Friday, January 21, 2011

DIY Wedding Stationery or NOT?? That is the question.

My studio when supplies for a wedding of 200 come in.. Boxes and supplies everywhere, need sorting, counting and to be made into the final product! It can be overwhelming and a mess if you aren't expecting it and don't know where to begin.




As a custom design Stationer, one thing I run into a lot is brides who call me 1 or 2 weeks before the mailing of their wedding invitations in a PANIC.. " CAN YOU HELP ME.. they ask? 


These are brides who early on found some amazing complex stationery creation on a blog or a custom site and have decided they will DO IT THEMSELVES, How hard can it be right?


Well, because this happened a lot last year, I decided I would dedicate a blog to my thoughts on the subject. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to DIY when it comes to your wedding stationery, however I do think most brides jump in with both feet not really knowing how to properly go about it and not really realizing the time, effort and man power involved in producing what they have decided their dream wedding invitation will be.


Alot of brides don't realize the time, effort and skill, yes SKILL ladies, that goes into producing your own wedding stationery. So they jump right in thinking they will get their dream wedding stationery for MUCH CHEAPER than that custom studio was asking. Seems like a good idea until you are right in the middle of the fray, of frantically ordering paper, trying to get the printer set up properly, printing, cutting, assembling, tying 100 ribbons, addressing and trying to make it to the post office before they close. Why is this, because it wasn't as easy or quick as it all seemed initially.


Okay, I am a little biased on the subject, however you wouldn't buy a steak at Publix and take it to Ruth Cris and ask them if they minded if you popped in the kitchen to grill it yourself would you? Or tell the doctor I can do that surgery myself, of course not.. You would trust the professionals to do what they are good at. 


A few things to consider, you will spend alot of time and money, not to mention the slave labor of your family and bridal party you will need, to try and tackle this yourself. WHY you ask? Well I answer, for several reasons, 


1. you don't do it on a regular basis, so you don't know any short cuts, or tricks to produce up to hundreds of the same product. 


2. because you haven't developed these skill, your stationery won't come out every piece the same, which of course is what you intend. You don't want your guest at the reception with menus or escort cards with crooked printing, or glue globs you dropped while trying to adhere the crystals you so wanted to class up your stationery a bit.. 


3. Do it yourself printing isn't as easy as it sounds. Home printers can really be a bear when they aren't set up or sold to be high volume printing machines, not to mention if you don't order high quality paper, sometimes toner and ink can smear, chip off and just make your stationery start to look like a HOT MESS. Which means you will throw out more than you keep.


4. You don't have the vendor connections to get paper, embellishments, ribbon, etc at more affordable bulk pricing, and don't forget you are not perfect so don't just order exact amounts, there will be mistakes, and mess ups and you'll be in trouble if you need a hundred and you only ordered 100 of each supply. 


5.  I could on and on.. but I think you get it..


Okay- so here is what I recommend.. There are only a few big events in your life that you will want a beautifully printed and crafted record of the day. Your wedding is one of these. So splurge, treat yourself right.. This is the only thing from your wedding (besides the husband of course) that will stand the test of time. The flowers die, the food get's eaten, the venues change, but your stationery, preserved, will last till your 50th wedding anniversary were you can pull it out and relive the moments.


Now, I understand wanting to be a part of your stationery development to have your "hands in it", so to speak, so find a custom stationer, sit with them, share your vision and they will let you be a part of the creation process, and you'll get exactly what you want with someone who cares as much as you do and will produce the high quality, product you are imagining.


Remember, a custom papery is not just a supplier of materials and embellishments but a specialist in the art of invitation, stationery design and etiquette! 


Now-- go into the night.. finds a papery you LOVE, and trust in their proven abilities and you'll be wowed by the result!



 Here I am at the staging of a wedding tying 250 vellum printed escort cards with ribbon around 250 votive candles, and then.. ALPHABETIZING (which is never fun) them for your guests-- imagining do this the night before your wedding on top of all of the other things on your "Hurry we have to do this before the wedding list!"

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What we've been up to in our Advertising & Marketing Division.





As many of you know we have an Advertising and Marketing Division here, 2u Creative, this is the world I came from before I branched out and started the invitation side of things.


Last year we had alot of projects going on in this division, and I'm going to do my best to blog throughout this year about some of these amazing projects we had the opportunity to create!


I'm starting off with one of my favorites. This client is amazing in many aspects!! First she does my hair, and I must say I've never had a bad hair day (Thanks to her! :))  And she was also one of my brides for last year. So you'll see me blog about her invitations sometime soon as well.


Our goal in this project was to brand her as an independent stylist.  I think we did a good job, and Kim was extremely happy with the result. We created Promotional Mirror Hangers, A Service Menu, Appointment Cards, Direct Mail Pieces, Gift Certificates and Business Cards, as well as sending out Eblast Marketing on a regular basis.
















Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Chanel inspired, Classic Elegance.


This was another of my favorite project of 2010, I loved working with this bride. She is also a creative talented designer with STYLE.  Sabra Hunt and Kenneth Haun, found me from Canada. And am I glad they did! This bride was wonderful to work with. She had her own vision and STYLE, that was fun to execute!! She came to me wanting a Classic Black and White Chanel inspired Theme!  After several phone conversations and brainstorming of ideas, I set to work!

As you can see from the result, we created something very Stylish, and Classic, with an understated elegance. Pearl Metallic White paper with a  Gloss UV- really made a statement, and we added a satin ribbon to the response card to really add a feeling of luxury.








Here are a few images from her reception to give you a feel for the event. I was proud to work with Tracy Marini from Eventfully Yours and Garrett Nudd Photography provided the event images, and Liga Photography provided the in studio images of the stationery!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Soft, Romance at a Castle.

All event photography by Elliott Kaufman Photography and all In Studio Stationery images by Liga Photography



Last Year was a Crazy Year for us here at The 2u Collection, lots of new things were in development which made it harder for us to blog about all of our events! So here is one of my favorites of last year! Aparna Basu and Michael Lee came to me to help them create the overall stationery look and design for there New York Wedding.

The Beautiful Bride and Groom


I spoke with the Bride over the phone and we hit it off, and shared a similar vision for her ideas. Because they were getting married in the amazing Oheka Castle,  and she wanted a spring, light airy feel in the amazing space full of tradition and grandeur, I thought it was time we took the design back to a simplistic royal elegance.  As you can see, the result was beautiful, with compliments of lace, metallic and satin and button pearls we were able to make a statement that really set the tone.


Our Programs- beautifully displayed.


Escort Cards awaiting guests



Menus make the table elegant


PlaceCards finish the table.







We ended up creating everything from Wedding Invitation, the stickers that graced the favor boxes. Menus, Thank Yous, Escort Cards, Programs, and more really made this event personal for the guests.

The invitations were lovely with champagne lace and metallic paper and satin ribbon- complimented with gold and Amethyst Colors. We used graphics with feelings of luxury fit for The Vanderbilt's of our past. Candlelabra's, Quill Pens and flowers conveyed spring and formality.






Something Unique we did for this wedding, were the place cards.  We Die Cut Butterflies with each guests first name on it, and it rested on their wine glass at the table.




Some additional event images to set the tone!





Thursday, January 6, 2011

Orlando Weddings Magazine is on the Streets!





We are so excited to announce that we got a mention in the current issue of Orlando Weddings Magazine!! Super Exciting!  The invitations mentioned are pictured below and you can read a previous blog on these invitiations: 
Anthropology? yes please!







Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Exciting Events to Start the New Year!

Happy New Year! I know it has been a while since I blogged. Shame on me.  This holiday season seemed to fly by so fast this year. So my apologies...


We are so excited about this upcoming year.. We have some exciting events coming up in February. Which seems to be the month of two great events, with opportunities to meet with some of the greatest Central Florida vendors I've worked with.


SATURDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2011 (Small and Intimate Environment)
Our Sister Stationery Division, Paper Couture Stationery is a sponsor of this event, in addition to displaying our work and meeting with all brides in attendance, we have designed and provide the invitations and artwork for this event! Paper Couture Stationery specializes in Ready-Made Limited Edition Stationery.


A Brunch for Brides. 
An Affair to Remember and the fully renovated Citrus Club of Downtown Orlando formally invite you to A Brunch of Brides


  • Meet Quality Vendors
  • Intimate size for optimum face time with vendors
  • Exclusive grab Bags for Brides to be
  • Come eat Brunch while sitting in Orlando’s beautiful skyline
  • See the newly renovated Citrus Club for your wedding or rehearsal dinner/ your bridal brunch or shower!
  • To PURCHASE TICKETS: http://anaffairtoremember.net/brunch
click image to enlarge




SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2011 (Outdoor,Event Environment)
Our Sister Stationery Division, Paper Couture Stationery is a sponsor of this event, in addition to displaying our work and meeting with all brides in attendance, we have designed the marketing and artwork for this event! Paper Couture Stationery specializes in Ready-Made Limited Edition Stationery.

Winter Park Bridal Stroll
Attention Brides...
Interested in meeting wedding vendors or touring venues in Winter Park? February 20, 2011 there will be an all day event for you to sample, taste, look and feel all of the Winter Park vendors and venues. This event is a fantastic way to meet the vendors and venue representatives to see if you think you all would work well together for your special day. 
This event is presented by CCH Marketing + Events & Michele Butler Events
The event is set to run from 12 pm - 5 pm

click image to enlarge




We are extremely excited and proud to be a part of both of these events. We encourage all of you newly engaged couples to come and share the details of your event with us. You will not be disappointed, you will find some of the best of the best wedding vendors that will truly make your day special.