Theme Thursday: Blue Winter Wonderland

As I'm sitting here thankful that my heat is on, I decided to take a look at some of the trends we saw in the Bridal Market runways and what we are seeing more and more in weddings today. 

On the runway we saw a lot of lace.  I'm so happy this is making the comeback that it is!!  Lace is such a romantic fabric that it just makes sense to use it for a wedding gown...

What I'm seeing a lot in weddings is some fun and creativity with lighting and color.  Every wedding I did this last summer had colorful lighting going on!  It was great to be able to use that element to create a romantic, seasonal, or elegant atmosphere. 

For this Theme Thursday I took some of my favorite trends and mixed them with with some important elements to help create the "feel" you want for your guests.  And, since it is the first day of November and winter is right around the corner, I'm bringing you a very blue and silver

Winter Wonderland.

Stay warm my friends!

Theme Thursday: Blush Pink Romance

A new trend that I'm noticing in weddings this year so far is soft colors and very romantic.  This is an elegant, romantic board following through on the Blush Pink color. 

One of my favorite new finds {a perfect addition to this wedding} is the Pearl Paper Cone, from the David Tutera collection, found at www.koyalwholesale.com

Add some crystal garland for hanging and it is perfect for rose petals, confetti, rice, birdseed, or dried herbs.  Or, put it at your aisle seats and add a little floral for your ceremony. 

Leave a comment and tell us your wedding colors!

Signature Events: You're Invited

Last week I started posting some of my favorite "Designs of the Day".  Here are the invitations created to help you're wedding celebration start off as unique as you are!

Custom Invitation

Custom Invitation

Custom Invitation

All of my invitations are custom created for every couple.  Any of these designs can also be turned into Anniversary Invitations, Birthday Party, Baby Announcements, Graduation Announcements/ Invitations...anything you could possibly want. 

Invitations: Design of the Month

You know what frustrates me?  The fact that people will happily open a book, pick an invitation they like, change the wording, and be done.

PEOPLE!!  This is the very first thing all of your guests are going to see regarding your wedding!!

One day, I was thinking about adding invitations to my wedding business.  I looked around at all of the different invitation companies and thought, "yeah, I could do this".  But, then I opened the next website to consider selling their product and saw the invitations I had for my wedding - 16 years ago!!!  At that point I decided that, yes, I am adding invitations and, no, I will not have my customers open a book, pick a design and be done with it.

I am an event designer.  I create unique ways for a couple to showcase who they really are.  I will work with you from beginning to end to make sure your event, starting with the invitation, are fresh and creative and will make your guests say "WOW"!!!

Here are some of my favorite invitation designs.  I will be adding a new one every day for the next 30 days, so keep watching - you might find the one that you'd like to customize.

Do you have a favorite?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Bride's Choice Award 2012!

{Waupaca,WI} – January 23, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce Signature Events by Shelly has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Invitations!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Signature Events by Shelly was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Signature Events by Shelly is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Signature Events by Shelly for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Signature Events by Shelly is one of the very best Invitations professionals within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/signature-events-by-shelly-waupaca/f922b9633b045109.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

Tip Of The Week: Invitations

Recently, I've had brides call me up with a request... "Please help!  I have been trying to print my invitations and they are coming out crooked and the ink isn't very bright".

Now, I totally appreciate the DIY thing...and Kudos to all of you brides that really want to add your personal touches to your wedding, BUT, doing your own invitations isn't easy.  You need to keep in mind that your wedding invitations are the very first thing your guests will see when they are invited to your wedding. 

Luckily, though, there are enough companies out there {mine for example} that will work with you if you are adamant about doing your own invitations.  Here, at Signature Events by Shelly, we will help you design your invitations and print them, and, if you choose, you can take care of the rest.  Saving you money and allowing you to be more "hands on".

Here are the top five tips to keep in mind about invitations:

• When to Order

You should be ready to order your invitations when your guest list is final (about three to  four months before).  Your design concept should be figured out about seven or eight months before.  Look for invitation styles that you really like.

• Do Overcompensate!

Don’t order the exact number you need.  A good rule of thumb is to order 25% extra.  Also, order extra envelopes to leave room for addressing errors.  And, remember that you will need one per household…not one per guest.  Although, any children over the age of 18 living with their parents should receive their own invitation.

• All in One

You will want to provide your guests with all of the information they will need.  Your invitation supplier should go over all of this as your times, venues, styles are being chosen.

• Saying Thanks

Remember to add thank-you notes to your order.  The “thank – you note project” begins when you are gathering names and addresses for the invitations.  Do yourself a BIG favor and SAVE THAT LIST!  As you open presents, record the gift next to the giver’s name and address.

• Signed, Sealed and Delivered

If you are having a destination wedding or marrying over the holidays you need to send your invitations early (10 to 12 weeks before the wedding).  For a local affair, the standard time frame is 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding. 

Have fun with your invitations and make them personal.  Work with a designer to really create a unique invitation.  Anyone can open a book and choose one...