Posts Tagged ‘planning’

Plan Your Wedding From Your iPhone
The Mobile Bride Finds Her Freedom

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I just recently purchased a new iPhone. For four years I proudly sported that old Nokia brick phone that everyone seemed to have at one point. But needless to say it was certainly time to try something new. A couple of my friends had told me about the awesome applications that are available, but until I actually explored Apple’s “App Store” I really had no idea how many were out there. Not that I believe everything that I hear, but when their advertisements say “if you want to do X, there’s an app for that” I am pretty sure they are not lying.

After wasting about two hours the first day surfing through the ‘apps,’ I stumbled across this free one under the “Utilities” section. It is called Wedding Wire. For anyone who is planning a wedding, I suggest it become your new best friend. This application has all the information needed to plan a wedding from Bands to Videography.

Plan Your Wedding From Your iPhone <br/ > The Mobile Bride Finds Her Freedom Photo

When you start the application it locates your geographic position and compiles lists of vendors in your area for any part of the planning process you decide to click on. Then it provides a detailed directory for each vendor, including their name, website and phone number.

Unfortunately this mobile service seems to only be available for the iPhone and iPod touch currently. Though, the fact that it is free, easy to use and accessible anywhere you have service make it great for those fortunate enough to have one of these awesome pieces of technology.

Good luck, and don’t let the abundance of information distract you from what really matters — planning your wedding!

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Coming Up Next:  New Letterpress Wedding Invitation Design- Milian

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Picking Professional Vendors to
Service Your Wedding Needs

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Brides to be, I understand your lives are busy. Whether your wedding is 5 days or 5 months away, it is important to manage your time wisely to prevent stress and anxiety that typically surrounds the wedding planning process.

As you may or may not have already discovered, there are several easy steps that any bride can take to ease their wedding planning worries.

My first suggestion would be to enlist the help of your closest friends, relatives and family members that are willing or have the time to help. Working with people whose company you enjoy, and whose ideas and suggestions you can trust, makes the task seem less daunting.

The second, less obvious recommendation involves the vendors you will be working with. While costs, convenience and availability typically dictate wedding planning decisions, don’t forget about the importance of quality professionals in the field.

At one of my cousin’s engagement parties a few years ago, she hired a less expensive, semi-pro photographer that unfortunately exemplified the term “semi.” While the photographer had an expensive, professional quality camera, she did not know how to use the settings properly and many of the most important pictures came out fuzzy. Luckily this did not happen at the wedding, but that experience made me realize that when it comes to your wedding, lower costs should not always be the deciding factor. You only have one chance to say “I do” and you cannot pose twice for that epic entire family dance floor experience.

To have fun, get the job done right the first time, and make the process as easy as possible, it is always wise to work with professionals. As Sindhu recently commented after receiving her completed invitation set, “Trish has been the most pleasant individual I have had to work with during this entire wedding planning process. There is no way I would have done it any other way.”

Sindhu Letterpress Wedding Invitations

Sindhu Letterpress Wedding Invitations

Working with internet-only invitation printers may be slightly cheaper, but the quality, value and service that professionally trained and experienced individuals brings to your wedding invitation is priceless.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

Coming up next:  Plan Your Wedding From Your iPhone The Mobile Bride Finds Her Freedom

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How to Word Your Wedding Invitation

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Most couples overlook the fact that there are many different ways to write their wedding invitations. Depending on the type of wedding they are planning, the venue or location of the actual ceremony, the wording and etiquette surrounding this subject is very important.

The first thing to know about wording your wedding invitation is remember whatever style or source of information you use to write your invitation, be sure to follow that same pattern throughout your entire set. Gathering ideas from different websites or invitation designs can be useful, but remember when you are writing, stick to the same format.

If you are getting married at a church then there is a certain level of formality that needs to be maintained. Each specific religious institution may have certain codes they follow, so be sure to respect their structure. Parent sponsored weddings typically have invitations that begin with “Mr and Mrs. John Baker request the honour of your presence…” while more independent couples whose parents may not be as intimately involved in the wedding process can simply begin with “ You are invited to attend the wedding of…”

How to Word Your Wedding Invitation Photo

For those getting married in a home or outdoors, the formal expressions and language can be lowered slightly. It is perfectly acceptable to use the phrase “request the pleasure of your company” instead of the rigid style reserved for very formal occasions.

If your wedding ceremony and celebration are going to have a specific theme, or stray from the ordinary format, your invitation can be used to communicate this.

Something to keep in mind that can easily be overlooked, is avoiding mistakes in pronoun usage throughout the invitation set. A common problem is to start a sentence with “We invite you to our wedding…” and later continue with “Their celebration will be held at…”

While it is very important to maintain a similar flow throughout the invitation, wedding invitations have many different styles, conventions, and levels of formality. It is your wedding, so as long as the information makes sense, and follows at least a similar pattern, then go with it.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

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Large Weddings Made Small

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

I was at a wedding recently which was attended by 240 people. The reception hall was large and beautiful, and the music lasted all night. There were so many faces that looked completely unfamiliar and I could not stop thinking, “Do all these people really know the bride and groom?”

The first thing to do when planning your wedding guest list is to decide what venue you want and base your guest list on their capacity.

If space and expense is not an issue, then invite as many people as you like. However, for most of us who are trying to stay on a budget, here are a few pointers on how and who to eliminate from your wedding guest list:

  • Divide the total number of guests in half, so that both the bride and groom get an equal number of family members and friends. This way, neither side feels like they are being cheated.
  • If you do not want young children to attend, make this VERY clear in the invitation. More about how to do that in another post.
  • Single friends who are not in a serious relationship should not be granted the “plus one” status.
  • Even though your parents may be helping you pay for your wedding, that does not mean they should be allowed to dictate the guest list. Do not get pressured into inviting all your parent’s friends just to please them.
  • Just because some distant cousin or relative invited you to their wedding does not mean you have to return the favor. If you do not want them at your wedding, do not feel obligated to invite them.
  • Not everyone will be able to attend the ceremony. Relatives and friends that live in different countries or states may not be able to come, so have a couple backups just in case.
  • My general rule of thumb is, if you haven’t talked to an acquaintance in the last year or they have never met your spouse to be, then you may not want to invite them to your wedding.

Remember above all that this day is a celebration of YOUR love and commitment. Surround yourself by those you care about the most, and fill in the rest as you see fit.

Creating a guest list without offending your parents, extended family, friends or others is not an easy process. Good luck and proceed with caution.

Written by Nick

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

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Using Invitation Fonts to Communicate Your Wedding Theme

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

One of the most important things to remember when designing your letterpress wedding invitations, is the importance of picking a font that captures the theme of your event. Fonts come in all shapes, sizes and colors, so it is important the fonts on your invitation reflect the vision you have for your wedding.

Formal - Many brides dream of having a traditional wedding with all the timeless customs and formalities. Integrating that classic 18th century feeling into your letterpress wedding invitation is the perfect way to emphasize this feeling. Our Baroque invitation wonderfully integrates style, stateliness and elegance.

Casual - With all the pressure, cost and time it takes to plan a large wedding, many brides are choosing to have a smaller, more casual wedding. The great way to let your guests know the event will not be the usual formal affair is through your invitation, and fonts are a great way to do that. Our Serenity letterpress wedding invitation is a beautiful, modest yet sophisticated rendition of a casually styled font.

Whimsical - A sense of humor is an important thing in today’s world. A recent trend in weddings has been to integrate whimiscal, yet tasteful, fonts and words into the wedding invitations. Not only is this perfect to reflect the personalities of the bride and groom, but it sets the mood for the wedding. Capitalizing on their zany story of love, this font and word choice captures the spirit of this couple to be.

Using Invitation Fonts to Communicate Your Wedding Theme Photo

Retro - People everywhere are reaching to the past to re-experience the styles they once loved. Pulling from an ‘old school’ idea to capture the essence of a wedding is an idea that is building momentum. Our new Chopin style letterpress wedding invitation utilizes a font that expresses this emotion. A retro feeling in a chic, artistic invitation.

Invitations by Ajalon
View our letterpress wedding invitation gallery.

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Five Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Wedding or Event Videographer

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

I had one of my bridal couples come back to me several years ago, wanting to purchase a DVD copy of the wedding video I created for them on VHS tape in the late 1990’s.

Why? Because their children had literally worn out the original tape.

Video is one of only two services you will purchase for your wedding day that will live longer than the day itself (unless you freeze some of your cake). If you’ve considered this, and are unsure if Uncle Bob and his camcorder are up to the task, here are five questions to ask when shopping for a professional videographer:

First: What styles of wedding video do you like? Videographers, like photographers, have different styles. Borrow friends’ wedding videos, amateur and/or professional, and watch them to get an idea of what things you like and what aspects don’t appeal to you as much. A clear idea of what you want will make your choices much easier.

Second: How much money do you want to spend? My rule of thumb is simple: however much you expect to spend for photography, you should expect to spend about the same amount for about the same quality of video. A professional videographer typically brings more equipment than a photographer (as befits someone capturing images, motion and sound), and spends more time after the wedding editing the final product. You can spend more on video than photography, or less. Just be aware that the product quality will rise or fall accordingly.

Third: When you go shopping, ask how experienced is the videographer? Weddings have only one opportunity to get things right. An experienced videographer brings backup equipment and anticipates events throughout the day, drastically reducing the chance of something important getting missed.

Fourth: How much attention do they pay to audio? Audio is 50% of your video. Professional wireless microphones on the groom, the officiant and the musicians are essential, as is an audio feed for the reception toasts. Your wedding video should not sound like it’s coming from the bottom of a tin can.

Fifth: Ask your married friends about their experience with video. Find other couples who’ve had their wedding videotaped and ask them if they wish they’d spent more or less than they did on video. It’s also interesting to ask couples who did not opt for video if they would approach it differently if they had it to do over again.

Armed with the answers to these questions, you’ll be much happier with your choice of wedding videographer. So will your children.

Guest blogger Alan Fitch owns Life Events Video Production and has been preserving wedding days professionally since 1987.

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The Proper Way to Address and Assemble Your Wedding Invitations

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing your beautifully designed and addressed wedding invitation returned to sender because of an incorrect address or insufficient postage.

Likewise, when assembling the many pieces of your invitation set, mixing maps with RSVP cards or confusing the order in which the many parts should be combined can be a headache.  We at Invitations by Ajalon understand that planning a wedding can be stressful, so I have decided to give a couple quick tips on how to efficiently assemble and address your wedding invitations:

One of the most important parts of the overall invitation is the actual addressing process itself. No matter how beautiful the inside looks, if the outside address is incorrect, that invitation will never be opened and appreciated.

Unless you are 100% certain that none of your guests have moved, it is worthwhile to verify their current addresses through a simple phone call, talking to a family member or mutual friend or using the internet just to double check the accuracy of your address list.

Step 1 – Address the Envelopes

Once the addresses are ready to be transcribed to your envelopes, practice a couple times on a separate piece of paper writing in the style you intend to use. Once you are satisfied with your handwriting, slowly begin, taking care not to make mistakes that are unfixable.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time so that you can prevent any silly errors and needlessly rushed work.

Step 2 – Assemble Your Invitations

When assembling your letterpress wedding invitations, it is best to start on a cleared and cleaned table (you do not want any cookie crumbs or pizza sauce being sent to aunt Kathy and uncle Mike). Set aside at a good chunk of time when you will not be distracted or feel rushed.

I find that to ward off any anxiety about beginning big projects, it is best to start small. Work in an assembly line fashion, with stacks of exactly 25 of each item. Place all the stacks in the correct order and start inserting.

Don’t seal them until you’ve assembled the 25 sets, so if you have anything left over, you can go back and find which envelope is missing an insert. Once all the envelopes are assembled, then seal and stamp. Be sure to take a sample to the post office before you purchase your stamps to verify the proper postage amount. Square envelopes and envelopes with irregular thickness (for example if you use a ribbon or bow on your invitation) are subject to additional postage costs.

With a little care and consideration, you can easily assemble, address and send your invitations so that they are received with the same love and excitement that you intended.

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Planning a Unforgettable Bachelorette Party and Bridal Shower

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Very few events bring family and friends together like a wedding. The bridal shower and bachelorette party are the few exclusive opportunities to spend time with bride and bond over her single life memories. So, how do you create a shower or party that is different, fun, and memorable for the bride and her guests?

Chances are if you are planning the party, you have an idea if the bride would love an enchanted experience or exciting adventure. Once you know the direction of the event, speak to the bride about the guest list. When contacting the guests, find opportunities to include their memories of the bride into the event. The guests will appreciate being part of the celebration and the bride will love the added personalization.

The guests are from different chapters in the bride’s life, so the more interactive and engaging the experience, the better. Interaction provides instant icebreakers and conversation starters. Keep in mind that memorable showers and parties don’t have to break the bank to be first-class.

One way to engage everyone is through a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts can be created to incorporate the bride’s interests and shared memories with the guests. The theme of the shower or bachelorette scavenger hunt can range from conservative to a roast of the bride and groom.

These personalized hunts can take place anywhere, so don’t be afraid to think out of the box for the hunt route. There isn’t a rule about providing prizes for the winning team or gifts for everyone. The goal of the hunt isn’t to win prizes, but to spend time with the bride and the important people in her life. If you’d like to add prizes, think of something that will remind the guests of the bride and her celebration. Lastly, it is completely appropriate to ask guests to contribute to the expense of the shower or bachelorette party.

Invitations by Ajalon would like to thank Kristin Kendall is the CEO and founder of Out of the Box Events for this blog post.

Out of the Box Events are Scavenger Hunts that Build Better Teams.

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