What to order when – your quick guide to wedding stationery by Sophie

Once you’ve got engaged, all the preparations can seem rather daunting in the excitement.  Help is at hand for your wedding stationery. We find that the questions we’re most often asked are when to order stationery, and whether it all needs to be ordered at once. Here’s our handy guide:

1. First stage: Order Save the Date cards as soon as possible after you have fixed your wedding date: usually at least 9 months to a year before your wedding. These cards are a great idea if your wedding is at a popular holiday time or mid-week – make sure your most important guests aren’t busy elsewhere. Don’t worry too much about colours at this stage – just choose something you love. You can coordinate later!
2. Second stage: Order Invitations, RSVPs and pocketfolds. We recommend sending out invitations at least 2 months prior to the wedding. You’ll also need to allow enough time for your stationer to make the items (we ask for 4-6 weeks). Once you’ve found a design you like, choose a colour theme. Your stationer should send out a proof showing all of your details in your chosen colours. This way you’ll be sure all the details are correct before the order is completed. Consider having Pocketfolds; they contain not only the invitation but an RSVP and information card for details of hotels, directions etc. tucked inside – we love making life simple!
3. Third stage: Order on the day items. You can do this much nearer the wedding.  These items include menus; order of service; place cards; table cards; table plan – anything that will be used on the big day itself! We suggest making on the day items to match your invitations to follow your theme through. We know how long it takes sometimes to finalise things such as details with the vicar, caterer and your final guest list. We usually request wording for order of service and menus around 8 weeks before the wedding and details for table plans, place cards, table cards, etc. 4 weeks prior to the wedding.
4. Fourth stage: Order favour boxes and thank you cards. You can actually order these at the same time as any of the previous steps – many of my clients have purchased these at the same time as the invitations!  Leave the thank you card inserts blank if you want to write your own message, or we have some standard examples that you could try out. Both thank you cards and favour boxes can match the rest of your stationery too.
5. It easy to order in several stages, meaning minimal fuss and the chance to evenly spread payments before your wedding! If you prefer to order everything at once, your stationer may provide the items in stages: we prepare your order in two batches – the first batch includes the invitations and RSVPs, the second includes all of the ‘on the day’ items. Of course, we give you plenty of reminders as to when we need your information!

Having set out our suggested timescales, we realise that it’s not always possible to stick to them. Don’t worry – we can often help out if you’ve got a tight timescale. Just ask us for advice, we love to help! Please visit our website http://www.cardsbysophie.com/

We are pleased to have something for the boys on our blog, courtesy of the great blokes at Staggered, which if you haven’t heard of  it is the UK’s leading mens’  wedding website. If there’s something that you need to get sorted for your impending nuptials and need to squeeze it in to the busy football, gym, work, fiancee, schedule get some great advice from the guys in the know, starting with Ties…

Ties. Actually, let’s narrow things down a bit: wedding ties . Actually, I’m in a digressive mood so let’s start not with ties but with handfasting. Did you know that in different cultures (notably European and pagan cultures) the idea of marriage was represented not just with tiny Shepherds Pie canapés and exorbitantly expensive dresses but by tying the hands of the bride and groom together. Cool, huh?

Often each of the guests was asked to secure a cord around the couples’ joined hands to symbolise not just their togetherness, but the guests’ complicity in joining them together. I think that’s lovely, and just think, if you’re really angry with how much you’ve had to pay for your hotel you could tie your cord really tight, constrict the blood flow in their hands and laugh as their hands dropped off. That’ll teach them to not block book the local Travelodge. Anyway, if you’re interested, here’s a handfasting ceremony  you might like to try out when you’ve got five minutes spare.

Ok, I’m done digressing. Wedding ties and specifically how to tie them is one of the things that as a groom you’ll probably not think of until the morning of the wedding. At which point knowing how to tie a cravat, or execute the perfect Four In Hand will make you the coolest Mother Hubbard in the room. So here presented via the wonder of YouTube is exactly that. By the way, if you’re stuck for ideas about wedding ties then you really need to go and see Swagger & Swoon, amazing service and a very high quality product for a bloody reasonable price.

How To Tie A Cravat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lgO0I3Wcao&feature=player_embedded

How To Tie A Windsor Knot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQQr09Ja1zY&feature=player_embedded

How To Tie A Bow Tie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjI-58KrBmM&feature=player_embedded

One final piece of digressive trivia for you – did you know that mathematically speaking there are 85 ways to tie a tie? The mind boggles.

Couples who are looking for something less traditional than two weeks on a foreign beach should check out a new travel website dedicated to finding the perfect honeymoon. The honeymoon market is as buoyant as ever and a number of factors have increased the options available. Jane Anderson editor of the site has 101 Honeymoon Ideas to assist couples in their search for the perfect honeymoon whether they want a private island, boutique hotel, adventurous safari or coastal chic. An innovative visual search allows users to filter their options and create something truly unique.

Visit the experts at www.101honeymoons.co.uk

Do you want a wedding full of bling and to marry like the celebrities do ?? You can’t do better than a wedding in Vegas. The Little White Wedding Chapel has seen stars like Joan Collins, Frank Sinatra, Demi Moore and Britney Spears get married, although some of the unions have lasted longer than others…..

It’s a larger than life experience with limousines, Elvis impersonators, helicopters, casinos and even a Drive-Thru wedding. With over 120,000 couples choosing Vegas each year you will not be alone on your wedding day. One of the most famous venues on The Strip is The Little White Wedding Chapel which pioneered the drive through ceremony.

Everything is provided here : champagne glasses, brides’ garter, rented tux and gown, Elvis impersonator and even a vending machine bouquet ! (An on site ATM is provided for what must be the ultimate in impulse spending.)

The Cherubs Chariot Drive Thru Special includes the ceremony, photographs, long stemmed rose, garter, keepsakes and a courtesy limousine for $179. If you prefer, you can use your own car, drive along under the painted cherub ceiling and get married at the Drive Thru window for as little as $40 plus licence fee. With only one simple form to complete it is as easy to wake up newly married in Vegas as it is to wake up with a hangover.

The Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel promises elegance and sophistication with a full half hour chapel time allocated to each couple to avoid that ‘conveyor belt’ feeling attached to Vegas weddings. With lots of different packages to choose from whether you want to be married by Merlin, get loved up with Liberace or hitched with a Hula theme – you can do it in Vegas!

Congratulations on your engagement! 

You’re welcome to marry in the Church of England whatever your beliefs, whether or not you are christened and regardless of whether you go to church. So whether you’re just dreaming of your wedding or well into the planning already, your church wants to help you create a personal and meaningful day.

There are some things about a church wedding that you just can’t get anywhere else:

• The amazing vows that you will make to each other; big promises that you can only make in church, and that your church can help you to keep.
• A relationship with your vicar, who will blend ancient tradition and modern experience to reflect your story.
• The choice of a number of beautiful venues, steeped in history, spiritual and serene.

Many couples marry in their local church, but you may prefer a different church because it is special for you, perhaps due to family or other connections. We can make this happen and, if you’d like us to, we can also link you up with a church nearer home who can support you in the months and years to come.

If you invite us to be part of your wedding, we would be delighted to accept. Visit www.yourchurchwedding.org or come and visit our stand at a UK Wedding Show and see what we have to offer.

Loose diamonds are both the most magical and versatile of Nature’s creations, and have fascinated mankind for over four thousand years. Today, an estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry, many in developing economies such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and India. An estimated 5 million people globally have access to appropriate healthcare thanks to revenues from diamonds.

In some countries, the diamond mining industry is the largest employer after the government. In spite of the contribution diamonds continue to make to the wellbeing of millions, their high value also makes them vulnerable to theft and abuse. This was highlighted in the 1990s when rebel organizations in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone expropriated diamonds and used the revenues to perpetrate civil war and carry out atrocities against innocent civilians. Having been made aware of the urgency to act by two non-governmental organizations, (Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada), the diamond industry acted swiftly to co-operate with NGOs, governments and the United Nations. It established the World Diamond Council, representing the entire industry from mining to retail. The World Diamond Council contributed significantly to the development of the UN mandated Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which ensures that today more than 99 percent of diamonds are from conflict-free sources. There are now 74 governments that are members of the Kimberley Process.

Diamond companies are talking about more than just carats and colours these days. As consumers demand more added value than ever, the industry is drawing attention to its commitment to improving the lives of the people who create diamonds. The growing awareness of their broader corporate social responsibility means this is increasingly becoming a factor when people are choosing their stones.

One American jeweller determined to address Africa’s continued suffering has introduced a conflict-free diamond pendant. Debi Wexler, CEO of one of the largest online diamond retailers, Whiteflash.com, is dedicating all proceeds from her $4,400 conflict-free Diamonds of Africa diamond pendant to supporting children who have suffered under blood diamond conflicts and to creating awareness to combat illicit diamond trade.

 “Africa is earth’s most vivid mosaic of cultural and natural beauty. But for all her richness and life, this beautiful portrait is stained where unrest brings hunger and suffering to her children,” says Wexler, who holds these issues close to her heart.

“Whiteflash.com has some of the finest ethically produced designer bridal jewelry available,” said Debi Wexler, president of Whiteflash.com and conflict free diamond activist. “The site offers the conscious consumer a means to connect directly to diamond beneficiation projects, such as Whiteflash’s Dreams of Africa collection in which 100% of proceeds go to help those children who have suffered under blood diamond conflicts.”

 “While other companies offer commercially produced ‘green rings’ and conflict free jewellery, what makes us different is that 100% of our profits go to those who really need out help,” said Debi.

 Though dramatically reduced in recent years, hot spots of conflict and suffering remain in Africa. Whiteflash initiated the Dreams of Africa program as a way for shoppers to be proactive. You can visit the website at www.dreamsofafrica.org.

Whiteflash.com’s comments can be seen at www.dreamsofafrica.org/blog.

It is a very exciting time here at The UK Wedding Shows as Linda and Bev our Directors prepare for their trip to the Bridal Show Producers International Conference in Las Vegas.

This is an International Conference for show producers worldwide and is a fantastic opportunity to access a wealth of information designed to help make our shows better than ever.

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