Invitation Consultants Blog - Wedding and Party Inspiration

Introducing With Joy... Gay & Lesbian Wedding Invitations

Invitation Consultants is now proud to offer unique invitations for gay and lesbian weddings. While we have been honored to work with the GLBT community in the past, we are over the moon to reveal a fresh, new collection of same sex wedding invitation designs inspired by a vibrant and modern aesthetic, and paired with exemplary quality. This collection will help our friends celebrate their love, without bounds. The collection speaks for itself, so please take a look at our gay and lesbian wedding invitation collection.

Thank You Notes | From the Bride-to-Be

A wedding is most certainly a momentous occasion and if you're in the midst of the hustle and bustle of planning, chances are you might be having a bridal shower thrown in your honor. For the perfect shower gift, there is always a perfect way to personally thank someone for their generosity. You'll also want to send your hosts a heartfelt note, as well. My favorites are the modern + colorful stationery items you see above.

For a bride who is a little more traditional, we suggest Daring Damask Stationery. The pattern is classic and the colors can be tailored to match any wedding color scheme.

For the more feminine bride, or a gal who has a flair for rustic or vintage style, we adore Daisy Jar Stationery. It's pretty in pink and oh-so-chic.

For the girl who loves vibrant hues, Fiesta Stationery is an ideal pick. It's bold, makes a statement, and would be the perfect note for a fiesta themed bridal shower (we love a fun, themed party).

No matter the occasion or the gift, always be sure to send a fabulous thank you card!

STANDING ROOM ONLY!

If you're perusing the InvitationConsultants.com website, you might see a playful mixture of invitations that incorporate people standing at a party. The first 'legs' design, as we like to call them, was a simple cocktail party. Then, we quickly realized that we should start mixing it up and making 'legs' for all sorts of occasions. We tried to tailor each person's clothing for different themes and we truly can't get enough of them. Here are three of our favorites but be sure to check if we have a design that fits your event.

Baby Girl Shower

Totally Invited

Margaritas and Fajitas

Trend Alert : Color Blocking

The Color Block trend is everywhere these days. Bold elements paired together in the season's juiciest colors? Yes, please! It can be seen virtually anywhere in any which way. Let's take a peek at some creative uses:

Paper...this Color Block wedding invitation makes a sleek statement with it's duo-toned design

Fashion...you'll turn heads in this color block skirt. Very Mondrian-esque, don't you think?

Home...decorate colorfully (even outdoors) with this color block fireplace setting

Events...a color block wedding would be oh-so-fun, especially with this colorfully patterned Charm City Cake. We adore the rest of the bridal ideas, especially this color block aisle runner!

Planning a colorful, modern or unique event?  Let us help you find the perfect wedding invitation! You'll also find invitations for any party or occasion!

{Fab*Bride} A Bridal Spotlight on Dawn!

We are happy to add Dawn to the Fab*Bride family! This gal sure does look like a ton of fun and her pictures by Elizabeth Greve Photography  are so wonderful. Let's get personal with the bride, shall we?

Lots of emotions run through your mind the week, the day, the morning of, and right before you get married.  Tell us about how you were feeling in those final moments leading up to your big day through the moment you said your “I Do’s.” I was so nervous the morning of my wedding, especially since I was pretty calm during the whole process. Thoughts of flowers, guest lists, and a late groom ran through my mind. I even made 2 of my bridesmaids sleep with me in my bed the night before to keep me calm! I was very eager to start getting ready, because I knew I was going to have to occupy myself to calm down. I had my bridesmaids force feed me all morning, so I wouldn’t faint standing up in the church. Luckily, the moment the church doors swung open (just like in the movies, I promise) and I saw my fiancé standing in front of me- all my fears and nerves vanished & I was ready to have the best day of my life!

Now that all of the elements have come together and have been photographed so seamlessly, what was/were your favorite detail(s) of the wedding? My favorite details of the wedding was everything that we spent the last year making with friends & family’s help. For instance, our napkin rings made from recycled Christmas garlands, hand-stamped napkins & popcorn bags, card box made from my late grandmother’s suitcase, and our Green venue. I absolutely loved how it all turned out, it was very us.

A Side by Side | Bride by Bride

Our bloggers, Courtney + Amy have a couple of things in common! While both creative, clever, and fresh-faced Chicagoans, they are also both engaged! Amy and her fiance Vince are planning a wedding celebration for June, while Courtney and Gavin will be wed in September - both in Chi-town!

We're all abuzz about their planning: from the dress to the wedding invitations, it's all really fun to gab about so I thought I would share a mini interview with both of them!

-1- Most surprising thing about planning a wedding:

Courtney: How many decisions there are to make!  I’m down to the final few and I can wait for everything to be planned!

Amy: The one-million-and-one decisions! I knew there would be a lot to do, but I am still amazed at everything that goes into the planning.

-2- songs I know I will play at my wedding:

Courtney:  I found it easier to cross off the song's I didn’t want to hear.   2 songs I crossed off the offering list "Celebration" and "I Gotta Feelin (black eyed peas)"

Amy: I have no idea. Vince and I have started trying to pick a song to dance to but we keep nixing them all! I am open to suggestions!

Today is Floral Design Day! Hoorah!

In honor of Floral Design Day (February 28), we've compiled some pretty images to spring some excitement about SPRING! It is just around the corner afterall. What's amazing about floral patterns is that they are so versatile and can be found and used on virtually anything (we love floral wedding invitations, of course) and is perfect for all seasons.

Paper...Brittany designed Flower Festival Easter photo card just in time for the holiday

Fashion...Flowers were on trend for Spring Fashion Week 2012. We love Peter Som's floral evening-wear

Home...Along with flowers, you'll find lots of little critters. These Kaleidobug Melamine plates are bright and perfect for a garden party

Events...Primary Petals Floral Design always has the freshest and most unique bouquets. We adore this blooming creation

Planning a colorful, modern or unique event?  Let us help you find the perfect wedding invitation! You'll also find invitations for any party or occasion!

Destination Florida Wedding | Citrus Inspired Details

This is the first of a series of geography-inspired posts. Our wonderfully talented graphic designer Brittany has created an adorable line of layered destination wedding invitations that are perfect for your local or destination wedding location. From Mexico to Hawaii to Canada, we have you covered. We've decided to stay close to home and do a Florida-inspired post based off of the Destination Florida invitation.

While beach weddings are quite popular in Florida, we love the idea of using citrus fruit as a theme for your nuptials. From centerpieces, to favors, to gorgeous scenery, the Florida orange is quite versatile and can be creatively paired with lemons, limes, and other fruits to create an artistic statement. We took to Pinterest for some gorgeous inspiration for this Old Florida feel. Check out our fresh picks.

St. Augustine Outdoor Reception

Citrus photography by Bonnie Tsang

Florida Orange Cloth Bag Favor (from an insanely adorable wedding shot by Max Wanger)

Citrus Cake shot by Millie Holloman

Fruit in Mason Jar

Oranges for Escort Cards

Planning a colorful, modern or unique event?  Let us help you find the perfect wedding invitation! You'll also find invitations for any party or occasion!

St. Patrick's Day Wedding

It's almost the time of year again for leprechauns, four leaf clovers and green beer!  March 17th is St. Patrick's Day this year which is a Saturday creating the perfect opportunity for a St. Patrick's Day wedding!  I love the idea of combining holidays and weddings because it gives you all the more reason to celebrate!  And a St. Patty's Day even eliminates any discussion of wedding colors and as I've learned in planning a wedding, the fewer decisions I have to make the better!  Here are some decor, celebration and invitation ideas for your St. Patrick's Day wedding!

Traditional Celtic hand fasting ceremony / Green and White flowers

Lucky Guinness glasses / Sprinkles cupcake / DIY St. Patrick's day bottles

Four leaf clover place setting

St. Patrick's Day Invitations

Check out InvitationConsultants.com for lots more St. Patrick's Day invitations and tons of other fun stuff!

2012 Wedding Statistics Infographic

We ADORE the amount of diverse themes and occasions our customers select Invitation Consultants for. Among our most popular wedding themes: Las Vegas wedding invitations, tropical wedding invitations, and seasonal wedding invitations (think fall leaves + winter snowflakes!). Our brides order on average anywhere from 100-150 wedding invitations, but we've seen smaller, more intimate events and large scale events with thousands of guest as well. Above, check out some interesting stats for 2012 weddings. 

Invitation stats via InvitationConsultants.com, wedding trend and most expensive city report via the Knot, wedding band and engagement ring info via Huffington Post, and wedding gown stat via David's Bridal.

What's the most surprising thing about planning your wedding so far?