I thought I would finally get away from showing Holiday cards since it’s well past Christmas. It’s time to talk about weddings. Not the season you say? Au contraire. I was inspired by a posting at eastsidebride.com to think about winter weddings. A bride wrote in this week asking about what sort of dress she should wear for a winter wedding in Chicago. It got me thinking about how I would do a winter wedding. Where would it be, what I would wear, what HE wear? What would be the theme, the look, the cake and finally about what sort of invitation would I send? Here is where my musings took me.
First of all I would start with the classic winter wedding at a castle, this one is in England, but what having a wedding in Scotland or Sweden? Oooh, what about Moscow, that way we would be sure to have snow.
If I had a Russian style wedding I could use an invitation like this, purple could be a fun color to add in with red for a wedding.
Card by Hohumcards.com
Here is a bride who chose to have bridesmaids in purple. Purple looks great against the snow.
But alas, I am not Russian Orthodox and I have no connection to Russia. I think I would just choose somewhere snowy in the countryside or mountains at a place like this. Yes, that’s more me, having a beautiful winter wedding at a chapel in the countryside in the mountains.
Since that’s the case then I would definitely want to keep warm, so I would need gloves and a coat….
…and I would absolutely incorporate white fur into my wedding outfit. While we’re at it, I would get fur for the bridesmaids as well because I don’t want them to be cold eitherPhoto from Frosty Weddings, photo by Michelle Wells
But I think I like a shorter stole for my fur coat, like this one below. Maybe I would have red flowers like her as well? But then I would need accents of red everywhere…hmmm. I’m not sure about that yet. I DO know that I don’t want my groom to wear a red knit cap, although, I am liking the fact that he is looking a bit casual and different…
I would definitely want it to be snowing so I could get a cool shot like this one… the umbrella is great in this picture though maybe it is not that practical for the groom. I DO know that I want my groom to be looking at me this way though when he sees me.
But I like the relaxed way the groom above is dressed in casual black tie, he looks cool. And I also like how, below, the groom looks like quite a dandy wearing an old-fashioned looking version of black tie in very long tails and a bowler. I wonder if my groom would go for it? I still like the idea of having a SLIGHTLY Russian wedding look by wearing a long jacket like this bride’s below over my wedding dress.
I love the fact that the bride is wearing boots here, but I would prefer fur boots for my wedding outfit like these below. So I guess that leaves the kilt idea out, my fantasy winter wedding is seeming more snowy and wintery, less Scottish.
And I’m still wondering if my bridesmaids should wear red…or burgandy maybe? Hmmm, while I like the photo below, I’m starting to think that the strong colors are not really me.
But I do want some sort of sense of fun, maybe a winter activity would be a good idea to add to the day’s events (and what a great photo-op as well). We could all play hockey after the wedding ceremony….
But I would be wearing this fur coat in the countryside instead of underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.
I finally decided about the red. I realized as soon as I saw this cake that I would want my accents to be blue, or silvery, and I would have a cake like this:
image by Media-cake central
In fact, here is the mood board I would use for my wedding….more or less. I love the cheese board, and the blue and silver accents. I like lots of silver ornaments in fact mixed in with the pinecones and other natural elements.
…I love the cashmere sweater over the wedding dress, but I don’t want to give up on the white fur idea.
So, finally for this magical, silver and blue winter wonderland wedding in the snow, what would I do for a wedding invitation? If I were going for a very classic kind of winter wedding invitation I may choose this:
Personalize it at http://hohumcards.com
Or, if I were going for a modern winter wedding invitation maybe I would choose something like this:
Personlizable at here at hohumcards.com
or this
Or if I were going for a groovy 1950′s sort of invitation I may select this one:
Personlalize it at http://hohumcards.com
But I think my wedding is more of a country casual winter wedding, so I would choose to send out an invitation like this one printed on extra heavy cotton card stock:
Personalize it at here at hohumcards.com
Or maybe this one would be a better color?
And then my winter wedding save the date card could be something like this. If I were tight for cash, maybe I would opt to send it as an e-card, and then I have even more money left over for hot buttered rums as my guests get as they arrive at the reception hall.
Save the date card at Http:/hohumcards.com
Then, after the reception, off we would ride in our sleigh together and we live happily ever after.
I am on a wedding kick right now since I have been designing Save-the-Date-Cards. Since I’ve been poking around so many wedding sites, I started coming across lots of funny and off-beat wedding portraits. I know wedding portraits don’t necessarily have much to do with cards. Funny portraits have more to do with my love of wacky and wonderful pictures. My thought is that maybe somebody would do take portrait like one of these below and make them into thank you notes for all of those amazing wedding presents people sent them. I love when people take a traditional concept and turn it around into something clever and fun. Everyone responds to people who take the initiative to be clever and fun. Right?
As the You Tube generation starts to get married, a few wedding traditions are begining to shift. Some couples are now opting for the Save the Date Video to show off their creative sides. The video is then posted on You Tube or Vimeo and the link is sent around to their friends and family. I thought I’d post my top ten here to spur couples’ creative juices to think of making their own. A word of warning: video is a tough medium to master and it can easily bomb. It takes a lot of talent to make something that people want to spend time watching. Video is unforgiving, if you get it wrong, it’s a little painful. I found that the worst videos have a few things in common. One mistake is if the bride and groom try their hand at acting. Good acting is great, bad acting is…not. I found that videos which were too long were also less successful. These videos may have a great idea and a great concept, but they need severe editing.
Here are my top ten Save the Date Videos; they get two thumbs up. They may not all be worthy of an Oscar, but they are all charming, sweet and creative. As I watched the couples in these videos, all I could think of is what a fun, wacky or lovely couple they were, and I wish I could see them get married. That’s the point right?
In the following video, the couple is acting as if they were in a Charlie Chaplain movie. I know I said that acting is a mistake, but since it’s in the style of a silent movie it works. Not speaking may be the rule I was searching for actually. It helps that the bride and groom are incredibly charming and the film style is wonderful,
The following video is simply too long. But it is so creative and well done that I almost don’t mind in spite of it. Almost. It is inspired by the viral video called “Her Morning Elegance“.
Like the previous video, this video is done in stop motion. But this one is shorter and sweeter and done with a “tie the knot” theme.
This video is great. I can’t embed it on the site, but it’s well worth the effort of clicking on this link to see it.
I just love this! Like many of these, this is mimicking a you tube viral video. This is a take-off on Where in the World is Matt? If you haven’t seen it, you are one of the few. It has had well over 30 million viewers. This video is almost as charming. I feel like I would like the couple a lot.
This one is very clever and well done. I love how they wrote all of the wedding date information in chalk on the sidewalk.
This is fabulous, one of the best save the date videos I’ve seen! It is based on the famous viral video, Deadline post-it stop motion. It also uses stop motion animation and, sadly, I am unable to embed it on this site, so you will need to go to this link to see it.
It’s worth it! Go!
I guess wedding trailers are common wedding announcement theme in videos, because there are lots of them. This one is a take on the King Arthur Movie. It is by the far the bravest and most outlandish one I’ve seen. It’s very dorky-funny, but it makes me laugh because they take it so seriously. I would love to see what kind of wedding they had.
Here is another one of the better movie-themed videos. It’s a take off on Mr and Mrs. Smith. It’s slick.
I know I missed lots of great videos. Please let me know of any you come across any others which are as good so I can do another posting of them. I had a blast doing the research on this posting. I only wish I had been to all of these weddings. They must have been incredibly creative. I love a wedding which is creative…more on off-beat weddings in a later post…
Since I do not make wedding invites at the moment, I thought it would be a good idea to pass on some of my favorite high end designers here in New York City. The best custom designers print with letterpress, which is done by using plates and impressing them onto the paper. Letterpress is considered the highest quality of printing, but it is also the most expensive. Designers of letterpress invites understandably need to be of the highest caliber, because each card can cost upwards of $3. What I like about the following designers is that they are classic, yet innovative. A good invitation designer will steer you in the right direction for correct wording, but they will also help you break the rules… just a little bit. As Dorothy Parker once said, “A little bad taste is like a dash of paprika.” Now, I’m not looking for bad taste…just a little something different, unique and special.
The first company is called Ceci New York. They are VERY high end and their prices are…extreme. But the quality is the absolute top. They often add layers of elements, like this wedding invitation with a bird cage theme. The envelope opened to reveal the bright purple birdcage sleeve containing the invitation. Guests opened the door to see the orange bird underneath. Both the birdcage sleeve and band were lasercut out of paper. Yummy.
For the next invitation Ceci New York combined many printing techniques and materials – from multi-level blind embossing, letterpress, plexi glass, foil stamping and hand painted watercolor to create this amazing wedding invitation for a destination wedding in Guatemala. The save the date cards are made to look like tickets.
This next invitation for a wedding in Hawaii combines surf’s up sensibility with chic execution – from the bamboo belly band that wraps around to the personalized pirate map on the back of the invitation. The anchor logo had a rustic charm while the color combination of warm red and olive kept the fun spirit alive. All graphics were inspired from vintage tiki Hawaiian fabrics, old surf posters and pirate maps.
For this wedding invitation in Cuba, classic Cuban chic meets modern style. This invitation was designed for Bride & Bloom magazine. It was sent in a custom made cigar box which was laying in a bed of cigars with matching cigar labels with the the bride’s and groom’s names and wedding date. Menus and escort cards were made to match. This is such over-the-top wedding invitation. I can only imagine how extravagant the wedding must have been. You can imagine the excitement of a guest receiving this in the mail.
Another designer I am keen on is Nicola Darrach who owns Lettuce Paper. I found her through my friend Tanya Mallott, who is a very high end destination wedding photographer. I was looking for help with designing some cards, so I thought, who better than Tanya knows the best designers out there. Nicola very kindly agreed to design a few cards for my site, lucky me, because I have found that she has impeccable taste. Her cards are more simple and understated than Ceci New York’s are, yet she shows an amazing attention to details, like in this invitation. In the liner of the envelope in a yummy orange she has added a silhouette of the bride and groom. You can’t see it very well here, but these invitations are on very thick paper and edged in turquoise. When you hold them, they feel incredibly chic. I also love her choice of calligraphy, each card looks as if it were hand written…very refined.
This next wedding invitation has a nautical theme. I love the mussels. Who knew that the lowly mussel could look so chic when on letterpress paper? Notice the stamps which all look nautical, but almost as if it were by accident. And also notice the gold wax stamp which holds the belly band together and lifts the darkness of the black color. I love the fact that they chose black for wedding invitations. It’s surprising which is what makes them so wonderful. It’s like what I said about “a little dash of paprika..” Breaking the rules can be a good thing sometimes. On this last invitation, I love how Nicola combined two completely different patterns. This wedding invitation is bold, yet still subtle and tasteful. And the saying is wonderful. Nicola loves doing custom work and is reluctant to come up with a line of cards, preferring to do all of her work custom for her clients. Designing is “the fun part” she says. She doesn’t stop until her clients are satisfied, often giving them many different designs to choose from. I love that she has not sacrificed custom work to become more commercial like so many other card designers have done.
Finally, my last top wedding invitation designer is Bella Figura. Not only does this company have beautiful and interesting letterpress designs, but they are also green. Their shop is wind-powered, carbon neutral, and they donate 1% of sales to environmental causes. Also, they print each custom wedding invitation only on 100% tree free paper. Since no trees used to make your invitation, you can relax and feel eco-frendly about sending out 200 save the date cards, invites and thank you cards. (As long as growing cotton doesn’t affect the environment).
The other good news is that Bella Figura also has invitations with great graphic designs like this one in a bold orange color. And look how thick the paper is.The pictures of these invites show how letterpress actually presses into the paper and indents it as it lays on the color. The quality of the printing and the pattern make me drool.
I lied, I have one more company to show you. While this company is not a New York based company, I couldn’t resist adding them in to this posting since this wedding invitation with peacocks caught my fancy. It is called Paper Olive and it is based out of Los Angeles (that other coast). I love the addition of the peacock feather, it is delightful. The colors of peacock would be the colors I would choose at my next wedding. Er…not that there WILL be another wedding. I just realized that these are the colors I have decorated my house in, so I ‘ll just settle for that. If any of you young brides-to-be are lucky enough to hire one of these designers for your wedding, please let me know. I’d LOVE to see what they designed for you.
Ok, I’ve done a few postings of great save the date cards. For the fun of it, I thought I’d show you some of the NOT so great save the date cards. In fact , these are some downright BAD save the date cards. Sometimes, trying too hard to be artistic backfires.
Here are my favorites…er…least favorite photos of people announcing their engagement.
OK, this just looks dangerous, or as if he is about to push her off the bridge or something.And this is just gross, did they really think we wanted to see their tongues?
This guy looks like he’s trying to get away from her. Fast.
Why does this girl want everyone to think she’s a gold digger? The mother in law must have loved this.
This photographer thought she was doing something kind of cool and different, but this just looks like he’s trying to limber his girlfriend up. Oh, placing the girl in between his legs is just so wrong on so many levels.
It looks like she loves the pole more than him.
She looks like a monkey, not a bride to be.
I know this seemed like a good idea at the time. Fun idea for your facebook page, but for a save the date card maybe not.
Oooh, what a cheesy way to announce your nuptials.
Did it really not occur to her or the photographer what this looked like?
And she looks like she’s doing the same thing as the girl above.
It probably seemed artsy at the time, but instead she just looks like she has enormous feet.
Scary lighting, it looks like they are going to a funeral, not a wedding.
Really, do couples really not realize they are getting wet when they are THIS in love.
It looks like she is going to crush him, poor guy.
Artistic or just weird?
And did the car actually hit them, or was it a prop?
I know many of the photos of the Save the Date posting before were unique and different. It seems like the photographers of these cards were also looking to be unique and different. There is a fine line between what works , and what doesn’t work.
Alas, it is time. The wedding season is upon us! Soon, thousand upon thousands of grooms will be popping the question, if they haven’t already. Soon we will have thousands upon thousands of happy , ecstatic brides looking for the perfect wedding venue, wedding cake, wedding gown, party planner, and all of those thousand little perfect details right up to the moment when they need to choose the perfect bride and groom for the top of the cake . But, brides, first things first, what about the save the date card? If you are going to have the perfect wedding in some far away place, you will need to warn people that you’re getting married. You need to inform your guests that they are to plan NOTHING else for that summer weekend 6 months from now. Hurry! Get it out SOON! You don’t want that old boyfriend of yours to make plans to travel to Indonesia the weekend you want him to be in the Hamptons watching you walk down the aisle. You need him there at the perfect white chapel drooling after your beauty and kicking himself for having been so stupid as to let you get away. The pressure is on….but what kind of save the date card should you send? Even though you have the perfect venue, what should you send if you haven’t even settled on your wedding photographer yet, or the colors or the theme….
Don’t panic, the beauty of save the date cards are that they can be funny, or just imaginative and clever. Nobody expects them to be anything near as polished as the invitation. In fact, people expect them to be quite lighthearted. To help stir your creative juices I thought I’d show you a few of my favorite wedding announcements. Take this one:
What a clever idea this save the date card is, all you have to do is draw on your faces and take a picture. …then hope you used a washable pen.
Here is another great idea having to do with writing on yourself.
I suppose to do this, you will need to enlist the help of someone else to write it and take the picture for you. I love how the ‘H’ is divided between their feet. If you sent me this card, I would be so looking forward to your wedding! I would look forward to this one as well:
I’m not sure whether this was a save the date card, but it could well have been, and if it wasn’t , it would be a great idea to use for your wedding announcement. It could also be a great Valentines day card, but more on that in my next posting.
The following card is one of may absolute favorite save the date cards, what a fun and creative way to announce a wedding. Photo by Kate Bowie www.katebowie.blogspot.com
What I love about this card is that the information sneaks up on you. It takes a while to notice the couple inside the truck kissing, and the tailgate, bumper stickers and the license plate with more information about the upcoming wedding. I absolutely love when people make such an effort for a card. This wedding announcement has it all, it is clever, creative and beautifully executed. It is obvious that whomever took this photo they knew what they were doing. They also probably knew photoshop or they had a spare pick-up truck handy that they could add the bumper stickers and words to the back.
If you have already found your wedding photographer, maybe you can use them to help create your save the date card. This card was obviously made with the help of a professional photographer:
Photo by Jeremy Pedron
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremypedron
This is such a charming save the date card, and I love the type they to put on top of the card.
In fact, if you have already found your wedding photographer, the possibilities are endless for your save the date card. Here is one which was most likely done with the aid of the photographer who ended up shooting the wedding.
If you want to see more cards I’ve found go to the card gallery. I will be posting more shortly, so stay tuned. If you have already done a clever and creative save the date card and want to share it with us please do! I will try to include it in my next posting on wedding announcements.
I hope this helped brides, have a blast planning your weddings and …..CONGRATULATIONS!
Welcome to HoHumCards.com, formerly Merry Christmas From. Here you can check out creative cards, submit your own unique creation, and get creative card-making tips. Learn more about HoHumCards.
by Karen Robert
Photo by Digitally Different
photo by travel webshots
Since that’s the case then I would definitely want to keep warm, so I would need gloves and a coat….
Photo from Frosty Weddings, photo by Michelle Wells
Photo Found at Frosty Weddings
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
Found at OffbeatBride.com photographed by Anna Kovaleva
Photo by David Lowerson
Photo by Jennifer Alder
Photo by one2one photography
Photo by Axel Photo
Photo by Tanya Malott
image by Media-cake central
…I love the cashmere sweater over the wedding dress, but I don’t want to give up on the white fur idea.
Personalize it at http://hohumcards.com
Personlalize it at http://hohumcards.com
Personalize it at here at hohumcards.com
