Beach Theme Wedding Invitations

I've exhibited at a couple of lovely wedding fairs recently and met some fantastic couples. At the Avisford Hilton wedding fair last Sunday I was asked to create a beach themed wedding invitation - I went slightly mad and came up with three today to send out!

My personal favourite of the three is this A6 size pocketfold invitation in Natural card which has a beautiful gold sandy finish to it (photos really don't do justice to this card!), and topped with a diamante starfish. Inside the invitation wording is printed on Treasury Gold paper and I've used a rope knot across the middle of the printing.

© Lilguy.co.uk

This A5 beach hut invitation took ages to design, despite it looking simple! Getting all the stripes in the right place took a huge amount of patience (the back of the card is printed with stripes too).

A very simple A5 invitation on Damask Blue card with the invitation wording printed on seashell vellum.


If you're having a beach or sailing themed wedding why not have a look at the mood board I created too.What theme are you having for your wedding? Leave me a comment below.....
Wedding Stationery Sussex

Pocketfold Invitations

How often have we all received invitations, whether for a wedding or another occasion, with information inserts that fall out as soon as you open the card, and once retrieved and read somehow manage to disappear never to be seen again - crucially the directions sheet that can't be found on the day of the occasion?! Here at Lilguy Stationery we have an extensive range of pocketfold invitations that solve that problem. We produce two sizes currently, one slightly smaller than A6 and a 15cm square, both come with matching envelopes either to the card itself or the insert card/paper. 

If the colour you're looking for is not shown don't worry, we have access to card and paper direct from the manufacturer, and if none of their colours quite match we can have your colour made up if you give us the Pantone number. 

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation

As you can see, these invitations can be very simply decorated or can be much more flamboyant, depending on the style of your day. To see more information on each of these please click on the link underneath the pictures. The invitation wording is fixed to the  top panel of the invitation and the RSVP cards and other information sheets are kept together in the pocket below.

 Pocketfold Invitation

 Pocketfold Invitation 

The invitation wording is fixed to the middle panel of the invitation and the RSVP cards and other information sheets are kept together in the pocket below. Not all of these invitations are shown on the website but please feel free to contact me by email to discuss your requirements and get a quote.

Please do visit our full wedding stationery website for more ideas, you can also 'Like' us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and also on Pinterest.

Denise Hagon, Calligrapher

How many of us have beautiful handwriting these days? Not me, that's for sure! I rely solely on fonts on my computer (and I do have rather a lot of them!) for my work, however there is nothing quite as luxurious and sumptuous as real handcrafted calligraphy. I have in the past attempted to master the art but with disastrous results!

As well as guest name writing, calligrapher Denise Hagon  produces some extremely creative commissions. Denise  learnt calligraphy at the age of 16 at Technical College and loved it so much she set up a calligraphy studio in 1985.

“I've been providing a professional bespoke calligraphy service now for 27 years! I’m a true scribe and artist, passionate about pens, nibs, beautiful scripts and gorgeous papers! I've an exciting range of historical and modern scripts and love to combine beautifully printed stationery with handwritten names. Every invitation and envelope receives the finishing touch it deserves - a guest name written with beauty and perfection."

With a degree in Art History and Design, she takes a special interest in vintage styles and period handwriting.

"I've worked on so many period films and TV productions over the years, including Poirot, Sleepy Hollow, Sharpe, Mansfield Park and Bleak House. Most recently the latest film of Anna Karenina!"

To see the full range of Denise's exciting calligraphy visit Denise's website, and if you'd like to enquire about a calligraphy project you can contact her by email.

Calling All Peacock Design Lovers...

Our Guest Blog this week comes from Suzanne at Esemee designs who has some fabulous new Peacock designed accessories to add to her extensive collection of amazing fascinators. We always like an update from Suzanne as her designs are fabulous - not just for weddings either! If you're off to Ascot or Henley next year get in contact with her now to order something to get everyone noticing you!

'While I was on my travels to the Far East and India, I came across this amazing Peacock fan which is used for Deity Worhip by the local people.  I was so inspired by this fan that I set about creating some fabulous items featuring this design and added a few sequins along the way! 

In my new collection for next year is the amazing Peacock Fascinator which sits to the side and a matching clutch bag with extra sparkles.'

If you're wondering what to get Mrs LG for Christmas or birthday this stunning clutch bag would be very well received, hint hint Mr LG! As always you can contact Suzanne through her website and follow her on Twitter. 

If anyone is thinking about having a Peacock themed wedding, Lilguy Stationery have a fabulous selection of Peacock designed invites and stationery which will certainly add a touch of glamour to your special day.

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Jenny and Gary Chose Burgundy and Pink Invites for their Gorgeous Dartmoor Wedding

Our Guest Blogger this week is Jenny, who was one of my happy clients from March 2010, and wanted to share some of her wedding memories.

Firstly, all great weddings have to start with planning and preparations, luckily, Kim Stewart from LilGuy Stationery was able to put together the most exquisite wedding invites for my guests and an extremely useful PostBox for all of the cards we were given.  I can’t recommend using a PostBox highly enough as I know so many Brides that have had drinks spilt on their cards where they were left placed on tables as guests were not too sure where to put them down or who to give them to.  Kim was also able to help with lots of advice on Wedding Favours, table decorations and table plans.

The day of our March wedding came and we were rewarded with a beautiful sunny day, which was even warm enough for our first glass of champagne on the garden terrace and to have our gorgeous wedding photos taken outside. 

We married and had our Wedding Breakfast at the Moorland Garden Hotel which has a stunning setting just on the edge of Dartmoor where you can watch wild ponies and sheep grazing on the Moor.   The staff ensured our Wedding Day was perfect and all our plans for the day went like clockwork – apart from our cat Thomas getting lost the night before our wedding, which is a rather long story but he was eventually found safe and well the next day!

The Chandelier Ballroom at the Moorland Garden Hotel was bright and spacious with large windows overlooking the garden and we were very fortunate to have the last of the afternoon sun pouring in while we were finishing our speeches which was lovely.

Once everyone had enjoyed the Wedding Breakfast and a few glasses of wine, it was onto our Evening entertainment.  Hubby and I had our First Dance and then arranged a surprise Line Dance taster for everyone to join in on!  My Mum and I are very keen Line Dancers and although it took a bit of persuasion for hubby to let us to do some dancing at our wedding, it was great fun and we have some fantastic memories of all our guests trying to master the steps!  Our fantastic Line Dance Instructor, Sophie Turner was our Caller and did very well in trying to keep our guests dancing the correct steps and staying in the lines!  We had such great feedback from our guests on how much they loved this and how it made our day very memorable for them.  I would recommend any bride to try something a bit different on their day!

Thank you Jenny for sharing with us your wedding day. You can visit the Moorland Garden Hotel website, find them on Facebook  and follow them on Twitter.

Purple Princess

Yesterday I came across some photos of Princess Grace of Monaco which led me onto putting together this inspiration board full of princessy luxury ....

Wedding Gown - Madelineisaacjames.com

Bridesmaids Dress - 1950sdresses.co.uk

Tiara - Tantrumsandtiaras.org

Silk Invitation Box and Silk Favour Box - Lilguy.co.uk

Shoes - Queensandbowl.com

Flowers - Zaraflora.com

Cake - Cakecreationsbysarah.com

Bridesmaids Necklace - tiny-gems.co.uk

Bracelet and Earrings - chezbec.com

Rich Reds and Golds

To be able to do a job I love is a privilege and a pleasure, and it's taken me a while to really relax and enjoy myself - sounds strange? Perhaps, but after years of working for various companies in largely financial and administration roles, the fact that doing things like putting together inspiration boards is actually now part of my 'job' takes a bit of getting used to! I hope that somewhere along the line they help someone to have the wedding of their dreams. Today I have indulged my love of strong, rich colours.

Cupcake Tower from Cakes By Beth

Invitation from LilGuys Mhendi Range

Wedding Gown from Kekopean Stitches

Red Dress from My Evening Dress

Bouquet from Stylehive

Shoes from Crystal Couture

Styling from Sweet Days and Roses

Paris at night photo borrowed from Janey Butler's Facebook page!

Peacock Inspired Mood Board

Peacocks are spectacular show-offs and to see one with its tail feathers fully fanned out and the iridescent blues and greens glinting in the sunlight is breathtaking. I'm a lover of strong colours and couldn't resist putting together this mood board after seeing the simply gorgeous Peacock wedding dress on Archibald Photography's blog back in March.

Peacock Wedding Dress by Lindsay Fleming Couture Photography by Archibald Photography

Hat by Esemee Fascinators  Photography by John Farrar

Bedroom at Peacock Pavilions (where else?!)

Invitation by Lil'Guy Stationery

Bouquet by Sarah's Flowers

Cupcake Tower by Blue Door Bakery

Shoes by Jimmy Choo

Bridesmaid Dress by My Evening Dress

Jewellery by Julieann Beads

Does Budget have to mean 'Cheap'?

When I first started my business I wanted to create high quality and beautiful invitations for couples who are not as handy at crafts- and I still do. I soon recognised that not everyone can afford to pay for handmade stationery, but it took me some time to come up with an alternative. Because whilst I saw the need for budget stationery I could not get my head around the fact that all the budget ranges I saw were 'cheap' in a bad way.

The first thing you normally see for someone's wedding is their wedding invitation. If it is badly printed on thin rough card it does not create a good first impression. How does it make you feel to receive such an invitation? Do you feel that it's a shame to have settled for poor quality? Are you less likely to make an effort on the day of the wedding with how you dress? I readily admit that I'm something of an invitation snob! I'm in the lucky position of making gorgeous stationery for people and of having access to the best materials. If I receive an invitation, however plain, on a good quality card where care has been taken over the printing then I am more likely to be excited about the thought of attending the event than if it is something very slapdash on thin card.

  

I have been on wedding forums where many brides-to-be seem to rave about certain on-line printed wedding invitations, relishing the fact that they can sometimes get their invitations free and they just have to pay for the postage. I was also shown an invitation to one of my b2b's from a friend of hers which was clearly printed at home or work where the picture on the front and the writing inside hadn't even been centred properly! Whilst the days of having a stack of invitations printed on extraordinarily thick card propped up on the mantle piece have long gone (think Jeeves and Wooster and The Mitford Girls!) there is something rather nice about receiving a pretty or plain invitation to stand on a shelf, one that is robust enough to stand up on it's own!

 

Do you think that budget has to mean 'cheap' in the wrong way? Not everything that costs a lot of money is necessarily the best quality. Some suppliers put a premium price on anything to do with a wedding, which we discovered when we were getting married 3 years ago, which is quite wrong and doesn't happen with us - after all I want happy customers and repeat customers (birthday celebrations, parties, christenings, etc.,) which I'm not going to get if I've charged through the nose on the first job!

Our budget range  combine a very reasonable price with outstanding practicality and quality. They combine invitation, information or map for guests, RSVP card and envelope all in one, on a gorgeous 290gsm card - we currently offer Candlelight Cream and Marble White.

Inside 

The invitation details are printed on the top portion underneath the 'envelope flap', the border colour can be changed to match the colour scheme of your celebration. The wording is printed in a dark charcoal which is classier and easier on the eye than hard black. On the next portion of the card you can have additional details that guests may need to know or a map printed, or even a picture if you wish (again the border colour can be changed), and the lower portion is the RSVP card which is perforated for easy detachment. 

Outside

On the reverse of the invitation portion the name and address of the guest is printed, and on the reverse of the RSVP card the return name address of the host(s) is printed. All your guests have to do is to complete the RSVP details, detach it, stick on a postage stamp and post it back to you. Experience shows that the easier you make it for your guests to reply the quicker you will get them back and you will have fewer stragglers to chivvy along!

Folded and ready to post!

The invitation is folded up into itself, with the RSVP card inside and the guest name and address on the outside and then sealed with either envelope tape or a clear seal on which you can have your initials printed if you like.

For as little as £2.80 per invitation plus a one off set up fee of £10.00 you can have fully personalised invitations sent direct by us to your guests. I think this is good value for money and many professionals have agreed, and proof that Budget does not have to mean 'cheap'!  If you would like to see and feel the quality of these for yourself please go onto our website and request a free sample today! 

Budget Invitations

My main objective is to create special and stunning bespoke wedding stationery. I am aware that this is not necessarily within every couple’s budget. I don’t see why, however, lower budget should mean lower quality. Your celebration means everything to you and you still want the first impression, generally the invitation, to count. I have designed the All In One – it gives yous the quality you deserve in your invitation, information for your guests, plus a perforated, double-sided RSVP card for your guests to complete and pop in the post box back to you. Additionally there is no need for a separate envelope, keeping the cost down! 

Your invitations will be personalised with all the relevant details of the occasion, you chose the colour of the card (currently Candlelight Cream or Marble White) and the colour of the border. Text is charcoal unless we are advised otherwise. The card used is of the same quality and weight that I use for my bespoke work (290gsm), not a flimsy low quality that you may get elsewhere. 

The cost? There is a nominal set up fee of £10.00 – if you find later on that you need more 
invitations then this fee is not payable again 

Each invitation costs £1.75 

25p per invitation to insert your guest names in the invitations 

25p per invitation to add guest name and address on the outside 

45p per invitation to post first class to your guests 

P&P by a recorded delivery service charged at cost if invitations being sent to you