February 2021 | The Invitation Maker

Spring Color Palette Wedding Ideas for 2021

February 25, 2021/in Wedding Invitations, Wedding Planning, Wedding Tips/by Brad Mills

Getting married during the Spring season is always a lovely time because the greenery and foliage are once again in full bloom after a long winter hibernation and are bursting with fresh and vibrant colors. Finding the right color palette for your wedding is even more important to get the most out of this season.

If you are planning to get married this Spring 2021, any of these color palette themes and ideas are perfect for you.

1. Peaches and pinks

There’s nothing else that screams Spring more than using peaches and a light pastel pink combination for your wedding. Use it as the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses, floral bouquets, for the wedding arch and other decor.

2. Minimalistic greenery

Green and white might seem too simple but usually gives weddings a more refined and elegant vibe. This color theme can be used excessively without looking tacky or too much. Use it in your wedding invitations, center table decorations, and more.

3. Touches of golden yellow

You can’t go wrong with the pantone color of the year. This bright golden yellow will surely brighten up the wedding and make it one to remember. Use yellow roses, tulips, or daffodils to make up your bouquet and floral decorations. Use the color sparingly as bow ties and accessories instead of bridesmaids’ dresses as it may look too overpowering.

4. Terracotta

If you are looking for a more chic and modern color theme, a terracotta color palette might be for you. Terracotta has a natural warm and earthy tone that is easy to incorporate into wedding decors, dresses, and centerpieces. Using this color palette might give your wedding a more rustic and laid back vibe. Pair it with sage green and you’ll definitely have a beautiful wedding.

5. Mixed in-season flowers

Paired with a neutral tone, using different colors of in-season flowers can give your wedding a bold but balanced look. Neutral grays or blues of the bridesmaids’ dresses for example, won’t drown out the colors of the bouquet but will highlight how beautiful these flowers are.

Choosing the right color palette for your wedding depends on your personality and taste. It can also matter depending on a specific theme in mind, such as a rustic or a beach wedding. Or if you have a specific Spring flower that you want to use.

Weddings only come once in a lifetime. So whichever color palette you use, make sure that it is something that you can look back to without any regrets. Pick a color theme that speaks to your heart and don’t look back.

Wedding Photographer | How to Find the Perfect Wedding Photographer

How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

February 17, 2021/in Wedding Planning, Wedding Tips/by Brad Mills

Choosing the right wedding photographer can make your wedding more memorable. But the problem usually lies in how to choose the right photographer for you. Unlike your other vendors where you can see the final product beforehand like the cakes and flower arrangements, you won’t get a chance to see your wedding photos until after the wedding and the post-processing stage.

But before you panic about your wedding photos, consider these tips on how to choose the right wedding photographer:

1. Choose a Style

Before choosing a wedding photographer, choose a photography style that you like. You might have a love for nostalgic or vintage-styled portraits or prefer a more bright and upbeat style of photography. After looking for inspiration, narrow it down to photographers who specialize in the style of photography that fits your aesthetic and contact them to see if they are available for your wedding.

2. Interview Wedding Photographer

Interview wedding photographers that made it to your shortlist. Assess their skills, knowledge, and experience when it comes to wedding photography. Ask the right questions: What is their primary style? How long have they been a photographer at weddings? Have they done a wedding similar to yours? Will there be a contract? Is he/she a solo photographer or are they a team?

Aside from their skills, make sure that they have a personality and attitude that you can easily connect to and communicate with. Being on an agreeable term with your photographer can help you avoid stress later on.

3. Look at Full Wedding Albums

It’s not enough to just look at their portfolio as this will only naturally highlight their best shots. Ask a sample of a few full wedding albums that they have done before to see from start to finish how they narrate the story of a wedding from their lens. Observe the photos with a critical eye, but don’t expect all shots to be perfect. Looking at these photo albums should give you an idea of how they think, what their style is, the shots that they usually like to take, and how they frame photos.

4. Compare Different Packages

Compare fees and different packages of the wedding photographers of your choice. Most photographers have a standard wedding package that generally mentions how long you want them to cover your wedding and how many shots they will include in the final album. You would ideally want them to be there from preparation to the reception which would last around six to ten hours.

You would also want to know how much it costs for extra services that they offer such as an engagement shoot, extra effects, and extended hours to cover your wedding. You must also determine how long the post-processing will take and how you will receive the photos.

5. Know your Rights

Most wedding photographer contracts state that all the rights to the photos belong to them. This means that they have the right to use your photos in materials to promote their photography services. What you need to know is what your limits are in using the photos. Can you upload the raw files online without the photographer’s watermark and proper credits? Can you have them printed with a different printing company?

Knowing your rights to the photos will help you avoid legal consequences and will help you know how to freely use your photos.

When selecting a wedding photographer, it just comes down to the style and aesthetic that you prefer, the attitude and work ethic of the photographer, and the terms and package that are both agreeable to you. Follow your gut and choose a photographer that you know can help you immortalize your special wedding into beautiful memories.

7 Ways to Cut Wedding Costs

February 11, 2021/in Wedding Planning, Wedding Tips/by Brad Mills

A wedding is supposed to be a grand and magical event for any bride and groom, however, all the glamor that we dream of comes with a price tag. In fact, the average spending of a couple for their wedding was around $30,000 in 2020. From wedding venues to food and decor, every detail that you would want to add to your wedding has a price. And combined together, it can lead to a very expensive wedding.

It’s only practical to want to cut your expenses and save money. Thankfully, there are many ways to cut wedding costs without sacrificing the dream wedding that you have envisioned. So before you give up your hopes of having a perfect wedding, here are eight ways to cut wedding costs.

1. Trim the Guest List

Limiting your guest list is one of the easiest ways to cut wedding costs. When your trim down your guest list, you are lessening the people you are going to feed. This also means that you can get a smaller and more affordable venue. It is important to set a venue and food budget before deciding on how many people to include in your guest list.

2. Be Smart About Food

Depending on the size of your wedding, there are plenty of ways to save money on food. For one, you can strategically schedule your wedding in the afternoon and serve snacks and hors d’oeuvres instead of a full meal.

If you do decide to prepare a meal for your guests, caterers often offer different packages for weddings. You can save money by having a buffet-style wedding than having a sit-down dinner with waiters serving your guests by plate.

You can also opt for cheaper meal choices in the menu and avoid dishes that are known to be pricey such as lobsters, caviar, and oysters. Consider choosing dishes with ingredients that are in season and can be locally sourced from the farmer’s market.

3. Think Twice About the Venue

Venues take up a big chunk of the wedding budget. To save up on venue expenses, try to look for open spaces such as a garden or a farm, or public venues such as museums and parks. You can even have your wedding at home. Unlike having your wedding in a mansion or fancy hotel, these venues offer more flexibility aside from being affordable.

You can transform any venue into a beautiful wedding with great decor and proper planning.

4. Rent your Wedding Decor

Wedding decor is essential and can definitely add personality to your wedding. Instead of buying or even doing DIY decor, renting wedding decor is more cost-effective and efficient. There are many decor rentals that also offer to set up and pack up wedding decor. Renting decor will definitely save you a lot of time, money, and stress from buying and curating each design one by one.

5. Do Your Research About Hidden Fees

Make sure to consider hidden wedding costs when planning your wedding. These costs can range from your marriage license and marriage commissioner fees to venue taxes and corkage fees.

To be sure that you won’t go over budget, allot at least $500 on your wedding budget for unavoidable fees and possible emergency expenses.

6. Serve a Sheet Cake to your Guests

A huge 5-tier wedding cake with an elaborate design will surely impress your guests, however, these prices are often pricey and can take a big chunk off your wedding budget. Couples usually spend around $350 to $700 on cake alone, and the price can go up to $1000 if you want it to be a grand wedding cake.

A cost-saving idea is to have a small but elegant cake for the cake slicing ceremony and to serve sheet cake to your guests instead. A sheet cake is definitely cheaper than a ganache-filled cake with an elaborate design and your guests will probably be too busy to notice the difference.

7. Save up on Floral Arrangements

There are many ways to save up money on floral arrangements for your wedding. Choose flowers that are in-season or that are known to be a more affordable variety. You can also save up by using fewer flowers but styling them in a way that can highlight each individual flower.

You can also arrange to reuse the flowers used in the wedding ceremony as decor or table centerpieces for your reception.

Less Can Be More For Weddings

You don’t need to blow off your savings to have a beautiful wedding. Be smart and creative about using your resources and you’re sure to pull off a great wedding without sacrificing quality – even if you save a few hundred bucks!

Rustic Wedding Invitations ideas in 2021

February 3, 2021/in Wedding Invitations/by Brad Mills

Rustic weddings are known for their cool country vibe and for resembling all things we love about nature and the outdoors. Having a more relaxed and casual atmosphere than most traditional weddings, rustic weddings have become popular among many couples.

There are many ways to create a beautiful rustic wedding. For many, they prefer holding their weddings on a farm, barn, or any outdoor venue. The decor also incorporates many natural elements and textures such as wood, burlap, greenery, wildflowers, and many more.

The same elements can also be used to create beautiful rustic wedding invitation designs. Here are some beautiful rustic wedding invitation ideas and inspiration that are perfect for your 2021 wedding.

1. Wooden Wedding Invitations

Rustic wedding invitations designed with a wooden background embrace the natural elements that perfectly define rustic weddings. Go for wooden wedding invitations if you want your guests to know and feel the theme that you are going for right away. Design it with greenery or wildflowers to accentuate your wedding colors.

2. Burlap Wedding Invitations

Burlap has a great texture that can be great to use for rustic wedding invitations. Incorporating burlap for your rustic invitations can look elegant and naturally stylish. Burlap is a versatile material and can also be used for your decor, wedding favors, and more.

3. Floral Wedding Invitations

Go for a floral wedding invitation design if you prefer a more minimalistic and softer design for your wedding. This type of design does not scream rustic but it definitely expresses an elegant style and close connection to nature.

4. Greenery Wedding Invitations

Another design that complements a rustic-themed wedding is greenery. Adding elements of greenery to your wedding invitation gives your guests a more serene vibe to your wedding.

5. Photo Wedding Invitations

Feature your photos as a couple while showcasing your rustic themed wedding with natural elements such as wood and floral designs.

Choose a Design that you Love

There is no right or wrong when it comes to wedding invitation designs. We all have certain designs that we would prefer over the other. For rustic weddings, the beauty of this theme comes from imperfections – from the casual spontaneity of mixing natural elements together. From there, you can surely create a design that would be perfect for your wedding.