Spinning Straw Into Gold (Sounded Nicer than "Putting Lipstick on a Pig")

When searching for real licensed Disney invitations these days, the selection of standard invitations--the kind commercially made and generally licensed so anyone can get them, not just brides getting married at Disney Parks and Resorts (we have the ones that are left at Impressions Online Invitations. Search for "Disney" to see everything)--is getting pretty slim. The main book has been discontinued and the online selection seems to get smaller every day.  But not to worry--there are still options!  Let's say you like one you found online, but it doesn't quite have the look you were wanting to create. This one is called "Written in the stars":

But you wanted a bit more magic added. . .that's where we come in!  For this one, we put the invitation in a pocket to give it more richness and since the pocket replaces the inner envelope, we created a custom matching tab with the invited guests' names on it. Much better!!  There are several standard invitations we can put into a pocket, just ask us.  Best to select one that is a single card that doesn't fold.  We have a ton of pocket colors and options, different folds and styles. . .and unlimited imagination. So don't give up on the invitation you like at first--try to see the possibilities.  And if you can't see them, call us and we'll help you spin that straw into gold! (Or help you put lipstick on that pig.) (Which seriously STILL doesn't sound as nice.  LOL!)

"Written in the Stars" invitation in a silver stardream pocket with personalized tabs

The matching enclosures fit right in to the pocket on the bottom so no cards get lost.

Coordinating AND Saving--

We have a bunch of brides trying to stay within a budget while still getting amazing Disney-themed invitations. And it really is possible! We just found an existing invitation that we have that coordinates nicely with the Save the Dates sent from Walt Disney World weddings. Here are the existing save the dates:

We went through all our books and found this invitation:

And we decided to "fix" it with an antique satin ribbon and custom seal. Since it already exists, it's fairy inexpensive compared to making it completely custom from scratch. When we engineed a way to customize it to add in Cinderella's coach and give it a really beautiful, custom look, we found a way to make it look like it cost three times more than it did while keeping licensing and base costs down:The final look was just beautiful and it coordinates so well with the Save the Dates. We were so happy, we wanted to share! I LOVE taking something that exists and making it look like something ridiculously expensive. Just like the editors of Real Simple when they teach you how to take a box of crackers, ketchup, fishing line and a lump of meat and turn it into a gourmet meal!

My Favorite Compliment

So I'm really torn. My favorite compliment might not be something I should post to my home page (and I've been thinking about it. . .) but it's perfect for my blog. But I WANT it on my home page. I think it sums me up nicely. My couple from last summer (that's how long I've been agonizing about posting this), Amy and Brian, called me from the airport on the way to their honeymoon. They wanted to thank me for everything we made for them because it was all beautiful and perfect. Then they told me about all the things that went wrong. The worst was their florist--with this gorgeous aqua color, the florist ordered in purple flowers without telling the bride. It was a nightmare. And then at the end of the story of everything that went wrong, Amy told me that Brian specifically told her to call me. With my favorite compliment ever: "You're the only vendor who didn't screw up!" Isn't that awesome? Ok, maybe it might be out of place on my home page. So that's why I'm glad I have a blog where I can share my happiness with you.

Fun with Creation!

Years ago, I designed a Mickey program fan (available for weddings at Walt Disney World® and Disneyland®) inspired by a cross between mouseketeer bar and Florida heat. :0 ) We were just coming out with fan programs then and I started to wonder if I could make them Mickey-shaped instead of just a square. The Mickey program fan was born!

Since then, I've had tons of Cinderella-themed weddings with brides wanting program fans and I needed to send them the square direction--we printed Cinderella and Prince Charming dancing on a square fan. But it was never the same novelty/cool/dazzle feeling that the Mickey fan had. I did have one bride ask if I couldn't make a coach fan by flipping Mickey upside down. And sure, if you think about it, an upside-down Mickey mostly looks like a coach. But it needed more detail to look less, I don't know...wrong? LOL! So finally, I have a wonderful Disneyland bride named Amy that inspired me to make it work. So you take desire, creativity, need, a nice bride and last weekend and ta-dah! The coach program fan was born!!

Open House at Franck's!

It was Open House day at Franck's Studio at Disney's Wedding Pavilion! A great opportunity for the local brides to come out and be wowed by the amazing quality that is Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. Disney Floral and Gifts provided sample tablescapes to showcase three looks on two tables and Impressions was delighted to provide the details. For the blush/taupe and silver table, we created two different looks. One blush baroque look with a crystal accent and the second look was all about soft ivory chiffon and silver.

The second table is my personal favorite because I always love to see a snip of inspiration turn into reality. Elizabeth Sutton from Disney Floral and Gifts sent me a picture of multi-tonal green stripes and we both ran with it. Her floral and linen choices were perfect! We made the paper vase wrap in the stripes along with matching menu cards and place cards. I'm now totally in love with green! I hope all the brides and grooms who came to visit today loved it as much as I did!!!

Much thanks to Laura Kidd, Disney Floral and Gifts, for her images!

Cool Stuff!

"So. . .why didn't they have this stuff when I was getting married?" LOL! One thing that's wonderful while terrifying about our society is that the motion is forward. Everyone is always improving if they want to keep up. But that also means that they didn't have these super cool m&ms when I was getting married:

And there are princess ones and Cinderella wedding ones and my picture ones. . .I could cry! I did something different at the time, favor purses/place cards and I filled them with then state of the art "JB's." They're made by Jelly Belly and they are basically m&ms with a Jelly Belly coating. So these were coconut wrapped around chocolate--like baby Mound's bars. Yum!

But knowing me, I'd have done the m&ms. I'm the type of person to buy 6 bags to pull out all the green ones to theme, so if I could have gotten my colors and name AND picture? Oh, heaven!!!! I love that! And DISNEY m&ms? I would have changed my whole wedding. I am the sort of person who buys the earrings first though. . .

Good news--if you're planning your wedding now, you can get these! (And well, yeah--I could make them into place card purses if you want them. . .LOL!) (And I guess I've got some cool boxes and jars and stuff to put them in. . .)

http://www.mymms.com/disney/

http://www.fairytalewedding.com/

The Politics of Tables

Your guests arrive at the reception, pick up their escort cards and discover to which table they've been assigned. To some guests, it's the magic moment. The lower the number, the higher the honor. "Am I at table two? Or dare I think it--the most exalted and revered TABLE ONE?" You might not think of it, but guests tend to automatically rank themselves in importance in your life based on what table number they've been assigned. So what do you do? NAME the tables instead of numbering them. Name them after cities you've been together, your favorite movies, constellations--anything but numbers. That removes the politics completely. Who's to say that the "Starfish" table is better or worse than the "Seahorse" table? Naming your tables is also a great way to carry your theme throughout your reception. Beach theme? Name your tables after beaches you've gone to together. No theme? Start with "Faith" "Hope" and "Love" and go from there. Come up with any set of names that mean something to the two of you. "But how will they find their tables," you ask me. Easy. There are two ways--alphabetize them around the room or provide a ballroom diagram outside. Then your guests can find their tables with ease and enjoy your reception.