Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz married in a super  secret wedding earlier this month.  The ceremony was attended by a small group of family members at a close friend’s house in the Bahamas. Cruz donned a dress by her longtime friend and super designer John Galliano. Personally, I am hardly surprised after seeing the great chemistry they had in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona.

We believe the pair would have loved our Shell stationery — it is a perfect choice for beach weddings, tropical or otherwise!

shell wedding invitations, Wedding invitations

Take That star Mark Owen has wed his fiance Emma Ferguson in an intimate candlelit service at Cawdor Church near Inverness. Owen wore a purple velvet morning suit with traditional top hat and the couple were showered with red rose petals as they left the church. Fellow bandmates Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Jason Orange were dressed in black tuxedos, white shirts and red roses in their buttonholes. After the ceremony Mark and Emma rode in a vintage Volkswagen camper van to Cawdor Castle for their reception. I’m sorry to say they didn’t choose our stationery (obviously we’re huge Take That fans!), but we think our  Red Rose wedding invitations would have been a perfect fit for their theme.

celebrity, invitation, red rose, stationery, wedding

As the recession continues the news is full of stories of enterprising bride and grooms who are making the most of their big day on a reduced budget.

Take Lee and Colette Clark.  They won their bargain wedding day for an incredible $83 through an auction on eBay.  Due to a cancellation the Buckatree Hall hotel placed a reception package on Ebay including a three-course meal with wine for 35 guests plus a 50-person evening buffet.

Ben Alty and his new bride Karolina decided they did not want to start married life in debt – so they held their reception in a garage.  They said: ‘We both wanted a wedding which reflected the times and was affordable without losing any of the magic.  Many couples take out loans and end up in debt but with a bit of ingenuity we were able to keep the cost down and still have a truly special day.  Our family and friends gave us a helping hand and we had a wonderful time.’
Karolina paid $50 for her wedding gown from a Cancer Research shop and the rings were Ben’s great grandmother’s and grandfather’s.  A family friend helped with the bride’s hair and make up and Ben paid $120 for a five-piece cream custom made suit, sending his measurements to a Hong Kong website.  The couple provided their own music and decorated the church for the service while other relatives helped out as waiters for the reception.  Karolina’s mother baked the wedding cake and glasses and cutlery were picked up from trunk sale. The couple’s biggest splurge was $400 on champagne and other beverages for the party – all bought during a two-for-one supermarket promotion.

So don’t worry we’ve come up with some handy tips to help you stay on track money-wise.

1.  Limit your invites to the most important people in your life.  Less guests equals less expenses.

2.  The venue eats up a huge percentage of the budget so be wise and practical when picking your venue.  If possible have both the ceremony and the reception in one place to minimize your cost.

3.  Resist the urge to pick foods that are costly i.e. lobsters, steaks.  You can still impress your guests with less expensive food.

4.  Keep your invitation simple.  If you have the time or extra helping hands you may even want to consider making some of the invitations yourself  (like the reply or guest information cards).  You can get wedding invitation kits from wedding supply stores or even your local craft store.

5.  When decorating the venue keep the use of flowers to a minimum.  They are costly.  Use candles (they go a long way when it comes to giving life to a venue), tulles and ribbons as substitutes.

6.  While it is nice to be entertained by a live band, recorded music or a DJ will do just fine.

7.  Forget about hiring a master of ceremonies.  Ask one of your more outgoing family members or a friends instead.

8.  Ask yourself if you really want your wedding on film.  Will you spend time after the wedding watching it?  Or will the video end up in your grandmother’s chest in the attic?

9.  Go for a less extravagant cake.  Get a 2-tiered cake instead of a 4- or 3-tiered cake.  Another trendy option are cup cakes arranged in a layered cake rack.

10.  Limit the champagne to the toast.  Instead of wine serve less expensive drinks like Pimm’s cocktails.

11.  Weigh the pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner.  You might be able to get the job done with the help of family members and friends. On the flip side the wedding planner might be worth the expense if they are able to find you deals with vendors.

12.  Instead of hiring a limousine, look for an alternative means of transport i.e. a friend’s Bentley or your father’s Mercedes!

13.  Always haggle for a lower price with the vendors – they might be able to give you a discount.

(Money saving tips provided by Johanna Docena -  owner of Docena Bridal,  an online wedding store that sells bridal jewelry, wedding attendant gifts and wedding accessories. Visit us at http://www.docenabridal.com.)

budget, invitation, stationery, Wedding invitations

White is no longer the only choice for a wedding as brides are turning to a new scheme – and the color is black.  When Queen Victoria wore rich white silk to marry Prince Albert in 1840 the white wedding dress became in vogue however now the trend is for something a little bit different.

Black is a leading trend for the fashion-forward bride who wants to make a bold statement,” said a spokesman for the bridal website WeddingPath.  And if brides aren’t adventurous enough for an entirely black wedding dress they can still integrate the color with black highlights such as embroidery or elegant gloves. “Black dresses embellished with lace and pearls are an attractive option but you can also consider black piping or embroidery over the classic white dress.”

And for money conscious brides, the good news is you can wear the dress again to balls or cocktail parties.  If you’ve chosen black and white as your scheme it’s easy to integrate the colors throughout the look of your wedding with black and white wedding invitations, black ribbons tied around flowers or decorating reception tables and delicate black icing designs on the wedding cake. Our Print wedding stationery, Insignia invitations and Swirl invites would be perfect for the black and white look.

contemporary, invitation, wedding