Purple Reign

Pretty, Pretty Peony Invitation

Modern Monogram Seal

Open Pocket reveals Wedding Invitation, Response Card,
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation & Accommodations Card

Peony font pairs perfectly with Lavender design

Invitation by Marsupial Invitations
Available at Koru Wedding Shoppe

Oh Purple, you are so beautiful & regal. They say you rule in the wedding world. In fact, there are rumors Purple is the new Black. If this gorgeous wedding invitation is any indication, Purple will reign Queen for awhile.

The Purple beauty started with a referral from the Bride's sister who had done her destination wedding invitations at Koru. The Bride's sister was an absolute delight to work with on wedding invitations & the Bride was the exact same delight. She's getting married in May 2011 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina &, like her sister, she wants pocket invitations for a clean, orderly presentation of the travel information. Unlike her sister, she doesn't want to assemble the invitations herself. Marsupial Invitations it is!

We didn't even have to crack open the invitation book because the Bride spies the perfect invitation displayed in Koru's stationery nook: the Pretty in Yellow & Grey invitation. The colors aren't right & neither are the fonts but otherwise, the design, layout & wording is exactly what she wants. The Bride wants to ask her guests for music suggestions on the response card too (a new fad that I'm loving). Perfect! The Bride easily settles on a Peony purple pocket, Alabaster shimmer paper, Peony font color & Lavender design color. She chooses a pretty script font for emphasis & a clear block font for the copy. It's so stylish I can hardly stand it.

What a lovely purple package. Be still my heart, the Peony Purple invitation is quite a gorgeous sight!

Love Beach

A beautiful pocket invitation for a wedding in the Bahamas

The invitation & enclosure cards provide plenty of info for the traveling guests

The shell & marine ink reflect the wedding's location

I can't help it: I feel the need to escape to sunny days, warm breezes, white sands & turquoise waters. Thankfully, I've done a rash of destination wedding invitations lately so there are plenty of opportunities to visit to the tropics, even if it's only on a blog post. Today, we're going to the Bahamas!

What do you think of when you hear Bahamas? I, for one, immediately think of the gorgeous, turquoise waters. This wonderful couple had the same idea & they chose Marine ink to reflect those ocean waters (unfortunately, Marine looks dark in my photos). It's perfect for a destination wedding in the Bahamas. Just add the whimsical seashell on the ecru invitation enclosed in a shimmer, champagne pocket & perfection is achieved! Did I mention that their outer envelopes were addressed in Marine ink too? Seriously, it doesn't get better than this invitation.

Or maybe it does. The Bride & Groom are getting married at sunset on Love Beach in the Bahamas. How romantic!!!!

Taste of the Tropics

Jullian's full stationery set is on display
at Koru Wedding Shoppe

A table number, escort card & menu fit for the tropics

The wedding menu describing a feast reflecting the local tastes

Matching table numbers & escort cards to show the wedding guests the way!

I'm in full "Life Goes On" mode today. Gucci & Kaydee are missed so much but I can't sit home & mope. I don't know how to function any other way. Since I can't wallow, watching bad movies & eating tubs of ice cream, I'm going to concentrate on something happy & fun.

On that note, I wanted to share with you a complete stationery set designed for a destination wedding in Puerto Rico. Can you get much better than thinking of palm trees & sunshine? I showcased Jullian's wedding invitation in January, maybe you remember. Her wedding invitation featured a Mango design with Slate print, just perfect for an elegant, tropical wedding. I was thrilled when she came to me last month to order matching menus, table numbers & escort cards. While you don't have to follow any rules, it's great to carry a theme throughout your wedding for a cohesive feel. Jullian's wedding guests will be greeted with escort cards informing them of their table assignment. Table numbers will guide them to the correct table. Finally, a wedding menu will detail their meal of local flavors. Each stationery item perfectly coordinates with the wedding invitation & each other. Jullian put a lot of heart & thought into her wedding design & it will show. Her wedding guests are so lucky!

I wish Jullian & Gregory a lifetime of love, laughter & happily ever after!

Monique Stunner

Oh so classic & oh so beautiful!

The wedding invitation & its outer envelope

The wedding invitation & the travel enclosure

Today is another "Stop the Press!" day. I had another post planned when an invitation order arrived last evening at Koru Wedding Shoppe. Let me tell you, it's like Christmas opening an invitation order. There is nothing quite like admiring, touching & feeling this little creation that you worked hard designing & creating. In this case, I fell in love with the invitation!

This is the first Monique Lhuillier Fine Papers Collection invitation order I have received in awhile & I needed to be reminded how much I heart these invitations. Thick, luxurious papers, crisp, gorgeous printing & incredible designs- what more could you ask for?! Not much, I assure you.

You may remember this Bride & her fun save-the-date invitations for her Cabo San Lucas, Mexico wedding. For her wedding invitation, she wanted to go the classic route. She found everything she wanted & more with this classic gem from the Monique Lhuillier Fine Papers Collection. Classic: wedding white paper, black lettering & engraved printing. Modern: horizontal layout, combination lettering & raised border. The invitation is classic with a few modern touches just to keep things interesting. We tweaked things here & there for the destination wedding. The larger Reception card was used as the Response card. The extra room was needed to prompt guests to fill in their flight arrival & departure information. The Reception card was also used as a Hotel Accommodations and Details card with some extra travel information for the guests. Perfection.

Love, love this invitation. I'm not the only one. In the Bride's words, "We really appreciate everything you have done for us & we LOVE the invitations!" In the calligrapher's words, "The envelopes & the invites are gorgeous!" Music to my ears!

The Proposal

"We shall walk hand in hand into every day of our lives." ~author unknown

Engaged: I'm engaged!

The perfect proposal deserves the perfect description. To be honest, everything I have started to write just doesn't seem to do everything justice. The best I can do is provide a sweet image taken moments after the proposal & pair it with a great quote. I couldn't help but think of one of my favorite quotes (featured here in January) as we held hands & walked along the secluded beach moments after our proposal. Inspired by that lovely quote, we paused to take this photograph. The photo & the quote seem to convey everything for me.

I started this blog to share things that inspire me & my wedding business with you. Now I can also share the things that inspire me & our wedding with you. As a wedding planner & a Bride, I can only imagine how exciting things are going to be in the near future. Please follow me & enjoy the journey!!!

Cabo Creation

A beautiful save-the-date invitation for a Cabo San Lucas wedding

The pocket keeps the travel information organized for the wedding guests

With a heavy snowstorm hitting Hoboken, I'm going to escape on this post to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I visited last April & I fell in love with the tans of the desert landscape & sandy beaches combined with the blues of the ocean & sky. It was simply breathtaking.

Many months later, a destination Bride & Groom came to Koru Wedding Shoppe for a save-the-date inspired by those same things: the endless sandy beaches, beautiful waters & blue skies of Cabo San Lucas. The beauty of Cabo San Lucas had won them over & convinced them to host their wedding there in November 2010. Now they wanted their wedding guests to get a glimpse of Cabo San Lucas' beauty through their save-the-date. Also included on their save-the-date wish list was incorporating a photograph of them in Cabo San Lucas & sharing travel information with their wedding guests.

The closed pocket features a seal with the couple's name

Playa del Amour in Cabo San Lucas showing the colors that inspired this save-the-date

We had so much fun creating their save-the-date! First, we scoured their Cabo San Lucas vacation photographs & selected a favorite. This photo showed the couple against the backdrop of the ocean. Then we selected a small, pocket save-the-date invitation from Marsupial Invitations. With two inserts neatly tucked into the pocket, it's not only easy to share travel information with the guests, it's also easy for the guests to keep track of the information. Since the photo covered the gorgeous blue waters of Cabo, we chose a Dune colored pocket to reflect the pretty sands of Cabo. Together with textured cream paper & warm brown ink, this save-the-date is perfect for a Cabo San Lucas wedding!

Take a look at the fabulous results of our hard work above!!

Take Me Away!

Jullian's invitation. I simply adore the colorful envelope lining that provides the first hint of the tropics for Jullian's lucky wedding guests.

The Original Distinction invitation, dubbed as an invitation to set yours apart from the rest.

During the long, cold winter, I dream of sunny, blue skies & tall, graceful palm trees. My daydreams are more vivid after countless invitation appointments with Destination Brides. San Juan, Puerto Rico; Palm Beach, Florida; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico- you name it!

Back in November, Jullian came to me with a vision of a formal invitation touched with the tropical color of mango for her wedding in gorgeous San Juan, Puerto Rico. Within minutes, we had zeroed in on the Distinction invitation (second photo shown above) from the Exclusive Collection II, although the Champagne & Expresso color scheme on ecru paper clearly wasn't right. Things were looking better with the simple change of colors to Mango & Slate on white paper with a fun script font. We worked together & created this beauty. See the results of our hard work above (first photo). Don't you agree Jullian's invitation ensemble is perfect for her destination wedding?

Jullian, feel free to invite me!