Personalized Embossers for your Wedding

On Tuesday we discussed some of the ways we can upgrade your stationary through your own personal calligraphy art. Today, let's look at another fantastic way to upgrade your wedding paper products, a personalized embosser by Williams-Sonoma.

Photos by Williams-Sonoma

Their embossers add your own monogram, name or address to book pages, gift tags, letters and more. This set includes the embosser, an embosser stand and your choice of personalized plate.

So, let's look at some of the fun ways we can use embossers.

Embossing adds a personal touch to your books, stationary, gift tags, recipe cards and more!

For more information, visit their product page. They've got some great gift ideas as well as some creative uses for the embosser.

Enjoy!

How to Fake Beautiful Calligraphy for your Wedding Stationery

While I have yet to hold a calligraphy pen, I love the essence of the script. It’s the perfect font for wedding invitations, letters, and stationary.

A recent blog post from the Jones Design Company recognizes the importance of calligraphy but, admittedly, understands that not everybody owns a calligraphy kit. And, like them, we would love to be able to imitate this art for ourselves without learning a whole new system of lettering.

Photo by Decor8

And so, I suggest that we fake it.

You don’t necessarily need a calligraphy kit to create calligraphy script for your wedding. And this post shows you how to do it just like that. First, find a good fine tip ink pen.  You can buy them at your local office supply store.

Next, pick a letter, any letter. You can either practice with pencil first or just try it out freehand.

To give your letter that calligraphy flair, fill out the strokes and thickness of the lines. For example, when the pen stroke draws in a downward direction, draw an adjacent line and fill it in.

Great! Let’s look at another example, the word, ‘love.’

And now with the downward strokes filled:

That's it!

Keep practicing with the rest of the alphabet, keeping in mind what letters you will be using for your own purposes. Make sure you have adequate practice time before you write on your formal paper. Remember, your calligraphy doesn't require an exact formula for perfection. Make sure your lettering reflects your own personality and flair. Enjoy experimenting with different strokes and lines.

Once you've mastered the art of faux calligraphy, let’s take a look at a few of the ways we can use it for your wedding:

Invitations, letters, and stationary

Photos by Betsy Dunlap

Table numbers and place cards

Photo by Plurabelle Calligraphy

Personalized name tags

Photo by Plurabelle Calligraphy

Chalkboard art and menus

Photo by Plurabelle Calligraphy

And there you have it. Wedding calligraphy script without the kit.

Wedding Trends 2012: Mixed Metals

Have you ever been told never to mix metals in your wardrobe?

It's an age-old myth that does not apply to the rules of fashion or even decor. In fact, using mixed metals as part of your wedding decor is a great way to add modernity and flair to your event. Let's look at a few of the ways you can use mixed metals.

Servewear

One of the easiest ways of applying mixed metals is through your serveware. Buying seperate pieces and using them together brings a lot of texture to your table.

Photo by West Elm

Photo by Vintage Shelf and Wall

Cake

Using textured gold and silver edible paint can bring mixed metals into your cake as well. Depending on your style, your cake can carry an eclectic charm or be bold and industrial.

Photo by Belle the Magazine

Photo by Post Cards and Pretties

Lighting

Mixing metals in your lighting will add layers of texture to your decor. Consider mixing metals in your  candle votives, chandeliers or hanging lights.

Photo by West Elm

Photo by West Elm

Accessories

Don't think I would forget about accessorizing. Depending on the style of your dress, choose each piece carefully to make sure the selection looks deliberate. Here are a few metals to keep in mind when choosing your accessories: antique gold, bronze, sterling silver, brushed nickel, and copper.

Photo by Anthropologie

Photo by Style Me Pretty

Enjoy mixing those metals!

2012 Wedding Trends: Hand-Painted Wedding Cakes

2012 will bring in a host of new wedding trends, including the rise of hand-painted cakes. And as the reception centerpiece, hand-painted cakes are a great way to reflect the personal and unique style of the bride and groom.

These beautiful cakes by Maggie Austin almost resemble stained glass with their floral, watercolor designs.

Photos by Maggie Austin

Nevie Pie Cakes are also a purveyor of hand-painted cakes. In fact, one of her specialties includes clusters of cupcakes with similar designs.

Not all hand-painted cakes are floral by nature, however. Here are some grafitti-style hand-painted cakes by My Sweet and Saucy.

Photos by My Sweet and Saucy

No matter the trend, however, hand-painted wedding cakes are sure to add a pop of style.

Celebrate with DIY Confetti Shooters!

A few days ago, one of my favorite blogs, You Are My Fave, did a DIY on confetti shooters.

These shooters are incredibly easy to make and really fun for guests to use. They are also a great alternative to rice, flower petals, birdseed, or bubbles.

Photos by You Are My Fave

Here's the supply list:

Mini push-pop containers (these were bought at Garnish)

A 3/4'' dowell cut to 1.5'' long

Your personal stash of confetti

Tissue paper

Glue gun

Tape

Here's what you do: 

Glue the wooden dowel to the base of the push-up container, then place it back inside. Next, fill the rest of the container with your supply of confetti. Use a small square of tissue paper to cover the top of the container and secure it with tape. Then you're done!

Now that our confetti shooters are made, let's look at some of the ways your guests can use them to celebrate your day:

Have the guests line up as the bride and groom exit the ceremony, just before they get in the car for the reception area, or have them wait until after the reception as they leave for the honeymoon. As the guests pop the confetti shooters, make sure your photographer is in place to catch that perfect moment!