Rachel & Kevin's Wedding Invitation and Custom Stamp

About a month ago, we blogged about the engagement story of Rachel and Kevin. They are having a berry themed wedding because Kevin's last name is Barry. Well, here is their finished invitation and custom stamp. This design proves that you can create something amazing without spending a lot. Since they had a modest budget, we went with a simple flat card style invitation on ivory stock, printed in one color, and had matching berry-red envelopes. For an added personal touch, they used the custom stamp that matched their wedding ensemble. We are hoping to get photos of their wedding reception and will post them for our readers.

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Pairing Wine With Food

When it comes to pairing wine with food there really are no rules. Nobody can accurately predict the success or failure of a wine and a food match. Why? Most wine selections are made by one's personal taste. Another factor is a wine often tastes differently when served with different foods, where perception of tastes can be exaggerated or diminished. These changes can have a positive or negative effect based on preference.

There are five basic "tastes" science acknowledges everyone can recognize:

1. Sweetness - often hidden in many foods, will increase the perception of sourness, bitterness and astringency in wine. An example of this food and wine pairing would be grapes dipped in sugar would make a White Zinfandel less sweet of a wine. It would also increase the sourness of a Sauvignon Blanc.


2. Sourness - from the natural sourness of some foods, will make decrease the perception of acid in wine and make the wine taste richer and more mellow. For instance, if you were to have a lemon with your White Zin, the wine would appear to taste extra sweet. A Sauvignon Blanc paired with a lemon would taste more mellow and buttery.


3. Bitterness - often confused with astringency, increases the bitterness in wine. If you paired a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir with a cherry tomato, they would taste more bitter than usual.


4. Saltiness - can tone down the perception of bitterness and astringency in wine. The same cherry tomato, only now salted, will balance the taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.


5. Umami or Savory - this taste is hard to describe. It is referred to "mother's milk" because it is a taste everyone likes. Think of a blue cheese being paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon. They seem very mellow and smooth when paired together.

Regardless of what your preferences are, it is best to try your wine with the actual food you are serving at your event. It is also helpful to not only have a second opinion for wine taste variety, but to also have a knowledgeable wine enthusiast or Sommelier on hand for suggestions.

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Memorial Day Weddings

Since the weather is generally nice across the country, Memorial Day weekend weddings can be ideal for many couples. They can plan a long celebration without worrying about guests taking time off from work. However, there are a few things to consider when planning your nuptials over this holiday weekend.

First, you should consider where you are having your wedding. Memorial Day weekend means a lot of families are traveling, especially to places like the beach or state parks. If your not careful in securing a location prior to the wedding, you may have a lot of uninvited guests!

Also, because of it being a high travel weekend, you should send your Save the Dates well in advance. Many families look forward to planning their vacation, so it is important to let them know not to book any other plans. This will also give them time to find the best hotel and flight deals if they are coming from out of town.

Just like taking care of your guests early, you should also reserve your vendors early. This can be expensive because many vendors charge more for a holiday weekend. It is also a weekend that is often requested, so finding vendors early can help relieve the stress of trying to find one at the last minute and possibly being forced to hire your armature friends as replacements.

Have an outdoor wedding with a picnic style reception to save on food costs. You can serve inexpensive hot dogs and hamburgers in fun decorative plates. Serve lemonade in glass jars and use sparklers instead of rice for your departure.

When it comes time to decorate, Memorial Day Weddings can look lavish without spending lots of money. The weekend is patriotic, but you don't have to go overboard with American Flags everywhere. You could choose your own theme and colors, or stick with red, white and blue. By not using American flags, you still capture the feeling of the holiday but allow your personalities to show through.

Regardless of what you choose, this three day Memorial weekend is a great time to have a wedding.

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Add Whimsy With Wedding Cupcakes

Have you thought about the style of wedding cake you want for your event? Instead of a traditional wedding cake, many brides and grooms are turning to wedding cupcakes for many reasons.

Cupcakes are versatile.
Most traditional wedding cakes are only made in one or two flavors. With wedding cupcakes, the combinations of flavors and fillings offer your guests more choices to please their pallet.

Cupcakes are budget friendly.
Simple cupcakes can be more affordable than a traditional wedding cake. (No cutting fee.) This isn't true for all style of cupcakes, since the more elaborate the design, and more number of designs can increase cost significantly. However, cupcakes can be used instead of favors if you supply your guests with to-go boxes to take these tasty treats home.

Cupcakes are fun!
Not only can the design of the cupcakes be fun and funky, but they can also be displayed using creative stands. A full table of cupcakes can really give a traditional wedding cake a run for it's money when it comes to style.

Photo of flower and cactus cupcakes at an event at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

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New Tradition: Family Walking Down the Isle

When it came time to plan our actual ceremony, my future husband and I wanted to make sure we included all of our parents in the ceremony. We didn't like that only the father of the bride got the spotlight along with the couple.

While attending another ceremony, we saw both parents walk the bride down the isle. We thought this was a great way to let both our parents share this special moment, and we decided to take it one step further.

First, we had my grandparents walk down the isle before anyone else. They are the oldest couple in our families (my husband has never known his grandparents) and they also signed our marriage license as our witnesses.

Then my husband walked down the isle with both of his parents. The rest of the wedding party went in the traditional twos, and then both my parents walked me down the isle.

Since then, we have seen some of friends continue this and had their parents involved. We love this new tradition, and hope more couples join in.

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Personalized Wedding Gift Bags

When your family and friends are coming from all across the country – or even out of the country, you may want to consider doing something special to welcome them to your home town or place of celebration. Personalized wedding gift bags are a great way to thank your guests for making the special trip.

Gift bags for your guests are usually a big hit with out-of-towners, but it’s normally the last thing on a bride or groom’s mind. Who has the time to run all over town, get the perfect items, find a cute bag to put everything in, and deliver it to your guest’s hotel rooms before they arrive? Ragan Grossman of Perfect Gift Bag, that’s who!

Ragan Grossman has been working in the event industry for several years and saw the need for this valuable service. She had seen too many gift bags that were poorly executed. One of the biggest problems? The bag itself. Many gift bags are actually baskets, which are not easy to travel with. Most guests actually end up leaving the basket behind, and many times, it’s the most expensive part of the ensemble. So Ragan created a patent-pending design that works well with travelers. It is a cloth bag that comes in a multitude of patterns, and has a collapsible plastic base. This base allows the bag to stand nicely when displayed in your quest’s rooms, but easily folds into a suitcase when it is time to go. Plus, the bag is reusable (perfect for pool time!) and is machine-washable.

Ragan’s attention to detail is also used with the items she places into the gift bags, and completed with your specifications and chosen price range. The gift bags are then hand delivered to your guest’s hotel and will be waiting in their room when they arrive.

The Perfect Gift Bag, “Think outside the box…and inside the bag.”

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New Baby Announcement Magnet

Here is our very first design for our new baby collection! Of course it features my beautiful new niece, Quinlyn. We will be posting baby design on the website soon to purchase online. For now, you can contact us about all of your designing needs.

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Engagement Story: Carla & Brandon

How they met...
So a guy walks into a bar and says, we are going to get married someday. Ha, Ha. No, that's not how it went, but Brandon and Carla met at a local bar in San Ramon. He walked up to her and started talking and they were together ever since.

How he proposed...
The proposal was way better. They were at the Claremont Hotel and Spa in Berkley, CA, and were both getting a massage. Then they went to this beautiful restaurant called Jordan’s in the hotel and ordered this 7 coarse meal which was awesome. When the dessert came, he had the waiter write will you marry me in chocolate on the plate. He then came around the table, dropped to a knee and pulled out the ring. Carla cried….and said yes!

The details so far...
Carla and Brandon will be getting married on the 7th of November, this year, in sunny San Ramon, California. Their wedding colors are shades of red and gold, accented with deep color woods. We have completed their save the date magnets and will post them soon.

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Cost Saving Invitation Tips

It seems to be what's on every bride and groom's mind: How can we have a fabulous wedding and still com in under budget? Well, we have decided to pass on some great information when it comes to saving money on your custom wedding invitations.

1. If possible, stick with black ink only. This is the cheapest way to save on your printing costs. If black ink will just ruin the look of your invitation ensemble, then ask your designer about other standard ink colors offered by the printer. Many times these colors can be used, even if it is at a percentage. (such as 20% blue will then be a light blue.)
2. Ditch the bells and whistles. One rhinestone will have the same impact as if you used three. Tie a simple bow instead of wrapping the whole invitation in ribbon.
3. Change the invitation style, but keep the design. I just quoted a customer twice - once with the design used in a gatefold card tied with ribbon, and once as a flat card. The gatefold card was nearly 3 times the cost of the flat card, and still had the design the customer fell in love with.
4. Don't be afraid to ask your designer for files. We are more than happy to create something for someone and allow them to do their own printing and assembling. Just pay for the cost of the design and CD, and then choose how you want to use it. This is a great way to save - and you can use your custom art on other items such as tags and labels.

If you are interested in custom design, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Arizona's First Bridal Week Coming Soon!

We are happy to announce that we will be taking part in Arizona's First Bridal Week! It is 8 glorious days of wedding events, at the end of September.

Arizona's Bridal Week was the brainchild of Jennyvi Dizon and the gals at Lillian Lottie Couture, Meghan Lawlor and Jenny Pinto, who wanted to hold events with Arizona's top wedding vendors and best designers.

These events will be much more intimate than a regular bridal show and will give engaged couples the opportunity to really talk to top professionals and see what they have to offer. The whole week is filled with fashion forward events that are sure to please.

There will also be several prizes given throughout the week and one lucky bride will win the gown of her dreams! If you pre-register for the event, you will receive a free gift bag of products from participating vendors.

We will post more information about these wonderful events, including locations, dates, times, and participating vendors in the future, so please check back often.

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Celebrity Trend: Second Weddings

While many couples are scaling back on their wedding budgets due to a suffering economy, Hollywood is proving once is just not enough and throwing multiple extravagant weddings.

Earlier this month, Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen and New England Patriot's Quarterback Tom Brady wed for the second time at Bundchen’s Costa Rica home. Their first wedding was in February, but this second wedding was even more lavish with three days of pre-wedding celebrations.

Actress Salma Hayek and billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault re-tied the knot last week in a star-studded Italy wedding at the Opera house. The two first married in a civil ceremony on Valentine’s Day in Paris.

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt also decided the best things come in twos and had a formal wedding and reception in Pasadena, California. They originally eloped in Mexico, but decided they wanted to include family and friends for the formal affair. (By the way, loved her dress.)

While we don't think this trend will catch on with the normal public because of cost, I have to admit we love the idea. My husband and I plan to renew or vows in the future, but unlike celebrities, it is a personal choice to actually renew them by ourselves, without guests. We figured it would be a special moment between us, probably in another country or on a beach somewhere. Besides,we threw our lavish party for friends and family the first time!

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