I’m happy to announce that I’ll be a part of Columbus Bride and Groom’s Wedding Experience. The Wedding Experience will be held on Sunday, November 8th 2015 from 12-4pm at The Crowne Plaza North. Come out and see all that local has to offer!
I will be giving away thank you cards and displaying all my favorite wedding invitation designs. I will be one of four very talented invitation designers at the event. You already know a lot about Paper Bag Invites, so I would love to give a shout out to the other talented crew.
The Paper Vow has an amazing Ohio Collection. I’m giddy about anything Ohio. This collection just makes me smile! The collection features laser cutting, letterpress and layering. All things I absolutely love. Check out their work by clicking here.
Avant-Garde Impressions has so many great options to choose from. This company is the real deal. They’ve been around for a while and offer a copious amount of options to suite any couple! They offer designs that are stylish and luxurious. Check out some of my favorites here.
Design With Heart Studio manages to put into words exactly what you want to say. They have a gorgeous line of cards that make me swoon every time I peruse their website. They are inspired by a simple but powerful premise: love is love. I literally took that last sentence right off their website. It’s too powerful not to share. Check out their work by clicking here.
Can’t wait to share this Sunday with such amazing talent. Paper Bag Invites looks forward to seeing you all there!
Knocking your head against the wall to figure out the perfect color scheme for your wedding or special event? I’m the type of person who likes to take risks, but still tends to be a bit traditional when it comes to color. One of the best color schemes for the traditional risk taker is neutrals mixed in with a pop of neon.
Neon…yikes! You may be telling yourself this, but hear me out. Neon can be played up or down in a color scheme. It is a great way to please the mother of the bride but still allows for a younger, brighter personality to come through.
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of designing with a neon color scheme. Check out Audrey and Erics wedding invitation by clicking here. The parents of the bride and groom were very traditional. They were also helping to pay for a big portion of the wedding. If that’s the case, you need to respect a little of what they say, but don’t lose yourself in the process. Find the happy medium.
For this particular couple, the happy medium was a traditional pattern on a gray paper with a pop of canary yellow. This was one of two proposed designs and I thought for sure that the mother of the bride was going to hate it. Boy was I ever wrong. The bride and mother of the bride were both happy. They each thought they had won the wedding color scheme battle.
It’s a hard process to come up with the perfect color scheme for your big day. It also happens to be one of my favorite parts. Give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll help you come up with your perfect wedding colors.
Check out our neon inspired Pinterest board by clicking here.
There’s nothing better than pulling up to that outdated speaker in a graveled parking lot. You pop the trunk and sit in the back of the car with the anticipation of watching a movie on a large screen in the sky. Homemade snacks and the grocery bag of popcorn are already in your lap when the dancing candy intro comes on. Ahh…the drive-in.
Having a wedding engagement shoot at a location like that would be stunning. I know a great photographer that could take it to a whole new level of beauty. Paper is by far one of my favorite photographers to date. The photographer, Zak Kelley, has a way of capturing the perfect and most unexpected moments.
He somehow takes a modern photo and gives it a vintage twist. He’s especially good in low light situations. He creates a wide spectrum of earth toned colors that seem to not exist in the real world. Absolutely stunning. There are no other words to describe his style.
Check out his work here (caution, you may have to pick your jaw off of the ground) and seriously consider a drive-in for your engagement shoot. It’s a combination that needs to be completed. Hopefully my drive-in Pinterest page will help get the ideas flowing.
When embarking on an invitation project, the first step is determining which stationary elements are necessary. Here is a guide to some common invitation needs:
Save the Date
When inviting guests to a formal event, such as a wedding, a save the date is typically sent at least six months in advance. Save the dates are meant to provide convenience to your guests. Therefore, be sure to include basic event details, including the city, date, and event name, which will allow guests to coordinate their schedules and travels arrangements in advance. It is also courteous to inform guests if a formal invitation will follow and/or if there are any other resources available with additional information (i.e. a wedding website). While save the dates can include any other logistical information you would like, etiquette suggests to not include registry information.
Formal Invitation
This is your opportunity to provide guests with all the information they will need for your event. Remember to include basic details, such as time, date, and location(s) – but don’t forget guests are also relying on your invitation to be a preview of your event. Don’t forget to add guidance for attire, highlight who is hosting the event, and inform guests of any non-traditional elements of the wedding (i.e. an adults only reception). As with your save the date, it is not advised to include any registry information.
Accommodations Card
If you will have traveling guests attending your event, it is important to provide them with accommodation suggestions. If you have a hotel block, make it easy for guests to book their rooms by including hotel contact information and the name of the block. Over the years, accommodations cards have become an optional component – this information can either be an individual card, included on the invitation, or even communicated through your event website!
Directional Card
Help ease your guests’ stress by providing them with directions for the entirety of your event. Provide directions (and feel free to even include maps) to the ceremony, reception, and after-party locations. Make sure directions are clear for guests whether they are staying at the hotel or coming from their homes. Before finalizing your directional card, confirm with your local government of any planned road closures or construction – your guests will thank you!
Reception Card
Reception information is another element that often is incorporated into the formal invitation. However, if your reception and ceremony are held at different venues, it is advised to highlight the location change through a reception card. This card can be very simple – just highlight the location, start and end times, and any venue specific information (i.e. parking restrictions). You can also inform guests whether dinner will be served and what type of festivities will take place.
Response Card
Response cards are a key component to any formal invitation! You will want to make sure the card includes all information that you will need as a host, such as number of guests attending, guest names, dietary restrictions, and meal choices (if applicable). It is also an opportunity to engage your guests in your event. Recent trends have moved away from formal RSVP cards and are starting to get very creative (see some fun examples here). Ask your guests to provide a song for the DJ to play, make your RSVP card a mad libs game, or create an card that can be used as wedding decorations. Finally, don’t forget to make it easy for your guests to RSVP by including a stamped envelope or postcard they can easily mail back to you!
Now that you’ve decided what invitation elements your next big event requires, Paper Bag Invites, located in Columbus, Ohio, can help create customized wedding stationary for you. Just contact us at info@paperbaginvites.com!
You’ve been planning a wedding so the last thing you probably want to discuss is another timeline. The good news is when it comes to invitations we already have the timeline ready for you. Just follow these basic guidelines to correspond with your guests and leave all the hard work up to us!
12 months before the nuptials
Develop your guest list
9 months before the nuptials
Order thank you cards – you’re about to start attending some showers
7 months before the nuptials
Finalize the guest list and collect mailing addresses
6 months before the nuptials
Let your guests know to save the date
6-8 weeks before the nuptials
Drop your invites in the post
2-3 weeks before the nuptials
Have guests return their RSVPs
1-6 months after the nuptials
Send your guests a big THANK YOU
Need invitations for your wedding showers? bachelorette party? or rehearsal dinner? We can help with that too!
Located in Columbus, Ohio, Paper Bag Invites creates invitations, save the dates, and thank you notes all personalized to you! Contact us to create your custom wedding stationary.
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