Monthly Archives: February 2012

27Feb2012

Hot Wedding Color Combos for 2012: Add them to your invitation ensemble!

Tangerine orange wedding invitations are super popular this year. Pair it with a few other vibrant hues like fuchsia, scarlet or canary yellow and you’ve got a hot color combo for your wedding! Try these affordable wedding ideas for incorporating both wedding colors into your invitation ensemble.

• Have your enclosures printed in a different color than the invitation.

• Get your wedding invitation design printed in your primary wedding color and the wording in your secondary wedding color.

• Print address labels in your secondary wedding color to add a little pizzazz to each envelope.

• Order personalized wedding napkins in your secondary wedding color or in both colors for an eye-catching design element at your wedding reception.

• Add a touch of luxury to every ensemble by ordering lined inner envelopes in your secondary wedding color.

Tangerine Orange Floral Delight Wedding Invitation & Stationery

Speaking of orange wedding invitations, our Tangerine Floral Delight collection is featured in the March/April issue of Brides magazine. Get yours today and find our ad with a special offer. And be sure to request a FREE catalog from Ann’s for pages and pages of affordable wedding ideas and products!

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25Feb2012

The NEW Ann’s Bridal Bargains Catalog Has Arrived

Our new catalog is now available!

Ann's Bridal Bargains FREE Catalog

We’re very excited for all of you to see the new, affordable wedding invitations we’ve added as well as ceremony accessories, reception accessories, wedding favors and more. But most of all, we’re excited about the new, coordinated sets of stationery, which you can find throughout the catalog by looking for the leaf symbol.

 

Want one? Request your FREE catalog today!

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23Feb2012

Adding a DIY Touch to Your Wedding Invitations

I love the stylish yet affordable invitations we offer at Ann’s. I especially love that so many of them are easily embellished with that perfect DIY touch, adding unique character to your invite.

Best of all, we do the hard part! Our invitations are professionally printed, so you can have fun adding your own DIY details and tying those elements into the rest of your wedding. We even sell our ribbon in bulk rolls so you don’t have to worry about running out.

Whether you’re a DIY novice or expert, here are some ideas to get you inspired!

Wedding Invitations with Ribbon & Rhinestones

1. Feather Fancy – Invitation with Free Respond Card. Added a 3/8” aqua satin ribbon and aqua rhinestones to accent the feathers.

2. Positively Glowing – in petal pink. Added a 3/8” pink satin ribbon and a white chiffon ribbon to tie knot with a romantic twist!

3. Floral Shadow – in canary yellow. Added a golden shimmer backer card (find at a scrapbook store), 3/8” brown and canary satin ribbon tied together in a knot and secured with hot glue.

4. True Serendipity – in petal pink. Added a simply sophisticated touch with a black satin stick-on bow. Stick-on bows are easy, beautiful and perfect every time!

5. High Style – Separate and Send Invitation. Added a 5/8” amethyst satin ribbon, tied a knot at the center of the invite and wrapped the ribbon around the back. Secured the ribbon edges with hot glue on the back. Also added a ribbon knot to the matching Damask Favor Boxes.

6. Happily Ever After – Tri-fold Invitation. Used purple chiffon ribbon and tied a large, luxurious bow around the invitation to give it that fairy-tale feel.

7. Framed Monogram – in lagoon green. Kept it simple and elegant with clear rhinestone accents within the design.

8. Pretty Patterns – Separate and Send Invitation. Added a splash of color with 3/8” purple and fuchsia satin ribbon. Cut a slit above and below the oval design and weaved ribbons over the top of the invite, under oval frame and back threw the bottom slit.

Don’t forget you can request a free sample of your favorite wedding invitation, then decide how to embellish it! Remember the size of the embellishments you use may affect the size of envelopes you’ll need. Be sure you have room! If not, you’ll need to find larger outer envelopes — or just give us a call. We’ll give you a larger envelope with your order.

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20Feb2012

How to keep DIY wedding invitations fun and creative!

Have you been searching high and low for the perfect wedding invitation? Do you want something truly unique, but for the right price? Think doing it yourself is the way to go?

 

If you have never DIY-ed before, this is a must-read! Consider the following:

1. Creating a design is just the beginning. You’ll also need to format the design with your wording for the invitation and all enclosure cards to make everything print ready.

2. You’ll more than likely have to buy extra paper and multiple ink cartridges — all of which can add up to more than the cost of professionally printed wedding invitations.

3. You may have to go to multiple locations to gather enough paper and embellishments.

4. Plan to print every invitation one-by-one, starting with lots of test prints due to possible formatting mistakes or printer malfunctions. And then it’s on to the enclosures!

It’s easy if you have us print your top layer for the invitation and enclosures. Plus you can get your ribbons and embellishments from Ann’s. Check out the 3/8” and 5/8”, 100-yard satin ribbon rolls, 7/8” 25-yard chiffon ribbon rolls, pearls, colored rhinestones and stick-on bows.

 

white satin adhesive stick on bows clear adhesive rhinestones

Request a free sample of your favorite wedding invitation, then decide how you’ll put your own masterpiece together. Consider the size of the embellishments you’ll be stuffing into the envelope, and be sure you have room! If not, you’ll need to find larger outer envelopes — or just give us a call before you order. We’ll give you a larger envelope than what the invite comes with. We can also print your return address and guests’ addresses! I can hear the rejoicing now…

Check back Thursday for DIY wedding invitation ideas from Carynn!

 

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16Feb2012

Money-Saving Ideas for an Affordable Wedding Reception

About 50% of your wedding budget will be spent on the reception. Here are a few money-saving ideas to help Bargainista brides stretch those dollars.

1. Consider a buffet style service rather than a sit-down dinner. You’ll save in labor costs required for plated service, and guests can help themselves to food at their own pace.

Wedding Reception Buffet Ideas

2. Food stations are very popular. Select themed or ethnic foods like Italian, Chinese and Mexican, all of which are low-cost options for feeding larger groups of people. Plus, guests will enjoy mingling as they grab their favorites.

3. Avoid a Saturday reception. Wedding facilities, caterers and other services usually cost more on Saturdays, and you may have a hard time finding open dates and times to fit your needs. Avoid holidays and peak prom or wedding seasons, too.

4. Time of day matters. Choose the time of your wedding reception for late afternoon or after 7:00 p.m. so that a cocktail or beer/wine reception with hors d’oeuvres is appropriate. Based on the time of the wedding, your guests will not expect a full meal.

Wedding Reception Horsdoeuvres Ideas

An early morning wedding and a brunch reception is also an alternative. Serve fresh fruits, pastries, quiche, coffee and juices.

Wedding Reception Brunch Ideas

5. Shop around for rentals. Some caterers or reception halls may provide rental table cloths, napkins, glassware, china, silverware and include them as part of their “full service” at a cost that would be no higher than obtaining them from another source.

6. Paper napkins or linen napkins? Cocktail and dinner sized paper napkins are an inexpensive way to add color to your reception without the rental cost. Some guests even feel more comfortable using paper. Order extra cocktail napkins for the bar, punch table, cake/dessert table and appetizer table for a cohesive look.

7. Create a signature drink. Instead of toasting with champagne or an all-night open bar, have your favorite mixed drink available for guests during happy hour.

Wedding Reception Signature Drinks

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13Feb2012

5 LOVE-ly Ideas for Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

Still need a little something special for your sweetheart? Don’t sweat it! Here are some last-minute Valentine’s day gifts that are heartfelt, fun and affordable.

1. Mixed tape anyone?

Okay, so it’s not a mixed tape anymore, but just as thoughtful! Put together a playlist of your honey’s favorite songs themed around love.

2.  Cupid’s Coupons

A throwback to grade school, for sure, but a handmade coupon book with things like 1 Free Massage or an IOU Dinner and a Movie is still adorable.

Affordable Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

3. Love Letter

Everyone should receive a good old-fashioned love letter at least once. It doesn’t have to be sappy or filled with awkward poetry — although poetry is totally cool if you’ve got the skills. For the rest of us, try writing about your first date or a favorite song that reminds you of your sweetheart.

4. Baked Goodies

You know what they say: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Same for girls, really, but in a low-fat, low-sugar, low-cal version please. Homemade with love is best, but if you’re not a baker you can certainly pick up some goodies from your favorite bakery and dress them up in a pretty package.

5. So Fortunate!

Show how fortunate you feel to be with your sweetheart! Get a bag of fortune cookies from your local grocery store and replace a few of the fortunes with your own. Place the cookies anywhere: in a coat pocket, on the car seat, with lunch, on the pillow, etc.

Have any other great ideas?

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09Feb2012

What does a wedding program include?

You have two months to go before the wedding, ceremony details are coming together and you need to get a wedding program created and printed. What does that include? Take a look at our overview below to find out, and feel free to change it up wherever you like.

Front Page

• Normally the front page will include the names of the couple, the wedding date and the place in which you are being married.

Inside Panels

• A thank you message to guests or memorial note for loved ones who have passed are often placed on the first inside panel.

• Continue the program by identifying the officiant, parents, members of the wedding party, and friends or family who are serving as soloists or readers. Include each person’s role, name and relation to you.

• List the titles for all ceremony music, including the processional, service and recessional music. Programs also offer translations if needed.

• If applicable, provide wording for group prayers or readings for guests to follow.

Lots of Lilies DIY Wedding Programs

Back Page

Blessings, prayers, favorite poems, literary excerpts, etc., are all commonly placed on the back page as a nice conclusion to the program. You may also use this space to request no photography or video be taken during the ceremony.

More Tips

• Finalize and print programs about one month before your wedding

• Have ushers or designated children hand out programs as guests enter the ceremony venue. Or, place programs in baskets beside the doors for guests to grab as they enter.

Unique Wedding Program Ideas

• Consider adding a personal touch to your wedding programs with photos, a short story of how you met, or how the groom proposed.

• Tell guests more about your attendants — how you know each other or why that person was selected. Maybe add a humorous quote from each attendant.

• Create two wedding programs — one for the adults and one for the children. The children’s program could include a coloring sheet, word find or dot-to-dot. Include crayons tied with coordinating ribbon and children are sure to stay happy!

• New Idea: Create a reception program. Today’s couples are doing all they can to be gracious hosts, and reception programs are great for letting guest know how long the social hour will last, when the cake will be cut, when the dance will begin, etc.

 

Read Monday’s post on how to make wedding programs your own!

 

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06Feb2012

Wedding Program Options: How to make it your own!

Your wedding programs should be just as much a reflection of your personalities and style as your wedding invitation. That’s why we’ve created wedding programs that coordinate with our popular wedding invitation designs. And we offer each design in two styles so you can choose which one best fits your needs.

Style 1: DIY Wedding ProgramsClearly Refined - Scarlet - DIY Wedding Program

Our DIY wedding programs are personalized on the front and blank inside so you can do your own printing at home. We print the front with your choice of beautiful design and up to eight lines of personalization, which leaves both inside panels free for you to print your ceremony details. Add a few DIY accents with our embellishment ideas below.

 

 

Style 2: Double-Sided Wedding Programs

We print it all for you! This includes eight lines on the front and up to 25 lines on both the right and left inside panels. This is the best option for saving Happily Ever After - Wedding Programyourself time and effort before the wedding, especially if you find you’re down to the wire and need to get quality wedding programs created quickly and easily. We may print it, buy you can still add your own unique touches with our embellishment idea below – and for only $20 more if you need 100!  It’s a steal.

 

 

 

 

 

Make It Your Own

• Add colorful satin ribbon or chiffon ribbon for a luxurious look without high cost.

• Add stick-on satin bows or chiffon bows for a charming accent that’s easy to apply and perfect every time!

• Accent elements of the design with sparkling rhinestones — a touch of glamour that’s sure to get attention.

• Create the ultimate in DIY wedding programs by giving it a scrapbook feel with patterned layers, textured ribbons, charms and more.

• Add an insert to make your wedding program longer. Your local hobby store will have matching paper you can print at home. Secure inside the program with ribbon along the binding.

 

Check back Thursday for tips on what to include in your wedding program.

 

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01Feb2012

You can buy now with BillMeLater!

Keeping up with wedding planning, and the finances needed to do so, can be difficult to say the least. That’s why we’ve partnered with BillMeLater, so you can buy now, and pay later — and it couldn’t be easier!

Bill Me Later

Get what you have your heart set on today and pay later, just like hundreds of other brides.

See if your other favorite stores offer BillMeLater, and use it there, too. Just click BillMeLater, sign in and you’re on your way.

Happy Wedding Planning!

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