Monday, October 29, 2007

Wedding Invitations - How Do You Want Yours?

Wedding Invitations are personal and set the tone of ones
wedding. Invitations can be simple on inexpensive store brought
paper or very elaborate etched pieces of gold. It all depends
for the most part on your budget and your personal style and
taste.

Wedding Invitations are very personal and intimate. No one
publishes a public invitation card for a wedding. One creates a
guest list and personally invites the guests to the wedding by
means of a wedding invitation. A lot of thought and care is
given to carve that list so as not to miss anybody important in
our lives to attend our memorable event.

The wedding invitations reflect the tone of the wedding event.
The invitation cards can be very expensive or very simple. It
all depends on what kind of budget one has and how creative one
is. A Wedding invitation unlike other invitations may have
several pieces inside one main container for instance it could
contain an invitation for a wedding, an invitation for a
reception, a response card, details of the ceremony, venues,
location maps and sometimes even a dress code.

The most modern form of Wedding Invitation is an Email
invitation which is gaining popularity every day, but the basic
concept of the invitation, content and design element remain the
same. Similar effort is put into email invitations as is put
into printed invitations, the electronic version of invitations
can be more entertaining, attractive and interactive at the same
time. Some innovative minds invite their guests by launching
private websites which are only for their guests to see by
invitation through email with a password for the private
website. The reasoning behind this electronic medium usage is
that it has a distinct advantage of a wider reach, in time
response online, multiple invites and reminders to the guests
which is all very attractive as the guests are not likely to
forget even if they want to.

Traditional Wedding Invitations are generally in cotton or
linen paper in white engraved in black or pastel ink colors.
Many people prefer to have their invitations customized in non
standard sizes and variety of materials with elaborate or simple
classic tasteful designs. The response cards or RSVP cards are
usually enclosed inside the wedding invitations to let the host
know if the person will be attending the event or not which
makes it easier for the host to manage the ceremony seating and
reception menu etc and how best to take care of all attendees at
the wedding.

As indicated the Wedding invitations are very personal and the
wording plays a major role in the invitation. While the supplier
or the publisher of the wedding invitation cards offer literally
thousands of designs and a variety of standard content, it is
always better to have a customized content that reflects your
own personal style although the information presented in all the
wedding invitations is pretty standard, it is the manner and the
style of the presentation that reflects your personality and
style.

Even though the Wedding invitations are printed separately by
the bride and the groom in different styles and designs, the
content and meaning reflected must be the same. The bride and
the groom may choose a theme for their wedding which is
indicated in the invitation cards to the guests so that they can
participate in accordance with the theme.

Both Bride and the grooms full names are printed on the wedding
invitations. Certain rules are followed for instance if you want
to send some wedding gifts or wedding favors with the
invitations to the prospective guests, it is perfectly
acceptable but it is not acceptable but it is not acceptable to
indicate your gifts or wedding registry details on the
invitations.

Some interesting celebrity wedding invitations included Britney
Spears wedding invitations which was reported to be delivered in
a bag with a special note to the guests and one of the wedding
invitation later appeared on Ebay Auction and reportedly sold
for $2150.

Another interesting Wedding invitation was that of an Indian
Businessman's daughter in U.K attended by many celebrities from
various fields with a 20 page gold edged wedding invitations
with hand printed images and details of various functions and
venues and the invitation itself was accompanied by an
intricately carved silver container weighing almost 5KG.

Wedding invitation is after all a matter of personal taste.

About The Author: Gigi Mill is an online retailer of wedding
gifts and gives practical advice on
http://www.weddingfavorsandgiftideas.com to brides and couples.

Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=195000

Some Important Considerations You Need To Think About When Ordering Wedding Invitations

A wedding is a celebration combining two lives into one. A wedding invitation signifies the start of the celebration. They are sent to families and friends of both bride and groom inviting them to attend the celebration. It is important to take care in preparing the wedding invitation since this will send first impressions of the wedding.

A wedding invitation contains a lot of information. It will give guests a glimpse at your style and taste. It will also introduce the important people involved in the wedding. Therefore is important to keep some things in mind when choosing and sending your wedding invitation.

The first things guests will see when they open the envelope will give them an idea of the bride and grooms taste and style, and formality. The colors of the wedding are generally intertwined in the invitation. Regardless of whether your wedding will be formal or informal the invitations should give a great first impression. If you are choosing theme for your wedding carry it into the invitations. For example a traditional white wedding will be traditional and elegant in white. For a theme bases wedding such as an old movie could have antique look to it or special clips from the move in it. A Vegas wedding may have more flair with glitter or gold confetti in the envelope.

Spelling and grammar are also very important parts of your wedding invitation. The names need to be presented in proper order and spelled correctly. Some people choose to write their own wording for the invitation while others go with prewritten ones.

Whichever you choose always proofread a few times for any errors. It may be helpful to have a few of those people close to you read it; occasionally they may catch an error you miss. Make sure the address; dates, and times are all correct. You don't want everyone showing up at 2pm when your wedding was at 12. You may also include a short map or additional instructions on another paper in your invitation, such as whether children are allowed and themes. Letting your guests know ahead of time may ease frustration later on.

A wedding is a day the bride and groom will always treasure, therefore the invitations should reflect a bit of them. Whether you decide to have a formal traditional wedding or a themed beach party your invitations should reflect that also. Keep in mind to use proper grammar, spelling and always proofread. A special poem, writing or traditional greeting about your day welcomes others to join the celebration. Any special instructions or maps should be on an additional sheet of paper enclosed with the invitation. A wedding is a celebration and the invitation should reflect your desire for the guest to attend.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Personalized Stationery at http://www.alloccasionstationery.com

How To Choose Wedding Invitations That Match The Style Of Your Wedding

The very first impression that people will get of your upcoming wedding will be when they receive your invitation. They will often make a decision on attending at that moment. The invitation needs to be a complete visualization on paper that shares what your plans are plainly to the receiver so it is crucial to the wedding planning process.

Contrary to popular opinion, especially the opinions of most men, there is much more to the process than simply pulling out a nice one and making you're your names are spelled properly. The wording is very important and you want it to be original, get some ideas from other invitations but end the end make yours unique.

Your invitation should also go along with the style of wedding you are having. If you are having a fancy, traditional wedding then you should have an equally elegant invitation to match. On the other hand if you are getting married on the beach a fancy invitation just would not look right and would also convey the wrong message. For a beach wedding you want everyone to feel comfortable and know that it is not in the least formal. Here are some more helpful hints to assist you in choosing the right wedding invitation.

When you are choosing your invitations remember you also need to pick out the right font for the wording. You want a font that leaps off the paper demanding attention. Choose a style that matches your ceremony and that you both love. Also be sure that the font you choose matches your personalities as should your wedding ceremony.

Another important factor is choosing the paper you will use. There are many different types and thicknesses of paper when it comes to invitations and overall probably hundreds of different styles available. If the invitations are to be folded don't get a paper that is too thick, but if they are to be standalone then a good thick paper is recommended.

You want the style of the invitation to match your wedding so if you are having a simple wedding go with a very simple style of invitation. You have choices like tri-fold, bi-fold, single page, and others so make sure that the one you choose is appropriate.

You should also include RSVP cards with a stamped return envelope so that you will be able to plan for the number of people who will be coming. Ideally these should match your invitation as well. Always pre-stamp the RSVP card out of courtesy.

Make sure that you proofread everything more than once, then have at least one other person look over all of the items to be printed for errors. You will be unable to fix the errors after they are printed and if you sign off that they are okay, it's on you! Double check your guest list before ordering so you don't get stuck with too many or too little invitation.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about wedding and bridal shower invitations at http://www.monkeybusinessinvitations.com

How To Choose A Wedding Invitation That Really Stands Out

One of the first things to consider after you set the date for your wedding is picking out invitations. Think about it, without the invitations it doesn't matter how fancy your wedding is no one will be coming. I just got married and since we had a simple wedding that was beach oriented we went for a watercolor invitation that featured a beach with a sunset and two beach chairs, with our names embossed on them. Here are some other unique wedding invitation ideas.

It can be very difficult to choose the perfect invitation, there are so many different choices available online and with tons of stationary stores all around how do you find the best bargains and the best designs. Look for a place that has many different designs to choose from with unique ideas and perspectives. You don't want to end up with the same invitation your best friend used two weeks ago and you definitely don't want one that looks like it came out of a time machine! The main thing you are looking for in the perfect wedding invitation is one that gets attention. The best way of getting people's attention is by presenting them with an invitation that is different from all the others they see.

If you want to go for a personalized look you could opt for having photos inlayed in the invitation. A sepia or black and white photo can look really classy and make for a very unique invitation. How about having a photo from the night of your engagement?

Another novel idea that would really get attention is to use a scrolled cloth. If you are having a really traditional wedding this could tie in very well. Have the invitation printed on a delicate piece of cloth and roll it up like a scroll tied with a satin ribbon. How many people do you think would do this?

You could have your invitation done as an engraving into a sheet of glass or perhaps, acrylic. This would certainly classify as unique and could hardly be lost or put aside. This was you are offering something that is permanent that can be thought of as a keepsake. I know I can't recall ever seeing anything like this.

If you are artistically inclined you could possible design your own wedding invitations, if not you could commission an artist to design one that is a totally unique and original piece of art. You could even have the artist sign and number them so that they would have even more value. I don't think anyone would toss out an invitation like that.

Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find more about wedding and bridal shower invitations at http://www.monkeybusinessinvitations.com

Monday, October 22, 2007

Concepts For Photo Wedding Invitation - A Case Study

With the advance in printing techniques, it is very common nowadays for couples to make a wedding invitation card with their photos on it. There is no doubt that putting photos on the card can make it more personalized and unique. In China, couples may take some photos with the wedding dresses on before their wedding. In this case they can put these "wedding photos" into the card and this will make the wedding card more interesting. In fact, it is very common for Chinese couples to put such photos into the wedding invitation.

No matter you will have a set of pre-wedding photos or not, it is always true that an invitation card with your photos will be a unique one. It will certainly reflect you since it is your photo. When choosing the photos to put on the card, most couples will choose a photo which can express the love of the couple. In fact a touching photo can be totally excellent. You can just put it on the cover of the card and the card will be perfect. As a wedding invitation designer, I sometimes do not just satisfy with just putting a photo on the card. This is especially true when the couple is catering for something more interesting. In this case I will retouch the photos and create images to make the invitation to tell a story. The following is an example of such designs.

In Chinese tradition, there is a legend about a god called YueLao. Literally Yue means moon and Lao means old person. And YueLao means an old man under the moon. As a matter of fact, full moon represents a good and perfect marriage. YueLao is indeed a god about marriage. He uses a red string to connect a couple. There is a saying that "You will get married if you are tied by the red string, even if you are two enemies". Some people will even go to the temple of YueLao, hoping that YueLao will use his red string to tie him / her to his or her spouse.

A design can be generated from this romantic story of YueLao. For example, a photo is taken for each of the bride and groom. The two photos will then be combined to become one image. By adopting the idea of red string and YueLao, a red string forming the words "Love me" are used to tie the bride and groom. In another image, the same idea of red string is used. This time the words "We are getting married" are formed. With these images, a meaningful wedding invitation with the couple's photos can be designed.

It seems that it is very easy to create such a photo wedding invitation from the above case study. In fact, it is not as easy as it seems. The most difficult part is to generate the initial concept. The idea of red string may not fit your case. However, if you are going to express yourself, it will not be too difficult for you to generate the basic concept.

Jerry Leung is a wedding invitation designer. He has a great interest in Chinese Style Wedding Invitations. His works can be found from http://www.983wedding.com. His personal blog is http://www.weddingabc.net and some other wedding vendors can be found from http://in.imarry.org

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Wedding reception photos - a modern approach

Frequently over the last many years I have attended
weddings and their receptions. The use of photography in
an effort to preserve this day is common to all weddings
and receptions, and the obligatory photographer is always
present.

Sometimes the couple will hire two photographers in an
effort to get more candid shots of family and friends
throughout the reception. Sometimes they will hire or
designate a family member who's a photography hobbyist to
capture those numerous shots. And increasingly common is
the placement of disposable cameras on each reception table
to encourage family and friends to take photos throughout
the event

There are numerous technical and practical problems with
this approach. First off, the disposable cameras don't
generally take the best photos. Second, the cost of
developing these numerous cameras is a significant
consideration. And, third, there's a strong possibility
that the camera will prove to be a great toy for some young
person – resulting in photos of the floor and ceiling (for
which you'll pay to have developed) – or even numerous
photos where the user failed to activate the flash (usually
a hold-down button on disposable cameras).

However, in today's day and age, it is very likely that
many or most of the guests brought their own digital
camera. I know that I usually do, and that I'll shoot
around 50 to 100 pictures during any such event.

Digital cameras are usually of a much better quality than
disposables - resulting in much better pictures. Also,
digital photos are cheap and numerous – because the memory
chips will usually hold several hundred photos (unlike the
27 or so available from the disposable camera), and the
cost of each image is virtually nothing. It is also very
unlikely that anyone is going to allow their child the use
it as a plaything, and there won't be too many pictures of
the floor and ceiling - though you wouldn't likely care as
there is no cost involved.

The question becomes how do you collect all of these photos
without clogging your email with numbers of large
collections of image files. What you need is a single "big
pot" where you can encourage all of your guests to dump
their photos for sharing with the couple and the
family-at-large.

Today there are online solutions called "photo exchange
depots" (depositories). Just do an internet search and
you'll likely find one. Sometimes single-day events are
free to setup. Generally, here is how they work;

The couple establishes their event on one of the photo
exchange depots, and receives a designated private
"EventCode." This code uniquely identifies their event on
the system, and will allow online users (anyone knowing the
EventCode) to add their photos into a big pool of event
photos.

The couple informs their guests of this website and
EventCode in their program, or as part of the place
settings and/or table-tents at the reception. The guests
all access the site (no user login usually required) and
uploads all of their event photos.

Then, after the honeymoon is over, the couple and/or their
family can view all of the uploaded images, and select,
download, and save the pictures they wish to keep. At some
point the depot expires and fades away.

This is a simple, low-cost, low-risk, and very effective
way to capture possibly hundreds of additional photos from
your special event.

More pictures, more memories!! Enjoy!

About the Author:

Dean Brust has been involved in the business of Internet
technologies and services for 20+ years. He has
participated in the introduction of numerous online
services and databases. With a personal interest in
photography and family, he writes for the technology
industry. Dean is currently involved with
http://www.eventphotoexchange.com