Passport-Palooza: Anatomy of the Wedding Passport Invitation

As we head into "invitation season" I thought I'd start it out with a bang. You love 'em, I love 'em, guests love to receive them, its the: The Destination Passport Themed Invitation.

Cover

The cover of your passport can be as formal or as fun as you would like it. I've seen invitations that have attempted to stick very closely with the traditional passport cover and then others have just broken all the rules. "Passport to Love", "Destination Bliss", "United in Love"... All of these titles are frequently seen on the cover. Additionally, list the couple's names, date and location of wedding.

The more elements you pick up from the actual passport, the more effective your invitation will be

Travel Arrangements

Sometimes you can drive your guests to your wedding website for information concerning travel arrangements, you can simply suggest places to go to book travel or you can actually point them to a travel agent. If going the travel agent route, its nice to have a page that details all of that information so guests will have everything they need to get started booking travel.

Couple Page

Everyone loves the couples page... This page can be as detailed as you want it to be. I've seen these pages stick pretty closely to the picture page formats in passports, but I've also seen them display very different info. Some very personal, some not so personal... Its up to you as a couple what you want to share about yourselves.

Sharing the most basic information

Expanded information can also be accommodated

Resort Info

This is a great spot to whet your guests appetite about the resort. You can use photos, indicate any special dress codes, number of restaurants, etc.

Schedule of Events

Maybe you have a welcome bonfire, rehearsal dinner, cocktail party... List everything that is going on here since typically these destination affairs span 3-4 days. Nice way to organize your activities.

These are just a few things that you can do... If you still need filler pages, think about having a page full of stamps or a page for your guests to take notes! Have fun with this, as it will become a keepsake you cherish for years to come.

Top Wedding Pinterest Boards

Yes, I took Monday 12.26 off! I was basking in the holiday break and also taking in NBA games, which have returned with a vengeance... How insane was the Bulls at Lakers game on Christmas? Go Bulls!

Also, we are slowly moving out of Save the Date season and entering Invitation season so stay tuned for plenty of planning posts to help you navigate this task!

In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my favorite Pinterest boards! These are worth your time, check them out...  

Dejanae Events has a spectacular Wedding Cake board with 105 pins!

Calligraphy board by yours truly.... 

Why start from scratch when you can comb through
The Perfect Palette's color palette library of 215 pins!

Lauren Grove of Every Last Detail has the largest
repository of escort cards and seating ideas I've seen.

Aglow Weddings and Events has an outdoor wedding board
that boasts 147 pins, I'm not kidding... Check it out!

This D.I.Y. Wedding Pinterest Board has SO many unique ideas...
Have some time available when you peruse this one!

For the bride who likes a little bling, Antoinette from After All Is Done
Events has a must see board with lots of sparkle! 

Happy Holidays From CT-Designs

I am such a scrooge this year... No tree, no decor and am working straight through the holidays! My only reprieve will come Christmas Day when there will be FIVE NBA games airing, signaling the triumphant return of hoops!

I thought I'd at LEAST decorate my blog since everywhere else seems so bare. Have safe, wonderful holidays everyone and I'll be back on Monday!

Making Bracelets for a Cause: Butter Kup Reloaded

I attended my third Butter Kup Spa Collection Event on December 7th and was delighted to discover that the company's founder, Erika Bracey is using her network and influence to raise money for a worthy cause. After surviving a cancer diagnosis last year, Erika is now selling bracelets to help others who are under-insured and need support during this scary time.

The bracelets are gorgeous and are a seamless addition to an already awesome collection that includes original body scrubs, whipped creams, body oils and butters.

Erika took a break and was sweet enough to model for me...

The bracelets are substantial, come in different sizes and are just beautifully made.

The set up

Closeup showing the rhinestone embellished stones and cancer ribbon emblem charm

Montage of the 2011 Butter Kup Spa Collection Event

Finally, I wanted to share some local coverage that Erika received recently. This piece allowed her to open up about her experience and explain why she wanted to begin raising money. I hope everyone can support this worthy cause. It never quite means as much until it affects someone you know personally. Erika is a special individual and I wish her nothing but the best!

To order bracelets, email Erika at: erikabracey@gmail.com

ETSY Holiday Card Roundup

Ok, I am horrible with holiday cards... Just horrible. Some seasons, I get them out. Others, I just can't be bothered. I think I'm usually SO happy for a slower season, the last thing I  can picture myself doing is crafting cards... Another paper project? Really? I do understand that I'm missing a great opportunity though and my goal is to get better. Making a promise to myself to plan (and produce) some nice cards in 2013.

In the meantime though, I found some very inspiring work on Etsy and I always like to promote and share. This treasury list boasts vintage, photo-based and embellished work. Really beautiful and I hope you enjoy it. Have great, short weeks everyone!

Christmas Cards- Photo Cards... MimisDollhouse $7.50	Mod Simple Houndstooth Chris... MommiesInk $12.00	Holiday Card with Matching E... SewColorfulDes... $4.25
vintage bingo holiday card afavorite $5.00	Custom Vintage Style Printab... applejackdesig... $12.00	Vintage Noel Custom Holiday ... applejackdesig... $12.00
BOX of 6 let it snow holiday... dutchdoor $16.00	Letterpress Cupcake Holiday ... kissandpunch $4.75	HOLIDAY SALE - Letterpress H... hutchvintage $15.00
Letterpress Holiday Cards PurpleInkPress $2.00	Christmas Card Templates - H... GloriousMemory $12.00	Scrooge Holiday Card Set FoglioPress $15.00
DIY Merry Christmas Cards in... thesleepingpri... $6.00	DIY Printable Holiday Card -... konadesigns $12.00	recycled brown bag happy kwa... bacidesigner $4.00
CLOSEOUT - LOVE - Merry Chri... kottageon5th $13.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Wedding Best(s) of 2011

I always do an end of the season post to highlight the créme de la créme of the current year! This was a delightfully insane season here at CT-Designs with a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing. We got some great buzz, completely revamped the website/blog and FINALLY opened an Etsy shop. We even managed to keep pace with the technological advances being made in the wedding industry, specifically with how brides seek inspiration and services for their big day. 

The following is a brief summary of the highlights of our year:

Biggest Technological Undertaking
I launched the new website on February 13, 2011.  HUGE undertaking.  It took me a little over 3 months to complete. The before and after shots indicate how dramatic the changes were.

Every page was impacted in terms of the overall look and branding. The original site was dated and it didn't adequately reflect the quality of work we are capable of producing. To this day, people never hesitate to let me know how lovely the site is. Very proud of this 2011 accomplishment.

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Press and Buzz
Wow. All I can say is 2011 was a banner year for CT-Designs in terms of press and features...

We were recognized in the following wedding press outlets:
Spring Summer issue of CS Brides
Spring Summer issue of The Knot 
Beuweddings Blog (Ivy Room Wedding)
Beuweddings Blog (Eaglewood Resort Wedding)
Elizabeth Anne Designs
Winter 2011 Knot Luxury Edition
2012 The Knot Best of Weddings Pick

VERY excited about the buzz and hope to continue the trend in 2012... Thanks to all who made sure our company was properly credited!

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Coolest Stationery Theme
Kelly and Mark

To incorporate a sports theme with such an elegantly styled design motif was a challenge, but it came out beautifully. We did a belly band invite, table cards, programs and baseball card styled place cards!

Being a sports junkie and Chicago native, this stationery suite was SO much fun to execute!

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Best Invitation Collaboration
Erin and Daniel

Erin had a specific vision for her invitations and she also had awesome artistic ability. She actually sketched out the story of she and her hubby to be and wanted it to be included in a fold-out map style invite! A little cleanup in Photoshop by me was all that was required!

The event was also a mini-destination wedding to Wisconsin with a rustic/shabby chic look. Very beautiful and my best collaboration to date!

Congrats to Erin and Daniel, I can't wait til' your wedding is featured in 2012!

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Etsy Store Opening
We opened with a handful of items in June of 2011, now we've got 59 items listed and have been welcomed very warmly to the Etsy community! I only wish I'd done it sooner! My goal is to list 100 items before March of 2012... Wish us luck!

Visit us on Etsy

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Joining Pinterest
I FINALLY got around to joining Pinterest. Pinterest is a very cool, awesome way to gather inspiration on "boards" from work all over the web. It is also time consuming and addictive! Check out my earlier blog entitled Pinterest 101 and come join me in the madness! It's "ooh-ahh" city, for sure!

Follow my boards on Pinterest

Wow, what a season! I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!

10 More Top Wedding Blogs You Should Know About

I love BrideTide's listing of the Top 100+ Wedding Blogs... Very excited that the number has expanded to 149, because there are way too many now to limit the list to 100! 

I still think that there are some more that are going under the radar that are worth your time. Fair warning that there is a nod being given to some Chicago-based blogs!

Other personal criteria for this list: 

• Blog is fully established
• Content is consistently updated
• Features not just submissions, but helpful tips and ideas
• Not already on all of the current wedding "it" lists and blogrolls

The listings are in alpha order:

Be U Weddings Blog
Wedding blog focusing on events in Chicago and the Midwest.
They featured my work twice in 2011, what are the odds?
Gorgeous real weddings and practical advice you can use now.
Absolutely recommended for Chicago brides-to-be. They will
give you a nice look into some of the hottest venues.

Heidzillas Blog
Northeast Ohio full service wedding planning company. Heidi and Brittany are totally
unselfish with the details of their events, every vendor involved gets mentioned
and the photos are not all submitted by photographers.
Look for the color palette + nice overview before each real wedding feature.

Lucky in Love
I know you are wondering why a Seattle-based blog is listed here,
but I've been following this blog for some time now and they
just have a nice balance of submissions, inspiration boards
and advice... I love a balanced approach.

Munaluchi Bridal Blog
Another balanced approach... One of the few resources for mocha brides,
this is a nice mix of inspiration boards, real weddings,
Etsy shop spotlights, and interesting discussions for brides-to-be.

Paper Blog (Wedding Magazine)
UK based blog where CT-Designs blogs are actually published... Our blog entries
have been selected 5 times as the Editor's pick in the lifestyle/wedding section!
Refreshing reading about weddings and style from an English perspective
and I highly recommend visiting...

Parisian Party Blog
I met Kim Petyt at ISSE Chicago and it was a delight. She has such a unique story!
She is originally from Chicago, got married, and was then promptly whisked away to Paris to live!
Now she plans weddings there and has the BEST advice for the bride who either wants
French-inspired nuptials, or is getting married in Paris. LOVE the spirit of this blog...
Note: Kim has also been blogging for almost 5 years (that's a lifetime in the blogging world
as there aren't too many bloggers who've been doing it prior to 2008-09)

Sassy Chicago Brides
This one is great with your morning coffee... Quick tips and insight that
can be absorbed in about 5 minutes.  The blogging team is made up
of local brides-to-be as well as Wedding Guide Chicago staff, as this blog
is affiliated with that publication. They also accept wedding submissions.

Style Unveiled Blog
Style Unveiled is such an underrated site to me. Not sure what else
they can do to distinguish themselves, but I think that there is
room for them. Their site is very user-friendly in that you can
view blogs by city OR by ideas... They make it very easy to visit and find
just what you need...  There is also much more variety here than yet, ANOTHER real wedding...

Wedding Lovely Blog
Tracy Osborn has managed to pack a TON of information into
one site. It should be cluttered and hard to understand, but it is organized very well...
Invitation vendors, wedding planners and now photogs are housed here, searchable 
by region and price range. PLUS there are inspirational photos, real weddings, 
D.I.Y. tips AND advice... Brilliant and so so pinnable!

Wedology Blog
Desirée Dent has capitalized on producing timely, pithy, brief and readable blogs
full of practical advice brides can use immediately when planning
their big day. She is currently on a blogging tear for December 2011,
committing to blogging for 31 consecutive days, so don't miss out! 

Look for some of these blogs to crack Bride Tide's list at some point... Hopefully in 2012! Also, let me know about some of the wedding industry's "best kept secret" blogs below, I'm always looking for new sites to read and feature if I can!