The start of my photography career–My 1st wedding favorites!

I decided that next year I will be starting the photography part of my business.  It’s been a passion of mine for a long long time and I just can’t say no anymore!  So I have been working toward building a portfolio and had the honor of shooting my first solo wedding a few weeks ago…I want to share a few of my favorites with you…

Vintage wallpaper wedding invitation

Another amazing wedding I had the honor of working on last year.  Absolutely gorgeous couple wanted to include their engagement pictures on their invitations…very happy with the way they turned out!

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Vintage Peacock inspired wedding invitations

I loved loved loved working on this wedding…so much fun and a GREAT couple!

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The perfect pear vintage wedding invitation

Beautiful fall wedding invitation ensemble

Who knew mustard, chocolate, and lemonade went so well together!  Well they do…if you are talking about a color scheme for a fall wedding where the bride’s favorite color is yellow.

April wedding invites – Cherry Blossoms

April is the month that you really know that Spring has sprung.  Cherry Blossoms scream beauty…sweet, pink, adorable little flowers…PERFECT for an April wedding!

March wedding invitations

My theme for March weddings is “Go Green”…and not just because of St Patrick’s Day :)  I am currently working on becoming a vendor for a company that makes plantable invites, notecards, & favors…but in the mean time I would like to show you my design!  It’s a simple retro tree design with paisley and brown, cream, & green shades.  Printed on recycled paper and in a gorgeous green & cream pocketfold with a metallic brown envelope.  I would accent it with a simple raffia pull at the top.  Clean, fun, & GREEN!

 

I know, I know… (February weddings)

…I am a horrible blogger (smacks self on hand).  Between internet problems and the freaky southern weather making EVERYONE sick, I am very far behind on everything it seems.  I will catch up…PROMISE!

So here is my design for February wedding (in April).  Of course the theme is love but I wanted to do something richer than simple hearts.  I did a paisley & damask invite with the chiffon overlay pocketfold…classy, elegant, different!

Testimonial…

Usually in this business you get very little recognition for what you do.  Half the time I have to email the client after a week or so to make sure they even got the order…then I get a short but sweet email that says “Yes they are perfect, thank you” or something to that effect.  Today was an exception.  I got the sweetest email from my client Tara (the bride whom I made the beach wedding invitations a few posts previous for).  I makes me so glad to get emails like this because it lets me know that even though I do this because I love it it makes my clients dreams come true…who could ask for anything more!

 

SUBJECT: I got my invites!

Jen:

I got my invites in the mail last Tuesday, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love them. They are perfect, and I appreciate all your hard work. The color is gorgeous, very similar to the color of my bridesmaid dresses! I am so glad I got to have my perfect invitation and found you to create it. I can't wait to mail them out - which hopefully I can wait about 8 weeks to do so. As much as I love them, though, I don't know if I can!

You were great to work with from the very beginning. You helped me create something I'm proud to send to my guests, and that I'll be proud to display because it's just too freaking cute! I looked and looked for something affordable that I liked before finding you, and there really wasn't alot out there. I figured if I was going to spend the money, I might as well get something I love. Well, I know now that I definitely made the right choice to go with you!

Thanks so much, and hopefully some of my online friends will really go through with using you for some of their wedding stationary!

Good luck and best wishes!
Tara & Josh

Beach wedding invitations

I recently had the honor of designing invitations for a wonderful couple that is having a beach wedding in the summertime.  They didn’t want it to SCREAM beach but wanted to incorporate the theme into the invites.  We came up with a simple elegant design with a conch shell at the top.  Their color scheme is a peachy/orange and cream.  The invitations and staggered inserts were put in a metallic cantaloupe colored pocketfold with cream envelopes.  Elegant, simple, PERFECT.

Let me know what you think!  :)

  

Destination Weddings Vegas Style

This has got to be the funnest wedding I have worked on so far. The couple is great...they are so laid back and fun! They have been together for 15 years and are FINALLY running off to Vegas to get married. I had the pleasure of making their Save The Dates and wedding invitations. For the Save The Dates I make postcards where I changed the Vegas sign to say Save The Date with their names and wedding date on it. And if that wasn't cool enough I then designed custom clay poker chips with their pic and wedding date on them...then attached a magnet to the back so people could put it on their fridge!

After that we knew that it was going to be hard to top...but we did it! For the invitations I designed a "boarding pass" with the RSVP attached to the end. You just tear it off and send it back...just like you would a ticket if you were boarding a plane! They are beyond fabulous! The pictures just don't do them justice. We stuck them in a fire engine red pocketfold and they were ready to go!

I think I am about to do something foolish...

I am needing to build my wedding portfolio and I need a high-end bride! Soooo...I am coming to you loyal blog viewers for an opportunity!

Here is what I am offering. I need to do a complete matching wedding assemble using high-end materials. When I say assemble I mean everything from the Save the Date to the wedding favors...pretty much anything that is printed or customized for the wedding...if there is something you want that I can't do I will let you know!

I am looking for a couple that is getting married in 2009 and without major budget constrains (don't contact me and expect to make 100 invitations on $50...that's not going to work) and who will give me design control. Of course the couple will have their choice of theme, colors, and they will approve all the designs BUT I don't need someone that is going to tell me exactly where I should put things or which font I HAVE to use. I understand if you don't like a design but if you think you can design it better then you can do it yourself...in all respect :) I am sooooo trying to not sound like a snot as I write this but I feel like I may be coming off as one.

I also want permission to feature you on my blog as my feature couple and show my work. I would also want you to send me pictures from your wedding when it is done of my work being used and of you having a wonderful time of course!

Here is what I am offering...I will do the entire assemble AT COST! The only thing that I will charge that would be a profit for me is assembly charges if you don't want to assemble everything yourself. Now just because I am doing it at material cost does not mean they will be cheap. I will be using quality materials (pocketfolds are not cheap!). The invitation alone may end up costing between $3-5 each...but that is opposed to $7-10 each! That's a HUGE savings!

So! Here is what I need YOU to do! I need the couples that are interested to email me at jen@craftylilmomma.com with your names, your story, your theme, colors, and tell me why I should pick you as my feature couple!

I'm excited, I can't wait! So go ahead and email me!

Going Green weddings part 2

Well...in the last blog I showed you some wonderful green invitations brand new from Carlson Craft. Now I am going to show you how you can make your wedding favors green too!

Kate Aspen is an amazing favor creator...and she has MANY options for your green wedding! Take a look at these plantable and environmentally happy favors!

Your wedding can GO GREEN too!

Going Green to help the environment is the newest craze and the enviromentally friendly thing to do :) So how can you GO GREEN with your wedding you may ask...how about with wedding invitations made from completely recycled paper! Check out this new earth friendly line from Carlson Craft called Naturally Ever After :)

Click here to view the entire Naturally Ever After collection...brought to you by Carlson Craft and craftylilmomma

Wedding Invitation Trends...

This years brides are not afraid of color! Bold is beautiful...and anything goes this year as far as wedding stationery goes! Brides are throwing the "traditional" white/ecru wedding invitations out the window and making it a personal affair. Many brides are opting to DIY invitations or custom made to give their weddings the personal touch. Pocket invitations and self-mailers are huge right now and can add to the color pallet. Dark chocolate is the new black and black is the new white. Ecru is boring and there is no place for it in the modern brides wedding!

Contact us for your wedding stationery needs. If we don't sell it...we can make it! If we can't make it...well, we will help you find someone that can!

Make your wedding program unique!

Wedding programs are becoming increasingly popular, and brides are thinking up different ways to personalize them and make them unique for their guests' enjoyment.

Programs typically contain the bride and groom's names, the date, location, names of the wedding party, order and elements of the ceremony (unity candle, vows, etc), music, any other principals in the wedding, and thanks.

There are a number of other ways you can personalize your programs:

Rather than including only the names of your bridesmaids or grooms, also include how you met them and their role in your relationship (for example, if you met through one of your groomsmen, or a bridesmaid who supported you through your long distance relationship).

Include what the bride's "something old, new, borrowed and blue" are. For instance, if a bride is wearing a bracelet her grandmother gave to her, or if the wedding gown was her mother's.

If you are getting married in a significant location, explain it in the program. Maybe you and your groom met there, or had your first date there, etc. Even if the location isn't directly significant to your relationship, but has an interesting history, that can also be included.

Include a short explanation of how the bride and groom met, and the proposal story.

Include the lyrics to your first dance song and why it was chosen.

Explain the meaning and symbolism of parts of the ceremony, such as a huppah or breaking of the glass in a Jewish ceremony, or the veil and cord in a Catholic ceremony.

Don't think that you have to stick to a traditional two or tri-fold program. You can make it a few pages, or even a small booklet! You can add a beautiful touch by punching two holes down the fold, threading ribbon through, and tying it into a bow.

Include a wedding blessing significant to your heritage, such as an Irish blessing, or one in Spanish and translated.

Some programs now contain a photo of the bride and groom, sometimes drawn by an artistic friend. Perhaps a black and white version of a photo can be printed on a vellum overlay to the program.

Type out the text of readings or song lyrics.

If you have a theme, let the program play out in it also. If you have a fairytale theme, put a castle on the front. If you are have a dove theme and release, explain its significance.

Scatter love quotes throughout the program.Include poem from the bride to the groom and vice versa.

Include a special dedication to deceased family, such as grandparents.

Lastly, it is always nice to thank all the people who helped you in the wedding, and don't forget to thank the guests for sharing this special day with you! By using your programs as yet another way to personalize your wedding, guests will be sure to appreciate the personal touch.