According to the infamous shampoo advert, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whilst you have been living and breathing all things to do with your wedding, the first time your guests have any idea about your big day is when your wedding invitation or save the date card lands on their doormat.
This important piece of mail will set the tone, theme and your guests’ expectations of your special occasion. What you say, when you send it, to whom you address it and what it looks like all provide the first experience your guests have of your wedding. So it’s really important that you pick your stationery wisely to make the best first impression.
Look out for a forthcoming post on the wording of your stationery. Meanwhile, focusing on what it looks like and to help you wade through the sea of stationery, the hugely talented Suzanne from Paper Tree Design has put together this guide to help you find the right stationery for your budget.
You have set a date and secured your venue so your mind turns to stationery, where to start? The options are endless and mind boggling, and when you are surfing stationery sites from the sofa sometimes it is difficult to understand why pricing can be so different between suppliers. When you are choosing your venue there are things to help you with this, star ratings, facilities and services, but when it comes to stationery the differences in service, technique and embellishments are what makes your stationery either basic or premium.
The Service
There are 4 levels of service in stationery that will effect the pricing, Off the shelf, semi-customised, customised, and bespoke, in short, the more time the stationer spends on making your stationery, the more it will cost:
1. Off the shelf –This is the cheapest option and is exactly as it sounds! Youpurchase a pack of pre-printed generic wedding cards for you to fill in the date, location and guest name. These are the cheapest because the supplier gets thousands printed at a time and there is no extra art working for the supplier to do.
2. Semi customised – This is where you choose an existing design from a supplier and they place your copy in to the invitation (venue, time and date etc.)
3. Customised – A customised design is where you have the option to personalise an existing design to fit in with your theme. This can include changing colours, having your initials added in to the design, and having a choice of card types or trims etc.
4. Bespoke – If you have a specificidea in mind for your stationery and you cannot find an existing design to reflect this, then bespoke is for you. You will work closely with the designer who will design something around your theme ideas. This is at thepremium end of the stationery market because you are paying for a designer’s time to create something for you. If you are considering this option then it is wise to allow at least a month for a design to be fully approved and ready for production.
The Product Quality
There are all sorts of card available for use in stationery in different weights (thickness), textures, and finishes, the thicker the card the more it costs, as itwill any with specialist finishes and textures. The weight of card used can be the difference between an invitation looking ordinary or luxury so when you are comparing prices have a good look at what is being used, if it is not stated on the website then ask.
When you start reading the information on a stationer’s website you will come across all sorts of terms, litho pint, digital print, letterpress, embossing, hot foiling, laser cut, paper cut, duplexed, spot varnish. What do they all mean?
Printing – Printing on a invitation is more likely to be digitally printed these days as digital is suited to smaller quantities. Litho requires the making of a printing plate which makes small quantities much more expensive. A printed card on a standard board with no extra finishes or embellishments will always be the cheapest option. It is worth remembering that digital printing may not be suitable for some of the specialist papers.
Letterpress Printing – Letterpress is a traditional printing technique which involves inking a plate (printers tray filled with raised blocks) and pressing in on to the card stock, which leaves a deep impression. These days there are more hi-tech ways of making the printing plate but the process is the same. For small quantities it can be expensive but if you have a large number of guests it is more affordable.
Finishes
There are all sorts of lovely finishes that can turn a standard invitation in to something a bit more special, but bear in mind that for every finish you add cost. Below is a list of a few terms and what they mean:
1. Hot foiling – This adds metallic areas to the design.
2. Spot varnish – This adds a shiny or mat surface to areas of the design.
3. Embossing/ debossing – This adds texture to the card, either raised (embossed) or pressed in to the card (debossed).
4. Duplexing – If a card is duplexed, it means it is made up of two different boards sandwiched together of different colour or texture.
Laser cut, die cut, paper cut
The process of cutting out shapes or patterns from card (or other materials), the main difference being if it is laser cut then the gaps in the design are burnt out with the laser, if it is described as die/machine/ paper cut then it is cut out using a tiny blade. Cut invitations are usually made up of 2 or 3 layers (the cut, an inlay card & printed insert) which makes for a more luxury product.
Trims
The use of ribbon, baker twine, crystals and other trims to finish off your stationery can really help to make it look special, but beware when you are looking at and comparing prices between stationers. You may see a beautiful photo of your chosen stationery suite tied together with twine and finished with a gift tag or other embellishments, and the costs look in budget, however some stationers charge separately for theseextra finishings and you can find yourself paying £1.00 or £2.00 more per invitation than you had budgeted for, for the invitation in the picture. Anything that has any element of hand finishing adds time and therefore cost to the stationery, so check the small print!
Top tips
1. Help yourself – If you are really struggling for budget enquire about what could be provided in kit form in order to save on price.
2. Buy in bulk – Think about all your stationery in one go from the outset (invites, order of service, name cards, table numbers, menus, table plans etc) rather than separate pieces at different times. You can save if you buy ‘before the day’ and ‘on the day’ stationery all from the same supplier.
3. Compare the quality – Read the descriptions carefully and make a list of the differences in a notebook together with the prices, so you don’t forget when you start comparing price.
4. Beware the hidden extras – Double check the price list and ask if it is not clear.
5. It never harms to ask – If you have your heart set on something but you are worried it is out of your budget, then just ask if it can be modified to help with the price.
Your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life. When you look around the room you’ll see all the people that you love, however you may also notice all the people that are missing from the celebrations too.
Not to put a dampener on proceedings but inevitably there may be some people who won’t be able to join you on your big day perhaps due to distance, illness or because they have passed away. Telegrams are often traditionally read by those who couldn’t make it and sometimes a toast is raised to absent friends.My own wedding day was tinged with some sadness as my father suddenly passed away 9 weeks before we got married. It was a huge shock and at one point we considered whether we should postpone the wedding. I guess this is why we bought wedding insurance but I didn’t want to be sat around on our chosen date commenting that we would’ve been getting married today. We decided to go ahead and it gave our family something positive to focus on.
I certainly didn’t anticipate having to organise a funeral in the midst of wedding preparations but it did give me some clarity for the day. My father wasn’t around much when I was growing up and he wasn’t always that reliable. He had been unwell for some time prior to his death and so we didn’t know if he’d be well enough to be a part of the day at all, let alone even turn up. Or if he had turned up whether he’d been ill at the reception. Although it was unpleasant circumstances, at least I knew whether he would actually be there or not!
We had already asked my mum to do the ‘mother of the bride’ speech and my Grandad proudly walked me down the aisle (which was fitting as he was such an influential part of my life), and my husband toasted our absent friends in his speech. We didn’t want the day to be dominated by the recent sad events, so we chose not to do anything more public – everything was still too raw to cope with anything else.
I knew the day was going to be emotional but we also had this immense warm feeling of love from all our friends and family who were there and all knew about the ‘elephant in the room’. They were so caring, supportive and encouraging. There was torrential rain the day before we got married (it was August – thanks British weather!) and again the day after. Yet on the day of our wedding it was glorious sunshine and the grass was a lush green and the flowers were all blooming after being refreshed from the rain. In the car on the way to the church, my Grandad told me that he thought the sunshine was his late wife (my Nanny) shining down on us.
I know that my other Nan still watches our wedding DVD back frequently so that she can see her now late husband enjoying the day. The photos too are a snapshot of the people that were in our lives at that time and who we were fortunate to share our special day with. There were poignant moments but the sadness didn’t dictate the day. It was certainly a day of huge celebration. We didn’t forget those that has passed but we didn’t dwell on their passing.
Here are some suggestions of ways to privately or publicly remember lost loved ones at weddings:
Photographs – framed photos set up on a table or part of a family tree, hanging in photo charms on your bouquet, hanging from shoes or placed in a locket
Jewellery – wear heirlooms or gifts from the loved one, wear their wedding bands tied round an ankle or wrist, wear or melt down their wedding band to make your own
Embroidery – material from a piece of their clothing stitched in your wedding dress, use their handkerchiefs or ties, have monograms of their initials stitched in your dress
Candles – a lit candle in church or on a table in the reception
Flowers – use their favourite flower, have a single flower in a vase, put your bouquet on their grave afterwards
Ceremony – dedicate a reading to them, include a tribute in the order of service, get the celebrant to mention them
Chairs – have a reserved seat for them at the ceremony (although this may be a little emotional to see an empty chair there)
Reception – name tables after them, toast them in your speech, place a drink for them at the bar, use a special piece of music
Favours – donate to a relevant charity or place a charity pin as a favour
Releases – let balloons, Chinese lanterns or butterflies float off in to the sky
‘If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever.’
A. A. Milne
We are nearly a week in to this brand new year already and I’m sad to be taking the Christmas decorations down with the arrival of Twelfth Night. I used to really enjoy Epiphany celebrations when I lived in France – eating the delicious galette des rois and finding the little charm so you could wear the king’s crown!
It is a bit of a relief to have the season of endless lists safely tucked away for another 11 months though (what with Christmas card lists, present lists and food shopping lists to name a few). Don’t get me wrong, I really like Christmas and I LOVE lists (hey, I’m a wedding planner, lists are what floats my boat!) but things seem to get a little crazy in December.
Harper’s Bazaar’s Ten Iconic Wedding Gowns (so pleased that Audrey Hepburn made the list – honestly if I could dress like her every day I would!)
But I do love this time of year. It’s a time of new beginnings: a new year, new year’s resolutions (*see some of mine at the end of the article), new goals, new plans for the future and the days are finally getting longer again! It’s when our metaphorical diary is full of blank pages yet unwritten. It also seems to be a time when there are an abundance of engagement stories after Christmas or New Year proposals. And with Valentine’s Day just over a month away and it being a leap in 2016, we’re sure there’ll be a few more stories to add to the pot shortly.
So the start of the year often spurs on people to kickstart (or reignite) their wedding planning too. I adore weddings – which is a good thing really! Weddings are such a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. There’s not many times in your life that you have all the people that you care about in the same room at the same time and they’re all there just because two people fell in love with each other. When else would you bring all your circles together in one place? (even Google+ keeps your circles separate!)
For me, I always wanted to get married and admired both sets of my grandparents who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversaries (and beyond). I was determined to aspire to have the same thing for myself despite experiencing the sad adverse reality of my own parents’ marriage. On top of this, my romantic notion was peppered with weddings in films and television programmes that influenced my youth such as:
Scott & Charlene in Neighbours (I still can’t believe that programme has been going over 30 years!)
Charles & Diana (who can forget the puff ball sleeves and the huge long train!)
Monica & Chandler in Friends (how beautifully romantic to fall in love with your best friend)
The One with All the Wedding Dresses episode in Friends (even though my husband thinks it’s a crazy idea I still want a wedding dress party with my friends for my significant birthday in a few years’ time! I’ve no idea if I’ll be able to fit in my wedding dress by then – so maybe that’s another goal to add to the list!)
Pride & Prejudice (who didn’t fall in love with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (the stammering Hugh Grant, the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ story line had me hooked)
Saved by the Bell (yes, Zack and Kelly did get married eventually after being childhood sweethearts. It was a cheesy episode set in Las Vegas but proved that your first love can be your last love too)
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (how did Lois not spot that Superman and Clark Kent were one and the same gorgeous man?!)
Prince William & Kate (they got married the same year that we did so this event heightened the build up to our big day)
Probably the most influential and meaningful weddings that I was honoured to be a part of (prior to my own of course) were those of my two closest friends in July 2007 and August 2008. It was wonderful to be one their bridesmaids (although at the time I thought I was destined to only ever be a bridesmaid and not a bride. I even thought about being a professional bridesmaid at one point!) It feels so wonderful to share someone’s special day and be part of the wedding party.
I waited a long time for my own Prince Charming (honestly I thought the film 27 Dresses was written about me!) but was over the moon to have my own fairy tale day eventually. It was whilst planning my own wedding in 2011 that my real passion for wedding planning took over. I realised how precious it was to have all the people I cared about in one room at the same time. In the space of 18 months I encountered birth, death and marriage (not in that order!) which had a life changing effect on me. So my new beginning was to make Hanami Dream a reality. I decided I wanted to help others to celebrate their own personal milestones. I find that organising these types of occasions is much more rewarding than my old corporate life.
This year has already started with great excitement as I am thrilled to be entered in the UK Blog Awards.**
Voting is open until Monday 25th January 2016 at 9pm. You can vote once a day, every day for 3 whole weeks! So please keep voting.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
*Some of my resolutions for this year include learning to hula hoop (I always think it’s something that I should be able to do but confirm the opposite when I pick one up! And I hope this skill is easier to pick up than the year I attempted to learn the running man!), eating more veggie meals (I’m currently in love with Lorraine Pascale’s Eat Well Made Easy recipe book) and moisturising more often (hmm, with two small children and a husband to look after, time to myself is often in short supply so we’ll see how this one goes!) Hopefully I’ll be able to manage at least one of these by the end of the year!
**More than just a wedding blog, Hanami Dream Wedding and Special Occasion Organisers provide inspiration and help you to celebrate the personal milestones of your life. The blog looks at wedding tips, trends and traditions with real life stories and examples from my own family history. Looking at examples from the past and future trends to provide inspiration to couples who are wedding planning and celebrating milestone occasions.
Our year is starting with great excitement as we are thrilled to be entered in the UK Blog Awards.
If you like reading our blog then we’d really appreciate your support. So please vote for Hanami Dream in the wedding category of the UK Blog Awards #UKBA16.
Photography by Farrow Photography red wicker heart on black and white checkered floor
plate of jam tarts with heart tops
Queen of Heart's throne with red paper flowers, ivy and her red heart wand, red heart box and ace of hearts and ace of clubs playing cards
We hope you’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. At this between and betwixt time, we take the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the brand new year ahead. It’s a popular time to book holidays, make resolutions, kick start a new healthy regime and start thinking about personal special occasions that we have coming up.
Next year is going to give us plenty of reasons to celebrate as a nation with the Queen’s 90th birthday and we hope there’s street parties aplenty to mark such an amazing milestone in June.
In the music world, 2016 would have also seen the 80th and 90th birthdays of musical legends Buddy Holly and Marilyn Monroe respectively. Plus it also marks 150 years since Beatrix Potter was born
It’s also a leap year in 2016 so ladies this is your chance to pop the question. Let’s not take the lead from the Greeks and Romans though who thought that starting any new life event (from getting married to christening a child) in a leap year would bring bad luck.
Mad Hatter at tea party wearing top hat and looking in a tea pot
Maybe you’ve got your own personal celebration in 2016. Perhaps you’re expecting a baby (much like Bridget Jones in the third installment of the film series set for release next year) and will mark this new arrival with a baby shower or a christening. Other babies due to famous faces in 2016 include:
Coleen & Wayne Rooney
Andy Murray & Kim Sears
Tom Fletcher & Giovanna Falcone
Cat Deeley & Patrick Keilty
Anne Hathaway & Adam Shulman
Emma & Matt Willis
Perhaps your children are a little older and you’ll be celebrating their graduation from university or marking their coming of age with a special party (like Kendall Jenner, who will reach her 21st birthday in 2016).
Congratulations if you got engaged over the festive season (or if you’re already engaged) and are planning an engagement party and/or wedding in the new year. Here are some famous engaged couples we think could make it up the aisle and we’re sure their special days would influence wedding trends in 2016:
Kimberley Walsh & Justin Scott
Tom Daley & Dustin Lance Black
Lady Gaga & Taylor Kinney
Emma Bunton & Jade Jones
Liv Tyler & Dave Gardner
Or maybe 2016 will give you the opportunity to renew your vows, celebrate an anniversary, mark your retirement or enjoy a special milestone birthday with the important people in your life.
Some famous faces turning 30 next year are:
Lady Gaga
Ellie Goulding and
Usain Bolt
Whilst celebrating their 40th birthdays will be:
Ronaldo
Benedict Cumberbatch and
Isla Fisher
Other big birthdays include Janet Jackson, Gordon Ramsay and David Cameron’s 50th; Tom Hanks’s 60th; Dolly Parton’s 70th; and Robert Redford’s 80th.
Whatever you’re celebrating in 2016, we wish you a very Happy New Year.
Weddings are a wonderful celebration of love and marriage. They can blend together families, traditions, cultures, creativity and lots of personal touches. Whether a religious, civil or humanist ceremony, a traditional or themed reception, these special days are about what is important to each individual couple.
Despite some couples’ originality, there are always trends that appear and popular themes that epitomise a particular era (think puff ball sleeves from the eighties). Sometimes fashion, films, television programmes, interior design, celebrity weddings and even current affairs influence these trends. Of course, there are some timeless and classic themes that never seem to go out of favour, and with the latest film in the Bridget Jones series set for release next year we’re sure the romantic theme will continue to be strong.
So what does 2016 hold for us? Well for one thing, it is a leap year. So will it bring about lots of proposals from women on the 29th February and encourage some excited wedding planning as a result?
It will be a time of revelry as a nation again as the Queen will be celebrating her 90th birthday on 12th June. This could prompt some street partythemes using inspiration from the Union Jackcolours. Red, white and bluecould also be at the forefront of people’s minds with the culmination of the American elections as well.
Plus, let’s hope we’re also able to mark the achievements of our British footballers in the UEFA Euro 2016 finals in France and Spain, as well as our athletes in the Olympics next year. Maybe some sporting themes could become prevalent as a result of these events or perhaps weddings will be inspired by the Rio party atmosphere of the Brazilian venue of the Olympics.
2016 also marks 350 years since the Great Fire of London, 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, 950 years since the Battle of Hastings and 50 years since England win the football World Cup.
Take a look at our curation of predictions for wedding trends to look out for in 2016 (and see more of our inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/):
Venue / themes
Jungle themes could see an increase next year with the CGI live action release of the Jungle Book film. Think subtle animal prints and loads of greenery. Marry this with the excitement of the Rio Olympics and you’ll be transported to the stunning, relaxing and lush green rainforests of Brazil, surrounded by colourful and vibrant décor in greens, blues and gold. A carnival full of samba dancers, exuberant feathers, magnificent masks and energetic music will get everyone joining in!
Or perhaps a more civilised tea partycould be more up your street, inspired by the release of the film, Alice Through The Looking Glass. This is going to be Tim Burton at his best again so think quirky and extravagant details. Afternoon tea with a twist.
Perhaps a wild westtheme complete with cowboys appeals to you – wanted posters, panning for gold and arriving on horseback just like the Magnificent Seven in the 2016 film remake.
Comic bookinspiration comes in the form of new films of Batman v Superman, X-men: Apocalypse, Angry Birds, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Captain America: Civil War. Your inner child can go to town and have colourful, playful fun with this theme or perhaps you want to use more of a hint of the gothic style comic books. Alternative bouquets made of comic pages, mini action figures instead of button holes, secret identity t-shirts under the groomsmen’s shirts, superhero capes for the guests or cartoon invites can bring this theme together.
Or perhaps, an outdoors medieval banquetwould suit your big day in the same vein as the Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur film directed by Guy Ritchie. With floral crowns, moss, wicker and naked cakes in a beautiful castle setting or in a stunning forest or garden.
Décor
We are so pleased that the metallic trend seems to be still going strong and not showing any signs of tiring just yet. Sequins are a welcome addition to this trend or pair metallics with cool agate for a contemporary feel.
By contrast, there’s also a uprising of tribal printswith the influence of Moroccan and Indonesian accents. Dark woods, earthy colours and block prints.
Romantic themes are still using ruffles and the use of ombré colouring on anything you can and for a cute factor there’s good old polka dots.
Video boothsare seeing a surge in popularity as technology continues to move forward and couples are looking for more unique and original ways to capture and remember their big day. However, some are also using their weddings as a chance to have a break from technology and encouraging their guests not to use their phones during the day.
This old vs new trend continues as some chose to use classic styled furniture brought up to date such as beautifully designed chalk boardswhilst others choose modern styling with Perspex chairs and tables.
Backdrops were the big news of 2015, but next year is all about aisle runners– whether these are printed, a covering of petals or use clever lighting.
On top of this suspended décoris all the rage – for an industrial chic style with Edison lighting or floral chandeliersin a rustic theme.
Flowers
Flowers are a big focus in 2016 not only in the décor but with hair accessories and headwear. Plus a new trend of ring corsagesis emerging and the use of wild flowers like daisies.
It doesn’t all have to be about the flowers as foliage will be as important or instead of flowers in displays.
Alternatives to traditional flowers are seeing the use of succulents in bouquets, on tables and given away as favours.
Plus instead of the usual confetti, there is now a herb tossas another option which gives such lovely aromas to this part of the day.
Clothing
Bridal wear is really seeing a big shift in trends to provide new, innovative and unusual styles to make sure the bride makes a statement and is different to any other on her big day. Trends that appearing on the catwalks (that will surely influence trends next year) include: mix & match separates, crop tops, high necklines, off the shoulder, asymmetric hems, backless dressesand plunging v neckson the back.
For the more daring and alternative bride perhaps try fringing, jumpsuits, palazzo pants, peakaboo skirtor even a cape.
Rather than a plain dress, some brides are opting for a floral one or even camo print (which is starting to be really popular in the US – not necessarily in classic hunting camo but how about a pink or snow camo, or try accessorising the traditional camo with orange accents).
Not ready for this kind of statement just yet, then perhaps you can go the extra mile with your footwear. Perhaps using your shoes to highlight the colour of the day or to write your feelings on the soles so everyone can see when you kneel at the alter!
For the men, it’s all about smartening up next year – go the whole hog with a tuxedo.
Colours
The Pantone® Color of the Year 2016 will certainly play a big part in influencing colours next year. And next year we get two colours for the price of one in the form of Rose Quartzand Serenity. It’s the first time Pantone® have ever announced two colours and a long time since a pastel colour has hit the top spot. They are a nice calm change to the recent bold jewel colours of the last ten years. We can already see these colours featuring singly in couples’ colour schemes and look forward to seeing people using them in tandem too. There certainly won’t be a shortage of choices for your ‘something blue’!
So pastels will be big next year and play a big part in the use of non-traditional colours for the wedding dress becoming more popular.
We predict that there will be more mix and matchstyling with the bridesmaids – either with different styles in one colour or bridesmaids’ dresses using different colours that all tone in together.
We look forward to seeing more dark blues, silver, mochaand terracotta.
Cakes & catering
There’s nothing we like more than cake but next year will see a few alternatives coming to the fire front. Firstly some couples will be using their cake as the pudding so it might not take a tradition guise instead it might be a cheesecakeor pancake stack.
Also making an appearance with be the cake fake– all the style and presence but not actually a cake. Welcome the pork pie stack, cheese ‘cakes’, or three tiers of quiche.
If it is a real cake then look out for mixed shapes tiersand more ‘free from‘ varieties making an appearance.
Above everything food will be theatrical in 2016 and take centre stage – we can’t wait for more champagne towersto join the revival!
These are a few of our predictions for wedding trends in 2016. See more of our curation and inspiration at pinterest.com/HanamiDream/
May we take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
The Pantone® Color of the Year 2016 is Rose Quartz AND Serenity. Yes, we get two colours for the price of one next year. It’s the first time Pantone® have ever announced two colours and a long time since a pastel colour has hit the top spot. They are a nice calm change to the recent bold jewel colours of the last ten years. We can already see these colours featuring singly in couples’ colour schemes and look forward to seeing people using them in tandem too.
Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on colour and the Pantone® Color of the Year is always really influential in any popular colour themes in fashion, interior design and weddings.
Our guess for the Color of the Year 2016 was for Peach Echo, Buttercup or a great neutral colour like Iced Coffee. However we we didn’t see two colours coming! Nor a pastel colour. What we have got is something more relaxing and more choice.
