Inspired Parties ~ Vera Wang’s Colorful Invitations
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May
31
May
29
Wedding Wednesday: Charlotte Vendors We Love ~ Old South Studios
Julie Staley of Old South Studios is a local photographer who specializes in wedding, family and graduation photography. Julie’s bubbly personality filled our store for the first time years ago and we haven’t been able to get enough since! She even owns her own sunflower field {!} where, during what she calls “Sunflower Sessions”, she takes gorgeous photos. We recently caught up with Julie during this busy wedding season to talk a little bit about her and Old South Studios…
Salutations: How many years have you been a wedding photographer?
Julie Staley: I began as a family photographer in 2007 under the name of In His Image Photography by Julie. I began shooting weddings in 2009 then changed our company name to Old South Studios in 2013 when we hired additional photographers and expanded our team.
S: What made you want to become a wedding photographer?
J: I had a fantastic childhood and I am very close with my family. I remember my wedding day as the culmination of all the love I’d been given by my parents combined with the new found love I found in my groom. When a bride invites me to be her wedding photographer, she is inviting me into one of the most joyful, intimate days of her life. It is truly amazing to witness and document her mother nervously helping her into her gown, her father fighting back tears when he lifts her veil or the tender moments between her and her groom. I am very aware that my images will be treasured for generations to come and I take that trust very seriously. I photograph every wedding the way I would want my own daughter’s wedding to be captured.
S: What is your favorite style of wedding to photograph?
J: I love sentimental weddings. The weddings where the bride pins her late grandmother’s brooch to her bouquet and she opts to wear her mother’s veil over a new one. Where the couples’ college fight song is played when they first enter the reception and a table showcasing generations of wedding portraits is proudly displayed. My heart skips a beat for outdoor ceremonies with a sinking sun behind the couple and fresh florals dripping from every aisle. Mix in a few monograms and you have the perfect “Old South” wedding.
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May
03
Inspired Parties ~ Kramer Drive Invitations
Whether you’re planning a children’s birthday party, a bridal shower or an adult affair, the perfect invitation is a must! It sets the tone for the entire event and either sends the recipient racing to their calendar to mark the date or sighing to the trash to pitch “just another invite”.
Kramer Drive is a great company that both we and our customers can’t get enough of {obvious from all the blog love we give them!}! Their designs are fresh, fun and best of all totally customizable. You can change all ink colors, font styles and can even add glitter on any invite.
They are also well-priced {starting at $48.75 for 15} and have a quick turnaround rate {around 8 business days}. Kramer Drive doesn’t just do invitations, they also do gift tags, thank you notes and all sorts of custom accessories. Take a peek at a few invites we are loving this spring…
Cocktails? Yes, please! This cocktail party invite works for any occasion ~ keep the background in a pewter gray for a more formal couple’s event or make it bright fuchsia for a girl’s night out.
This birthday party invite is pretty for girls of all ages. We often see it dressed up a bit with glitter in the center of a few of the flowers.
Picking out an invitation for a man’s birthday party can be tricky. You don’t want the invitation to be too “girly” {with the design or fonts} but you still want it to feel fun and not corporate. This invite accomplishes all those things in a modern style.
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24
Wedding Wednesday: Real Brides of Charlotte ~ Shervon Stoutamire
Sassy birdcage veil? Check.
Carrie Bradshaw drool-worthy shoes? Check.
Flawless complexion and brilliant smile? Check.
Too cute fiance that was also your high school sweetheart? Check.
And a southern chateau wedding located on a lush, private vineyard? Check, check check!
Shervon Stoutamire, turned Robinson {yes, she is now officially Mrs. Robinson…something Shervon often joked about in the days leading up to her wedding!}, had all the components of a dream wedding. At our first meeting, she couldn’t hide her excitement over marrying her high school sweetheart Robert at stunning Chateau Elan in at Atlanta. I loved chatting with Shervon over the months as we worked on her invitations and then programs, menus, table cards and thank you notes. Her warmth, excitement and kindness was always on display and Shervon is actually prettier on the inside than she is on the outside ~ a cliche that is very true in her case. Shervon’s color palate was a sleek salmon pink paired with chocolate and khaki browns. For her invitations and accessories we created all custom pieces using pocketfolds and cardstocks that look and feel like wood. An ornate vineyard motif completed the look and was carried through on all her paper pieces.
Take a peek into Shervon’s fabulous wedding below:
Is this picture even real?! Too gorgeous! Would it be weird if I framed this and put it in my own house? You’re right…totally creepy. But it is reeeally beautiful!
This mermaid has nothing on Shervon. Sorry, girlfriend. Stunning shot of both the couple and Chateau Elan.
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17
Wedding Wednesday: Blissful Inspiration ~ Foil is Fabulous
Welcome back to another Wedding Wednesday! Today’s post is all about a trend that is incredibly hot right now: foil! Foil stamping is huge and we don’t see it going away anytime soon. In fact, as you will see in this post, foil is so versatile, we see it being trendy for years to come!
Foil is great because it can be used with every style. While its drama lends it to contemporary and fashionable invitation suites, let us show you how stunning it can be no matter your style…
For the Traditional Bride
For the traditional bride, we recommend a classic foil neutral, like gold, silver or copper. Pairing these foil colors with traditional fonts in a more traditional layout will add a sense of drama and excitement to your invitation suite. Foil proves that traditional does not have to be stuffy.
For the Destination Bride
For the destination bride, we love pairing foil with a letterpress ink color reminiscent of the destination. Let’s face it, destination invitations can read cheesy if you’re not careful. To avoid this, we love pairing gold or silver foils with blues for beach weddings. This pairing makes for an invitation suite that is heavy on chic.
Read More» Posted by molly | 0 commentsApr
10
Wedding Wednesday: Designers We Love ~ Kramer Drive
Welcome back to another Wedding Wednesday! Today’s Designers We Love post is dedicated to one of our favorite brands for pre-wedding invitations, Kramer Drive. Sure, the wedding invitation is often the first thing people envision when thinking about stationery for the big day, but the truth is, there are many events leading up to the big day and all of them require invitations. Enter Kramer Drive.
Pennsylvania-based Kramer Drive has so many options that it’s an easy favorite for everything from save-the-dates to bachelorette party invitations.
In addition to their versatility, we love how Kramer Drive invitations are endlessly customizable. Everything from colors to fonts can be tailored. Photos can also be included on Kramer Drive cards, which make them a natural choice for fun and whimsical save the dates.
Kramer Drive has something for everyone. We have tasked Kramer Drive with everything from more formal, gender-neutral rehearsal dinner invitations, to very playful, feminine shower invitations, like the one above. And each time, Kramer Drive has exceeded our expectations.
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05
Inspired Parties ~ Theme Parties
Welcome to another Inspired Parties post! This week we are exploring theme parties and more specifically, creating a theme for an invitation and carrying that theme throughout the party. While an invitation can set the tone for an event, we love that it can also introduce a theme, which is what we are exploring today.
For example, how adorable is the umbrella on the letterpress Smock invitation {above}? Well imagine a party inspired by it…
Adorable, right? Every party should have a wow factor, something that guests remember and talk about long after the party’s end. We think these adorable umbrella centerpieces {above} add just the right amount of wow to the beautiful tables photographed by Jamie Hammond Photography.
And because themes don’t always have to be literal, we love the idea of using a style as the theme. We suggest using a style that is specific, but woven throughout the party effortlessly.
For example, how chic is this contemporary thermography invitation by Vera Wang {above}? Now, imagine a party loosely inspired by its style. We envision contemporary and unexpected details like this…
Stunning, right? This incredible cake {above} by Nine Cakes blows us away. It is contemporary and playful {the blue looks as if it’s dancing down the cake}, with a hint of tradition {those tiers!}, not unlike the style of the invitation.
Remember, themes do not have to be literal. Sprinkling an event with components in the same style is just as powerful as literal repetition.
Read More» Posted by molly | 0 commentsApr
03
Wedding Wednesday: Charlotte Vendors We Love ~ Dina Berg Blazek Events
Dina Berg Blazek’s cheerful face is a familiar one around Salutations. Dina, the owner of DBB Events, is an amazingly creative wedding and event planner in Charlotte that we have been fortunate to work with since our Charlotte opening, six and a half years ago. Let me introduce you via her quick but impressive bio…
“Dina began her career at the prestigious Standard Club in Chicago which is known for the most fabulous Chicago weddings and high society Mitzvahs in the Midwest. From there, Dina concentrated on corporate clients at Chicago’s Signature Room atop the famous Hancock Building. In 2001, she continued her career at Charlotte’s pristine Quail Hollow Club as the Club’s first Director of Catering working with Charlotte’s most elite and the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament. Taking what she had learned, in 2005, Dina started Dina Berg Blazek Events with a single goal of bringing the passion of details to every event she creates. A referral-only business, Dina Berg Blazek Events continues to grow each year.”
We recently caught up with Dina for a chat…
Salutations: How many years have you been a wedding and event planner?
Dina Berg Blazek: Lots! 21 years in event planning. 8 years owning my own business.
S: What made you want to become a wedding and event planner?
D: My senior year of college I needed to do a project about something that interested me that I knew nothing about. I interviewed some of the best wedding planners in Chicago and presto, my passion was realized.
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Mar
27
Wedding Wednesday: Real Brides of the Triangle ~ Rebecca
Welcome back to another Wedding Wednesday: Real Brides of the Triangle edition. This week we are thrilled to highlight Rebecca and Dave’s amazing Smock wedding invitations for their March Fearrington wedding. Working with this couple {and their amazing family} was sheer bliss for our Triangle team.
Aside from being completely charming, Rebecca is wildly creative. And it was a pleasure working with her to design the invitation of her dreams, a copper foil and chartreuse letterpress beauty featuring the eclectic font combination that Rebecca loved.
Considering that color was such a huge part of her bold invitation, it’s no surprise that Rebecca’s big day was filled with happy punches of color throughout! The couple’s wedding photos by Kim Newmoney Photography make us smile.
Nearly nine months ago when we first met Rebecca, she told us that she envisioned a vibrant garden party full of quirky, bold/fun touches. Well done, Rebecca, it looks like your vision came to life! And those smiles, they just kill us!
In addition to the fun we had working with Rebecca, we cannot say enough good things about working with her parents, Mary and Rene. These two were instrumental in the entire stationery process!
Mary was vocal in everything from the design to the thickness of the invitation {she fell for Smock’s 2-ply, a favorite paper of ours}, and Rene was supportive throughout and committed to making sure the day-of stationery made for a smooth, gracious event and happy guests.
Once we saw the wedding photos, we knew that all of the planning and attention to detail paid off. Rebecca and Dave’s warmth and personality jumps out of Kim Newmoney’s photographs just as their creative and fun spirits were reflected in their invitations. We couldn’t be more delighted for them!
Thank you Rebecca, Dave, Mary, and Rene for letting us be a part of your big day. It was such and honor and a pleasure to work with you. We have been forever touched by your warmth and love for each other.
And Mary, you receive the Salutations Mother-of-the-Bride Of the Year Award {and yes we just created that category for you!} for folding 1,000 paper Cranes in honor of your daughter’s big day, and then taking the time to fold a couple extra for us.
Thanks, you guys, and we wish you all the happiness in the world!
{Image credits ~ wedding invitation photos by Salutations, wedding photos by Kim Newmoney Photography}
Posted by molly | 0 commentsMar
20
Wedding Wednesday: Blissful Inspiration ~ Mint
Right: Flowers from Society Bride. Center: Hamilton wedding invitation by Dauphine Press. Right: Cake from Wedding Bells.
Mint is so hot…err cool, right now!
This perfect color pick is popping up all over and I couldn’t be happier! I have always been a fan of this heavenly hue ~ it makes me think of a mix between yummy cupcake frosting and the North Shore waters of Oahu. Also, I’m a redhead and I have to say that nothing compliments a fair complexion like mint {reference Jessica Chastain’s gorgeous Golden Globes look}.
But enough about me. “What does this trend mean for weddings?” you ask. Answer: Everything. Mint is shutting. it. down. in the wedding world right now. Peek at a few picks for ways to incorporate mint into your big day.
Dive in! If you are a modern yet feminine bride who wants to fully embrace the mint trend, this 2012 Elie Saab gown is perfect for you! The clean silhouette and floral details make it still feel like a wedding dress {which will make Grandma happy} yet the color makes the dress unique and truly special.
Bella Figura’s Rococo Elegance wedding invitation certainly makes a statement! This lush, letterpressed invite features pewter scroll work and mint botanical accents. The mint coloring doesn’t overpower the piece, but it still opens up the use of the color on the big day. Make an appointment at Salutations in Durham or Charlotte to look at this and other fabulous wedding invitations.
Ok, so maybe you weren’t quiiite ready to jump into the deep end with the mint Elie Saab. It’s ok! Try just a subtle pop of color with this stone necklace from J.Crew. The color is soft enough to compliment any shade of white and is sure to brighten up your face for all those pretty pictures.
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