xoxo

 A huge congratulations goes out to the following couples who worked with the amazing Kathy Knittel of The Floral Gardens this past weekend!

 Tara Slater and Renzo Quesada                                             Amy Fish and Lee Nanticoke

          Ashley Millen and Josh Bush                                                  Lisa Miemietz and Lowell Warner

    Meghan Putman and Mathew Chartraw                               Jenna Gill and Brad Hastwell

"The highest happiness on earth is marriage." -William Lyon Phelps

You Did It!

We would like to wish a sincere congratulations to the newlyweds of this past weekend who used Kathy Knittel's services at The Floral Gardens!

 

Cathleen Smith and Andrew Mangano

  

Kristen Sanderson and Wayne Green

 "For you see, each day I love you more.
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard"

Congratulations!

A sincere congratulations to the new brides of this past weekend who utilized the wonderful services of Kathy Knittel and her team at The Floral Gardens!

-Christine Sugrue


-Kassie Bruchle


-Stacy Vagon


-Corrine Crain


-Stephanie Townsend


"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

Flowers in Every Color!

Flowers are a great way to add color into your ceremony or reception sites. You can use them to continue your color scheme already set in place by your invitations, or to introduce new colors. When working with floral companies like The Floral Gardens, your possibilities are endless! Flowers come in almost every color imaginable, so get inspired and use these resources to their full potential, as they are sure to have a huge impact on your wedding day.

Invitations: A timeline for when to order and send

One thing most stationers can agree on, is that it is never too early to start shopping for your invitations. Start collecting ideas, visual inspiration, and creating a look for your event as soon as you get engaged. Next up, find a few stationers or vendors who seem like they'd be a good match for your style and budget.

If you've got the basic details of your wedding set (The date, ceremony location, reception venue) and you know you'll be having a number of out of town or International guests, you may want to consider sending save-the-date cards along with some basic hotel and travel info, or even a wedding website address where guests can go to make their plans. It is appropriate to send out your save-the-date cards 7-12 months in advance of your wedding date.

Now that you've got the details in place and probably have a good idea of your guest list, you can begin to think about ordering your invitations. If you are having a unique invitation created by a designer just for you, what we at Bride Design call couture or completely custom invitations, It is best to order 5-7 months in advance of when you'd like to send them out. Although there are times when we start working with couture couples much earlier than that, especially if they want their design and visual theme to carry through from their save the date cards to their reception items.

If you are choosing a design from an an already designed collection, and are having that design personalized with your information and colors, it is fine to order a bit closer to your date. Bride Design recommends placing an order for invitations like these 2-4 months in advance of the date you'd like to have them delivered or sent out. Keep in mind, if you are addressing your envelopes yourself, or working with a calligrapher, you'll need to factor in time to perform that task, as well as stamping and sending. If you're eager to get moving on invitations it's fine to contact a designer or stationer earlier. It's always better to have more time, than too little!

At Bride Design we recommend sending out your invitations 6-8 weeks (we personally lean towards 8) prior to your wedding and having a response date of one month before your event. This allows guests enough time to finalize their plans and for you to track down any guests who you might not receive a response from. Most of all we believe that the invitation selection process should be fun and enjoyable. With a bit of advanced planning and by choosing the right stationer for you, I think you'll find the experience to be stress-free and fabulous!

Erin Nowak, Bride Design

Building a Wedding Stationery Wardrobe (Part 1)

So you're engaged and it's time to start thinking about invitations, but there's more to getting your guests to and through your big day than one single piece of paper. Pulling together your wedding stationery wardrobe is a fun process and with the help of planners and a professional designer it can also be a stress-free and exciting one!

What makes a great stationery wardrobe? Here's the basics to consider for before reception. We'll cover what stationery items are needed for the reception and beyond in our next post. Not every bride needs every single piece we'll be listing, but when shopping it does make sense to have a good idea of what elements you'll want to include in your wardrobe. Buying many or all of your pieces from the same stationer will often save you a few dollars and ensures a consistent look throughout.

Save the Date Cards: Save the Dates can be cards, postcards, stickers or magnets that alert your guests to the upcoming nuptials. Brief and to the point, this announcement lets guests know who is getting married, when and where. This allows guests to begin making travel plans and to reserve the date on their calendar, one reason why Save the Date cards are especially useful for destination weddings. Save the Date cards should be sent out 6 months to a year in advance of your wedding date.

Wedding Invitation Suite: Your wedding invitation is the star of your wedding stationery wardrobe. It will also require multiple pieces, including the invitation itself, envelopes, and response card. If reception information is not listed on the invitation, a reception card might also be included. Cards containing information on directions and accommodations are often included as well. These days, many brides also include a schedule of events or itinerary since many weddings often take place over the course of a weekend.

Wedding Programs: Wedding programs list the order of events at your ceremony and can be very helpful for longer or unique ceremonies where not every guest may know the protocol,such as Catholic Masses or Inter-Faith ceremonies. A program can also be useful if you'd like guests to follow along with readings or join in singing. Programs can also make a lovely keepsake and should reflect the style of your ceremony. I love fan programs for hot August days or weddings on a tropical beach!

Tune in next time when we cover the many stationery items that make a wedding reception the event of the season!

Erin Nowak, Owner and Principal Designer
Bride Design

Stationery Beyond The Invitation...

Many brides and families don't realize, until they start planning and shopping, that there is way more to today's stylish and unique "stationery wardrobes" than just the engraved invitations (and little else) of yesteryear. One aspect of the stationery wardrobe you might not be thinking about is your "guest book." And while there are many gorgeous traditional books to choose from on the market, I think you'd also be surprised at the variety of fun and non-traditional guest book options available. I'm even talking about going beyond the signature photo mat, an idea that I'd say came about in the last 10-15 years but which has become a standard classic in that time.

After creating an invitation suite for one of my favorite brides Lucia, she shared with me her plans to create a "Make-a-Wish, Take-a-Wish" bowls for her reception. I loved her idea so much I fashioned my own version for my sister's wedding. The premise is simple. Two jars (bowls, or vases work well too), one for guests to write wishes or bits of advice for the happy couple (Make-a-Wish) and another bowl filled with well-wishes from the bride and groom for their guests to take home (Take-a-Wish). This idea was so successful, that I introduced Bride Design's Signature Collection Make-a-Wish, Take-a-Wish Kits
to our etsy shop this past year. The customer supplies the containers and an 8x10 frame. We supply ALL the printed paper goodies. We're happy to have shipped these kits around the U.S., as well as to Canadian, English, Irish, and Australian customers around the globe!

Offered in more than 10 color schemes, the wishes provided in the kit are Irish blessings, delightful proverbs from around the world, and even a few affirming mantras. We also provide a poem and easy instructions (suitable for framing) for the guests on how to use the jars, that should be placed on the table. Guests enjoy the interactive aspect of this keepsake and cards can be stored in a variety of ways. A photo book interspersed with pictures or a lovely box are fun choices. Extra special notes might also be framed and placed in the newlyweds' home. We've also expanded our offerings (at a bride's request) to include another kit that features exclusively Christian wishes and bible verses.

For more information on these and our many other stationery offerings, please visit us on Thursday afternoons at The Wedding Studio at 224 Harrison or find us online at bridedesign.com and bridedesign.etsy.com. Happy Planning!

Do I really need the support of a wedding planner?

This is a question many brides ask themselves as they debate the investment verses DIY.

Hiring a wedding planner is a personal decision that only you can make. There have been more than a few weddings where a professional planner was not involved and the day went just fine. And yours will probably go fine, too. But at what expense to your nerves, your relationship with your mother, groom, bridesmaids, family, co-workers...

The investment you make hiring a professional is an intangible and the true value is not realized until the last song is played. We (professional wedding planners) are there to ensure you hire the wedding vendors who fit your needs, personality, and budget. We are there to ensure no detail is forgotten. We are there to ensure your day unfolds flawlessly. But most importantly we are there to reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with planning such a personally momentous occasion.

We offer customized support that fits your needs. Maybe you want someone to be by your side throughout the entire process or perhaps you just want support the final month and day of or just someone to run ideas and questions by. No matter the need, a true professional will not try to fit you into a "package."

Example: We (The Events Company) met with a bride a couple months ago who felt she wanted day of support. We reviewed her needs, expectations, concerns, and overall wedding plan and submitted a proposal. This was a bride who was used to having full control and doing everything herself, so making the decision was difficult. The event more difficult decision was selecting between 2 the companies she interviewed; the challenge was she liked us better but we were more expensive. After much personal debate she opted to hire The Events Company. Yes, we were more expensive, however she felt more comfortable with the personalities of our team and the level of service we would provide. Now, we WOW! her.