buy generic ivermectin Hello there,
http://neilfeather.com/2-columns-boxed/ The lovely folks over at Vintage Partyware have invited me to write a guest blog post and I’m delighted to share some stationery goodness with you all. I’m Claire, the illustrator behind Frog & Pencil and I create bespoke wedding stationery and other handcrafted loveliness.
Over here at Frog & Pencil HQ we love all things stationery and believe that it’s an important part of your wedding as it’s the first taste your friends and family will receive about your big day. What I find exciting is that when it comes to stationery, you can do whatever you want!
Be it commissioning someone like me to create your invitations or choosing to go down the diy route, here are a bunch of my top Froggy tips!
First things first though, let me just clarify what I mean by stationery. This term covers everything from Save the Dates, Wedding Invitations, Maps, RSVP’s to Order of Service, Table Plans, Menus, Name Cards, Table Number/Names, Schedule of the Day and Thank You Cards. Basically, anything that delivers information about your wedding in a beautiful way and you can opt to have as little or as much as you’d like.
Now that’s cleared up, let’s hop to the top tips….
Tip One
Wedding Stationery doesn’t just begin with save the dates or invitations, how about a lovely postcard to give to your favourite gal pals or chaps asking them to be a part of your bridal party? It’s simple but they’ll cherish it forever.
Tip Two
With your important date and venue in the bag you’ll now be able to start visualising how your day could look. You might envisage a day with a vintage, boho, festival, shabby chic or modern vibe. If you have a particular theme/colours in mind then these can be expressed throughout your stationery. For example, if you’re wanting something modern, you could keep the design simple and clean and for a boho look think about feathers, flowers and antlers.
Tip Three
Make it personal. There is a rise in ‘blank canvas’ weddings which gives couples the opportunity to really put their own stamp on the day and wedding stationery can help you achieve this. Frog & Pencil strongly believes that you should be unashamedly yourselves so why not let your personalities shine throughout all aspects of your wedding. I love a watercolour couple portrait on the invitations or transforming couples into quirky characters…like me, a Frog! It’s the little touches that make it special too and I try to capture those unique details within my illustrated garlands.
Tip Four
Don’t forget the details. If there is some key information your guests need to know then including these within your stationery is a great way to share it. For instance, your venue might be in the middle of nowhere, so why not send a lovely map and directions? Perhaps there’s poor signal so remind people to prebook a taxi and provide some local numbers. The bar might be cash only (very important!) or maybe there’s limited parking at the church. Your guests will truly appreciate these helpful little gems.
Image: Bigphatphotos
Tip Five
On the day stationery can not only add to your decor but also be super helpful. From a schedule of the day to keep things flowing, a who’s who board of the bridal party (also handy for suppliers) to the table plan, name cards, menus and table numbers.
You can be really playful with all of these. The tables don’t have to be numbered, they could be named after the favourite places you’ve visited as a couple, best dates you’ve had, your favourite cakes or your favourite tipples. These are all sweet ways to show off your personalities and relationship. And don’t throw out your table plan after the big day, this makes for a unique piece of artwork for your home.
These don’t just have to be paper based either, you can experiment with other materials and textures; chalkboards and perspex can add an alternative feel to the day.
Tip Six
Consider your timelines. There’s no hard and fast rules when it comes to posting out your stationery, I tell couples to send things out when it feels right and when they’re ready. With save the dates, around a year before works well, but if you’re having a destination wedding, the sooner the better. Invitations can be sent around 6 months before the big day but remember to check when your suppliers might need final numbers when planning your RSVP date.
Tip Seven
This isn’t something you need to do but when we got married we sent save the dates and invites to our suppliers. You spend a lot of time building up your wedding day dream team and I think it’s a lovely way to involve them further; I know that our ‘I do crew’ genuinely appreciated it. Our fab caterer had our save the date pinned up in their cafe for a good year after our wedding day and it always made me smile when I popped in.
Tip Eight
When it comes to wording your invitations you don’t have to be so serious and traditional, you can play with it and inject your sense of humour/personalities into it. However, a key point to note, if you’re having some financial help from your parents, remember they might want to be included as hosts and named on the invitations too.
Tip Nine
With all the excitement of the wedding and honeymoon it can be easy to forget to send the thank you cards. It’s a polite way to acknowledge your guests (especially if they sent a gift) for celebrating with you on your day. Whilst you’re planning, add these on your to do list and I would suggest sending them out up to 3 months after your big day.
Tip Ten
My most important tip of all. There is no right or wrong in Frog & Pencil’s eyes when it comes to wedding stationery, just be your lovely selves.
I hope you found my Froggy tips helpful and if you’re in the market for some whimsical watercolour wedding stationery then send me an e-mail, I’d love to have a chat – hello@frogandpencil.com
Check out more of my work and hop on over to my website & social media sites…
Website – http://frogandpencil.com/
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/frogandpencil/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/frogandpencil
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/frogandpencil/
Happy planning everyone and may you have cracking wedding stationery!
Thanks for having me Vintage Partyware,
C x