Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable and special; not only for themselves but also for their guests. So what can you do that’s different from the rest? In many cases the first impression your guests are going to get about your wedding will be when your unique wedding invitations shows up in their mailbox. As soon as they open your invitation they will start forming an image of your wedding in their mind. Is it going to be a typical wedding or is this going to be something that will set the standard? As you know, when a typical wedding invitation shows up in your mail box, the reaction is “oh yeah, we got (fill in the blank)’s wedding invitation in the mail today.” But when a unique wedding invitation shows up it will be something like, “you have got to see (fill in the blank)’s wedding invitation! I have never seen anything like it!” And, because it’s so unique, they will bring it to work the next day to show everyone the most unique wedding invitations they’ve seen!
What kind of wedding invitations will get such a reaction? We have found a few that we think are over the top but aren’t custom made so the prices are still affordable. But you can still be sure that when these show up in the mail it will be a topic of dinner conversation and best of all will get your guests excited about going to your wedding!
This first one is the Cabana Wedding Invitation from HansonEllis. This wedding invitation is ideal for a destination wedding to a tropical location. Each invitation comes in a bamboo wood gift box, with ivory cardstock, and a cabana leaf motif. These unique wedding invitations are fully customizable. You can include the invitation itself as well as other items like an RSVP card, menu card, and a map & directions. They also sell the mailing boxes to put the bamboo box in. Plus, these unique wedding invitations are completely eco-friendly! To find out more click here!!
This next one is our old favorite, the Message in a Bottle Invitation. Again, this invitation is a great option for destination beach weddings and is from HansonEllis. These unique glass bottles are filled with sand and real mini seashells! The custom message is on natural oil paper with cedar leaves. You can add directions to your event, an RSVP card, and more in the bottle and then you use the provided cork to cork the bottle. Each bottle is decorated with a raffia ribbon. You also have the option of getting each bottle engraved with something like you and your fiancés name and the date of your wedding! Again, they also sell corrugated mailing boxes to mail these unique wedding invitations to your guest. If you choose you can use these unique bottles as wedding favors or to send out your thank you cards. Save up to 50% OFF on Message In A Bottle Invitations – Click Here to Shop
The Wedding Scroll Invitation Tube gives a little bit different look than the Message in a Bottle Invitation and is also great for destination beach weddings. HansonEllis, again, is the provider of these unique wedding invitations. As you can see they have some great options that will knock your guest’s socks off! Just click this link: HansonEllis Weekly Deals – SAVE 50% Off on Select Personalized Gifts and Keepsakes I recommend you go check them out to see what else they have. Anyway, these invitations come in a glass tube which comes with a cork. Again, like the Message in a Bottle Invitation, this invitation comes with sand and tiny sea shells. The paper invitation that goes in the tube is a top quality ivory linen paper scroll with a gold cord attached. The paper can have your custom message placed on it and then is rolled up like a scroll. They also have personalized labels that can be placed on the outside of the tube. Additionally, they have custom RSVP cards that can be attached. If you are interested in finding out more about this invitation just click the link above and search their site for “tube”. It will be the only result.
If you think the last invitations were a little to “3-dimensional,” you will probably like these very unique, but can be mailed in an envelope, Passport wedding invitations from eInvite. These unique wedding invitations actually have the look and feel of a real passport, right down to the visa stamps and space for the Passport Bearer to sign their names. The cover is actually made using silver offset printing on a dark blue 90lb paper booklet cover. A really unique and creative part of this wedding invitation is the perforated tear-out response card and silver response envelope. Plus, to keep a consistent theme to the end, they also offer matching thank you cards that you can send after your wedding. If you are interested in finding out more about this invitation just click one of the images below.
Finally, we will end with one more unique item but this one is a save the date. Many people send out save the dates at least a few months before the invitations go out so their guests can start planning and making arrangements. This is even more critical for destination weddings where your guests will have to plan and save for travel. These unique save the date magnets will definitely be a great precursor for and of the unique wedding invitations above. They will definitely know that you are planning an amazing event plus it will be a great decoration for their refrigerator that will serve as a constant reminder for your wedding.
This Save the Date Magnet Boat is made of real wood, has cloth sails, and genuine rope rigging. The hull is designed in a nautical wood finish, trimmed in bright white and sailor blue. Each sailboat comes with two magnets mounted on the back so the favor can be placed securely on any metal surface. You can have your names and wedding date inscribed on the front as a save the date. If you are interested in finding out more about this invitation click on the picture.
Of course if you are looking for some more unique wedding invitations, but also very top of the line from the most popular designers, you can check out our large supply in our wedding invitation shop.
Here’s a guest post from a great friend of Our Wedding Plus, Jonathan Pogash! Make sure to check out the videos at the bottom of this post to see some tasty signature drinks and demonstrations of how to make them. Checkout Jonathan’s website Wedding Cocktail Design to get a bunch of ideas for your wedding signature drinks. Thanks again Jonathan for the great signature drink ideas and congratulations on your new son! Here’s Jonathan’s post…
Hang on Summer! – Signature Drinks for the End of Summer
If you’re like me, you enjoy relaxing on the beach with the warm, salt air flowing through your hair. You enjoy the fall season as well, with its bounty of fruits, herbs, and Technicolor leaves blowing through the cool, crisp air.
As a designer of signature wedding cocktails, I’m occasionally given the mission of creating non-seasonal signature drinks – that is a drink that contains ingredients that are not in season. It’s a big deal to me that my drinks include only the best possible fruits, herbs, and vegetables. And really the only way to do this is to choose those fruits that are in season.
That being said, if your wedding happens to be in a destination that feels like summer, while in most of the country we’re being dumped buckets of snow, have no fear! Tropical cocktails and those drinks that use typically “summer” ingredients are a very hot trend. Why not use coconut or passion fruit in a specialty drink, or strawberries, blackberries, and peaches in a refreshing, unique libation?
When thinking about your signature drinks, know that it’s about YOU and your partner…whatever you want you get, and if anyone tries to say otherwise, just shoo them away!
I’ve included a cocktail or two below that incorporate summer flavors into drinks that will work well for a fall or winter wedding. Please note, the recipes below were created specifically for the occasion. If you are interested in a unique cocktail of your own for your special day, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at jonathan@weddingcocktaildesign.com and visit my website www.WeddingCocktailDesign.com . You can also watch me mix up a few cocktails on WNBC-TV in New York and FOX Providence in Rhode Island (videos below, too)
The Royal Peach
1 1/2 oz. Van Gogh Cool Peach Vodka
3/4 oz. St Germain Elderflower liqueur
3-4 dashes of Angostura bitters
Directions: STIR ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish: orange peel (option to flame the peel)
Basil Peach Smash
1/4 of a ripe peach
1 heaping tsp. maple syrup
2 basil leaves
2 oz. Brugal Anejo rum
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Yacht Club ginger beer (local from Rhode Island)
Directions: Muddle the peach and basil in the syrup and lemon juice. Add rum and shake well with ice. Strain over ice and top w/ ginger beer.
Garnish: sliced peach
Elopement Packages – Take the Stress Out of Wedding Planning
Planning a wedding can be extremely stressful not to mention expensive! Not only are there a lot of things to think about when planning a big event for a large amount of people, throw in the issue of making sure you don’t upset any relatives and everyone wanting to put their two cents in about who to invite, who sits where, etc. If this sounds like you, then why not consider elopement packages!
There are many all inclusive elopement packages out there so you don’t have to think about all the planning and you can still have an amazing wedding with just you and your fiance. Think about a beachfront sunset wedding in Jamaica, where all you have to do is show up and the photographer, the decorations, the meal, and the cake is already set up by your wedding planner! Our affiliate partner Sandals and Beaches offers all inclusive weddings designed by Martha Stewart. Choose an exclusive Martha Stewart signature wedding package at Sandals Resorts
Sandals and Beaches offers six different Martha Stewart wedding options each varies with different styles and color options but they all provide your own wedding coordinator who will do all the hard work. All you have to do is let them know what you want. But, there are some things you will have to do. Most importantly you will have make sure you have all the required legal documentation for the island you will be getting married on. The Sandals website has all the details and yes, they have a documentation specialist who can walk you through the process. But, make sure to have everything you need before you leave home!
While these all inclusive weddings make great elopement packages, you can also bring guests and make this a great destination wedding option.
If this sounds like it’s for you, check out this great deal being run by Beaches at Negril, Jamaica. This special if for those who Beaches Negril it is set on the best stretch of Negril’s Seven-Mile Beach. Within Beaches Negril there are 7 specialty restaurants, 3 pools with 2 swim-up bars among other fabulous amenities. Beaches Negril is known for their Green Star Diamond Award and Five Star Diamond Award.
Current promotions; Save up to 55% off, $150 Spa Credit, $250 Airfare Credit and best of all companion flies free runs through Oct 31, 2011!
Looking for an easy way to get your groom and your groomsmen coordinated with your bridesmaid dresses? This can be as simple as using a pocket square! This small piece of fabric can have your groomsmen fully integrated in your wedding theme. Their pocket square will stand out against the color of the tuxedo and perfectly complimenting the bridesmaid’s dresses! The choice of styles and colors made in dressing your bridal party is something that will be remember and viewed in pictures for years to come.
The pocket square dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, with it gaining popularity in the 1920’s. At first pocket squares were actually linen handkerchiefs. The practice of putting then in the breast pocket came as a result of men not wanting them to become dirty by coins and other objects in the pant pocket. Hence a style was born. These pocket squares can also be used as a method of saving money in these hard economic times. Instead of using fresh flowers for a boutonniere a pocket square can add the right complement of color you need. Some men actually prefer a pocket square instead of a boutonniere. It can also be matched with a neck tie, bow tie or even a cravat. When using a pocket square it allows you to get creative as it can be folded into different designs. A good example of this is to complement the bridesmaid dresses neckline using an asymmetrical design. Some examples of pocket square folds include the puff fold, Astaire, the flat fold, the two corners up fold, and the straight shell. The technique applied to the pocket fold all depends on the overall look you are trying to accomplish.
Pocket squares come in a variety of materials such as linen, twill, cotton and pique, but silk pocket squares are the most popular. Silk pocket squares are used mostly when one is looking for a bright display of color. Click here to find a wide variety of pocket squares in our own wedding shop! Including the one shown above.
Bridal flip flops are the latest trend for beach weddings. Beach weddings are some of the most romantic wedding ceremonies, although they tend to be more on the informal side. The beautiful sunshine, the crash of the waves, the sensual smell of the ocean and not to mention the beautiful backdrop it provides for your wedding tops it all off. This is the dream wedding for many people because of the more relaxed intimate setting.
If you are looking for a unique way to keep your beach wedding informal but also tie in your wedding colors and theme, the best shoes for the job are the bridal flip flops! Not only are they functional in the sand they also make great gifts for the bridesmaids. If you are feeling really generous and they are in your budget, you can also make them your wedding favors. They are actually a versatile and affordable addition to any seaside wedding ensemble. Do yourself, the bridesmaids and your guests a favor, allow them to be able to be relaxed and enjoy the feel of sand smoothly caressing their feet while running around without having to worry about ruining their pricey pair of shoes.
The bridal flip flops shown above are from the Dessy Group. They offer various attractive designs and colors. They are not only comfortable but come in a variety of colors, 50 to be exact. They come in coordinating colors with whatever color scheme you are working with. They have a rubber sole for comfort and a bamboo insole to add that touch of island charm. Each slipper comes in a matching chiffon drawstring bag, how’s that for portability and presentation? You can even take advantage of the current special offer, where you buy 2 dozen bridal flip flops and receive a Moroccan reed beach tote absolutely free. It wouldn’t be right to present these flip flops at your wedding any other way than to have your guest pick their pair from this stylish beach tote!
Say what? That’s right…after wearing those fancy heels during your wedding ceremony, the formal pictures, etc. it’s time to relax and have fun. So here’s a tip. Have a pair of fashionable ballet bridal shoes that kind of match your wedding dress so you can dance and mingle without worrying about blisters, falling, or generally being uncomfortable. So after you make your entrance at the reception, kick off those uncomfortable but beautiful shoes and throw on some very comfortable and beautiful bridal ballet shoes!
These ballet bridal shoes are from Bellissima Bridal Shoes. Just click on the picture to find out more about them.
Here’s another beautiful pair of wedding ballet slippers from Dessy. I love the stylish tucks on the toe. The great thing about these are they also come in ivory and in Dessy’s most popular bridesmaid colors! So take pity on your bridesmaids. Let them be comfortable too! These stylish wedding ballet slippers will make a great gift for your bridesmaids that they (and their feet) will appreciate all night long.
Winter is coming! That means the destination wedding season is also coming. If you are planning on having a destination wedding in the Caribbean or some other warm beach destination I thought you’d be interested in these beautiful and also one of their most popular Save the Dates from Wedding Paper Divas.
Aptly called “Watercolor Wonder,” they were inspired by a cool ocean breeze and are have water color accents. Unlike many beach themed save the date cards these are a little more subtle without shells or palm trees. But the wavy aqua green and blue water color accents will give your guests a hint of the elegance and relaxing atmosphere of your destination wedding!
Another great watercolor style save the date I think is perfect for a destination wedding are these, called “On The Horizon.” This one is also a subtle beach scene of a sunset with the warm pink glow of the horizon over a calm blue ocean.
Both of these cards are very high quality and use nice and heavy 110lb textured paper and of course, WPD offers a full line of matching stationary including these also very popular wedding invitations. If you are interested in finding out more about them, just click on the images!
Ever have issues trying to send huge files as an email attachment? You are not alone! The only other thing that can be as frustrating is receiving a gigantic 20MB file in you inbox! I figured this would definitely be applicable to you photographers and videographers out there as well as everyone else who wants to send pictures and video to friends and family. One minute of video on your iPhone can take up 70-80 MB so it’s not hard to overwhelm the standard email limits on the most popular email services.
Gmail – 25MB
AOL Mail – 25MB
Yahoo – 25MB
Windows Live Hotmail – 10MB
Here’s a free way that I have personally used several times to bypass these problems. It’s an online service called File Relay. It acts similar to a dropbox where the file you want to send is uploaded to a server and the people you want to have it only get a link sent to them via email. When they click on the link the file is downloaded to their computer. This saves your and everyone else’s email from getting bogged down if you send huge files. The other nice feature is you are able to see if your recipient actually downloaded the file. I think you will find that it is very simple to use, your recipients don’t need to have an account to use it and it’s totally free!
Here’s how it works:
Before you can use the service you have to set up an account, which only takes a few seconds (only the sender of the file needs to do this, recipients don’t need an account).
You browse for the file on your hard drive
Set a date for the file to expire (after this date it is no longer available to the recipient)
Type in the emails of the people you want to access the file
Include a message to them if you want.
When you click “Send Email” the file is securely uploaded to the File Relay server and an email with the link to the file is sent to each of the recipients with a unique code for each person so you can see who actually downloads the file.
You also have the option to send a package of multiple files and you can always delete the files off of the File Relay server any time if you sent the wrong file or if the contents of the file are outdated.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! This is everyone’s day to show their Irish Pride, even if you’re not Irish, by wearing something green, eating corn beef and cabbage, and having a green beer. But for those of you who want to show their Irish Pride all year round what better way than wearing a Celtic Design wedding ring? This style ring is getting pretty popular, but do you know the origins of the endless knot design found on these rings? Read on and you’ll be able to dazzle your friends today with your knowledge of Irish history over that green beer today.
Actually the endless knot design isn’t uniquely Celtic, in fact it can be found in third and fourth century AD Roman artwork including floor mosaics and the endless knot pattern can be found in other cultures artwork around that time too. One example is this cross found on a church in Spain.
Cruz de Santa Susana (from Wikipedia)
The pattern was found in Celtic art prior to the Christian influence around 450 AD. But, as you can clearly see the design made its way into early Christian artwork as seen in this Celtic cross and in the artwork found in the famous Book of Kells; which you can see firsthand if you visit Dublin.
Images from Wikipedia
These date back to the 8th and 9th centuries AD, but the earliest example of the true knotted design is found in this 7th century fragment from a Gospel book found in the Durham Cathedral Library.
Earliest Celtic Pattern (from Wikipedia)
These are the same designs that you can find today in many Celtic wedding rings.
From what I’ve read, there is no evidence showing any philosophical or religious significance to the design but I kind of like the modern theory that the endless knot design is symbolic of the unending bond of love.
These two examples of Celtic wedding rings are made of Tungsten Carbide which happens to be the hardest metal alloy on the planet! They are nearly unscratchable, except by a diamond, and are unbendable. So what a great combination for a wedding ring, the endless knot on the most durable wedding ring on earth.
Professional Wedding Photo Album at a Price You Can Afford!
It’s been only the past five or so years that you can actually go online and make your own professional looking wedding photo album. Back in the day you had to rely solely on your wedding photographer to make a professional looking photo album and it typically cost you an arm and a leg! So now you can go online, upload your photos, arrange them the way you’d like and add your own unique touches such as comments, background photos, and professional binding and expensive looking covers. The best part it’s probably a lot cheaper and easier than you would expect.
One of our affiliates Picaboo has been around for a few years and is one of the leading wedding photo album providers. They pretty much have perfected how the process for you making it pretty simple. You can sign-up for free and try their online wedding album building tool to see what I mean. But to make a long story short from now until March 14, 2011 they will give you your second wedding photo album for free! You just have to use the code “BGSPRING” at checkout. This deal only applies to the Classic Linen, Classic Leather, and Classic Custom cover styles.
Here’s another beautiful pair of 
Here’s a free way that I have personally used several times to bypass these problems. It’s an online service called 
