Vintage Wedding Invitations

Sun and waves might be good for the soul, according to a new national survey naming Hawaii as tops in well-being among U.S. states a" but the sunshine doesn't necessarily elbow out Northern Lights and snow, as Alaska also made the top 10 happiest states list.Low population density, low crime, lots of outdoors and or nice outdoors. I believe it. Im getting tired of living in a crowded state with lots of people and crime. I hate worrying if someone is going to break into my car again or if some one is going to try to rob me when walking to my car from the store late at night.

The 2010 telephone survey was conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. Results showed the South may need some smile help, with 10 southern states falling into the lower range of the list. Many western states, however, shined in well-being, with five of the top 10 located in that region of the country.

The top 10 states and their average well-being scores (out of a possible 100 points):

1. Hawaii: 71.0

2. Wyoming: 69.2

3. North Dakota: 68.4

4. Alaska: 68.3

5. Colorado: 68.0

6. Minnesota: 68.0

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:
Need some ideas for a vintage (antique) look wedding invitations?
Wanted some vintage looking wedding invitations with an ornate pattern on them. Does anyone have any suggestions?
- ANSWER:
  http://www.ibkstationery.com
QUESTION:
Vintage Marquee/Poster style wedding invitations
I love these wedding invites, unfortunately letterpress is WAY out of my budget, and even if I could work the price in, the turnaround time is for too long.

Does anyone know where I can find pre-printed invitation sets or photoshop brushes/clipart that I could design something like it on my own?

I've been looking everywhere but I can't seem to find anything.

Does anyone know what this "style" is called?

Thanks!

http://www.thistleberrypress.com/65.html

http://www.elumdesigns.com/public/userfiles/Suite/Poster-suite.jpg
(you have to click on pic to zoom)

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/in-insert/4275992-propaganda.php?id=4275992
- ANSWER:
  It's not a photo shop brush or style, its the design you are looking for....which is a flourish.
  
  First you need to start sourcing clip art of flourishes...I have seen these online. Just search "fluorish borders and clip art" some should pop up. You can purchase the rights to the hi-res editable files for just a few dollars.
  
  For teh fonts, i would go to dafont.com and look under their styles for something similar, they have tons of font styles similar to this.
  
  Good luck!
QUESTION:
Looking for vintage cardstock paper in Lavender to make wedding invitations? Help!?
I'm looking for Lavender vintage cardstock paper to make homemade wedding invitations. Here is a website where I found paper I like but just not in Lavender:

http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Portrait-Collection-Paper-Crate/dp/B004QP69DW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306125270&sr=8-2

I'm looking for paper just like that in lavender. Our wedding will be in a church and the reception will be in an old 1800's building. I can't find vintage looking cardstock paper in Lavender to match the wedding theme. Can you help me find this kind of paper? Thank you!
Then where can I find scrapbook paper just like that in Lavender?
- ANSWER:
  This is hard to locate. But ask a card supplier and a stationer to help. They are often your best bet.
QUESTION:
I am designing wedding invitations - any suggestions on fonts?
Hi,
I am designing wedding invitations with the theme of "Vintage ITalian" - any graphic designers have suggestions for what fonts I should use? I'm thinking of a script, and a non-script combo.
- ANSWER:
  One thing I would suggest is to research vintage italian. It'll help greatly in picking out the perfect fonts. Just type in vintage on google, or whatever you use.
  It's really hard to put scripts and serif/sans serif fonts together and actually making them work. It's not impossible, it's just a matter of fitting them together because they're both so different in style.
  Sorry I couldn't actually suggest a specific font...It's harder when you're not up close to the project, ya know? But this is definitely something I would do if I were in your situation. =)
QUESTION:
Vintage Wedding?
I'm looking to give my wedding a theme from anywhere between the 1920's and 1940's. For my reception though, I want to have objects everywhere of things from these periods. Like a pair of those old lace up ankle boots (Mary Poppins Style). I'm going to be having a DJ playing old songs but can't think of any good decoration items. Also, for my invitations, I don't want to send out a paper invitation but rather, an object. For example, my sister got married on the beach in Hawaii and for her inviation she sent out bottles filled with sand and shells and scolls with every guest name on it. The actual invitation was laquered to the bottle. Any ideas on something unique I could do for mine?
It will either be 1920's or 1940's decided on what I can use better with my theme
- ANSWER:
  I have same idea for my wedding, here are some suggestions. First of all, I would forgo the boots, unless you are going with a Victorian style wedding. The 1930's was an absolutely lovley decade. Just make sure you pic one decade because there is a lot of difference between the clothing from the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's. If doing the 1920's or 1930's you might want to look into getting finger waves,and getting an authentic dress from that era. They are avalible and often not expensive.Instead of a DJ, I would have an orchestra or big band, or a jazz band that would play songs of that era. I would send out invitations and choose an art deco design, or you could send out something which is uniquely art deco. Or what about a black and white photograph of you and you hubby to be of you dressed in clothing from that era, and a photograph which is meant to look old. For decoration ideas, I would watch old movies, it depends on your setting of where your wedding is taking place.
QUESTION:
Wedding invitations?
Wanted to design and make my own wedding invitations. Was thinking of a vintage theme with a baroque floral patter.

Does anyone know where i can get ideas from?
Or knows of anyone where i can get them made?

I know how to use Adobe illustrator.
Just can't come up with a good idea.
- ANSWER:
  I have given you a link to a site called Paper Direct.
  CHECK IT OUT !!!
  http://www.paperdirect.com/Wedding+Invitations+Accessories/cid=163/shop.axd/Category
  They have a wide variety of paper that you can use to type up your own invitations.
  Check out their wedding invitations area it has helpful templates etc.(or just to get IDEAS from).
  They were one of the first, (if not the first) companies to give us something other than white paper to print out on.
  When I used them years ago I was quite surprised at the quality of the product. You can order some to check out the quality for yourself.
  
  Congratulation!! and Good Luck in Life and Love
QUESTION:
Where can I find some darker-themed wedding invitations?
My friend is getting married in a little over a year, and she's looking to get some darker themed wedding invitations. No death or anything lol, just some cool little skull design or maybe some vintage/victorian design. Any help?
If you don't like the question, please feel free not to reply. :] Its not your wedding.
- ANSWER:
  Like these?
  http://www.purplefairy.co.uk/gothicdesigns.html
  
  http://www.eternal-wedding-design.com/invitations-custom.html
  
  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21916270
  
  http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24089760
QUESTION:
How to have a vintage style wedding?? ?
I'm having trouble planning my wedding with the colors and flowers.. I have bought my dress and its ivory.. For some reason I cant post the link but you can go to davidsbridal.com and type in 9H9572. The dress kinda looks like a vintage dress (to me anyways) and I kinda want to keep that going with the wedding. My invitations look like cutouts from a newspaper. The flowers I have chosen are the Gerber Daisy's in the colors of hot pink and orange, b/c those are my favorite colors. I wont be doing flowers everywhere just in my bouquet and bridesmaids bouquets, and then again in my centerpieces at the reception. But they just don't seem really "vintage" to me. I was thinking maybe changing my colors to red.. but I don't know what to put with it.. maybe black?? or ivory... Im not really into white..

Again I am not able to post the link (still not sure why) but go to davidsbridal.com and type in style 83000 and when that comes up its the bottom middle pic.. the orange and pink... But even if i stay with these colors the dresses I picked out dont have that vintage look to them.. So does anybody have any suggestions on this for me?? Can you give me pictures?? Should I change my colors to the red???

Also im wanting to do bride and groom strawberries as favors.. there about 1.50 a person, does anybody think this will be a good idea?? or does any body else have any suggestions?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!!
- ANSWER:
  as a vintage clothing collector , and avid wearer , your dress is very 1960's. I like the bridesmaids dresses in the orange/pink , red really just doesn't have that 60's/70's vibe , and most BM dresses from that era are pastels and bright floral colours.
  as for the big Gerber daisies , they fit the era wonderfully.
  
  the strawberry flavours are very cute , and most everyone loves them. (i have seen similar ones like you're talking about.)
  
  But don't switch to red , weddings were not as liberal and tradition was key. Red meant bad luck and was not a wedding colour.
QUESTION:
What's your opinion on these invitations?
I am going for a lavender theme (not sure of my second color yet).

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/765/signature_white_wedding_invitations_meadow_flourish.html

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/1144/signature_white_wedding_invitations_filigree_pattern.html

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/1451/signature_white_wedding_invitations_vintage_damask.html

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28631388&ref=sr_list_18&&ga_search_query=lavender+wedding+invitations&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14292731&ref=sr_list_2&&ga_search_query=lavender+wedding+invitations&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=3&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Any one know of any other sites of where I can get some?
Thanks
- ANSWER:
  First one is very pretty. I like the second one better. Third one looks more like a save-the-date because of it's shape. I love the fourth one, if it goes with your other themes. The fifth one isn't my favorite, but I like it too.
  
  Honestly, I'd like any of them. I think that the fourth one is my favorite because it's interesting and unique. The second one is my next favorite.
  
  Great choices! You have amazing taste! I wish I had seen this before I bought my invitations.....one of my colors is lavender too!
QUESTION:
Vintage wedding ideas anyone?
Since my wedding dress is a vintage gown that I'm slightly revamping I wanted to base my wedding and reception around that sort of "theme."

My invitations will be dyed in tea to give them that "vintage" feel as well....I'm stuck on decorations though, how can I convey that vintage feel in the decor? Any ideas?

This website has kind of a vague idea of what I'm going for if it helps

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http://www.vintagemagpie.co.uk/
- ANSWER:
  I would say you should use feathers and delicate flowers to get across that vintage feel, peonies and hydrangeas.
  Here are some vintage wedding ideas:
  http://abbyjean.typepad.com/style_me_pretty/images/alice_3.jpg
  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFmxOMUdzbXRlM1JHbk9PWWdrWS01TGcAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg
  http://bp2.blogger.com/_N28dmFcjIWY/SDSY0TWPdcI/AAAAAAAAAVw/M6JmWBJn4Ds/s1600-h/South+African+weddings.+A+vintage+wedding.jpg
  http://www.zoelingard.co.uk/blog/2008/11/design-concept-soft-latte.html
  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFnppTHZaMnJ3M1JHNENlTEZQSHB6OUEAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg
QUESTION:
Where can I get quality wedding invitation templates or even wedding rubber stamps?
I'm making my own designs then having a friend print them out for me. I need some good ideas for a vintage, yellow brown white, wedding theme. Thanks for your suggestions!
- ANSWER:
  Here are a variety of Wedding Invitations to choose from, they can be customized to suit your personal needs http://www.invitation-templates.net/wedding/wedding-collection-invitations.php
  
  HTH
QUESTION:
Where can I find the fish stamp from the Martha Stewart wedding invitation?
Where can I find the blue vintage-y looking blue fish stamp on the Martha Stewart for Crane & Co. Cartouche Aqua wedding invitation? For that matter, where can I find any cool vintage-inspire (but still in circulation) stamps to put on a wedding invitation?
- ANSWER:
  http://www.zazzle.com/custom/stamps
  This is a great site, you can make any stamps you want with the little creator tool, and order them for not much more than the post office sells. They are official too, I linked to them off of usps.com. Just get a vintage photo and put it in there, voila! I am going to use them when I finally get to send out my invites.
QUESTION:
can i use cancelled foreign postage to decorate wedding invitaions?
I bought thousands of vintage italian postage stamps, most of which are cancelled, to decorate the envelopes for my wedding invitations. I want to use about ten on each one. Is this allowed?
- ANSWER:
  I don't really see the point but yes you can put them on there. If they've already been cancelled the post office will pretty much ignore them as long as you have the correct postage in the corner where it should be.
QUESTION:
Vintage themed wedding?
Any ideas for anything will be great. I already have the invitations. I'm up for anything DIY. Any general advice would be appreciated, too. Thanks.
- ANSWER:
  If you can, collect vintage tablecloths to use on the tables. No need to get the right size as you can place a vintage tablecloth over a white tablecloth. Perhaps collect vintage vases in various sizes with cut flowers on the tables? You could swag fabric along the head table and at the top of each swoop, place a vintage broach. Start off a great collection of Milk Glass for yourself by buying up all you can to decorate the tables. Milk glass looks great at night with candles in them, too.
  
  In the bathrooms, use vintage linens and decorate the vanity with vintage items like vintage dresser containers and such with a nosegay on the vanity.
QUESTION:
Do you love this invitation?
I like it, and my fiance likes it too, but I'm wondering if the flowers are too juvenile, and I'm wondering if it's an appropriate wedding invitation.
Please give me your honest opinions. I'll be selecting the purple colour.

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/2095/signature_ecru_wedding_invitations_vintage_print_.html#review-tab
Or do you like this 2nd one better?http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/1971/signature_ecru_wedding_invitations_natural_wildflower.html#color/1
- ANSWER:
  Personally I like the 2nd one because it's softer looking, but they are both nice. Flowers are not juvenile at all, that's why you see so many invitations with flowers on them. I would think only a cartoon character might be perceived as juvenile and even so, if you and your fiancee like them then that's all that matters.
  
  Just to show you how elegant floral invites can look, here is the site where I got mine from. This is an artist who custom makes them to order. http://www.momentaldesigns.com/lacy/
  
  Click on the thumbnails under the main picture to see many examples. 3 of them show purple flowers - I love the dark plum on the sage background! Also listed under her vintage category is "trees". These are the invites I got and she paints the blooms on the trees to match your wedding colors. You could easily make these invites for about the same cost as the ones your looking at. But go with what you love!
QUESTION:
Which invitation do you like?
My colors are going to be lavender and sage. I think I want to do maybe a french theme. Which invitation do you like? What are some things I could include for a french theme?

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/1144/signature_white_wedding_invitations_filigree_pattern.html

http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/1451/signature_white_wedding_invitations_vintage_damask.html

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29609958&ref=sr_gallery_15&&ga_search_query=lavender+wedding+invitations&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28631388&ref=sr_gallery_18&&ga_search_query=lavender+wedding+invitations&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=2&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14292731&ref=sr_gallery_2&&ga_search_query=lavender+wedding+invitations&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=3&order=date_desc&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Thanks!
- ANSWER:
  3
QUESTION:
What do you think of this look for invitations? Using many small stamps.?
I was looking at stamps for my wedding invitations. I do not like those custom ones you can get online, the barcode part bothers me and they are expensive. I not in love with the wedding stamps usps sells although that might be what I end up using. I saw this http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/portal/site/ww/menuitem.460039687ea4fc3df8aeef105173a0a0/?vgnextoid=f389cdd7d7a91110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default and though the one on the bottom right was cool. Those are all current stamps in just really low denominations. My wedding has a slightly vintage theme to it, not to much just matches the venue, and I though that could work. But I wanted some opinions. If you got that in the mail would you think wow that is neat or wonder if I did not understand how postage works?
One think I really like about it is that it would not cost any extra then regular postage, maybe a couple dollars total but nothing major.
- ANSWER:
  As a guest, I'd probably say, "Oh, that's cute and clever."
  
  But if it's a hassle or a big expense to get them, I'd just suck it up and use the regular USPS stamps (whether they're wedding-themed or not). Really, people aren't going to notice the postage stamps, so it's not worth any extra time or money.
  
  If it's easy to do and if it wouldn't cost you any more than regular stamps would, go for it.
QUESTION:
Canada Post and Vintage Stamps?
I have these really pretty vintage Canadian stamps from the 50s and 60s and I want to use them to mail my wedding invitations. I heard that it is fine to use unused old stamps to mail a letter as long as they add up to the current postage rate. Postage is currently 57cents for a regular letter. I have to use approx 9 stamps per envelope (most of them are 5cents each) to get the correct postage! Will Canada Post still accept a letter with 9 stamps on it? Do I have to arrange them all in a row or can I fit them all around the corner?
- ANSWER:
  I can't speak for Canada Post rules, but I don't imagine it's any different than the US Postal Service. As long as they don't cover up any part of the address (modern sorting equipment reads most addresses now, at least until they get to the carrier), you should be OK.
QUESTION:
Where can I find WW2 military orders?
I am having a WW2 1940's wartime wedding and I wanted my invitations to be vintage looking military orders; however, I can't seem to find any originals or copies of original orders.
- ANSWER:
  Military Operations Orders tend to be rather bland and lengthy documents. Overall format for operation orders have not changed significantly over the years.
  
  A suggestion. The essence of any military operation order is the "Five Paragraph Order". Using this format a patrol order can be less than a page long and an order for the invasion of Normandy could consists of thousands of pages and yet the overall organization is the same.
  
  The basic outline is
  
  Situation
  Mission
  Execution
  Admin/Logistics
  Command/Signal
  
  The United States Rangers essentially use this same 5 paragraph opord format.
  
  Take a look at the overall 5 paragraph operation order format. I think that ultimately it can be adapted to a "Mission: Invitation to Attend a Wedding". You could include a map similar to the one in my source number 3. I would probably not indicate the enemy on the map, but more the friendly forces, their route and the objective to be taken.
  
  Finally my last source shows various declassified operational documents from Desert Storm. You could borrow some of the formatting from these documents to include classification, declassification date, headquarters, etc.
  
  Hope this helps. Bonne chance.
QUESTION:
how easy will it be to make these!!?
basically on a scale of 1-10 (1 being hard, 10 being easy) how easy do you think is will be for me and my nan to make this cake

http://www.cakeladycakes.com/ivory-lace-wedding-cake.jpg

and this invitation

http://bstudioweddinginvitations.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/vintage_glamour_lace_wedding_invitations_card_1.jpg

thankyou
- ANSWER:
  1= difficult.................10= easy
  If you have a lot of experience baking and decorating cakes (like at least 10 years) then I would say the difficulty would be:
  5
  
  If you have done some decorating but have never worked with fondant or done a tier cake...I would say the difficulty would be:
  3
  If you are artistic and can draw the freehand lace on the top 2 tiers with a steady hand, I would say the difficulty for that part is:
  5
  If you cannot freehand with a nice flow the lace work, then I would say the difficulty for that part would be:
  1
  If you wish to ice the cake in buttercream instead of fondant but still want that super smooth look and you are an experienced decorator with videos of how to smooth buttercream..then I would say the difficulty would be:
  2
  If you wish to ice the cake in buttercream instead of fondant but still want that super smooth look and you have very little to no experience as a decorator..then I would say the difficulty would be:
  -2.
  
  The invitation is beautiful! I do not do arts and crafts though so I have no idea what would be involved with it.
QUESTION:
Wedding color insights? Would this look good?
My colors were going to be ocean blue and white, but I found it very difficult to find blue things for the wedding. I changed my color to white and black after looking at invitations with some scrollwork and vintage-looking designs on them. I decided to go with that. I was told black and white might be too much, and I should add a hint of another color in there, like red or green. What do you think? And if you have any color combinations you like, feel free to suggest those.
- ANSWER:
  Adding another color is a good idea and you could even add in the blue that you were originally going for as an accent.
  
  http://www.lazybride.com/.a/6a00d8341f404b53ef00e554df46718833-500wi
QUESTION:
Would I be breaking any copy-write laws doing this?
If I buy vintage postcards then copy them and use the copies on my wedding invitations? I would not be selling anything or making any money but I would be distributing them to a lot of people. I know even if I am breaking a copy-write law I probably won't get in any sort of trouble but I do not want any smart comments from relatives about it.
- ANSWER:
  Depends how old they are.
  
  if you go to www.copyright.gov you can read the laws on when a copyrighted work enters the public domain.
  
  Richard
QUESTION:
Invitation ideas for "Vintage Washington, DC" theme?
Our wedding is on a DC cruise (passes DC monuments, etc.) and the favors are packs of vintage-looking postcards of DC tied up in a ribbon. Now I need ideas for invitations/reply cards, preferably those we can make ourselves or that are inexpensive, that would extend this theme. Ideas we have include postcard-style reply cards, old postmarks, sepia tone prints (to save on color printing)... Anyone have any good ideas? (Oh, and we need to steer clear of politics due to different opinions in the family! So - DC scenery only!) Thanks in advance for your advice.
- ANSWER:
  I don't know if this would get too expensive, but this is the site for the White House Historical Association which has notecards with vintage type pictures on them. Maybe you could get some ideas from this?
  
  http://www.whitehousehistory.org/shop/Notecards
QUESTION:
Any ideas on how to incorporate a 1930's theme into a wedding?
I am trying to stick with pearls and ivory lace for the actual wedding. I have some old fashioned lanterns that I will use for centerpieces. The groomsmen will have on tuxedos with a cut away style coat, but as far as my bridesmaids dresses go, I am finding it difficult to figure out how to reflect a 1930's with them (without putting them in something that they may find hideous). Another road block is my invitations. I cant seem to find an invitation that is vintage enough, and I want to send out save the date magnets that have the same vintage theme/look. Does anyone have any ideas or websites I can reference?
P.S. One more thing: I have been looking at the wedding dresses from that era and the majority had sleeves (mostly long). Since the wedding is going to be in May in the backyard of a Manor in Mobile, AL long sleeves wouldn't be a good idea (no one likes a smelly sweaty bride). Any suggestions on where to find a vintage inspired wedding gown that was tank top style, halter, or no sleeves?
And I am not expecting the guests to adhere to the theme in their style of dress either...
- ANSWER:
  as for invitations I found this Art Deco one at http://www.oliviastationery.co.uk/artdeco.html
  
  if you scroll through down this page there are a ton of art deco invitations:
  
  Hello, Does anyone know any good wedding favour tag quotes?
  
  My favors for the wedding are organza bags filled with a couple of different kinds of candy. I wanted to attach a homemade tag on it that says a thank you verse. i only found "thanks for sharing this special day". i wanted to see what other people could come up with i am not making the tags very large so something short and to the point is preffered. Thanks Hope to see some great ideas :)You helped to make our day complete -Now please enjoy this little treat.How sweet it is that you could celebrate with us. Hugs and...
  
  Continue...
  
  http://www.eleganthandmadecreations.com/ArtDecoInvitations.htm
  
  as for a wedding dress, try this link-
  
  http://vintageglamblog.com/2009/01/10-vintage-inspired-wedding-dresses-for-under-500/
  
  also Maggie Sottero Gatsby is very "30s" feeling to me. (www.maggiesottero.com)
QUESTION:
Flowers for Alice in wonderland wedding theme?
I'm getting married in January and the theme for our wedding is Alice in wonderland. My bridesmaids dresses are apple red, I'm having a difficult time picking out what kind of flowers to use for the bouquets. Our invitations have are vintage looking King, Queen and Ace's which goes along with alice in wonderland. Any ideas for decorations would be be helpful.
- ANSWER:
  White or red roses
  
  "Painting the roses red"
QUESTION:
Marie Antoinette style wedding?
Hi there, I am a massive fan of vintage and couture (think diamonds/pearls/lace/gorgeousness) and have absolutely fallen in love with this Ian Stuart dress
http://www.ianstuart-bride.com/docs/RR_antionette.html
(if the link does not work, the dress is called Antoinette on the Ian Stuart website).

I have 3 adult bridesmaids - I have no idea how to style them bearing in mind the dress is so fussy and over the top (in the most beautiful way ofc! lol) I havent really thought of my colour palette, I think what would go best is probably a really pale dusty rose or maybe a light coral? I would be willing to consider any colour but no shades of green. Green I adore, but it is my dad's least favourite colour, he actually hates it... lol

I have no idea what would work best considering the flounciness of the gown.
Any ideas greatly appreciated . . . even for flowers /invitations/etc. Basically the wedding to work around the dress . . .

thanks x
- ANSWER:
  First off, that is an absolutely gorgeous dress. You mentioned a pale dusty rose color. That would be beautiful. Any pale pink with some tan/beige/brown and especially gold accents will fit your theme wonderfully. Think along these lines:
  
  http://loveweddingflowers.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/flowers/pale-pink-wedding-flowers.jpg
  http://www.weddedaway.com/images/wordpress/uploads/2010/12/wedding-inspiration-board-pink-and-gold.jpg
  http://daily.wedshare.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/jennifer-skog-marie-antoinette.jpg
  
  If that turns out to be too much pink to you, you can always go with something that uses antique metal colors (antique gold, silver, copper...) and then add the pale pink in as an accent (which is pretty much antique copper, anyway). Something like this:
  
  http://img3.visualizeus.com/thumbs/10/11/01/antique,gold,cake,charcoal,cream,pebble,silverspun,sugar,wedding,reception-41d614a82fa4cdbbd8d48489fe3f4a45_m.jpg
  
  And for the bridesmaids, think along these lines for the colors and keep it simpler, as was mentioned earlier, so that there's more emphasis on your dress, of course, hehe:
  http://media.theknot.com/ImageStage/Objects/0003/0025300/large_image.jpg
  
  My specialty is invitations... it's what I do for a living. If you want to fit those into the theme, depending on your budget, you could do anything from a simple letterpressed card:
  
  http://suburbanpenpal.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/goldrenrectanglepress.jpg
  
  to an elaborate silk box invitation:
  
  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XshiYiHTZis/STa_dHxXCWI/AAAAAAAAAU8/5vKLztojPM4/s400/SilkBox2.jpg
  
  Hope this helps!
QUESTION:
Is is possible to have a wedding for 150 people for ,000 (not including rings) or less in NJ?
Garden wedding at a private residence. Vintage theme. Colors are black, blue, emerald green, and silver

We want to have:
-very short ceremony, but a 4-5 hour reception
-tables and seating for every guest
-real utensils, dishes, and glassware, and table linens
-a full dinner (probably buffet style?)
-alcohol (thinking beer and wine only?)
-a tent (in case it rains)
-a dance area/floor
-photographer
-lighting
-decorations
-table center pieces
-favors/thank you gifts
-invitations, reply cards, and thank you gifts
We would like the wedding to be in the evening and we want as much of this as possible to be done in an eco-friendly fashion (i.e. nothing disposable).

We have the following already for free:
-A venue for the ceremony and reception
-Videographer
-Wedding cake
-Music
-Officiant
-Seating cards

We are both open to a low budget, laid back, casual wedding. However, both of our families are snobbish and stuck up (so things like forgoing save the dates and asking people to do potluck is out of the question). Any insight would be *very* much appreciated. Thank you!
- ANSWER:
  We had our wedding for 500 people for 00 in Texas. It's definitely doable!
QUESTION:
Help with unique wedding theme?
My fiance and I are going with a vintage study(office)/ school theme for our wedding and would like to get some ideas for it.

This is sort of what we are going for.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.oncewed.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.oncewed.com/10186/table-trends-blog/table-trends/vintage-study-table-top/&usg=__R4CSiSYUh_qpknGsUz7Uhl8hia0=&h=600&w=804&sz=417&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=s5BLd_JUQ7hICM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dschool%2Bwedding%2Btheme-%2Bonce%2Bwed%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1

Our colors are an aqua blue and red and is happening in March.

Ideas for favors, decorations, invitations, programs, save the dates, and any others!

Thanks!
- ANSWER:
  I adore your theme! Here are some blogs and things I've found that incorporate it:
  
  http://www.weddingbee.com/2006/10/06/the-cutest-wedding-ever/
  
  http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/minhee-and-truman?&lpgStart=1&currentslide=1&currentChapter=1#ms-global-breadcrumbs
  
  http://blog.weddingwire.com/index.php/tag/wedding-theme/
  
  http://wavewedding.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Chewing-the-Cud-Weddings-7.png
QUESTION:
OK - here's my wedding plan - what do you think?
I'm FINALLY done deciding all of this, thank goodness.

It will be June 13th, at 2pm.

The wedding will be here: http://www.myriadgardens.com/images/otherareas.jpg

and we're getting married under this:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1141351920050736727IGGlVd

The reception is at the same place, so we'll just walk over; here's the room:

http://www.myriadgardens.com/images/TerraceRoom.jpg

This is the awesome man I get to marry. Oh, and me.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.editAlbumPhoto&albumID=220616&imageID=62000555&MyToken=8a89ce52-7433-4f82-81a1-2ee5f1893f97

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/56/l_48ae5ca1ed69475e9617f620d1b054ee.jpg

Here's my dress!!

http://www.unique-vintage.com/vintage-inspired-ivory-embroidered-tulle-gown-p-1760.html

One of our friends is a professional photographer, and she's doing our pictures. A friend of mine is an expert baker, and is making our cake. My sweetie is great at graphic design, and he's making the invitations. I'm doing the flowers myself, and DIY decorations.

I'm so happy and excited - I just want to know what people think of our ideas so far.
http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/unique-vintage/7533larger.jpg

Wrong dress pic. This is it.
And my sister is organizing the reception, and my MIL is doing my hair. My dad (woodworker) is making a frame to hold our 'guestbook', which is actually a canvas for people to sign and wish us well, which will hang in our home.
I really like the invites he's making; he's a videographer and a total film nut, so he's making them to look like old-fashioned movie tickets, and they have a similar 'broadway' font - and say 'Admit One' and things like that. It's so quirky...I love it.
Heh...that shirt is ancient...I can't believe I still have it - that picture was taken over a year ago, and I think I wore it last week...lol
- ANSWER:
  Congratulations everything looks beautiful! I personally love everything you have picked out. Best of luck!
QUESTION:
Ideas for engagement party...?
The date is set for mine and my fiance's engagement party, i was just wondering if anyone had any cool, original ideas that i could use to make it special? I'm weary of it becoming too much like a wedding reception and don't want it to be too OTT, but would like it to be special and fun and a bit fancy i guess. Any ideas? I'm making my own invitations so would love some ideas for that that don't look too much like formal wedding invitations, some ideas on what to wear, how to decorate tables, what to do about a cake etc.... Is a cake too formal? Maybe a vintage style cake stand covered in mini cupcakes? What kinda food to serve? Music? Anything really, just some quirky ideas please!! Thanks xxx

I'm quite girly if that helps, however i like vintage glamour and classy themes, not girly like bright pink everywhere lol
- ANSWER:
  spicy it up with a cool party
  http://bacheloretteplanners.com/
QUESTION:
Help with engagement party ideas?
The date is set for mine and my fiance's engagement party, i was just wondering if anyone had any cool, original ideas that i could use to make it special? I'm weary of it becoming too much like a wedding reception and don't want it to be too OTT, but would like it to be special and fun and a bit fancy i guess. Any ideas? I'm making my own invitations so would love some ideas for that that don't look too much like formal wedding invitations, some ideas on what to wear, how to decorate tables, what to do about a cake etc.... Is a cake too formal? Maybe a vintage style cake stand covered in mini cupcakes? What kinda food to serve? Music? Anything really, just some quirky ideas please!! Thanks xxx

I'm quite girly if that helps, however i like vintage glamour and classy themes, not girly like bright pink everywhere lol
Nelly N: Could you be more rude? I am not doing this to 'get presents' as you put it, nor to show off, i am doing it because regardless of what you think, i see two people getting engaged as a reason to celebrate, and as mine and my fiance's family live all over the place, i see a party as a way of getting everyone together to celebrate. If you don't have anything useful to say don't bother answering the question. Idiot.
- ANSWER:
  Oh come on!! You only got engaged! Theres no point in having a big huge party just to get pressents. I hate when people do that.
  When I got engaged, it was just an intimate time between my partner and me - none of this showing off stuff!
QUESTION:
wedding????
k my cuz is havin a wedding in march. im not quite sure yet if i am going to actually be in the wedding or what but her theme is like vintage/old hollywood (thats what she calls it) she already bought her dress and i haven't seen it but she wants everyone to [[if they could]] dress vintage/old hollywood.

she wants to know if it is wrong to put that on the invitation like what the theme is?

and also what do you think she means by old hollywood cuz i was thinking like marylin monroe. do you have any good [[inexpensive]] examples of dresses be for that theme?
(btw im 12 if you need that to look for examples if u need more info just ask)
and i know that there were already ? on by this person asking like am i pretty and saying that shes 16 but this is my sister's account soooo

just saying cuz people have done that before and i didnt wanna like confuse anyone or anything
- ANSWER:
  I don't think she should put on the invitation what the theme is or how people should dress. If she chooses her invitations right, it will portray the theme. EX: http://weddings.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=weddings&cdn=style&tm=94&gps=434_791_898_544&f=20&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.youreinvited.net/retro_wedding_invitation/retro_wedding_invitation.html
  Maybe have mock movie tickets to bring to the ceremony or reception.
  
  What she means by old hollywood is the 40 and 50's. Yes marilyn monroe is part of that.
  
  Dresses: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31HKpvgf8lL._SS260_.jpg
  http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31nKYh1Y2wL._SS260_.jpg
  http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/8128polkadotdress.jpg
  http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/8129goldblackdress.jpg
  http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/7935blackpinkpolka.jpg
  http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/7821blackpinkdress.jpg
  http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/pinupgirlclothing_2010_9139832
  http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/pinupgirlclothing_2009_146085332
  
  Tell her a good idea would be to hire a swing band. She could also hire a dance instructor to teach the guests how to do the lindy hop and the Charleston – perhaps at the rehearsal dinner.
  Also: An old art deco movie theater, particularly if it has a large lobby, is a perfect setting. If you don’t have one of these in your town, look for an old-fashioned formal restaurant or supper club, like the 21 Club, or a grand ballroom at a hotel.
  
  SPECIAL TOUCHES: Name the tables after classic Hollywood stars, or romantic movies. Give the bridesmaids high quality feather boas. Consider wearing a feather and rhinestone hair accessory, a la Josephine Baker. If you're renting your dance floor, ask for black and white checkered.
  
  Here's a cool hairstyle: http://www.favorideas.com/com_images/141/lg_141318_1.jpg
  And a cool hair accessory: http://www.unique-vintage.com/images/7927peacockheadband.jpg
QUESTION:
Surprise 50th anniversary pictures...?
I've been working on invitations for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. We have no immediate access to her photo album and I wanted to put a picture on the front of the invitation. Something vintage, black and white, that sort of thing. But I don't want it to be a photo that everyone thinks it is actually them. Does anyone have any ideas of where I could find maybe sketches? I've searched countless images on the web but can't find anything..Or help with what else to put on the front of this card/invitation?!
Oh yes I am planning it with my mother and my aunt. I'm just in charge of invitations. We decided to keep the party pretty informal as my grandpa is not one for parties And we will tell them the morning before the party so they are not in complete shock
- ANSWER:
  i know you did not ask this, and it is completely off subject, but, are you doing this surprise 50th anniv. all by yourself for your grandparents? you are so nice to be doing this for them!! is your mother doing this also and you are helping her? because we recently did our parents 50th anniv and all i would like to suggest is that it sometimes is not a good idea to do it as a surprise. it is a huge, incredibly important occasion for them, and, i would like to just put it out there, i think very strongly they would like to be able to look forward to it and be able to look their best for it. and they can only do that if they know what is going on. our parents had 2 years notice and we, and they, enjoyed the process of planning for it and looking forward to it. my mother spent months having a ball looking for just the right dress and she looked lovely. please ask your mom what she thinks of this. just a thought, congrats.!!
QUESTION:
Need help on what color i should stick with for my bridesmaids?
So for my wedding I have decided that I want a vintage inspired wedding with my original color palette being Rusty pink champage and a dark purple . I figured I would have my bridesmaids wear something like this . However I starting looking at inspiration boards I don’t know were else I would incorporate the purple? I don’t want purple flowers nor linens. I think the only place I would be ok with incorporating the purple would be on invitations, escort cards.. etc. But would that be enough? So now im thinking of having the girls wear this rusty pink color.. but I do realize that it’s a harder color to make the guys wear and its not as flaterring on light skin.

What do you guys think??
- ANSWER:
  Rusty pink (actually any pink) is hard for most girls to wear. If the guys really throw a fit, they need a reality check...it's not their wedding. However, I do think it will be easier for you to find vests and dresses in purple, without having to get them custom made.
  
  You could do the purple in the dresses, vests, invites, menu's, escort cards, programs, thank you's.
  You could do the pink as linens, flowers, centerpieces.
  You could do the champagne as linens, wrapping the flower stems, centerpieces, and favors.
QUESTION:
How much does it cost, per jar, to make pickled green beans, asparagus, pickles, etc?
We are having a summer wedding with a "Vintage Southern Garden Picnic" theme. For favors I would like to send our guests home with jars of handmade pickled veggies. Canning is a family tradition that I'd like to share with our guests.

I'm trying to get a general idea of home much this would cost for our budget. We are capping the guest list at 180, but a few of these invitations are just courtesy invites who won't be able to attend. That number also includes about 10-20 small kids who we will have alternative favors for.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for veggies beyond green beans, asparagus, peppers, and cucumbers? I'd like to add a few more unique options.
- ANSWER:
  Well, it depends on the specific cost of the produce where you are, as well as if you get discounts for buying jars in bulk. What I would do if I were you would be to order the cans in bulk. http://www.containerandpackaging.com/item.asp?item=G036 is pretty nice; 96 cans for 40-something dollars. So let's assume that some people want doubles, I'd buy two master cases for about 100 dollars total, and that gives you around 192 to work with.
  
  From then on, it depends on your personal recipes. What spices do you use? How much do you get your veggies for? Etc. What you should do is, when you buy all of the ingredients for ONE batch, write down how much they are and then how much you put into one specific jar. Then you can multiply that to however many you need.
  
  It would be a LOT of work but I think that it would be a unique and rewarding experience. Good luck!
QUESTION:
Can anyone help me with some details please?
My boyfriend and I just set our wedding date! Now I'm hoping to get some help with a few things

For anyone who lives in the southwest corner of British Columbia:
1. Do you know of any really beautiful parks with lots of flowers around the Vancouver area?
2. Do you know if you have to get some sort of license or anything?
3. If you come across a cheap, tea length, vintage sort of wedding dress please email me with the location of where you saw it! If you happen to have a camera with you at the time, a photo of it would be an incredible bonus!

For everyone:
1. Any ideas for some fun and unique Save the Date cards/Invitation designs?

A Little About Us:
-We met while doing a program with Youth With A Mission (YWAM)
-He's American and I'm Canadian
-We've been doing the long distance thing for most of our relationship (good thing Skype is free!)
-We are both very much outdoorsy people
-I'm a drawer
-He's a drummer

I know this is a lot to ask but if any of you have some spare time and have a good idea for a design, maybe you could sketch something up and send it to me? If not, just an answer is appreciated greatly!

Thank you in advance for your ideas and suggestions!
Sorry, maybe my wording was a little bit confusing, I meant do we need any sort of license to have the wedding in a park?
- ANSWER:
QUESTION:
How do I find good yet affordable caterer?
I'm planing to mary in November 2011. I'm trying to save as much as possible being that my fiance and I will be paying for this i want to budget my wedding for 10-12k. I'm located in Orange County, & will either have my wedding in LA or in Palm Springs. Both venues are gorgeous. The only difference is :
LA venue is ,500 rental fee for 100 guest, we have to bring our own bartender and caterer. We have to pay a lot of fees, such as janitorial fees of 0, and Management fee's of 0, the security deposit is ,500. & the palm springs venue a 25% of the food and beverage minimum is required to reserve your date and the balance is due on the day of the event. Rental fees range 0–3,000 depending on the season, event design and the number of guests. Meals range –100/person. Tax, alcohol and a 20% service charge are additional. Pricing for rooms and wedding packages vary significantly based on season.
So I'm still trying to figure out which venue would be at my best interest.

I need a good list of the following (just note that my style for the wedding i want to keep at vintage/chic):
1. caterer/insured
2. floral arrangements/centerpieces
3. Bartender's/ insured
4. invitations
5. bakery

I'm hoping to find something affordable, $$ not too expensive but i also don't want anything cheap and tacky! i'd appreciate all the help and resources i can get
if you know of any other venue located in Orange County, feel free to include that in!
- ANSWER:
  I would go with the Palm Springs venue. The costs are laid out clearly for you, and frankly it seems reasonable.
  
  The LA venue is nickle and diming you for "management fees" and "janitorial fees"? I dont think so! What are they managing, the bartender and caterer you provide? No. Too many unknowns with this place.
QUESTION:
Who would you pick to be Maid of Honor?
So, I'm not engaged yet, but I know it's coming sooner, rather than later, so I'm staring to hammer out some of the pre-planning things now.

Here is my dilemma. I more or less know who I want to be in my bridal party- My little sister (2 years younger), my best friend from college, and one of my oldest friends from home.

This is similar to what my oldest friend is doing for her wedding- her older sister is her MOH, and myself and her best friend from college are her bridesmaids.

So here is my dilemma. My little sister and I have grown apart a lot since I went away to college. We haven't lived in the same city for 4 years, and our relationship isn't what it was when we were little. It's not that I don't still love her, because I do very much, but I don't feel like she knows me as well as I would want a MOH to know the bride. She and I have also always had completely different taste in... everything, really. She's into bright colors, punk styles, piercings/tattoos, etc. and I'm into very vintage, classic, and traditional styles. She also has a bad habit of telling me that my tastes are "ugly". Not exactly what I want my MOH telling me about my dress/invitations/etc.

My best friend, on the other hand, knows me really well- we both sew, so we've made cloths together, and she has a really good idea of what my style is. While our styles differ slightly, we can still identify what the other will like, and appreciate it because it reminds us of what the other will like. She's also got a lot of experience with planning events (She planned all the major dances for our university's Swing Dancing Society for 4 years, and has been an MOH before), where my sister has no experience. She and I have also spent a lot of time shooting wedding ideas back and forth for our "dream weddings", so she already has an idea of what I want.

My issue is that I know my little sister assumed that I would make her my MOH. When I commented on her newest tattoo (a very large tattoo on her leg) and how it would show in her dress when she's one of my bridesmaids, she said "Bridesmaid? What about Maid of Honor?" and I didn't know what to say. I just mentioned that she would have to do a lot of the planning, and she said "Well, I can just buy a book for that".

So, I'm not really sure what to do. Do I pick the best friend who I know will be insanely helpful, insightful, and who has extensive experience in party planning, or do I go ahead and have my sister do it, even though I'm not entirely sure that she'll be able to handle it? Would it be right to ask my best friend to help me with many of the typical MOH duties even if she's not? Also, if I do pick my sister, is it fair to ask her not to tell me that my ideas are "ugly" just because they're not her taste?

Also, my oldest friend won't be able to be my MOH because she's planning her own wedding currently (May 2011), and even if don't get married until after her she lives in another state, so it would be too difficult for her to travel here that much to help. So there won't be any issues with her being offended if I don't ask her, since I'm not going to put her in such a stressful situation.

Any advice is welcome, as long as it isn't rude.

Thanks in advance!
- ANSWER:
  It was interesting reading through that, but you went to way too much trouble to justify yourself! The choice of MOH is one of the most personal and important choices a bride makes BY herself and FOR herself. Sure, you'll need to say something to your sister, but if she's never been a MOH before, just point out that it's not about who the bride is closest to. The MOH has far more responsibilities than the other BMs, and it's always best to pick someone who can handle them easily.
QUESTION:
Engagement party questions?
We want to have an informal, but classy cocktail style engagement party.

1. We will put a set amount on the bar, to cover beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks. Is it rude to expect guests to pay for spirits?

2. If we just have canapes and bar (and maybe dessert buffet or at least cake) and not a full meal (trying to price fork dishes but not definite yet) what time would be appropriate to hold the event, to give guests the option to have dinner beforehand? 7-10/11pm? Would that be appropriate?

3. Light blue and white colour scheme. Can you please help me please think of centrepiece ideas for the bar tables. I don't want balloons or candles. The location is by the river/harbour if that helps? We want something modern because the wedding will be a vintage style.

4. What are the worst things that you have seen at engagement parties/functions/weddings that we should be mindful of?

Okay before I get blasted for hosting our own engagement party, this is something my partner and I want to pay for so our extended families can meet and socialise before the wedding. It's not a gift giving event, so it's not like this is a gift grab, but honestly just a way for us to extend an invitation to celebrate with our families. Engagement parties are quite the norm in Australia, and a lot of couples host them themselves.
Hi Kristy, thanks for your answers. We are planning to have it in a function room at a bar and bistro, so they will already have spirits stocked and I know they won't take them down, and everyone knows they have spirits, so I don't really have the option of not offering them. It will be more, go to the bar, order what you like. I am wary of paying for spirits because I know some people will abuse it and rack up hundreds on cocktails/spirits/shots and it won't be fair on other guests. Hmm, I don't know, but thanks for your take on it
Canapes will be like prawn cutlets, sausage rolls, spring rolls, cheese and fruit platters, chicken skewers, so it will be quite substancial. I'm concerned that if it starts at 8pm, no one will show til 8.30-9pm and everyone will have eaten and will not want canapes. I want to allow people to get something small or feed their young children before coming. I dunno...
I have been to functions where beer wine and soft drinks are paid for and spirits are up to you. Or basic spirits are covered but not cocktails. No bar will refuse to offer them, so I'm sort of stuck there. I mean spirits aren't a necessity if someone wants something to drink.... hmm food for thought anyway. This was mainly a budget thing. About 90% of guests will only drink beer and wine, but that other 10% drink ALOT.... and well, will drink anything.

Thank you everyone for your answers so far!
- ANSWER:
  1. If you are only paying for beer, wine and soft drinks then only offer beer, wine and soft drinks. Then your guests don't have to pay for anything. Otherwise, if you offer liquor and the guests have to pay for it, yes, that's rude. You can easily avoid this by not offering it at the bar.
  
  2. 7pm - 10 or 11 would be fine. That gives the guests time to eat beforehand. Just specify in the invitation that canapes and dessert will be served.
  
  3. For centerpieces, there's always the standard flowers, but how about some seashells in shallow dishes full of sand? Like a mini-beach? You could also use model boats, pail/shovel sets, or even photo collages of vintage beach scenes you print and frame.
  
  4. The worst thing is running out of food or not having enough variety. The second worst thing is having guests pay for or bring their own beverages or food. And be mindful that you mingle enough to say hello to everyone, I once went to a party where I never even saw the bride and groom.
  
  Good luck!
QUESTION:
Wedding invitations?
Wanted to design and make my own wedding invitations. Was thinking of a vintage theme with a baroque floral patter.

Does anyone know where i can get ideas from?
Or knows of anyone where i can get them made?
I know how to use Adobe illustrator.
Just can't come up with a good idea.
- ANSWER:
  I'm making my own invitations and I just went to a bunch of different sites (just google it) and found elements of designs that I like. Also, look into local print shops and graphic designers and see if any of them could design and print your invites.