Etsy Find :: Custom Illustrated Save the Dates

One of our 2012 brides recently sent this Etsy find to us, since she is considering using these for her save-the-dates. Umm, one word...ADORABLE! We won't say who sent this to us quite yet, since she hasn't even sent them out, but we just had to share this fun idea! I see a lot of different styles of save-the-dates, but these I have yet to see. I love that it's a custom drawing of the bride & groom AND you can even include your pet(s) for free!

Check out the Etsy listing for more details.

One Wed Unveils Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2011

Onewed.com, one of the largest online wedding planning resources available to brides, recently unveiled their predictions on the top 10 wedding trends for 2011. Below is a look at their predictions. 

1. Sophisticated Elegance Returns

It's back to basics with elegant, sophisticated style in 2011. Wedding decor will be simple and understated, with modern design elements trumping DIY touches. Scripted calligraphy, custom monograms, and classic wedding cakes embody this trend. Brides will wear pearls, and grooms will ditch the Converse in favor of more tasteful wedding day kicks.

2. Outdoor Venues - Where It’s At

Couples tying the knot in 2011 will gravitate toward outdoor ceremony and reception venues. The raw, minimal backdrop of an outdoor setting leaves room for personalization and customization, a major perk for creative, hands-on nearlyweds. Lakeside venues, vineyard locations and spaces situated alongside sprawling mountains will dominate, and they’ll be spruced up with personalized touches that represent the bride and groom. You'll find some serious outdoor weddings inspiration in our real weddings blog category!

3. Grey is the New Black, Crazy for Navy

Gloomy no more, grey is the neutral IT color for 2011 weddings. Organic and natural, shades of charcoal, dove, stone, oyster and shell will be incorporated liberally into wedding color palettes and paired with vibrant hues to make the colors pop! And while grey remains the talk of the town for 2011, navy blue (and other deep blues) are definitely on-trend for the coming year. Wonder if Prince Will's royal wedding has anything to do with the crazy for navy trend... what do you think??

4. Mad for Metallics & Bold Color Palettes

Whether it’s two bright hues with a metallic accent, or several metallic shades used together, brights and metallics will be popular choices for wedding color palettes in 2011. Gilded gold, shimmery silver, and sparkling champagne will used alone or with accents of yellow, purple or teal. And since metallics make such a bold statement on their own, couples will scale back over-the-top decor in favor of a more restrained style aesthetic.

5. Big Ball Gowns are Back

Dramatic ball gown wedding dresses floated down 2011 bridal catwalks in droves. Wedding dress designers draped, ruched, and layered clouds of tulle, power netting, and chiffon to fashion wedding dresses with limitless volume. The outcome? Fairytale-inspired bridal style and whimsical wedding dresses for 2011 I Dos.

6. Grooms Take a Walk on the Stylish Side

Grooms are taking a stand in the name of fashion. Their tux choices will no longer be dictated by some “rent 5, get 1 free” deal. Instead, they’ll chose formal looks that represent their unique style. Bow ties will replace classic long neck ties, and embroidered dress shirts, engraved cufflinks, stylish lapel pins and the color of the season- grey- will grace the white aisles.

7. Wedding Invitations Go Green

The green weddings movement continues full speed ahead in 2011. From totally paperless wedding invitations and save-the-dates, to stationery printed on 100% recycled paper, invitations have truly gone green. Couples can find all they need with sites like WeddingPreParty (enabling online RSVP and party planning) and Nearlyweds.com (offering coordinating stationery and wedding websites).

8. Luxurious Textures-- from the Dress to the Tablescape

Luxe textured fabrics will bring a sumptuous, opulent vibe to 2011 weddings. Wedding dresses will feature 3D applique, layered light fabrics (tulle, lace, chiffon), romantic ruffles, oversized florals, and illusion fabric with eye-catching beading. Textured linens will be layered to dress up reception tables, chair covers may be embroidered or beaded, and branchy centerpieces and floral arrangements will captivate wedding guests.

9. Ethnic Influences, Cultural Wedding Details

At long last, brides and grooms are embracing and showcasing their unique cultural traditions and ethnicity. Whether it’s a religious wedding ceremony ritual, traditional wedding day garb, cultural cuisine infused throughout the reception dinner, or wedding decor with bold, ethnic prints, you can’t help but embrace the unique cultures and ethnicities of couples in 2011.

10. Revved-Up Wedding Receptions

Who wants the best day of their lives to end? Not couples and guests in 2011, that’s for sure! Couples will plan a post-reception after party lasting into the wee hours of the night with drinks, entertainment, dancing, and snacks so that wedding guests can party all night long!

Content courtesy of One Wed.

The Forgotten Wedding Invitation

Last night I had dinner with the amazingly talented Leeann, owner of Leeann Marie Photography here in Pittsburgh. Naturally, we talked A LOT about weddings, and an interesting topic came up...the wedding invitation. Since the wedding invitation isn't part of the wedding day decor, more often than not any extras get thrown in a box and stored away for a rainy day (aka you end up with no photos of your invitation). To avoid this, we recommend mailing a completed invitation to your photographer a few weeks before the wedding, so he/she can take some high quality photos of your invitation. These photos can be a nice touch to showcase all of the little details you worked so hard on for the last 12+ months. Not to worry if you forget to mail out an invitation, just bring an invitation along with you on the day of the wedding, and you're all set!

Vintage Key Save-the-Dates | Personalizing Your Wedding

How creative is this save-the-date?! I can guarantee you that their guests were not expecting to receive this in their mailbox! If you've ever sat down with me for more than 5 minutes, you probably know that I am huge advocate for personalizing your wedding with unique, out-of-the-box ideas. While I do still appreciate tradition, I will never tell a client that they have to do anything when it comes to their wedding. If you want to serve ice cream instead of cake, go for it! If you want to host a casual Sunday morning brunch reception, instead of a formal five-course dinner, go for it! If you want to walk down the aisle carrying a non-floral bouquet instead of a traditional bouquet, then go for it!

With that being said, if you want to follow wedding tradition step by step according to Emily Post, then you can definitely do that too! Chances are, you'll probably be somewhere in the middle....you'll want to incorporate those unique, personalized touches into your wedding, but you'll also want to make Mom happy as well. Bottom line is, it's YOUR wedding!

What do you think about non-traditional weddings? Are you incorporating any "out-of-the-box" ideas into your wedding?

Photo courtesy of Olivia Leigh Photographie via Ruffled Blog

Personalized Self-Inking Stampers

Aren't these personalized stamps just the cutest thing?! I've been searching for a personalized stamper for Simply Perfect Weddings, and came across these on Ashley Baber's blog this afternoon {thanks, Ashley!}. These personalized self-inking stampers are available from Cambria Cove. I love how many great fonts there are to choose from! Stampers are a great tool for brides when addressing thank you notes, pre or post-wedding celebration invitations, save-the-dates, or even just everyday life!

Get Married Unveils Top 10 Bridal Trends for 2010

The following is a look at the top 10 bridal trends for 2010 as determined by Get Married’s editorial and production teams as well as leading industry experts:

1. Non-linear aisle: Brides are personalizing the procession by altering the traditional aisle with a circle or a triangular double aisle, enabling the couple to enter from multiple spots with a central meeting point. Stephanie Davis, Get Married magazine editor-in-chief and new bride, wedded lake-side on a circular dock from which she and her groom entered. “Our family no longer has two sides, so everyone sat together and, as an added bonus, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house!”

2. Comfort foods with a kick: Chef Wolfgang Puck believes that comfort foods have become more popular in the current economy. Think burgers, pizza, ribs, pot pie, and risotto—but comfort does not have to mean pedestrian. “Upgrade ingredients and prepare them with great expertise. Serve hors d’oeuvres like Kobe burgers, wild mushroom risotto, smoked salmon pizzas, slow-braised short ribs or a simple chicken pot pie with lobster,” advises Puck.

3. Gifting techie gadgetry: Registries and wedding gifts have increasingly become more high tech. Brides want electronic recipe finders, books and charging plates, and matching his-and-hers PDA cases—all examples of great gadgets for the couple as well as thank-you gifts for parents and the wedding party.

4. Texture-inspired invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: “A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations.” Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations.

5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion to saturated color throughout the wedding décor, “blues will be the most requested color in 2010,” according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition.

6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The urban legend of wearing a bridesmaids dress by choice after the wedding is a reality with the new silhouettes that mirror what is happening on the runway. Gorgeous and glamorous dresses with drop waists, bubble skirts and ruffles add an additional sense of style for bridesmaids to wear—and wear again.

7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance.

8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant’s sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch.

9. Blogger brides abound: Now more than ever, Get Married is seeing brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore. Check out Get Married’s robust and newly-skinned wedding blog.

10. Personalized plus: From the décor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab favors, Get Married is observing brides’ aspiration for distinctly personalized wedding details. Designing invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards and adding monograms to guest books, aisle runners and gifts (like cosmetic and travel bags) offers a hint of personal bridal style. An assortment of personalized décor, invitations, gifts and favors are available at www.shop.getmarried.com.

Photo & content courtesy of Get Married.

DIY Save-the-Date Stickers

I just adore these simple, yet creative DIY save-the-date stickers courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings. These stickers are the perfect way to ensure that your guests remember your BIG day! All guests have to do is simply peel and stick to their calendar.

5 simple steps on how to make your own save-the-date stickers at home:

1. Buy 1-inch round labels from an office-supply store, and follow the manufacturer's instructions to download and customize the template.
2. Print labels with your date using a laser printer.
3. Cut each sheet into rows of labels.
4. Laser print note cards with a message to "save the date."
5. Affix a row of labels to each note card with a glue stick.

Content & photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Inviting the President to your Wedding

You may or may not have known that you can actually invite the President to your wedding nuptials. If you send the Obamas a wedding invitation, you will receive a lovely note of congratulations in return! Wedding invitations may be mailed to the following address:

The Honorable Barack and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office, Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Be sure to include your married names and new address when mailing the invitation. Also, you must be United States citizens. Allow 6 weeks to receive your response.

Minted :: Fresh, Modern Custom Stationery & Invitations

One of my Fall '09 brides recently ordered these ADORABLE Pink Chandelier Invites for her upcoming bridal shower this August. At a recent meeting, she shared these with me and I was instantly in love! Minted is an online stationery company specializing in fresh, modern invitations for all occasions. Minted even has an extensive collection of save the date cards and holiday photo cards. The quality of the invitations are definitely top notch and their customer service is unparalleled! If you're looking for an online stationery company, Minted is definitely one you need to check out!

Photo courtesy of Minted.com

Eco-Friendly Wedding Tip :: Electronic Invites

Our third tip in our weekly Green blogging series is to opt for electronic invites instead of paper invites. Now, I don't necessarily mean your actual wedding invitations (this is an option - more on that topic later though!), but if you think about it, there are lots of opportunities to 'Go Green' even before you walk down the aisle. Invites for engagement parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, and even save-the-dates can all be done electronic!

One of the most popular electronic invitation companies is evite, which many of you are probably familiar with. evite offers bridal shower invites, bachelorette party invites, wedding/engagement invites, and a TON of other invites for a variety of gatherings. A few other companies you may also want to check out are: Pingg, OurWedVite.com, and MyPunchbowl.

I'm anxious to hear your feedback. What do you think? Would you send electronic invites for your pre-wedding celebrations?

New Blog Series :: Eco-Friendly Wedding Tips

It's no surprise that Green is "in". Infact, you would have to be living underneath a rock to not know that people are becoming more environmentally aware and are choosing products that are eco-friendly versus products that are not. Over the last few weeks I have been compiling a list of simple ways that brides can "Go Green" and make their weddings a bit more eco-friendly. This list inspired me to start a new blog series, Eco-Friendly Wedding Tips. Each week I will feature one of the items on my "Go Green" list.

Our first tip :: Ditch the inner envelope in your invitation suite! Not only is this cost-effective, but it also saves the environment. If you think about it, what purpose does the inner envelope really serve? Sure, it may make your invitation seem a bit more traditional and formal, but is anyone really going to judge if you omit the inner envelope?! Probably not.

If you have an eco-friendly wedding idea that you would to share with us, or have featured on our blog, comment below or email me at: sumer{at}simplyperfectwedding.net

Wedding Stationery :: Rubber Stamps

If you've gotten far enough along in your planning, then you know what a pain addressing your wedding invitations can be! Why not simplify things a bit more with these personalized return address rubber stamps?! These rubber stamps from Paperwink are just $18.00 each and come in over 20 different styles. Paperwink also offers a variety of other stationery products including wedding invites, baby announcements, notecards, and address labels. Check out their online boutique to view all of the products that they offer.

Photos courtesy of Paperwink.

Plantable Wedding Invitations

I recently stumbled upon Botanical Paperworks, an eco-friendly stationery company specializing in plantable paper products. I have to admit, when I first heard of a plantable wedding invitation, curiosity struck! In today's environment, many people (and companies) are trying especially hard to "Go Green" by choosing eco-friendly products. Botanical Paperworks offers a variety of plantable paper products, including wedding invitations, favors, greeting cards, and even calendars (and yes, you really can plant them)! To see how you can play a role in helping the environment one invitation at time, click here!

Photo courtesy of Botanical Paperworks.

Free Damask Invitation Suite :: The Wedding Chicks

The lovely ladies over at The Wedding Chicks blog are so graciously offering a free damask invitation suite for brides-to-be! The invitation suite is available for download here. Just provide the paper and your all set!

Photo courtesy of The Wedding Chicks.

Black + Yellow Invites :: Dolce Press

This black + yellow invite set from Dolce Press is perfect for the bride looking to add a taste of Pittsburgh to her wedding. I mean, how cute is this reply card with the little characters for meal selections?! Totally original and very cute in my opinion! I found Dolce Press via Twitter and am sure glad I did...they specialize in letterpress stationery, a very hot trend in weddings right now! Check out their website to view all of the amazing items that they offer.

Photo courtesy of Dolce Press :: Fifth Avenue Invitation Set

Postage Increase Effective May 11th

Effective May 11, 2009, the price of mailing a standard 1oz. envelope via First-Class mail will increase from 42 cents to 44 cents. In addition, the price of mailing a 2oz. envelope will increase from 59 cents to 61 cents. The 2oz. mailing category is what most wedding invitations fall into. To accommodate the heavier weight of an invitation, the USPS is issuing a 61 cent 3-tier wedding cake stamp, which can be seen here.

With that being said, never try to "guess" your postage amount for your wedding invitation. Always take a completely packaged invitation to the post office to be weighed for an accurate postage amount.

One final note, please pay close attention to this increase if your RSVP date falls around May 11th. When attaching postage to your RSVP envelopes, do not take any chances - place a "Forever Stamp" on each envelope to cover yourself. This way, you will be certain to receive all of your RSVP's.

Personalized Wedding Postage

You've found the perfect invitation, you've spent hours neatly packaging the envelopes with all the necessary enclosures, and the envelopes are finally addressed...now what?! You could take your invitations to the post office and pick from the four wedding collection stamps that they offer, or you can custom create your very own wedding postage at Zazzle.com. My vote goes to custom creation! Zazzle offers a variety of pre-designed wedding postage stamps including stamps especially for save the dates, bridal showers, and even bachelorette parties! To see the entire collection, check out their website here.

Zazzle is an approved licensed vendor of the USPS and satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!

Rock Scissor Paper Stationery Line

First of all, how cute is this invitation set from Rock Scissor Paper?! I have to admit when I first stumbled upon this website, I fell in love with all of the amazing products they have to offer! Rock Scissor Paper is an online stationery company offering everything from bridal shower invites to greeting cards to notebooks and journals. The best part about this company is that the invites are not only creative + cute, but also very reasonably priced! Check out their website to see all of the products they offer...I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Engagement Story Contest - Wedding Paper Divas

Wedding Paper Divas is giving away a $500 gift certificate to one lucky couple just for sharing your *oh so sweet* engagement story with them! Submit your story here between now and February 22nd for a chance to win. The winner will receive a $500 gift certificate towards their wedding stationary and will be featured on their official blog, Diva Dialogue. It definitely can't hurt to submit your story...after all, how great would it be to give your wallet a break and have your choice of all the amazing stationary that Wedding Paper Divas has to offer?!

Invitation shown above is available through Wedding Paper Divas.

I <3 these!

Since discovering the wonderful world of Etsy late last year, I have been addicted ever since! I frequently browse the site every few days and stumbled upon this lovely hot pink and black damask invitation set this afternoon. The invitation is designed by Social Circles Design, LLC and each set is priced at $5.25. For more information about what is included in each invitation set, click here.