How to Choose the Right Colors for Your Wedding Theme

Posted by Imbue You in Color Advice | 0 comments

Alicia wasn’t sure what to do.

She knew she wanted a quirky vintage feeling for her wedding. But she was stumped about how to choose the colors that would work with that.

And with all the wedding designs that would share those colors: dresses, décor, invitations and more, the importance of the decision was really weighing on her.

Happily, there’s a way to easily think through your color options to quickly get you on the right track. You can use color to:

1. reinforce your wedding theme
2. set the mood for your wedding
3.  follow your creative heart

And when I was first working with Alicia on her handmade wedding stationery, this is how she found her solution:

1. Reinforce your theme

There are often some colors that have come to be identified with your theme. So this is one of the easiest ways to choose wedding colors.

In Alicia’s vintage wedding case, this might have been using creams and ivory, with muted colors like pale blue or light pink.

For a Las Vegas wedding, this would be using red and black. Or blue and tan for a beach wedding.

These colors instantly signal your theme to your wedding guests.

2. Set the mood

But maybe instead you have a clear vision for how you want your wedding to feel: elegant, fun, quirky, cool.

In that case, you can use your colors to show your wedding mood.

For Alicia’s quirky wedding feel, she could have chosen colors unexpected for a vintage wedding, such as orange.

For a fun Vegas wedding, you could throw in something bright and happy like fuchsia. Or for an elegant beach vibe, you could add in gray.

3. Follow your heart

And sometimes, there are just colors you love. Whether they go with the theme or not, they go with you.

One of our customers loves orange. So that’s what we used for her Vegas themed birthday invitations that you can see above.

Ultimately, this is the way Alicia went. There was a bird brooch from her grandmother that she always loved, it was a muted brown and teal. She paired that with ivory and loved her color choices.

By using muted versions of the colors with ivory, it also reinforced her vintage theme. So you can mix these ideas to find what works best for you.

How did you pick your wedding palette? Or what colors are you thinking about? Let me know in the comments.

When to Choose Non White Paper for Your Wedding Invitation

Posted by Imbue You in Color Advice | 0 comments

When I was decorating my office, I wanted it to be all about creativity. I researched furniture, rugs and storage. I had all my colors chosen.

But when I got everything in the room, it wasn’t quite right somehow.

Then, I realized what was missing. And after a fresh coat of green paint, the room was everything I wanted. And I loved it.

Why am I bringing up my decorating woes?

Because your wedding invitation paper is a lot like the wall color of a room. It can play up your colors, blend them beautifully or make your invitation pop.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the look of a white background on wedding invitations. It’s crisp, and the colors are the most true on white.

But sometimes the mood of your wedding day or the look you want for your wedding invitations may demand more color.

In our handmade invitation shop we offer ivory, gold metallic and silver metallic as additional paper color options. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing color paper for your wedding invitations.

Ivory Wedding Invitations

There’s an elegance and timelessness to ivory. That’s one reason it’s a great choice for vintage or rustic weddings.

It does mute you colors, so bright colors won’t be so bright. But that also means it blends colors well. So colors that may look high contrast on white will complement each other more on ivory

Gold Wedding Invitations

Brash and bold, gold still looks traditional and elegant. It’s most popular for the Indian weddings that we do.

The key with gold is to use deep colors with it, and of course colors that work with gold. Navy, red, brown and purple look great with gold.

Silver Wedding Invitations

Like gold, silver is a bold statement for a wedding invitation. But silver has more of a modern look. And it’s more unexpected.

Again deep colors are your best bet on silver, such as dark gray, teal, purple, navy, black and fuchsia.

What color background would work best for your wedding invitations? Let me know in the comments.

RePost: Fun with Bookmarks at Your Wedding

Posted by Imbue You in Ask Imbue You, Our Designs | 0 comments

Whether or not you are having a book or library themed wedding, bookmarks are a fun way to add the personality of book lovers to a wedding. They are certainly unexpected, and bookmarks have a keepsake quality that’s perfect for weddings.

There are so many ways to add them to your celebration. These are a few ways we’ve created for others:

Bookmark Invitations

How cute would a bookmark invitation for a rehearsal dinner, bridal shower or engagement party be? There is enough room to fit typical invitation text and even RSVP information.

Bookmark Save the Dates

Many couple like their save the dates to be a little unusual and with more fun than the invitations get to be.

Bookmark Place Cards

If you are naming your table after favorite books, or sharing favorite quotes with your guests, bookmark place cards fit in perfectly.

Bookmark Wedding Favor

As wedding favors, bookmarks can leave your favorite quotes or a special message of thanks with your guests.

Bookmark Wish Cards

Great at showers or receptions,  wish cards are a chance for guests to give the couple advice, congratulations and good wishes for their life together.

See more of our bookmark save the dates, and more ideas for a book themed wedding.

{All photos by Imbue You. Written by imbueyouido.com, the blog of Imbue You and Imbue You Wedding}

Reception and Announcement Wedding Invitation Wording

Posted by Imbue You in Wording and Etiquette | 0 comments

I always thought that choosing invitation wording was a little like finding the right pair of shoes.

You might have to try on a few to find something that’s both comfortable and matches with your style.

But wedding reception wording can be a little tricky. It’s not a traditional ceremony invitation. If you eloped you may want to say where and when you got married.

So, I’ve pulled together some options that may help you get your reception wording  just right.

Your love and friendship
have helped us become who we are
Taylor Anderson
and
Jaime Richardson
invite you to share our joy
and support our love,
as we celebrate our marriage
on Saturday, June 8th
2013
at 6 o’clock in the evening
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

Because you have believed in us,
celebrated with us,
loved and encouraged us
Taylor and Jaime Anderson
invite you to share our joy
and support our love
as we celebrate our marriage
on Friday, the fourteenth of June
two thousand thirteen
at half past seven o’clock in the evening
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

With great joy we,
Taylor and Jaime Anderson
announce that we were married
on Saturday, June 8th, 2013
in Maui, Hawaii
Please join us for a reception
to celebrate our marriage
on Saturday October 12th, 2013
at 6pm
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

On the fifteenth of May
two thousand thirteen
on a sun soaked beach
in Okaloosa, Florida
Taylor Anderson
and
Jaime Richardson
together with our families
exchanged wedding vows and
began a new life together
please join us in a
celebration of marriage
on Saturday, the eighth of June
at six o’clock in the evening
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

Taylor Anderson
and
Jaime Richardson
invite you to support our love
as we return from our wedding ceremony
in Sedona, Arizona
Please join us
for a celebration of our marriage
on Saturday, June 8th
2013
at 6 o’clock in the evening
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson
with great joy announce
the marriage of their daughter,
Taylor Anne
to
Jaime Jones Richardson
on Saturday, the eighth of June
two thousand thirteeen
in Maui, Hawaii
Please join us in
celebrating their union
on Saturday, the twelfth of October
at six o’clock in the evening
The Inn By the Sea
444 Main Road
Baltimore, Maryland

Did you find some inspiration for your own wording? Take the pieces you like from one invitation and add them to pieces you like from another, and you’ll have your own more personal reception wedding invitation wording.

Looking for alternative wedding invitation wording? Click here.

{Invitation and photo by Imbue You}

Wedding Stationery Calendar

Posted by Imbue You in Ask Imbue You | 0 comments

I’ll let you in on a secret: I think wedding planning is a little weird.

For me it’s the expectation that normal people with normal jobs that have nothing to do with weddings are expected to become fluent in what to do when and the best way to do it.

I think that’s asking at lot.

So at least for stationery planning, which I do for a living, I’ll try to make it easier for you. I’ve pulled together an ideal calendar of what to do when for your invitations and the rest of your wedding stationery, with some tips and advice along the way.

7 to 8 months before wedding

• Start shopping for save the dates, or decide to make your own
• Shop for wedding website and start creating
• Start pulling together guest list and addresses

Tips and Advice:

What wedding stationery do I need?
What your destination wedding guests need to know

4 to 6 months before wedding

• Mail save the dates (send as early as possible for destination and holiday weddings)
• Start shopping for invitations, or decide to make your own

Tips and Advice:

Tips for addressing your invitation envelopes (also applies to save the dates)
Are you making these 3 creativity sucking mistakes when selecting wedding invitations?

3 to 4 months before wedding

• Purchase wedding invitations, or start making your own

Tip and Advice:

When is the right RSVP by date?
Where do I put reception information?
Alternative wedding invitation wording
Formal wedding invitation wording
Love quotes for wedding stationery

6 to 8 weeks before wedding

• Mail invitations
• Start shopping for wedding programs and reception stationery, or decide to create your own

Tips and Advice:

What stationery do I need for my reception?

4 to 5 weeks before wedding

• RSVPs start coming in
• Start finalizing numbers for wedding programs and reception stationery
• Rehearsal dinner invitations are sent out

3 weeks before wedding

• Finalize wording for menus, programs, signage and other reception stationery
• Finalize seating plan
• Purchase or create wedding programs, seating chart, place cards, table numbers and other reception stationery

Tips and Advice:

Sample Wording: What goes in a wedding program?

1 to 3 weeks after wedding

• Write and mail thank you notes

Tips and Advice:
The stress free guide to writing thank you notes

So take action now. Where are you on this timeline? And how are you doing? If you are a little behind, that’s ok. Use this timeline to get ahead of the next task.

Spread the love. Share this stationery timeline with any couples you know who are getting married. Hopefully it will be a sanity saver.

{Photo: custom wedding stationery by Imbue You}