request quests to pick from a list and confirm what they will be bringing to contribute to your shindig. But I would only suggest using these for an informal event. Not for a lifetime event like a wedding, baby shower, birthday, etc.

πŸ“¬ Snail Mail still gets folks excited. 

Even now for my baby shower, I’m excited to receive my own invite in the mail (I was barred from creating my own invite and have been also lovingly banned from any involvement of planning pertaining to my shower). This is something I can put into my baby book and share with Baby G when he is older. This is the same sentiment I think most people have when planning their big events. I mean, how exciting is it when you receive an envelope in the mail that may even have a wax seal on it. How impressionable! It’s like I tell clients when they come in for a consult, the invitation is 

If you don’t want to are my word for it, check out this segment of After Elvis once he received his invite to the Grammys this year. 

While it is totally up to you whether to send out a digital invitation for your big event, I would consider the following if you are going to receive RSVPs digitally. 

  • Make sure your site to RSVP is password protected. The last thing you want is the link to your site being posted and folks inviting themselves to your special event.
  • If you are budget conscious and limited on seats for the party, make sure your site can limit the amount of RSVPs per guest. Similar to the note above, you want to make sure folks don't go nuts adding their friends and family who weren't intentionally invited by you. 
  • Still make paper RSVPs available for older guests so they feel included in their own way. Although I have known a few grandmas to be super tech savvy, not all older family members may know how to go online. Also consider that as we get older in age, we are creatures of habit and prefer to do things the way that we have always done them. Another point to be made is that little by little, older folks are stripped from actions that they used to do every day because of their age or health barriers. Making it a point to at least include a few paper RSVPs for these family members will make them feel included as well as special because you made it a point to make them feel included.

What do you think about this new way to RSVP for events? Comment below!

Why Sharing Is Not Always Caring - Invites + Disneyland

Photo Credit: Dipp Photography  (And before you say anything...don't fret. This is a sample.)

Photo Credit: Dipp Photography  (And before you say anything...don't fret. This is a sample.)

I've always been surprised at the countless photos on Instagram or Facebook that have invitations to weddings and parties that haven't happened yet. It makes me cringe. I begin to panic and have terrible images floating in my head of wedding crashers, uninvited family, friends or coworkers appearing at the event expecting a seat and a meal to boot. OR EVEN WORSE... EX's and ILL WISHERS (aka Haters) who want only to ruin one of the most important days in a couple's life. 

This is such a concern to couples. So much so that I was having a conversation about it with a group of vendors the other day and, surprisingly, some didn't think it was such a big deal. This is when I brought up something that I'm going to tell you about and it all has to do with Walt Disney and Disneyland's Opening Day. 

Photo Credit: Loomis Dean / Time & Life Pictures / Getty Pictures

Photo Credit: Loomis Dean / Time & Life Pictures / Getty Pictures

Yup, you would think even back in the 50's, Walt Disney would have crossed his i's and dotted his t's when it came to the opening of his brand new park, Disneyland. Truth be told, no one had ever created a park like this. There were no guidelines, just a guy making one big dream come true (literally). Needless to say, there was a ton of buzz about the opening and 6,000 private invitations were sent out to people of the press, studio workers, sponsors, construction workers and their families.

On July 17, 1955, more than 30,000 guests walked through the gates of Disneyland to encounter more than just a food shortage problem. Counterfeit tickets had been sold and there was even a story about a newspaper reporter printing the invitation to the event on the front page of their paper a few days before the event. Needless to say that the extra influx of uninvited guests amongst other issues that occurred that day made for a disastrous moment in Disney history. As we can now see today, they were able to make it through that day, but not without it's pitfalls. 

Hence, this is why I don't post invitations prior to our client's events. I may post a small sneak peek or process photos, but I try my best not to let the cat out of the bag by posting specific details. By doing so, I am able to keep my social media fresh while also showing you all the hard work that goes into creating these important pieces to your big day. 

Setting Sail with Nautical Designs

As the cold weather and snow seem to plow through the country, it almost feels like summer cannot come soon enough. Let's warm up a bit and get in the mood, shall we?

Video by Β©Royal Caribbean International

Okay....maybe I got a little too literal with that one...but you catch my drift (no pun intended. Really!)  

We are getting more and more inquiries from couples who are having shipboard weddings. They want designs that will have their guests feeling the ocean mist while still keeping a formal attitude. You also have some couples who want to have some fun as their big day is definitely not your usual wedding experience. Check out some of the nautical stationary we have created for just the occasion.

There are so many colors, shapes, and elements of design to play with when it comes to a Nautical theme. Are you having a nautical theme for your big day? What elements would you incorporate if you were?

If you have further questions about our designs and how we can create beautiful designs together, please click the "contact us" button below.