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30 Apr |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Have you been to a department store recently and seen happy couples wandering the aisles witha bulky barcode scanner in hand? This ritual of engaged couples building their wedding registry is a common sight in the spring. But in this time of smart phones, apps and a website for every imaginable purpose (and more), it’s hardly surprising that sites such as www.MyRegistry.com are poised to give the traditional barcode scanner a run for its money.
The MyRegistry siteprovides a way for engaged couples to create a free online gift registry by simply browsing the Internet and adding gifts from any store in the world. Moreover, couples can include requests for “honeymoon fund: or “house down payment”; cash gifts (secured by Paypal). The site is easy to use. After providing some basic account information, follow simple steps to install an “Add to MyRegistry” button to your browser toolbar. Then start building your wish list by simply pressing this button whenever you see something online that you’d like to add. Not surprisingly, MyRegistry.com also offers a free downloadable version for the iPhone or Android.
The website is equally simple for guests to use. Through the site, guests are directed to online stores to either view or purchase a requested item. At the point of purchase, guests will see a MyRegistry page appear, asking the purchaser to click “Yes” to confirm the item’s purchase and thereby mark it as purchased on the MyRegistry site.
The site also features many popular registry items searchable by price range and brand from partnering stores such as Crate and Barrel, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and Williams-Sonoma. And traditional in-store registries can be synced withthis online registry so, while you may still see couples browsing for stemware this weekend, don’t be surprised if they are scanning with a phone rather than a bulky red scanner.
As highlighted on a recent blog, the wedding invitation is not the correct forum for gift registry announcement. But if you receive a bridal shower invitation anytime soon, maybe it’ll reference MyRegistry.com and you can shop from the comfort of home.
See our fantastic collection of unique bridal shower invitations will be available on LookLoveSend.com. Orders with quantities over 50 currently ship free!
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29 Apr |
Royal Wedding to Reveal Fantasy or Real Wedding Planning Inspiration? |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
The hours are slipping into minutes until the start of the “wedding of the millennium,” as The Royal Wedding has been called. What burning questions will the nuptials finally answer? Speculation in the media pinpoints certain themes again and again. Let’s prepare ourselves as spectators with a handy primer to keep track of some answers!
What does the dress look like and who made it? It is incredible in this era ofthe Daily Mirrorand Wikileaks that any information about Kate’s gown has remained a total mystery. Experts anticipate a contemporary designwith modern, sleek lines.
What will be the substance of their vows? We have already heard that like Diana, Kate and William together have decided to drop the traditional word “obey.”We are told to expect a blend of traditional concepts such as “to have and to hold” infused with more modern language.
Will there be an exchange of rings during the ceremony? William has clearly stated tha the will not wear a ring. Royal tradition is for the reigning monarch to have the ring made from the royal (but dwindling) supply of Welsh gold. The Queen did give William a gift of such gold, but he will not wear a ring.
What will become of Kate’s bouquet? It has been tradition since the early part of the century to lay a royal bride’s bouquet on the tomb of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey. This seems a much more noble use for a royal bouquet than as a dried hanging wreath.
Who gets seated next to whom? Immediately following the nuptials, the Queen will host an “intimate” (300 guests) “breakfast” (actually mid-afternoon). This tradition must involve careful consideration by a semi-professional team of seating experts to get just the right mix and avoid conflict.
Is an extra copy of the Royal Wedding Invitation framed? We at LookLoveSend.com couldn’t help but wonder what becomes of the Royal Wedding Invitation. Wedding invitations are common keepsakes for us commoners. We include them in our wedding albums and frame them for our walls. What becomes of the royal couple’s wedding invitation?
If you are a bride-to-be, let this special event be as much a source of inspiration for real wedding planning as it is a fantasy. Take a cue from the exquisite elegance the Royal Wedding will inspire, and consider looking at LookLoveSend.com‘s exquisite selection of wedding invitations, save the date cards, and all beautiful paper things for your nuptials! You can subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order.
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28 Apr |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Are you hosting a bridal shower and wondering about the do’s and don’ts in bridal shower invitation etiquette? After scanning dozens more articles than showers I will ever attend, I’ve compiled a list of top hints on the subject. Hope it helps!
The most important data elements to include on a bridal shower invitation are of course the date, time, location, and any special instructions such as a bridal shower theme or specific planned activity. As many guests will likely have a GPS or access to online directions, including driving directions is not as critical as in the past. But if you do not include them be sure to include the exact street address of the chosen shower location.
Who to invite? As highlighted in a recent blog, couples bridal showers are becoming quite popular. But for a traditional female-only bridal shower, you do not need to invite every female wedding guest to the bridal shower. Guests usually include relatives and close friends of the bride and groom, and occasionally close work colleagues. All shower invitees should also be invited to the wedding. If there is someone close to the bride who you know won’t be able to attend, do still send her an invitation- a close friend will see this as a welcome gesture rather than a solicitation for gifts!
OK to include registry details? Let’s face it; the point of a bridal shower is to shower the bride with gifts to start her married life. To that end, it is perfectly appropriate to include the bride’s registry information on the invitation. I researched this point quite a bit and while a few sources preferred not to include this info, the majority agreed it was perfectly appropriate (but NOT on the wedding invitation).
When to send? Send invitations between four and six weeks before the event, particularly if it’s during those busy summer months. If multiple people are hosting the shower, ask guests to RSVP to a single person for easier attendance tracking.
And finally, remember to reserve an invitation for the bride herself, it will be a great keepsake for her wedding album!
Check LookLoveSend’s beautiful selection of bridal shower invitations, they include some truly spectacular designs.
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27 Apr |
From Naps to Birth Announcements: Enjoy Pregnancy Preparedness |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
Pick up any parenting, pregnancy or women’s health magazine, catch a morning show, scan the Internet, and you’ll get your fill of pregnancy to-do checklists. Modern-day “experts” bombard expecting moms with plenty of advice about preparedness for what arguably could be the “oldest profession in the world”… Motherhood.
Pregnancy can be a serious business for many of us. The standard battery of tests alerts us to unforeseen conditions. Encouragement about exercise is a giant leap from the Victorian notion of “taking to bed”. And an increasingly sophisticated understanding of nutrition helps deliver healthier babies to healthier moms.
But pregnancy also gives us, ahem, ample room for a less serious set of plans. Dare we call it…”9 ways to enjoy pregnancy”? After all, how many times in life do you get so much unsolicited attention and concern from perfect strangers?
So toss aside Your Pregnancy Month by Month and check out a lighter version of the ubiquitous “9-month checklist.”
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We would be remiss if we did not also mention one more fun post-pregnancy “to-do”: choosing your birth announcements. Like pregnancy checklists, there is an amazing array of announcements available online. Make sure yours is a designer original, printed on premium paper to applaud your 9-month effort!
LookLoveSend.com has an exciting selection of fresh, whimsical designs you can personalize with your baby’s photo. You can also coordinate many of their beautiful designs with baby thank you notes for the gifts you will receive. Subscribe today to receive 20% off your first order.
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26 Apr |
Introducing Jennifer Pritchard, Passionate Designer of Invitations |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
All the experts tell you once you find it, follow it. At LookLoveSend, our designers embody it. What is it? Passion.
Seven years ago, Jennifer Pritchard decided to turn her passion into a profession. Though she was working as a mechanical engineer,she was also spending much of her free time painting, designing posters, and making greeting cards. It eventually dawned on her that she could do these things all of the time!
She returned to school and earned a BFA in Graphic and Information Design from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia. Shortly after graduating, she married her loving husband, Shaun, and after working as a designer in Philadelphia for a few months, they decided to settle in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
In Seattle, she has had the opportunity to create designs and illustrations for local and national clients, from grassroots community organizations to large retailers and global software companies. While adhering to the highest standards of design, Jennifer always tries to introduce a sense of whimsy and humor into her work, as seen in a recent post featuring her birth announcements.
Since their own wedding in 2006, Jennifer has realized what a special, yet stressful thing it is to plan an event involving family and friends. So she founded Committed LLC in 2009 to provide graphic design services and to develop products providing “retail therapy for relationship sanity.”
Now, she is excited to be a part of the LookLoveSend design team as another way to plan a marvelous event without sacrificing style or quality.
For a closer look at Jennifer’s exciting designs of wedding invitations, birth announcements and more, visit LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe now to receive 20% of your first order.
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25 Apr |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
The 19th Century poet Park Benjamin, Sr. famously declared that “flowers are love’s truest language” and at no time do these words ring more true than at a wedding. Flowers can often set the tone of the entire wedding but they also represent a sizeable 5-15% of the entire wedding cost [source: weddinggarden.com] so it is wise to carefully research and plan your wedding blooms.
Here are some tips for cost-effective wedding flower selection.
- Flowers that should be available year round are roses, orchids, tropical flowers, lilies and gerber daisies.
- Use flowers that are in their normal flowering season for better quality and lower cost.
- For winter, orchids often have the best availability and pricing.
- For spring, selections such as peonies, tulips and hyacinths offer an assortment of fresh colors.
- For summer, traditional selections include irises, stock, snapdragons and delphiniums.
- For fall, choose dahlias andchrysanthemums. Those distinctive orange Chinese lantern fruits (Physalis) are a great centerpiece choice.
- If your wedding is around Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day – peak flower price days – ensure your florist will have capacity to supply your arrangements and confirm firm pricing ahead of time.
- To reduce bouquet costs, consider incorporating non-floral elements such as gemstones, feathers, and seasonal fruits.
- For reception site arrangements that may be lower cost, consider potted plants such as gardenias, mini roses, hydrangeas or calla lilies.
Your flower selection can be harmoniously incorporated into other wedding details such as wedding invitation design or wedding cake embellishment. See our collection of floral-inspired wedding invitations, orders with a quantity of 50 or more ship for free!
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24 Apr |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
A few years ago I received a baby shower invitation with an inscribed request to bring my choice of book for the baby. After the traditional baby shower ritual of opening, admiring and cataloging of gifts was done, the mom-to-be had three truck-loads full of baby essentials and good-sized pile of hand-chosen children’s books. The pile of books included traditional classics, colorful modern board books, and some highly-personalized selections (think “Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation!” for a Boston-area baby).
Ever since, I always slip a children’s board book in with the gift of each baby shower that I attend. New parents certainly need a lot of baby gear, but the value of a children’s book should not be undermined; from the visual images and sounds it offers the baby, to the lasting tradition of parent and child bonding over a book.
As highlighted in a recent blog, couples baby showers are becoming increasingly popular; so why not start another trend by addinga request to “bring a favorite book for the baby” to your baby shower invitation? You can buy fantastic children’s books in the $4-$10 range. Below are four of our favorites.
‘Hug” by Jez Alborough is a sweet 32-page picture book that tells a heart-warming story with just three written words (‘hug’, ‘Bobo’, and ‘Mummy’) as a baby chimp wanders through the jungle searching for his mother’s love.
‘Moo, Baa, La La La!’ is another of Sandra Boynton’s hilarious board picture books featuring animals, silly situations, and rhyme. This book is just 14 pages long but will become a favorite that toddlers just love to read and re-read.
‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle is a classic favorite with colorful pictures and catchy rhymes. Older toddlers will quickly memorize its repeated phrases and as they become emerging readers don’t be surprised if they love to “read” their well-worn copy back to parents.
‘On the Night You Were Born’ by Nancy Tillman is a 32-pagebook with spectacular illustrations and a truly heart-warming story. 
The story tells your child how special and unique she is and how the world, moon and animals celebrated the night she was born. This is a beautiful book to share and especially appropriate for any first time mother.
See our great selection of baby shower invitations available on LookLoveSend.com. Personalize your invite with the request for a book. This will be a lasting gift enjoyed by the baby for years.
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23 Apr |
Summer Approaches and So Does Planning Your Holiday Photo Card! |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
Holiday photos? Holiday greeting cards? Yes! It is not too early to start thinking ahead to the summer adventures that can provide a bevy of perfect moments to capture on camera fory our holiday greeting cards.
Let’s face it, it would be wise to havesome back-up choices come November, when kids are frequently sick with a virus, strung out from school, and so jazzed about the latest Nintendo DSi that they can’t see straight…nevermind smiling patiently into your camera lens! It really could take several attempts during the summer months just to get one picture that captures some semblance of the charm we believe our families possess. Or, at least an image that the grandparents think is worthy to share with their friends.
Mighty our plan include matching shirts? Family pyramid? Posed portrait or action shot? Gorgeous scenery or grinning close-up? Whatever your preferences, don’t fall victim to contrived scene setting like this frustrated mom: (http://youtu.be/mjtqoQE_ezA):
Instead, think now about which summertime activities could bring the right kind of relaxed, outdoor moments in which to take advantage of natural lighting and easy smiles.
Whether it’s sunburned cheeks, chins run amok with watermelon juice, or sand soaked smiles at the beach, summer lets you take a more relaxed approach to photography. Even if you aren’t the type that aspires to a picture-perfect presentation every year for your holiday greeting cards, summer time is your season.
The talented designers at LookLoveSend.com are busy creating fresh, inspiring looks for this year’s unique holiday photocards. While they’re designing, start snapping. You can include a loose photo in a traditional card, or customize an online photo holiday card. Subscribe today to receive 20% off your first offer.
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22 Apr |
Coordinate Baby Thank You Notes with Your Birth Announcements |
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4:01 am Posted by Kristy |
I was so gratefully surprised by people’s generosity after the birth of my first child. Being my first, I didn’t know what to expect. People to whom I had sent birth announcements more often than not responded by sending a gift, which is of course appropriate etiquette. But even friends, coworkers,family, and friends of family who had already attended one of three baby showers sent gifts! Spoiled I was. Prepared I wasn’t.
I wished I had stocked up ahead of time with thank-you notes for all those gifts. It would have been even better if I’d had baby thank-you notes at the ready that coordinated with my birth announcements, like the fresh designs available todayon looklovesend.com.
By using original graphic elements, fresh and exciting color and typeface styles, the talented designer-artists at looklovesend.com tie together their own lines of baby stationery designs, coordinating baby shower invitations, birth announcements (including personalized photo birth announcements like the one featured above) and thank you notes.
So if you are ready to order your birth announcements, don’t forget to include at least one set of thank you notes. For tips on actually writing notes well, here are a few quick guidelines to keep in mind:
- Name the specific gift
- Use “you” more than “I”
- Limit yourself to no more than 4 notes at a time
- Try to mail notes within 2 weeks (BUT a late thank-you note is better than none at all!)
Or, if you are a guest attending a baby shower, look on the back of the baby shower invitation to find out where they were ordered. Go ahead and purchase a set of coordinated baby thank you notes as a shower gift for the expecting mom. Even if the mom-to-be is organized enough to have ordered herself some, they make a great gift and get used up quickly!
View the beautifully designed baby shower invitations, birth announcements and baby thank you notes available at looklovesend.com.Subscribe and receive 20% off your first order.
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21 Apr |
Ultra-Personalized Touch: Custom Postage for Wedding Invitations |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
In an earlier blog, we delighted aboutone of manycommemorations of Prince William’s engagement announcement to Catherine Middleton… in the form of a British domestic postage stamp. As it turns out, while the U.S. Postal Service probably won’t be calling many U.S. brides for their engagement photos, there are ways to get around this problem.
Several companies,most notably photo.stamp.com, offer custom postage for your special occasion stationery, such as engagement announcements and wedding invitations. Submit an image such as a photo,logo or other graphic design, and with a fee, receive as many sheets as needed of customized postage stamps.
Personalized postage stamps are a unique way to tie together your suite of weddings tationery: from engagement announcements, bridal shower invitations, save-the-date cards and wedding invitations… even the wedding thank you notes.
For example, use your”marriage monogram” (first name initials flank eitherside of the shared surname initial) on a stamp, or a favorite photo image of the two of you (keep in mind that close-up headshot works best for a thumbprint-sized postal stamp). One word of caution: while your order takes only a few days to arrive, they cannot be used for international mailings at this time.
Their customization tools allow you to zoom, move, and rotate your image, and even choose a border color to match! Fourteen different postage denominations are available for purchase, ranging from 28-cent postcards to 44-cent regular first class mail.
Custom postage is also a fun way to show off your new baby, using them on birth announcements. Or, congratulate your new graduate by mailing graduation announcements with a stamp displaying his or her chosen alma mater! There are lots of possibilities for putting fun into postage and personalizing each and every special occasion mailing you plan.
To order your wedding invitations or other special occasion stationery, visit looklovesend.com for a wide variety of inspiring designs and beautiful papers. Subscribe to join our mailing list and receive 20% off your first order!
