Category: Wedding
Invitations and Stationery Trends for 2018
Thanks to Basic Invite for sponsoring this post and sharing these fab photos of wedding invitation ideas so we can ooh and ahh over them together. Here are some fun trends in invitation stationery that we’ll be seeing for 2018!
Invitation Stationery Trends 2018
Gold Foil Invitations
A shiny favorite, foil on stationery is a big hit. Also available from Basic Invite are rose gold foil and foil place cards.
Clear Invitations
Working a little bit in the wedding industry, I’ve seen a shift recently away from the rustic wood signage toward clear acrylic. These clear invitations tie into that trend. They’re new, modern and fresh. If you still desire that wood look, the acrylic looks beautiful when displayed against it, as in the picture below. Or keep scrolling to see how you can get invitations on paper that looks like wood!
The Simplicity of Calligraphy
Minimalist calligraphy is simple, traditional and beautiful. Script font paired with a capitalized non-serif gives it a modern touch. See more inspiration from Basic Invite’s calligraphy wedding invitations.
Wood Grain Stationery
Taking a cue from nature, this trend is a sleek update to all the rustic wood that we’ve been seeing for years now at weddings! The white print pops on this wood grain inspired printed invitation from Basic Invite. This style would be a perfect fit for an outdoor or rustic wedding like this one.
One thing that stood out to me about this company is that you can order a sample of what your paper goods will look like before you place your order! That way you get to hold it in your hands before orders hundreds of them. Other things offered include guest books, free address collection service, and 40 colors of envelopes.
What is your favorite paper and stationery trend?
Floral Arranging with Wildflowers
Using wildflowers as wedding florals
When my dear little cousin got married last year, she did a DIY farm wedding. Her florals were almost all made of wildflowers picked from the property. It was genius, and it looked so good! She saved $$$, and it fit the style of the wedding exactly. Here’s a photo recap of the wildflower wedding floral arrangements, taken by me and first published in Midwest Living.
How to make your own rustic chic wildflower wedding bouquets
Think about storage and how to keep the flowers fresh! The day before the wedding, a group of friends and family scoured the farm for the best wild blooms. After putting the cuttings in big 5-gallon buckets of water, we made bouquets and then stored them in a walk in refrigerator in the barn. Here’s what it looked like behind the scenes.
Rules of floral design
If you’re doing a DIY floral arrangement, don’t forget this rule of flower design. No matter which type of flowers you’re choosing, use a big, unique bloom as a thriller, one to create mass as a filler, and a drapey one to hang down as a spiller. Getting the style right for wildflower weddings is pretty easy if you keep this in mind.
Mix it up
In addition to farm wildflowers, the bride bought roses, lavender, eucalyptus and baby’s breath to mix into the decor. Putting them into re-used glass containers of various sizes added depth and variety to each table. This approach was thrifty and Eco-friendly but so rustic and beautiful!
Here you can see the simplicity of the idea behind the floral arrangements. The wildflowers are a seamless complement to the lavender and baby’s breath, don’t you think?
Wildflowers in floral arrangements are perfect for outdoor events. How flawless does this look on the outdoor bar?
Do it yourself floral design
This event totally changed any preconceived ideas I had about do-it-yourself flowers and wildflowers for weddings. It just looked good, and that’s all there is to it! Here’s the bride’s professional bouquet along with the bridesmaids’ wildflower bouquets.
Get a peek at the organic farm where the wedding was held, Trillium Wood Farm.
Two Grand Openings
The Twin Cities event scene welcomed two new wedding services providers last week. Machine Shop wedding and event venue in Minneapolis and Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe in Hopkins are now open, and here’s a peek from when I attended the grand openings.
Machine Shop
Minneapolis has a new wedding and event venue in the sought-after St. Anthony Main area near the Mississippi River. I got an up-close look at the venue in action when I worked as a host at the grand opening. Originally the Pillsbury machine shop, it’s been carefully renovated. The spacious main hall has an open floor plan, perimeter balcony and plentiful windows that provide beautiful natural light. The industrial yet elegant style of the historic venue is sure to appeal to anyone looking for a modern Minneapolis event space just across the river from downtown. The venue is off to a good start. The first Machine Shop wedding was held this weekend and many more are booked through 2016.
Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe
Downtown Hopkins continues to get cuter with the arrival of a Pinterest-worthy cupcake shop. Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe will continue to cater for Twin Cities weddings and parties as it has since 2014, but now it is also a sweet shop destination. Tiny aspiring pastry chefs love the play kitchen! The shop sells coffee drinks, cupcakes and macarons. I’d like to tell you how the cupcakes are but they were out of gluten free flavors when I arrived, which shows how great the demand is! I was able to enjoy treats from other sweets providers who helped Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe celebrate, Sweet Birdie Cotton Candy (the sister company of White Peacock Events, known for frilloons) and North Mallow & Co.
If you’ve checked out a cool new place lately, let me know!
Event Space Re-Opens in Minneapolis
It’s exciting when the city adds a new event venue. FIVE Event Center isn’t new, exactly, but it is completely remodeled as of January 2016 and now open for weddings and events. The uptown Minneapolis event center hosted my junior year sorority spring formal, so I was excited to see what changes had been made since. The following post is also found on Minneapolis Happening.
FIVE Event Center Re-Opening
FIVE Event Center’s name hails from the building itself, built in the late 1800s as the home of Minneapolis’ fifth police precinct. The venue first opened a decade ago as a restaurant, then re-branded as an event space. Since coming under new ownership in 2015, FIVE Event Center is now a fully remodeled and expanded venue.
The event space’s renovations are projected to better serve the needs of its clientele searching for a modern, chic event space. Kelsey Knudson, the venue’s event coordinator, is most excited about the expanded capacity for 225 guests and the new neutral color palette that will allow clients to bring their own aesthetic vision to life at FIVE.
FIVE Event Center Renovations
The lower level features a bar area, coat room and bathrooms. A curving stone staircase carries guest up to the modern and spacious upper floor. The fixtures have been updated to include both modern globe lighting and more traditional, elegant chandeliers. An open floor plan replaces its former booth-style seating, with plenty of room to accommodate a dance floor and a second bar.
FIVE Event Center Open House
Knudson says there is some booking availability left in 2016.
Interested in taking a peek at FIVE’s new look yourself? An open house happens March 24.
DIY Wedding Favors for Every Bride
The Pink Paperdoll welcomes Sarah Landrum as a guest poster this week. She tells us her best DIY wedding favors ideas for every wedding style, including Vintage, Rustic Country Chic, Romantic, Beach, or Quirky.
DIY Wedding Favors Ideas
Planning your dream wedding can become expensive quickly. You want every detail to be perfect, even down to the favors. Equally as important, you’ll want to find items that your guests would actually like to have, but still match the theme of your wedding. While little bottles of bubbles might be traditional, they’re not exactly something your guests will hold onto after you’ve said your goodbyes for the night.
Instead of spending a fortune on run-of-the-mill gifts for your guests, use a little elbow grease to make these unique DIY favors specific to your theme.
Vintage
Vintage tea cup candles: If you’re looking for a touch of vintage flair, transform delicate teacups into candles with wax and a wick. Add a touch of lavender essential oil to add to the throwback feel.
Country Chic/Rustic
Succulents: These little plants are fairly hardy against even the blackest thumb. Put a few different varieties in small little pots that will allow for easy transport. Include a cute tag with a quote about watching your love grow and your guests will enjoy the romance of it all.
Sweet Spreads: Spread the love with a homemade jam or honey jar. Dress it up with a vintage sign, or customize to make it fit any wedding theme.
Mason jar treats: Mason jars are the epitome of country chic and are essentially required for any country theme. You can use a traditional Mason jar or select a jar with a snap lid depending on what you choose to put in the containers. Some favorites include mini pies, a tasty drink or homemade jam.
Romantic
Pumpkins: If you’re planning a fall wedding, grow your own tiny pumpkins. The harvest will be abundant and will go a long way in making you feel like Cinderella. Hopefully they’ll also inspire your guests to make it safely home by midnight!
Book of Poems: Exchanging love poems with a special someone is reminiscent of a time gone by. Create your own book of poems that represent you and your new husband with craft paper. The key is to bind the book with a few carefully placed stitches.
Macarons: These sweet treats are synonymous with the romance of Paris and are sure to elicit daydreams of meeting a lover by the Eiffel tower. If you decide to make these cookies yourself, make sure to do a few practice runs because the delicate balance of egg whites and almond flower can take several tries to perfect.
Beach
Paper fan: Sitting out in the heat to watch your beautiful ceremony might leave your guests a bit sweaty and ripe. Help them stay cool with a handmade paper fan. You can choose anywhere from a flat card with a handle to the traditional folded variety. You can also buy a DIY kit for customizable fans for a pretty great price.
Found on The Knot Wedding Shop
Sea shell candles: Everyone hopes to come home from the beach with a seashell. Make the search easier by providing your own. Better yet, put melted wax and wick into your shell to make a charming candle for your guest to burn later. (If you’re short on time or shells, these little favors are only $3.50 at Amazon.)
Quirky
Popcorn: Build upon your fun-loving atmosphere with this favorite movie theater or carnival treat. Select a bag that coordinates with your theme or pick the traditional red and white box. You can even set up a station with popcorn options for your guests to create their own poppin’ favor.
Coasters: When you’re a bride who likes to think outside the box, choosing the right favor can be slightly challenging. Transform your Instagram photos or favorite quotes into coasters for your guests. Think of them as picture frames, only with a more practical use. As an added bonus, you might boost your Instagram following as a result.
Donations: In lieu of favors, make a charitable donation. You can DIY a donation board where guests can choose which charity they’d like to give to.
With these tips, you’ll be able to not only stay within your budget and theme, but also provide your guests with a memento they’ll treasure after you’ve left for your honeymoon.
Sarah Landrum is a freelance writer, career and lifestyle blogger, and founder of Punched Clocks, sharing advice on having a happy and successful career. Follow Sarah on Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest and subscribe to her blog for more great advice.
