Invitations Inspired!

Temecula Wedding Suite

2012-01-24T16:20:00.006-06:00

The latest creation to come from Hitched is the Temecula wedding invitation suite. Designed in a bright purple, chartreuse, casaba and brown (however it does not have to stay that way) reflects a vineyard color scheme but does not go full on vineyard with a grape vine design. This design incorporates a vignette design with a serif and sans serif font, airing out the design with tracking, kerning and leading. A simple but striking invitation suite that includes the invitation, rsvp card, map, outer envelope, rsvp envelope. We also took it a little farther incorporating a menu, wine bottle tag, place card and table number. Take a look... And of course you do not need to get married in a vineyard to love this design!

Stationery Is Now Available!

2012-01-03T13:17:00.015-06:00

Our shop is now ready on www.hitchedinvites.com. We have also added some stationery available for personalization and purchase on Etsy.com. View our shop here. http://www.etsy.com/shop/hitchedinvites

Stay tuned for more news regarding our new stationery line, more designs will be released once our shop is open!

Coming soon in 2012!

2011-12-21T11:22:00.003-06:00

Coming soon in 2012! Hitched Invites will be launching a stationary line called Just Write. Just Write will feature flat and folded note cards that will feature various forms of saying "Thank You" and the ability to personalize some pieces with your name! We are super excited and a shopping cart will be set up on our site in the near future. We will also be able to be found on Etsy.com. Stay Tuned!

This Years Xmas Card

2011-12-11T18:00:00.006-06:00

As promised, but a little late! I planned to get this up earlier. I decided to use a few different colors this year that are non traditional. Fuchsia, Purple and Lime Green with some Grays. I used a purple pocket card to to house the card. The card has a fuchsia backer. I used a big blocky text with some smaller text. The outer pocket card also has a band that incorporates the ornament from the actual card and a band that says "happy holidays" in lime green. To add a little touch I included an ornament hook on the ornament.

I also designed my mom and dads Xmas card. For this it goes along the idea of a car scent tree. We used traditional Red and Green and made the tree red with a catchy holiday saying. The Tree has a hole punched in it and a ribbon is tied through. To add some extra kick we sprayed a holiday scent on the tree!

Last of the Surprise Birthdays!

2011-11-16T09:53:00.008-06:00

Earlier this summer I had mentioned that I had a lot of Surprise Birthday invitations to create. I can finally share the last of them with you. My Aunt Darla turned 60 this past weekend and her children put together a surprise party for her.

I was asked to design the invitations and the place cards for the guests. We also added some trivia cards. My cousin Farrah was in charge of the decorating. She will be a certified party planner at the end of December and she is starting her own company called Simply Azure Events. This was her first event!

We discussed a theme and it was heading towards Egyptian but upon research we quickly learned that most of it is hokey and with a limited budget to get it exactly how she wanted it would have been impossible. We decided the use the peacock feather for it's meaning and incorporate her as the Queen and her 60 year reign. With the invitations starting everything off Farrah was able to do a great job with the rest of the decorating. The invitations feature a teal, brown, cream and gold color scheme. They were accented with teal crystals and depending on which invite you received you had a gold or brown ribbon. There was also an en enclosure for hotel booking info. So take a look at the finished products!

Coming up next... This years Holiday Card and a recap of the past designs!

Their Little Snowflake Is Turning 1!

2011-10-27T14:54:00.009-05:00

I just couldn't wait until I had an actual piece to photograph to blog about this. Mostly what I create are wedding invitations but every now and then I get a repeat customer who needs bridal shower invitations for a friend or family member, holiday cards or birthday invitations.

Julie was a client of mine a few years ago, I designed her wedding programs. I received an email from her a couple months ago regarding first birthday invitations. Her and her husband had a baby boy and he is turning one at the end of December. She wanted a design that was wintery but not holiday-ish so no reds or greens!. I totally understand because my dad's birthday is the day after Christmas! She had the saying "our little snowflake is turning one" and wanted to incorporate the "one" with winter wonderland.

We decided on blues and grays and a snowflake theme. We started off with the traditional snowflake but then she had an idea to do a kind of aretro flake. In the biggest retro flake she wanted to have a picture of her son.

Julie had professional photographs taken by
Amy Tripple of Amy Tripple Photography. www.amytripplephotography.com. Amy's focus in photography are little ones! If you live in the Chicagoland area and are looking for a photographer to take photos of your children I suggest visiting her site and blog!

Julie had a bunch of photos taken and we decided on a picture of her son with a snow cap on, I think it compliments the winter them of the invite.

So after a few rounds of ideas and changes here is what the end result is! There will also be tags made and when those are finished I will post pictures of those too.

Time To Get Back At It!

2011-10-27T11:26:00.009-05:00

It feels like it has been forever since I updated this! Actually it has. Summer into Fall has been really busy, not just with invitation designing and client meetings but with family parties and travel. There are a lot of exciting things coming up with birthday invites, holiday cards and yes, more wedding invites so stay tuned!

Below is a story/project from this summer and have not had time to blog about, so here it is. One day this spring I received a phone call in regards to invitations. A few minutes into the phone call I realized this was not my run of the mill information call. The bride introduced herself as Lindsey and she said she had designed her own invitation and she need a way to have it printed. I explained to her that I normally do not do this as I design and print my own invitations but that I would be willing to look into it. Fast forward a couple of weeks and I have a design hand drawn by Lindsey in my inbox. It was beautiful. I spoke with her again and she had told me her color was grey. I told her I would clean and prepare her files for print. She had also told me she would like a textured paper and we decided on a felt finish. I had a lot of fun helping Lindsey with this project and it seems to be a growing trend and have had a few more calls in regards to doing something like this, but I can tell you it is not something I will be doing on a regular basis! So anyways here are the finished pieces take a look.

My Mom's 60th Birthday

2011-08-15T12:35:00.008-05:00

In my last post I had said that there were many birthdays on the horizon and I would post as they happened since some are surprises. The most recent was My moms 60th surprise birthday party that happened on Saturday. I can finally show pictures of her invite and some pieces that went along with it for the tables. I used Envelopment's for her card stock and artwork. The colors I used are fuchsia and orange with black. I created menus with the entree selections. I went through the old family pictures and found some of her and used them on top accented with a black ribbon. I also alternated with the Big Six-Oh thee as well. I also included her favorite candy to each place setting with plastic fuchsia cups and added a little circle button that says Six-Oh is so sweet. The tables were also accented with balloon bouquets and small vases of flowers. The picks in the flowers carry the theme from the front of the invitation. There is one more birthday to go and when I can I will post on that! Stay tuned for another blog post with a new twist on invitation design and printing as well.

Birthday's Abound!

2011-06-24T15:29:00.005-05:00

Along with creating wedding invitations for the upcoming summer and fall weddings, I have had to design a few birthday invitations. This one I can post because I am pretty sure my 90 year old Grandpa is not on the internet, he may not even have cable!!! As I said this is for my Grandpa who will be turning 90 this July and God Bless him he still drives, works and is as sharp as a tack!!!

He has been in the Auto industry his whole life and we thought about doing something along those lines but my mind went towards a custom beer label or a old cigar box/band look. I settled on the cigar look. After looking online at what these used to look like I came up with my design. The front is to look like the top of the box and the inside is the info as if you opened it and were looking in. The envelope has a custom address label that is made to look like the band and is cut to fit and printed on crack and peel stock. The return address wraps around the back.

My mom designs cakes and we decided that we would take the front of the invite and design a sheet cake to look like that. So here is the invite!!! I will post the others when I can as they are surprises and the Birthday girls and boys are internet savvy!

Custom Stamps

2011-05-31T12:23:00.010-05:00

Being a designer, I love to have everything match! One of the best additions that has come along is the ability to customize your own stamp. I have done a few for my personal holiday cards as well as a few for clients. Hitched Invites is able to design you your own custom stamp to match your invites. We will design the stamp for a small fee and we will give you a file you can upload to your favorite custom stamp site. A couple are Zazzle.com and Photostamps.com.

Another trend is to use vintage stamps to dress up your design. Take a look at Championstamp.com, they offer all different types of stamps sure to fit your need.

Below are some stamps I have created for myself and my clients, take a look and if you think this something you may want, just ask us we are happy to assist.

Blue and White "French Country"

2011-05-18T12:12:00.005-05:00

There is a hot new color trend sweeping through retail, I have seen it in many stores and adorning the latest home fashions... Pillows, quilts, dinner ware etc. Even certain clothing has trended this way. The colors blue and white but more importantly dark blue and white. Dark blue and white create a striking look. I decided I wanted to design an invitation in a blue and white but not go the nautical route or a classy-plain look. To me blue and white reminds me the most of "Country" or "French Country" toile patterns, checks and flowers. I used a round poppyish looking flower that is not so detailed in like a toile print would be. I also wanted to incorporate a check pattern that reminds of me of a table cloth that would be set on a table underneath a tree out in a field or deep at the end of a backyard. Below is what was created. The wedding is in Galena at a home that can be rented and allows for weddings and has vast acreage which ties into my checkered pattern idea. This is an invitation set but could be paired nicely with a pocket fold if you were having your wedding where guests would need to travel. The pocket fold could include all the travel info and festivities that are going to be going around before and after the wedding! So take a look and as always if blue and white are not your thing it can always be changed to suit your color needs, like black and white, black, white and a deep red or even black, white and yellow.

You know what they say about Imitation...

2011-05-13T13:38:00.024-05:00

The focus of this post is my sister. She has not found the man of her dreams yet but she sure does have some ideas as to how she wants her invitations designed when she does! She is a horse lover and lived out in Colorado for almost 10 years. She came across this wine called the Show which featured letterpress labels from a company called Hatch Show Prints. Hatch Show prints creates "Gig" posters. They are awesome and I hope one day to get down to Nashville and take a tour of their shop. Here is a link to their site. http://countrymusichalloffame.org/our-work/
Her save the date is a version of a Hatch "Gig" poster and the wine label combined, please note the Cowboy art is low resolution. I told her when she gets engaged I will get a hi res version! The save the date is a 3 color design and has a holder for the save the date with a black band or ribbon. The monogram could be carried through out the invite or other items being used in the wedding. The monogram is made to look like a bandanna folded. The envelope is personalized with touches from the save the date and the monogram. The invite is still in the works and once that is complete I will post.

Two New Designs

2011-05-13T13:10:00.005-05:00

With reworking my website and finishing up some client projects I now have some time to post some new designs. Hopefully, I will be able to get a few more out after these. These are horizontal in orientation, I do not have a lot of those so I figured I would create a few.

The first is Vignette. It is done in red and black and is classical in style with a wallpaper type pattern frame with an oval inset for the text. The oval is enhanced with a little border.

The second is Bracket. I love using typographical elements in design. This is done in brown and celadon and has a few patterns running through out. This is fun and modern but classy as well.

As always these can be created in any color scheme of your choosing and font choices as well.

Proofing Your Invitations

2011-05-03T12:12:00.004-05:00

As a designer, I get information for the wedding invitations I create in various forms... I will get everything typed out the way the bride and groom would like it, I get basic info and I choose the wording that fits best. I work on these day in and day out and do catch things and also catch things that may need to be reworded or look for continuity with dates and times. Before anything I design gets printed I have the bride give it a once over and tell her to feel free to have others look as well. I am not an English Major and most are not as well. As a designer, I think one of the main issues is that clients can often forget that we don’t know the details of their event as intimately as they do, and unfortunately, proofreading isn’t part of the service. I can’t say that I don’t “read” your invite, but I don’t know how to spell your father’s first name correctly or what time you’ve decided to start cocktail hour, so that means the responsibility of proofing has to rest completely with you.

Proof from a printed source
If you have received a full physical sample of your invite, you should always proof from your printed invitation. If you received only a digital proof, it’s best to print your invitation and accessories and proofread a hard copy rather than relying on the on-screen version.

Read your invitation out loud
Proofread all parts of your invitation suite by reading it out loud. If possible, have another person listen and read along while you read it. This method is a good way to catch missing words or doubled words, as well as general grammar issues.

Read it backwards
Read it backwards, focusing on the words themselves. It may sound strange, but this is a powerful tool for finding spelling errors, as sometimes, your mind will subconsciously fix errors, making it appear as though everything is correct when it really isn’t. Taking time to concentrate on each word out of context will make your proofing that much more effective.

Check names
Check the spelling of all names on the invitation (including parents, children, etc.). You would be surprised at the errors you might find!

Check addresses, dates and numbers
Check all dates and numbers carefully. This includes things like making sure dates are correct, day and date match, addresses are complete and correct (especially street numbers, if included) and also checking telephone numbers, etc.

Check response methods and additional information
Check to ensure your RSVP information is correct, along with information like website addresses, etc. Make sure to proofread any cards with additional information.

Check the overall invitation layout, graphics, etc.
It’s important that you make sure the details of your invitation are accurate, but it is also very important to proof the entire invitation for errors in color, spacing, fonts, etc.

Find a proofreading partner.
Once you have proofread the invitation a few times, have someone else proofread it, as well. It is easy to overlook a mistake on your invitation when you know what the invitation should say. Have a few people who aren’t familiar with all the details (co-workers, neighbors, friends) go over your invite for an unbiased review.

Courtney & Patrick

2011-04-14T14:00:00.005-05:00

It's wedding season and it seems everyone I know is getting married, well... not everyone but enough to keep me busy which is a good thing! An old co-worker of mine is getting married in August at the Morton Arboretum. From the start the direction was simple and classic. I was given a picture of the bridesmaids dress color to go from and ivory paper was chosen instead of white. A few different designs of mine were looked at but in the end foliage was chosen because it complimented the nature and flowers theme. We decided to add a pocket fold and made the invite a little smaller to sit inside giving it a more dramatic effect instead of extending it to the end. The outside is adorned with an ivory paper band and emblem. Again this is a Work In Progress and once I have an actual sample pictures will be taken.

Heather & Dave

2011-03-24T11:27:00.005-05:00

Heather and Dave are family friends. They are getting married 4th of July weekend. Their colors are green and blue. She liked my Maui design and so I incorporated it into the colors. We went all out. the invite sits in a folder and is mounted to the inside. A portable pocket that is green is attached to the bottom and has a paper band that incorporates the print. The pieces of important information are housed in the portable pocket and stepped so you can see each heading. When folded another paper band and emblem finish off the front. The envelope is blue and has a green liner and custom address labels and a custom photo stamp! I had so much fun putting this together and being able to go all out! Here are some pictures of my files, once I have a complete actual set I will post some actual pictures.

Paige & Jason

2011-03-24T11:19:00.004-05:00

I have done my share of boarding pass save the dates. I have only done a few boarding pass invitations. This is the latest creation. Paige and Jason are getting married in the Dominican Republic. They have chosen colors of sage green and chocolate brown. They loved the idea of a starfish. I created a 2 sided boarding pass with all their information. To spruce up the idea which I love because most of the save the dates are just that and stuck in an envelope, I added a boarding pass holder in a light green and incorporated their monogram along with a brown ribbon to accent the boarding pass holder. It will be mailed in a chocolate brown envelope. I loved doing this!!! Here are some pictures from my files, once I have a complete version in hand I will post an actual picture.

Come & See Us At The Rockford Bridal Show This Sunday March 6th!

2011-03-01T09:40:00.006-06:00

Hitched Invites will be at Rockford's Most Elegant Bridal Show. Sunday March 6th 2011. 700 West Riverside Rd. Rockford, IL 11am to 3pm. Come out and see us! We will be part of the door prizes with $100 Off any invitation set!!! http://cliffbreakers.com/specials/rockfords-most-elegant-bridal-show/

Pingg.com Staff Pick Again!!!

2011-01-12T14:30:00.002-06:00

I was again voted as a Pingg.com staff pick! It was for my Retro Holiday design which is what got picked the last time, Hey I'm not complaining!

Voting has started on Minted.com

2010-12-14T08:53:00.004-06:00

Please help me out and visit Minted.com and vote for my designs!

Vote for my
design on minted.™

see more from Hitched Invites

vote for me!

Check out my competition in Christmas cards and birth announcements at Minted.

New Website

2010-12-13T15:12:00.002-06:00

Check out hitched invites redesigned website!

Vote for my Design on minted.com!

2010-11-17T13:37:00.001-06:00

Vote for my
design on minted.™

see more from Hitched Invites

vote for me!

Check out my competition in Christmas cards and birth announcements at Minted.

Weekly Staff Pick Winner On Pingg.com

2010-11-17T09:46:00.007-06:00

I have been branching out with my designs and submitting them to online sites that provide e-cards or even invitations you can order. I am proud to announce that I am this weeks staff pick on www.pingg.com. Pinng.com is a site that allows you to pick from hundreds of designs and send out an e-card or choose from any design and mail an invitation.

New Designs Up!

2010-10-27T10:58:00.003-05:00

Finally I have added some new designs! Check them out on the home page in the hot and hip section. As always all my invitations cab be complimented with a pocket fold or something from that line of great enclosures. We are now taking mailing envelopes to the next level as seen on Doily and Tweed.

Next to come the new twist on place cards.... Seating Charts!

One more thing, Check out our listing on www.wedzilla.com

2010 Holiday Card

2010-10-16T12:08:00.009-05:00

Introducing The Laws 2010 Holiday Card. Every year I have to stop myself from starting to design next years Holiday card right after the current years go out. I love love love to design the Holiday card for my husband and I! This year I went with kind of a retro theme. It is kind of a Vegas slash 50's light design. The font may look familiar it is the font used on Desperate Housewives. You cannot see from this picture but the middle design on the front will have the white circles filled in with glitter to give it some holiday shimmer! And to top it all off the custom stamp on the envelope. Having a custom designed Holiday card is not as expensive as you may think. Take a look and enjoy! Oh and Happy Holidays!

Front

Inside

Envelope front and back

Color Trends

2010-09-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

A while back I did a post with color trends. I figured it was time to refresh it with this years or seasons hottest colors! For a while it seemed all my invitation designs for clients incorporated various shades of purple and this time around I am getting a lot of requests for blues.

If you are just getting started in the wedding planning process an have not decided on a color scheme I invite you to check these out.

Bright Green: add a vibrant color like yellow or even purple.
Vanilla: add a ray for elegant touch or any bright color.
Navy Blue: add Red, Purple or Yellow for a bold statement, keep it with White or Ivory to get the Navy to pop off the invite!

New Design & New News!

2010-08-21T10:13:00.003-05:00

I am happy to introduce a new design... Well new to you, it has been in the works for a while but I have been busy so have not posted it. It is called Epicenter and is a combination of circles in different sizes and shades of one color. The invite information is boxed and right justified. Again this invite can be customized to any color, fonts and wording! Take a look.

Also you can now find hitched invites on www.getmarried.com

Jennifer & John

2010-08-21T10:01:00.005-05:00

Most recently I designed these invitations for Jennifer & John. It was a departure from the norm in that I have never had a request to incorporate a musical note! Their colors are a wine and black so along with the note I utilized their colors. The invitation is complimented with a black card stock backer.

New & Noteworthy

2010-05-10T21:20:00.007-05:00

A couple of things to update you on.
You can now find hitched invites standard designs on Etsy.com
Our store name is hitchedinvites

Also become a fan of hitched on facebook, follow this link!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hitched-Invites/115308148505921?ref=ts

Jennifer & Louis

2010-02-04T09:56:00.003-06:00

Jennifer and Louis are friends with Katie and Eric, Jennifer referred Katie to me! I have been working on Jennifer and Katie's invitations at the same time and am happy to say that Jennifer and Louis now have their completed invites too! We decided on a navy/sapphire metallic pocket fold with beige paper and navy ink. The design incorporates a hydrangea since those are the primary flowers being used in the wedding. The response envelope and outer envelope (not pictured) are a beige metallic with the return addresses in the navy ink.

Holiday 2009

2009-12-14T10:55:00.004-06:00

My holiday cards are finished, well they have been done for a while I just have not posted lately. I have included an illustration of the card, I do not have the envelope, label or stamp yet to post, I will work om getting that. The envelope, liner and card stock backing are from envelopments, I chose cocoa and caspian as the colors. The custom stamp was made at stamps.com, I love using them to give my pieces that extra touch! The top piece is connected using double sided sticky dots that lift the piece off the bottom piece so the top is actually raised. The bottom design is just a blown up pattern of the art used in the doves. I decided to go away from the traditional red and green this year. I have gotten so many compliments!

Katie & Eric

2009-10-27T14:26:00.005-05:00

Katie & Eric were given my name by one of my other clients. I met with Katie and she had a whole bunch of ideas and examples she liked, we kicked around a few ideas but she decided she liked the Damask pattern but not how it is traditionally displayed in some of my invites. She also had said she would like a pocket fold, but she had examples of a few different ones that were not the standard fair. I took the pieces that are available to me and put a different spin on the whole thing too. Instead of a regular pocket fold I used an envelope and secured it on the inside of the pocket fold where the traditional pocket would go and added a paper band around it to spruce it up. We also did the paper band for the front of the pocket fold with an emblem. We are also going with a custom address label.

It's Been A While!

2009-10-22T11:36:00.004-05:00

It has been a while since I posted. I was busy, busy, busy with summer and fall weddings. I have some downtime and am grateful but at the same time feel guilty like I should be doing more! Not much has been going on. With the downtime I am focusing on my hitched invites facebook page, my holiday card for the season and have an ad running in the Chicago Wedding Workbook. I have included a link for the workbook if you'd like to see what it is about or purchase it.

https://www.mywebetools.com/chicago/redir.php?id=1005

Del & Dan

2009-05-26T14:58:00.021-05:00

My good friends Del and Dan are getting married in August. I designed their Save The Date, and for the design of their invitations, we had a whole thing planned until she got an invitation that was almost the same as what we were going to do... So, we had to change it all up and do something different. Her colors were greens and grays and she changed the green to a raspberry. These are just layout shots, I do not have actual pictures yet. This design incorporates a silver pocket fold, silver envelopes, custom postage stamps, a paper band with an emblem to keep the pocket fold together and a custom address label. They have not been printed yet, but I can't wait to see the finished product. Click on the images to see larger views!

Fall wedding orders 10% off through June 30th

2009-05-26T14:24:00.015-05:00

Now through June 30th,

if you put a deposit down

or sign a contract

for your wedding invitations you

will receive 10% off your order.

Email hitchedinvites@hotmail.com for details!

New & Exciting Things!

2009-05-11T09:18:00.008-05:00

I have not written in a while, not much to talk about until now. A few things that are noteworthy.

First, I am now an official envelopments dealer!!! I am so excited and cannot wait to see what lies ahead.

Second, I am introducing a new invitation line called simple sends. They are self mailing invitations with tear off response cards. These are two sided and can hold many pieces of info... Maps, hotel info etc. The best part is they are totally custom as well, just like all my other designs! These would work great for destination weddings that are budget minded!

Third, I have also introduced a letter press line. May of my designs that are now offset printed can also be letter pressed. I am in the process of getting this info
and designs up on my site, but if this is something you may be interested in contact me and I can help you with the choices and process.

Hot Color Trends For 2009

2009-02-24T10:13:00.008-06:00

Having trouble deciding a color scheme for your upcoming wedding or invitations? Here are some hot color trends for 2009!

Aqua & Chartreuse
Blush & Mauve
Garnet & Tangerine
Lavender, Cream & Chocolate
Fuchsia & Navy
Lemon & Celadon
Lavender & Red
Fuchsia & Taupe
Marigold & Pewter
Yellow & Gray
Raspberry & Chocolate
Lavender & Green
Cloud, Cream & Platinum
Cloud, Cream & Blush
Blush, Ebony & Pewter

Better Late Than Never

2009-01-07T15:12:00.013-06:00

Well... I have not posted in a while, and the most current exciting thing I have done in a while is my holiday cards. I make my holiday cards every year, these pics are from this year. I will try and find past years pics to post. I love doing these but I have to start in September as they are super labor intensive! I make about 60 but this year coming in 09 I will probably have to make a about 75. Take a look and enjoy.

It All Comes Together Part 2

2008-10-17T17:38:00.012-05:00

In an earlier blog I was talking about how I love designing for people I know, I had mention Steffanie and John. I included a picture of their invite set in the prior blog. Since that blog it has changed. When it was printed I noticed that it needed some tweaking. I have tweaked the color and am happy to say that the piece is finished and ready to be mailed out to their guests. Here is the finished product, enjoy!!!

I Love It When It All Comes Together

2008-09-24T09:11:00.016-05:00

In my last entry I blogged about how I love designing for friends, there is something else I love too... Seeing my design finished up by the client. I offer various ways of having invites made. I can do everything from start to finish, I offer the option of pocket folds and envelopes but am fine with the client getting their own if it saves them some money and I offer design only services where I will design the piece and then it is the clients responsibility to have it printed.

I did a piece about a month back for a destination wedding client. We discus

sed colors and art and she said that she was interested in a pocket fold. She ended up getting those on her own. We worked together to give her exactly what she wanted. When they were done I shipped them off to her. A few days ago I received an email and she sent me pictures of the final product, take a look.

She loves them! and I'm glad she does!

Designing For Friends & Acquaintances

2008-09-13T15:48:00.005-05:00

With the year coming to an end soon and the start of a new year, I have a few acquaintances that I know who will be getting married. I embrace the opportunity to create one of a kind designs for these future brides and grooms. It gives me chance to kind of go wild, not that I can't for my other clients but creating an invitation set for people I know is a chance to maybe do things I normally couldn't. My good friend is getting married next summer and although we have not started the process of design yet, we have discussed a few things and I cannot wait to get started.

I am creating one right now and is almost finished for a couple that will be getting married at the end of November. Steffanie and John will be married November 29th which is Thanksgiving weekend and the beginning stages of the Christmas holiday. They did not want to go with the traditional fall colors or use colors associated with the holiday season. They chose a green and a cream color.

I started the design with those colors and Steffanie had a few invitation designs that she liked. Steffanie and John finally chose a design based off another I had done. We discussed the option of a regular invitation set in an envelope but Steffanie had said that she really had her heart set on a pocket fold. I have access to various pocket fold companies and we chose one that fit the couples budget.

The invitation set shown will be nestled in a light gold pocket fold. On the front will be a 2x2 square with the couples first initials and will be held together by a green ribbon. The piece is not finished yet but when it is I will post a picture of the finished product.

Stay tuned for the pic and my new project!

Destination Wedding Invitations

2008-07-30T13:09:00.004-05:00

I really did not do any destination wedding invitations up until about 4 months ago. My co-worker is getting married in Cancun later this August and she asked me if I would design her invitations, of course I said yes!

Destination wedding invitations are kind of a different breed, I have done traditional invitations and invitations that are untraditional. Each new design brings a new challenge! I have done postcard response cards, boarding pass save the dates and invitations and have even been asked to design a passport invitation.

My co-worker belongs to www.bestdestinationwedding.com and after her design was final she posted it and the response was great! I would recommend this site for anyone who is having a destination wedding.

Design Ideas & Tips

2008-07-30T08:51:00.011-05:00

Tips For Typefaces

Mixing type styles is an innovative way to change your invitation's look. You could even pick one font just for your names to make them stand out from the other lettering. If you cannot find anything that strikes your fancy, try flipping through design books and magazines for inspiration, you may find combining ideas from a few different invites is what you want. By checking out what's hot in the graphic design, you're sure to find a cutting edge look. If you go with a trendy design make sure your designer understands your needs. In your paper communication with your guests, consistency is key.

Something New:

Brides and grooms are now moving away from the center of the invitation and experimenting with left or right justifications. Some couples like to place their monogram in the upper and lower corners of the invitation, or justify the important information to the right or left for a more trendy, new feel.

Hints For Printing:

It is very important to make sure your paper goods are readable.

Guests still need to be able to gather information, you do not want to make it difficult to figure out.

Trendy Styles

Wedding invitations no longer have to be rectangle and white with black script text (Although in some instances this is very classy and elegant. White and cream invitations are no longer the norm, couples today want to spice things up. Colored paper choices like espresso and navy are the new white and cream. You can still be fun and creative and maintain a level of formality.

Something New:

If you are not sure of a design for your invitations, you can still express your wild side, try it in your save the dates. Many brides save the dates are completely different than their invitations. There is now law that says it has to match although some brides know exactly what they want starting with the save the date.

Hints For Printing:

Many wedding invitation trends come directly from wedding fashion. You may be in love with the lace or crystals on your dress, so your invitations may have a lace or crystal embellishment.

What To Consider When It Comes To Custom Invites

2008-07-29T15:07:00.014-05:00

Invitations

The centerpiece of your wedding stationary, your invitation reflects the tone of your wedding, whether it is a destination or black tie affair. Your invitation set can have several pieces... The outer envelope, an inner envelope left unsealed, the invitation, the reception card (not necessary if ceremony and reception are in same location), and a response card with self addressed, stamped envelope. Printed maps, directions, accommodation cards are often enclosed as well but not a must.

Something Old:

Heavy stock, 100% cotton or linen paper in ecru or white, engraved with black ink, with a tissue placed on top to protect type.

Something New:

Brides & Grooms are trending away from standard invitations and using different paper stocks, unusual sizes and colors relating to the colors or theme of the wedding, with monograms, graphics, family crests etc.

When To Order:

Three to four months before the wedding date. The sooner the order is places the more time you give yourself for proofing, changes and addressing.

When To Send:

Six to eight weeks before the date is most common, 10 weeks for guest coming from out of the country. If have sent out save the dates you have more leeway.

Reply Cards

These cards are sent with your invitations, with a self addressed stamped envelope. Refrain from using address labels for the return address.

Something Old:

Reply cards often ask each guest to mark a box letting the bride and groom know how many people will attend. A date to return the reply card by is important.

Something New:

Many people now days have different dietary needs, many reply cards now include menu options that allow guests to mark off what they wish to eat that day.

When To Order:

With your invitations

Reception Cards:

These cards are sent with the invitation to inform guest when the reception will take place.

Something Old:

A small card that asks the guests to join the newly married couple and their families to celebrate. It gives the date, place and time.

Something New:

Fonts and designs usually are incorporated on this to match the rest of the invitation set. Creative wording is also used like... We hope you dance etc.

When To Order:

With invitations

Programs

Not only do they provide useful information, they also make great momentos. Programs

come in all different shapes and sizes, most likely though a booklet and include information about the ceremony, like the date, the names of the bridal party, order of events and titles of songs and readings. Bride and grooms also choose to honor deceased family, to thank important people or to explain unfamiliar rites of ceremony.

Something Old:

Front cover of the booklet bears the bride and grooms names or initials. Pages are bound by printer or ribbon is used.

Something New:

A less expensive option is a single piece of heavy stock, folded or a vellum overlay is added. Some bride and grooms have opted to making a fan. New ideas for the inside include poetry or a story on how the bride and groom met or became engaged.

When To Order:

If you are having them printed professionally it will save you money to have them printed with the invitations if you have the info available. If you are going to print them yourself or money is not a concern four to 6 weeks prior is best.

Menu Cards

These cards are becoming more popular. It is a nice gesture to let your guests know what will be served as the meal. These work with plated dinners, buffets & family style.

Something Old:

Usually designed as a single card on heavy stock in a rectangular shape and containing the elements of the meal, including different wine options or other beverages.

Something New:

List why you have chosen a particular dish or if it has a cultural significance.

Drink cards are also a new trend, if you are having special drinks or beer on tap.

When To Order:

Again ordering with your invitations may save you some money. If you are going to print them yourself six weeks prior or when your menu is finalized.

Place Cards

Place cards inform guests which chair to sit at, escort cards direct guests at which table to sit at.

Something Old:

Small tented cards that have each guests name printed and placed at the top of each setting.

Something New:

You can choose anything you like, pictures, stones, flower pots etc. New trends tend to follow the color or theme of the wedding.

When To Order:

With your wedding invitations or six weeks prior to the wedding if you are doing something non traditional.

Thank You Notes

These handwritten notes from both of you, should thank guests for their gifts and/or presence at your wedding.

Something Old:

Cards that say "thank you" or have a monogram, or new address on them.

Something New:

Picture cards, or postcards with a wedding photo on the front. Thank you cards are a must, but if the couple has a new address they can be used for that as well. You should send thank you notes out immediately for any gifts received before the wedding day.

When To Order:

With your invitations.

When To Send:

No later than a month after your honeymoon for gifts received the day of your wedding.

Trendy Wedding Color Palettes

2008-07-29T12:07:00.008-05:00

Cameo and Black

Aqua and Red

Emerald and Aqua

Lime and Cherry

Blue and White

Tiffany and Brown

Green and Brown

Brown and Yellow

Pink and Green

Pink and Orange

Blush and Mauve

Garnet and Tangerine

Lavender and Chocolate

Navy and Fuchsia

Fuchsia and Lime

Lemon and Celadon

Introducing Hitched Invites

2008-07-29T11:58:00.003-05:00

Blogging is new to Hitched, but creating unique affordable custom wedding invitations is not. Hitched was started in 2003 after I got married. I am a Graphic Designer and when it came to finding an invitation that I liked I could not find one for the life of me.

After an exhaustive search with no reward I decided to design my own, which ensured that everything would match... Invitations, Place cards, Menus, Thank you notes etc.

I enjoyed designing my invitations so much I decided to give it a try for other brides looking for the same things I was!