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10 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
The colonial-era, two-man saw, measuring at least six feet long, with antique wooden handles and rusted red teeth, was not listed in the folds of my wedding program. The groomsmen who demonstrated the proper give-and-take technique of the saw were, however, listed by name on page one.
It goes without saying that every wedding ceremony brings with it unique traditions, personal choices and official rituals that vary greatly. This is one of the things people savor most about weddings. And no other component of your wedding stationery can express the unique details of your wedding day as much as the wedding program can. So make the most of the opportunity to create a wedding ceremony program that tells the story – your story – of how it happened.
Some Program Basics Of course, there are no real rules as to what your wedding program should contain. But for a guiding list of options, here’s a start. Items marked (*) are traditional elements appearing in most wedding programs.
- Order of events* (May include just the main events, or everything from the Processional through the Recessional)
- Names of wedding party attendants,* including Maid of Honor and Best Man if designated (May include brief descriptions, such as how each knows or is related to the bride or groom)
- Musical selections* (Names of songs/hymns and composers/songwriters performed during the ceremony, including live performances)
- Readings (Sources/authors of reading selections and the names of your readers. You might consider reprinting some reading selections, in whole or in part, especially if non-traditional)
Some Program Extras
- Explanation of unusual religious custom(s) or traditions
- Names of important loved ones who have recently passed on (e.g. grandparents)
- Thank you note to guests for attending
- Acknowledgement of distances traveled by guests and participants
The next thing to do is literally to beg, borrow and steal. Squirrel away as many wedding programs you can get your hands on – weddings you attend, weddings your friends attend, sample weddings from the wedding blog world, etc. Start browsing professionally designed programs online, such as those at looklovesend.com. Our wedding programs are designed to coordinate with our wedding invitation suites, carrying through the same design themes, colors and typeface styles to tie together a unique style for your wedding day. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order!
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9 Jun |
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10:00 am Posted by Kristy |
Sometimes the best ideas unfold with the least amount of time to plan them. Ever thrown a baby shower for a friend when no one else stepped up to the plate? How about entertaining old friends who suddenly announce they are making a visit? Many a destination-wedding bride and groom decide at the last minute to celebrate with friends and family once they’ve returned home.
There are a lot of scenarios for last minute parties. You don’t have to cut corners to do them well. Here’s some quick tips for fast, 24-hour turnaround party-throwing:
Venue Booking a last minute location can be tricky. A baby shower or neighborhood gathering may be better suited to a private home than an eleventh-hour wedding reception or reunion. Check with area restaurants or hotels for banquet facilities to accommodate larger numbers. If budget is boss, consider parks, churches, community centers or local service organizations who might loan their facilities in exchange for a donation. Choose an off-time, such as a Friday evening or Sunday afternoon, or even mid-week if guest are local.
Food Think carefully about times to set for the party. A backyard barbecue for visiting friends or family is easy. But feeding a 40-plus guest list is a challenge. Think outside of mealtimes like early or late afternoon. Finger foods are simple to prepare and a BYOB is perfect for many occasions. If money is not an issue (maybe co-hosts will chip in), find a caterer with an open schedule and stick to standard offerings.
Invitations Email, Facebook and even Twitter can help spread the word, but there is simply no substitute for printed invitations to garner the attention a special occasion deserves. Remember also that you are creating memories for your guest(s) of honor, and a printed invitation is a tangible keepsake. The Internet provides many quick invitation options, including Do-It-Yourself websites and sites that will print and ship invitations fast -but at a cost.
If you don’t have time or patience for DIY and you want to ensure a high quality invitation, browse LookLoveSend.com’s growing collection of professionally designed party invitations. In addition, LookLoveSend is running a promotion to print and ship within 24 hours for orders placed between Sundays through Thursdays, at no additional charge. Just write “24 Hour Turnaround” in the special instructions box appearing at the end of the order process.
Our team of talented designers creates invitations for weddings, showers, anniversaries, parties and other specialty occasions across a range of design styles. All of our invitations are printed on premium quality papers. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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8 Jun |
Black-Tie Optional? The Truth About ‘Optional’ Wedding Stationery |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
We recently explained the pieces of a professionally designed wedding invitation suite, identifying which components you should not go without. Other pieces to include depend on the details you plan for your special day.
But increasingly, weddings today make some “optional” wedding invitation stationery more essential. Keep in mind the following two items when ordering your wedding invitation suite:
- Save the Date Cards
- Place Cards
Save the Date Cards These are important for weddings planned so far in advance. Send a save the date card six to nine months in advance to guests to extend them the courtesy if traveling some distance to your wedding. They will need to plan for transportation and lodging, and you should let them know details for making arrangements will be forthcoming, perhaps via email. But even for local guests, receiving a save the date card lets them also plan, especially if your wedding falls during a busy travel season, as many do.
Place Cards (also known as place setting cards) Place cards are the ultimate gesture of a gracious host. Printed with each guest or couple’s name, place cards mark their places at a table. We agree with theknot.com that ordering them should not depend on either the size or style of your wedding (formal sit-down dinner or buffet). Place cards simply let your guests know that you took the time to think about each and every one of them!
TIP: Don’t confuse place cards with Escort Cards, which are optional, but may serve small weddings or buffet-style weddings well. Escort Cards are typically set up at the dining entrance a very large wedding to direct guests to a specific table. Table may be numbered or named, in keeping with the theme of your wedding. Place cards greet guests once they find their table.
From a practical standpoint, place cards, with or without accompanying escort cards, help ease guests’ arrival at the reception dinner. They also make meal selections clearer for servers at a formal sit-down dinner. Even for a buffet-style reception, place cards give every guest a “seat at the table.”
Save the date cards and place cards could very well be “optional” for other people’s weddings. Just be aware of details that are important to you for your own wedding. Weigh the advice from friends and experts alike with the style and personality you want to set for your special day.
For a look at complete wedding invitations, including save the date cards and place cards, browse our gorgeous collections at LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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7 Jun |
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4:51 pm Posted by Nicola |
Do you think cupcakes should be banned in the classroom? Last year, when my daughter was in Kindergarten she took in a box each of (store-bought) chocolate and vanilla cupcakes to share with her classmates. They sang, she wore a crown, and she absolutely loved handing out the frosted and sprinkled treats to her friends.
While elementary school age kids are still finding their core group of friends, it is not uncommon to invite a large number of boys, girls, or (gulp) even the whole class to a birthday party celebration. While these parties can certainly be hectic fun (remember our advice to keep it short), a large-scale birthday party is not for everyone. Some kids are equally happy to celebrate with one or two close friends or just with family.
For parents not sending out mass birthday party invitations, the class cupcake is a great chance for the birthday child to still celebrate with her most familiar group of peers. Just on a simpler, cheaper, and less overwhelming scale.
But this year, my daughter’s school – like many others – has implemented a no-food policy for classroom celebrations due to the rising number of kids with food allergies. Most kids know at least one child with a food allergy, and the statistics are alarming. In 2007, the reported food allergy rate among all children younger than 18 was 18% higher than in 1997 according to the CDC.
It’s a fact that schools must adapt to keep our kids safe and I am OK with no cupcakes. The challenge is to find something with equal kid appeal that doesn’t involve food. My daughter’s birthday is so late in the school year that her class is already over-saturated with pencils, notepads and other small trinkets. I guess it’s time to get creative….any ideas?
If you have any suggestions or thoughts on this topic, please post a comment. We’d love to hear from you. If you are planning a celebration for your child, do checkout our growing selection of birthday party invitations. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order.
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6 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Summer brides are finally coming to the last lap of their engagement journey. After months of making all the fun choices about wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, reception menus and wedding invitations, it’s now time to iron out some of the nitty-gritty details for their upcoming day.
Wedding super-site TheKnot has a very comprehensive online tool to track the many tasks leading up to the big day. The checklist tool lists 188 tasks as a starting point (!!!) but allows the user to remove tasks or to add others. With an option to add reminders, schedule or assign tasks to others, and to track overall progress – this site could really be a lifesaver for any busy engaged couple.
Here is a selection of some of the less obvious but certainly important tasks from the list.
Work on a “must-play” wedding song list (and “do-not-play song list”) for your DJ or band.- Brides: If you are changing your name, work on all the paperwork to make it happen.
- Compile a “must-take” photo list for your photographer. Also re-confirm location, date, and time with your photographer.
- Leave a copy of your honeymoon itinerary with someone in case of emergency.
- Brides: Practice walking in your wedding shoes.
- Arrange for someone to drop off the guest book and pen at the reception site.
If you are getting married in the upcoming summer months, do you have these items under control?
If you have time before your upcoming nuptuals, I do recommend this task checklist or other online tool to make your planning process more organized and enjoyable. And if you haven’t yet chosen your wedding invitation, do checkout LookLoveSend’s growing collection of fantastic designs. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order with us!
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5 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
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- These are this summer’s big wedding anniversary years for couples around the country who’ve stayed married for 25, 40 and 50 years.
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Summertime has long been the high season for weddings, so it’s no surprise that summer brings families together once again to celebrate wedding anniversaries. Families can travel more easily with kids out of school, and better weather makes outdoor events possible in more parts of the country.
If you are planning an anniversary party for your parents, there’s an endless number of regional influences around the country from which to draw inspiration. Here’s a look at a few themes we’re blogging about in a series; this post is about Seafood:
- Wine Tasting
- Seafood (Lobster Bakes, Crawfish Boils)
- Barbecue (From Memphis to Kansas City to Dixie)
- Southwest Fiesta
- Travel-inspired (Honeymoon or new destination send-off)
New England Clambake Not many Golden Couples or their peers would be up for bare feet in the sand. But its the food from a clambake or lobsterbake that gives this regional delight into a party. The Nantucket Boil, packed with whole lobsters, clams, shrimp, potatoes, corn and artichokes provides a colorful feast, especially when dumped openly on large tables for guests to help themselves. This is a great choice for a casual affair with lots of family of all ages present.
Of course much like the Napa Wine Tasting Theme, if you aren’t local to New England seafood and a lobster clambake delivery for a larger group than two is not in your budget, consider setting the theme yourself with homemade seafood dishes and giving the anniversary couple a New England Lobster Clambake gift certificate. Order seafood ingredients from a reputable distributor and create your own signature dishes that use less seafood, such as lobster bisque and shrimp kabobs.
Low Country Boil The “low country” refers to anywhere along the gulf coast or deep south coastal areas such as South Carolina and Georgia. Crawfish boils are particularly plentiful from February through June from the Florida panhandle west to Louisiana. The secret is most definitely in the seasoning (called crab, fishor shrimp boil).This seasoning, a mix ofherbs and spices such as mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, clovesand red chilies, is sold inspecialty markets. Simple country boilinstructions from the Queen of Southern Cooking,Paula Deen can be found in this Food Network recipe.
To find the perfect anniversary party invitations, browse our expanding collection of party invitations at LookLoveSend.com. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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4 Jun |
Introducing Eliza DeVogel, Designer of Whimsical Christmas Cards and more |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Hip.Whimsical.Fun. These are three words that spring immediately to mind when looking at Eliza DeVogel’s fantastic card designs. We are so excited that Eliza is sharing her considerable talents with LookLoveSend.
Eliza loved drawing and painting from an early age, leading her parents to suspect that she would choose a career in art. Before becoming a freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator, Eliza attended Kendal College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she honed her skills and found her artistic “voice”. Eliza has designed wedding invitations, Christmas cards and birthday invitations for LookLoveSend that are hip and distinctively her own.
Eliza’s designs exhibit a whimsical use of pattern, color, line work and texture as can be seen in this fabulous Christmas card design aptly titled “Home is where the heart is”. Another strength of Eliza’s designs is her collaborative use of typography and hand lettering.
When she’s not working on her fresh new designs, Eliza enjoys her animals, listening to records and baking. She currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband.
To checkout Eliza’s great designs on LookLoveSend.com, go to any product category and search by designer name. And if you see something you love, subscribe to our mailing list to receive 20% off your first order!
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3 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
If you are a mother of school-age children, chances are you are coordinating calendars for yourself, your kids, and your overall familyall at once. Whether your family schedule is coordinated via smartphone, ipad, or a traditional calendar hung on the refrigerator, the only constant is that it gets fuller as your kids get older.
And just when you get the standard activities, lessons and sports marked on the calendar…along come the emails. Reminder emails for sports practices, games and other after school activities, coordination emails for playdates, invitation emails for birthday parties…it never ends!
And if you are on Facebook you probably have at least one active invitation at a time. Reminders for school plays, invitations to fundraisers, parties and online events that a Friend thought you may like.
When properly managed, these email alerts and Facebook invitations can be an effective way to manage your family’s schedule. But, the downside of these electronic communications is that a truly meaningful invitation risks getting lost in all the noise.
This is where the power of a beautifully printed card sent via the U.S. Postal Service reigns supreme. If you are planning a special occasion this summer, do consider sending a customized card so your invite gets the attention it deserves. Consider this fantastic baby’s first birthday party invitation by designer Amanda Voss.
Don’t let your invitation get lost in a cluttered inbox or crowded among Facebook posts. Instead, send a beautifully customized invitation that’ll be posted on the refrigerator long after the calendar page is turned.
Checkout the growing selection of beautiful cards available at LookLoveSend to celebrate your special occasions. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
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2 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Nicola |
Did your child receive a gift of money and want to text his thanks in some shorthand message along the lines of “Thx 4 the cash. CU L8R. XO Jim”? Teaching your child the importance of a timely handwritten note of thanks is a great lesson that will serve him well for years to come.
The ability to write a good handwritten thank you card will come in handy – think of all the gifts, interviews and special events your child will be thankful for throughout his lifetime! And why not underscore the importance of the thank you card by selecting some special personalized cards for your child’s use? Think outside the box and consider the growing selection of (wedding) thank you cards available at LookLoveSend.com. Many of these thank you cards allow photo personalization and “Michael and Mary” can be easily edited to read “Thank you from Jim”!
Late spring is a busy time for kids to give thanks for First Communion, Confirmation, and Graduation gifts of cash. Checkout this personalization of a LookLoveSend “wedding” thank you card with a child’s photo and white space to add his personal words of thanks.
Once you have selected your thank you cards, here are some thank you card basics for kids.
When? Ideally send the thank you within two weeks of receiving the gift, but a late thank you is always better than none at all.
To whom? Unless you thanked the gift giver in person or if you live with the gift giver, you should write a thank you note. (Not applicable to kids, but the exception is that a thank you must be written for all shower gifts!)
How long? At a minimum, the thank you should be 4 sentences. For example. (1) Thanks for the gift. (2) Why you like it. (3) How you’ll use it and (4)a closing sentence such as “looking forward to seeing you soon”.
Any specifics for the money gift? A thank you for money should never name the amount of the gift. Instead of focusing on the money, do say how you plan to use the money – whether buying something now or saving it for another time.
To receive 20% off your first LookLoveSend order of thank you – or any other type of card, subscribe to join our mailing list.
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1 Jun |
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5:01 am Posted by Kristy |
I can recall thinking to myself, with a smidgen of guilt: how am I ever going to get a picture I like of my newborn? What angle could possibly capture the love I felt for this ruddy, crinkled, not yet plumped-up little being who consumed my days and nights?
I was surely blinded by mother’s love. But I was also self-conscious enough to want a picture-perfect image for my birth announcements. Since neither of my newborns were quite Gerber images in those early weeks, I recall ultimately sending announcements with images that were at best clearly focused. Oh, and the baby was awake.
With the design quality of today’s birth announcement cards showcasing crisp, vibrant colors and whimsical details to frame your baby’s image, most of us want to do equal justice to our little darlings. Many professional photographers will tell you that waiting a few weeks may be the best idea. This is true especially when a newborn hits four weeks; the eyes open more infants and attempts to smile begin.
To maximize those photo op moments between feedings, naps and diaper changes, here’s a few ways to get a good photo of your little one:
- Begin observing best times of day for a calm mood and alertness.
- Smiling may begin between 4 – 8 weeks, but a focused, steady gaze is the goal.
- Pay attention to lighting. Newborns turn towards natural light, but harsh artificial light can agitate them and have the opposite effect (note: beware camera flash!)
- Don’t contrive baby’s body posture. Newborns are not yet sitting, so don’t pose them that way.
- Accessories such as a gently draped blanket or carefully placed stuffed animal can liven up the image.
- Dress baby simply. Steer clear of busy patterns or fussy frills.
- Consider black and white images. They show off a baby’s skin beautifully.
- Focus in on endearing features such as a baby’s hands or feet, or a close up of the face.
- Shop birth announcement designs ahead of time to see what kinds of photos work best in designs you like (e.g. a single close-up or a collection of images?)
For a look at some fresh, exciting and fun birth announcement designs, visit LookLoveSend.com. You will find a variety of collections from designers who have a natural instinct for the many ways to joyously announce your new arrival – from classically beautiful to whimsically modern. Subscribe today and receive 20% off your first order with us!
