Did you get your royal fax?

Apparently Queen Elizabeth sent out Prince William and Kate Middleton’s save the dates…via fax!

Let’s just admit right now that we’re all dying to know what the royal couples’ invitation will look like (please don’t be a fax!). I am wondering if they will opt for a modern design with lots of color and detail, or follow in Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s footsteps with a traditional, royal invitation.

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

What would you rather see? Something traditional or something different? Here are a few invitations I think would be great for the royal wedding:

Send Me My Free Samples of Cathryn

Send Me My Free Samples of Vintage Lace

Send Me My Free Samples of Classic Monogram

Let’s hope they choose letterpress! ; )

***

Written by Katie

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!

Making Magic Under the Bridge

We love our selection of bride-designed letterpress wedding invitations, but the bride’s big day is the most exciting part of all.

After creating the perfect letterpress wedding invitation, Zena and Ronald said their vows beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and danced the night away at their reception. Programs, menus, table numbers and place cards all carried Zena’s motif throughout the event.

Send Me My Free Samples of Zena

See more photographs from Zena and Ronald’s beautiful wedding at photographer Courtney Davidson’s blog. Congratulations Zena And Ronald!

***

Written by Katie

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!!!!

Combine Formal and Fun With This Classic Design

Invitations by Ajalon introduces our elegant Black Tie letterpress wedding invitation design! This is a classic wedding invitation card design, which is equally impressive printed in standard black or with colors that match your wedding ceremony.

Send Me My Free Samples of Black Tie

Your customized monogram is one of the best things about this design, and can be carried through into other invitation items. Coordinating RSVP and other information cards are available to complete this luxurious invitation set.

Send Me My Free Samples of Black Tie

Black Tie is the perfect letterpress wedding invitation card design for formal, yet fun affairs. Keep this exceptional design in mind when searching for the perfect letterpress wedding invitation.

Send Me My Free Samples of Black Tie

***

Written by Katie

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!!!

Tips on Planning a Traditional Irish Wedding Ceremony (continued)

The Irish people have incorporated certain rituals into their wedding ceremonies throughout history – some traditions date back centuries. Today, couples who long for a lovely Irish wedding can pick and choose from these romantic and whimsical elements. Then, they can add in fun touches of modern style to create the perfect atmosphere. Just as home décor benefits from a mixture of antiques and modern furniture and accessories, a wedding can be more beautiful when old and new are joined together…

~

Vows

The Irish reverence for language has created some incredible proverbs, poems, and verses – all of these can be used as wedding vows. Add a few lines of beautiful, traditional Irish prose to your wedding ceremony – a lovely example of a touching and traditional Irish proverb is:

Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and just be my friend.

This is just one example of the way Irish verse celebrates togetherness, equality and commitment. If you already have more conventional vows you wish to say, consider saving these pretty Irish words for reception toasts, or adding them to wedding invitations.

Some popular and amazingly talented modern Irish poets and authors can also provide you with lovely quotes and snippets of verse. Oscar Wilde is urbane, witty, and always funny – W.B. Yeats is more grave and sincere, and his poetry resonates with classic Irish themes, such as the celebration of nature, romance, and spirituality.

~

Guests will love the unique feeling and spirit of your wedding. A traditional Irish ceremony does not have to be a medieval wedding (although these can be fun indeed!) –  it can simply offer subtle and unmistakable facets of Irish culture, history, and spirituality. Ideally, your reception should also offer the same vibe – keeping the theme throughout your wedding celebration will make the whole effect more powerful…

Now that we’ve examined wedding outfits, flowers, and vows, here are some other fun ideas for your wedding:

Lucky Horseshoe For The Bride

In Ireland, horses were a source of status – owning a lot of them indicated wealth and prosperity. For hundreds of years, Irish brides-to-be have tucked horseshoes into their gowns (some tie it into their bouquets) for good luck. You can find feminine, scaled-down versions of the Irish horseshoe to carry on your wedding day – you can keep it in your jewelry box or hope chest after the wedding.

Wedding Hankie

If you dream of caring for a baby someday, this Irish wedding tradition will appeal to you. Tucking an Irish hankie into your gown is believed to enhance fertility and bring good luck to the new couple. Once your first child is born, you are supposed to turn this simple handkerchief into a little bonnet for the newborn.

This post was supplied exclusively for Letterpress Wedding Invitation Blog, by the online jewelry store: Irish Celtic Jewels, who specialize in Irish wedding bands and other Celtic jewelry.

~

Planning your own traditional Irish wedding ceremony? Keep Leigh’s wonderful tips and ideas in mind during your own wedding planning process!

Written by Katie

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Tips on Planning a Traditional Irish Wedding Ceremony

A wedding should be filled with romance – it should also celebrate the heritage of the bride and groom. If you or your intended share Irish ancestry, you may want to explore the idea of combining modern wedding trends with a little touch of Emerald Isle tradition…

~

An eclectic, exciting wedding will thrill guests and inspire a lifetime of happy memories. The trick to creating a wedding that is individual and memorable is seeking out a theme and playing with elements related to vows, formalwear, and flowers…

Plan Your Wedding Outfits –
At every ceremony, the way the bride looks as she walks down the aisle is often a high point. If you’re interested in little Irish touches to your bridal outfit, consider a veil of gorgeous, genuine Irish lace, a bouquet of wild roses (thread in a few Shamrocks for a true Irish effect), and Celtic engagement rings and wedding bands (you can find a matching wedding band for the groom).

The best Irish bridal jewelry designs use ancient symbols, such as Trinity Knots (symbols of the Holy Trinity) or Claddagh symbols. Claddagh Rings are really a great way to add Irish authenticity to your ceremony – in Ireland, couples often choose these rings instead of plain wedding bands. Today, brides enjoy choosing a Claddagh ring with heart-shaped diamond centers. These offer all the beauty of a solitaire, while also featuring the crowned-heart-and-hands motif of the Claddagh…this motif represents love and loyalty.

For the groom-to-be, a touch of Ireland can also perk up his wedding outfit. An emerald green tie could add color to a dark suit or tux. Avoid a kilt for the groom if you are of Irish ancestry and want an authentic look – although Irish tartans are sold in Celtic shops, historically, kilts were not a popular wardrobe choice for Irishmen – they are most often connected with Scotland.  Your groom’s boutonnière flower can also be of Irish origin.

~

In the next of this two-part post, we’ll discuss vows and other charming touches you can bring to a traditional Irish wedding ceremony.

This post was supplied exclusively for Letterpress Wedding Invitation Blog, by the online jewelry store: Irish Celtic Jewels, who specialize in Irish wedding bands and other Celtic jewelry.

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Multiple Ceremonies, One Marriage

Michael Bublé recently announced to the Today show that he and fiancé Luisana Lopilato plan to tie the knot on March 31 and April 6, 2011!

Photo Courtesy of Peace FM Online

Bublé also announced the location of the wedding: Argentina and Vancouver, Canada. It’s not rare to see couples plan two separate ceremonies within one wedding celebration, and letterpress printers hear the cries for help when designing the perfect invitation.  Information for both ceremonies can be included on one card, or you can send separate invites out for each event.

Send Me My Free Samples of Allison

I am wondering how Michael Bublé and Luisana Lopilato will plan their invitation design to include two ceremony locations. Will they opt for the luxury of letterpress?

***

Written by Katie

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!!

How Do You Like The New Look?

At Invitations by Ajalon we work hard to make sure that our customers needs are being met. With letterpress wedding invitations we offer the best customer service and only the most exquisite letterpress printing. So when it comes to our website and blog we like to stay ahead of the curve.

Just in time for the spring wedding season we decided we were ready to upgrade our website. Keeping our customers needs in mind, we have reconfigured the navigation options, changed the look of the homepage and added more features.

Starting now our wedding invitation blog is going to have more updates with more useful information about all things wedding. We write about bilingual wedding invitations, wedding invitation wording, invitation designs, wedding trends and wedding invitation cost saving secrets. Even if you are just stopping by for a quick visit, I hope you enjoy at least some of the info that we have to share.

Thanks for reading,

***

Written by Katie

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!!!

Letterpress or Digitally Printed Invitations Part 1 of 2

You are probably here because you are curious about the difference between having your wedding invitations letterpress or digitally printed. When you are looking at beautifully designed wedding invitations and all you can see and feel is your computer screen, it is hard to really appreciate the unique characteristics of each printing method.

Here are a few steps to get you started:

Order Samples

No two wedding invitation designs are alike, nor are any two wedding invitation printing vendors the same either. The best way to tell the difference between digitally or letterpress printed wedding invitations is to request a  sample package that includes both printing methods.

Deep Impressions

If you are trying to make a good first impression, no other printing method can even come close to producing the same deep impressions and quality aesthetic as letterpress. With an understated elegance that is unique and refined, your guests’ are sure to love your letterpress wedding invitation designs.

While there are no clear winners in this letterpress vs digital printing debate, each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Up next is the second round of this exciting debate between letterpress and digital printing.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Wedding Invitation Designs Fit For a King and Queen

At last! It was announced last Tuesday that Prince William proposed to his longtime sweetheart, Kate Middleton! They dated for eight years before Prince William popped the question. I’m sure the wait was well worth it.

Photo Courtesy of in.reuters.com

Amongst millions of other little details, I wonder what kind of wedding invitations they will choose? Hopefully they will settle for nothing less than exquisite letterpress printed wedding invitation cards. Maybe they will find a royal invitation design all the way across the Pacific, like our Cathryn design!

Send Me My Free Samples of Cathryn

Our Cathryn seems to fit perfectly– Kate Middleton will take on the title “Queen Catherine” when Prince William is crowned. Customizable options like gold foil stamping or metallic ink seem like perfect touches for a prince and princess.

A spring or summer ceremony is in the works for this royal couple, and I can only imagine what this long-awaited wedding and their invitations will be like!

***

Written by Katie at Invitations by Ajalon

Go to the Invitation Gallery

Check out our special on letterpress invitations and save!!!!

Destined For Love With A Destination Wedding

One of my favorite parts about working around letterpress wedding invitation cards is imagining what all of the wedding ceremonies and receptions are going to be like. From elegant winter weddings to tropical destination weddings, I am for them all. I especially love how our recent bride Jamie’s wedding turned out!

Photos Courtesy of Ocken Photography

Jamie and Brian’s luxurious affair took place in beautiful the coastal town of Petoskey, Michigan. They used our Black Tie letterpress wedding invitation design, printed in  delightful light blue and cocoa colors, a truly elegant wedding invitation design.

Jamie confessed, “finding a letterpress wedding invitation was a lot like shopping for my wedding gown.  When I found the perfect letterpress I just knew it was the one!”

I’d Like My Free Samples of Black Tie

The lovely couple carried the monogram motif throughout different day of items, such as menus and guest favors. The couple “loved our custom monogram that we used throughout our wedding day.”

Photos Courtesy of Jamie and Ocken Photography

The sparklers are an excellent touch! Jamie’s final thoughts: “The most enjoyable part about planning my wedding was all the creativity I put into my wedding design. I loved the idea of creating a magical weekend for all my family and friends to come together and celebrate life and love.”

Congratulations Jamie and Brian!

Written by Katie

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.