Building a Wedding Suite

Posted on May 23, 2013 by beth

So, you’re engaged?! Congratulations! You’ve set a date, compiled your guest list, nailed down a venue. Good work! Now it is time for invitation shopping. This should be fun and easy … right? Well … not always. It can be overwhelming to a lot of brides. And, one of the most overwhelming parts of the process can be figuring out exactly what pieces you need for your event. The options are endless, but unfortunately, most of our budgets are not. That is why it is important to consider the entire stationery package for the wedding all at once.

 

Here are some helpful steps to figuring it out:

 

1. Get familiar with paper and printing.

Budgets are an important part of the wedding planning process. Before you nail down your final budget, take a little time to see what you like. Is the type of printing important to you? The thickness of the paper? The embellishments? How much do they cost? Reevaluate, if necessary. Ask for samples. Your wedding invitation sets the tone for your event. (This is why it is great to work with a consultant – someone who has a range of products and styles to offer, as well as an expertise in the business. But, if you’re already here, then you probably know that! wink. wink.)

 

2. Pick your palette.

Personally, I like the depth of incorporating more than a single color into an ensemble, but there are a couple ways of going about it. Doing a 2-color piece is an obvious option, but if that isn’t an option and you have multiple pieces in your ensemble, you can incorporate a second color in envelope liners, edge painting, or simply using one color on one piece and another of the coordinating pieces.

 

3. Figure out the necessary elements.

Take a minute before rushing to send out a save the date, to consider whether you want your save the date to coordinate with your invitation. Also consider, is it necessary to send one? Are you on a budget? As a consultant, it makes me sad when I work with a bride who has spent too much on her save the date and can no longer get the invitation of her dreams. I cannot stress it enough … it is essential to plan it out in advance. There are many money saving methods that can be taken, if you’ve planned appropriately. I would rather have my brides get to have that star piece then to have lots of pieces in her ensemble. But, that’s me. Quality is a priority around here.

 

INVITATION

The star of the show.

 

PRINTED OUTER ENVELOPE

The return address on the flap of the envelope (in case it needs to be returned to you).

 

SAVE THE DATE

Popular, but not necessary for all events (in my opinion). It is a good idea to send one of some sort if you have a lot of out of town guests and/or if your event will be during a particularly busy season.

 

RESPONSE CARD

Available as a response set (card + envelope) or a postcard. Keep in mind that not all companies offer both as options, so you might have to be flexible.

 

RECEPTION CARD

If you have specifics to get across pertinent to the reception, this piece might be necessary. In most cases, we can accommodate this information on the main invite.

 

NOTE CARD

Please, don’t forget to thank your guests for sharing your wedding day with you (and of course, for any gift they may have also sent). I also love formal wedding stationery because I think it is a nice way to subtly announce to your guests whether you’ve changed your name!

 

INFO CARD

I am big fan of a small info card t0 relay a wedding website address. I could (and probably will at some point) write a whole blog entry about this, but there are many wonderful free wedding websites available. They are great planning tools and also very helpful in giving your guests all the information they may want or need and helps keep your printing budget in check!

 

OTHER EVENT ACTIVITIES

Rehearsal dinner, brunch, welcome drinks … these can all be part of the whole look! So, think it all through … or, ask for our help!

 

DAY OF THE THE EVENT

Programs, Coasters, Napkins, Place cards, Menu cards, Welcome bag stickers (and anything else you can think of), are all also available.

 

4. Drop us a line.

We will help you bridge your budget, your palette, and your print needs … and keep you on the happy track.

xoxo.

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Invitation Consultations

Posted on April 30, 2013 by beth

There are so many options on the market and searching for that perfect piece is beyond time consuming (right?!)

Not to mention the really fun part where you have to figure out how much the suite will cost.

 

After owning a stationery boutique for almost 10 years, I would best describe myself as an invitation consultant.

Bliss Folio clients always receive complimentary consultation along the way. It starts with creating a look, or coordinating a look to compliment your personal style and what you’ve already planned, but it also includes help with wording and etiquette.

 

Let us recommend invitations to suit your event, your needs, and your budget. With our wide range of product and design aesthetic, we can handle pretty much anything. And, while we are currently an online based business we pride ourselves with delivering a boutique experience. Mailing paper and printing samples are a big part of what we do,

day to day. Just ask!

 

Want the ultimate luxury wedding invitation? We are pleased to offer Dauphine Press and Wiley Valentine lines.

Long standing industry trend setters with all the luxury options imaginable, and a quality to be trusted.

Buy Dauphine Press online

Buy Wiley Valentine online

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DAUPHINE PRESS DISCOUNTS

Posted on April 8, 2013 by beth

 

One of my gorgeous and exclusive couture lines, Dauphine Press, has some amazing specials going on through June (which happens … almost never). And, while all of my Dauphine Press pieces can be purchased online, don’t forget … half the fun is customizing them for your perfectly unique piece! Contact me about all the options.

 

Dauphine Press savings options, available through June 30, 2013:

1. ONE FREE MATCHING NOTE CARD for every invitation ordered. Thank your guests with style. Complimentary 1-color note cards with any wedding invitation order. Matching blank envelopes included.

 

2. 30 FREE INVITATIONS with your order of 100 invitations. A perfect insurance policy for a growing guest list. Order 100 or more letterpress wedding elements and receive 30 free! Receive 100, pay for 70.

 

3. FREE PERSONALIZED TAGS to add elegance and style to the packaging of your guest wedding favor. Tags will coordinate with your wedding invitation design, using the same paper and ink.

 

4. 15% OFF ANY INVITATION ORDER. Now your dream wedding invitation can fit into your budget. Discount applies to printed pieces only. Embellishments not included.

 

Bliss Folio is an exclusive Dauphine Press retailer. Know someone who has exquisite taste and a busy-bride schedule? Through working with Bliss Folio, they can purchase these exquisite pieces without leaving their home or office.

All the luxury. On their schedule.

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Indoor Garden Party: Featuring Boatman Geller Letterpress

Posted on March 18, 2013 by beth

My very girlie-girl little lady turned 4 this year, and after some discussion of ideas, decided on a “beautiful garden party, with lots and lots and lots of flowers.”

 

Before our discussion, I perused pinterest and my favorite party blogs to come up with some ideas so I could give her some options that we would both enjoy! (And yes, it is entirely possible that I may have weighted the garden party since I had this gorgeous new invitation in mind!)

 

 

THE INVITATION:
One of my favorite everyday lines, Boatman Geller, just began a letterpress line. The best part (beyond the cute designs) is that they are available in small quantities (a rarity in letterpress)! It makes it a little easier to “splurge” on an item when you don’t have to over order. I had my heart set on this adorable garden wreath and floral liner. The invitation is a double-thick 100% cotton stock and while Boatman Geller doesn’t offer a painted edge at this point in time, I was able to add the edge myself with an acid-free brush tip marker (I wouldn’t recommend this with a wedding product, but for a little girl’s birthday party, it worked fine).

 

Little lady’s birthday is in February, so I wanted to create an indoor version of the party so I wouldn’t have to count on good weather. And, after learning a few lessons from last year’s Pinkalicious birthday party, I made sure I had actual plans for activities!

THE DECOR:

Giant tissue flowers : Hoping to exceed her “lots and lots and lots of flowers” expectation, I made these exaggerated tissue flowers that I stumbled over on pinterest. Luckily, there was tutorial! I had serious doubts on how these would turn out. Miraculously, they weren’t actually too hard and they’re supposed to be whimsical so there is room for imperfections. The girls loved that they felt like fairies amongst them!

 

Fresh flowers : I got a few bunches of garden spray roses since there are tons of blooms for little cost. I used these in an activity at the end too!

 

Flower lights string : I simply couldn’t stop myself from making these.

 

Pom pom pendants : Been dying to do some of these. I used them to anchor the picnic area and over the food table. I love how enchanted they made the party feel and how they also tied in to the giant tissue flowers.

 

Colored dot garland : I wanted something bright and fun to hang from our chandelier. I already had the circle punch and the scrap paper. I just punched out circles and sewed them together. Wildly easy.

 

Picnic area : I had my heart set on artificial grass, until I found out how expensive it is. Luckily, I found a 9×12′ grass green table cloth from the Crate and Barrel outlet (which happened to be going out of business, so was on drastic sale). But, Target had a reasonable large green table cloth too, and fabric would also work. I threw down some bright fabric squares on top to look like picnic cloths.

 

 

THE ACTIVITIES:

Flower clip & headband bar: It has been my experience that when little guests arrive, they are a combination of excited and nervous. So, we greeted the little ladies with a flower clip craft right when they entered. It was a huge hit! I had various blossoms available and centers (from fabric covered buttons to jewels). They selected their perfect combination and I hot glued it together on the spot. There of course was some prep work, but it was extremely manageable assembly at the party. It broke the ice and they felt extra garden party ready!

 

Pin the petal on the flower: This version used kraft paper and chalk. I drew a flower with no petals (and several petaled ones too), and the kids each got a petal with tape on the back to stick. The problem was that it was a little too easy (I think they were peeking), so we just mixed up all the petals at the end and let the birthday girl pick two to get the prizes (fairy wings, of course).

 

Flower market: Party decorations that double as a party favor that mommies aren’t later trying slyly ditch. Each party guest got to pick out a little mini bouquet to take home, and I wrapped them up in tissue paper for their journey home.

 

THE MENU:

Flower shaped sandwiches: 2 versions PB & honey and ham & cheese on flower shaped bread (cookie cutter).

 

Carrot curls: A fancy way to eat carrots, perfect for a garden party. Just peel the carrots and curl up the peeled portion, stick a toothpick in it and place it in water. Just before serving, take out the toothpick. Carrot curls!

 

Strawberries & Blueberries

 

Strawberry lemonade

 

Blossom cake pops

 

Birthday cake: Birthday girl’s request was for a vanilla cake. This cake made me break my gluten-free diet. Incredible. Paired with Martha’s buttercream. Huge hit. You’re welcome.

 

Sprinkle coated ice cream scoops: Truth? This was a total pain the A. But, it was totally worth it for the party! I pre-scooped the ice cream and stuck them with adorable little wooden spoons and put back in the freezer. The night before the party, I rolled some in chocolate sprinkles and some in rainbow sprinkles (and left a few plain) and put back in the freezer. At party time, I literally only popped them into little dishes and handed them out. It saved a huge mess too to have the ice cream be served on a stick spoon and in a cup!

 

Aaaaand. Since all of my guests wanted to know, I’m guessing you might too … I got all my cute little party serving goods at shopsweetlulu.com. I discovered this little gem of a store from pinterest and am fully addicted. Glass milk bottles, striped straws, ice cream cups, wooden spoons, an washi tape all cam from here. (I only wish I had gotten better photos of all those components of the party as they truly were adorable. Sigh. Guess I was enjoying myself and the drink mentioned below too much?)

 

Strawberry basil white sangria: because sometimes the mommies get thiiiiirsty. Note, I should have tripled the recipe. It was that good.

 

But the best part of the entire day was when I tucked her into bed, she said, “you know what I want next year for my birthday?” (I’m thinking … oh great. what did I miss!?) “The exact same party!” (Melt. It made the all the effort worth it.)

 

How do you party plan?

 

 

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Cool Little Valentine.

Posted on January 22, 2013 by beth

 

I just got these little cuties back from production, and I just couldn’t wait to share.

 

This is a great example of how you can tweak designs to fit your needs. I ordered the small size of the “Bicycle for Two” exchange card and tweaked the design a bit. I only wanted one photo and I wanted room for him to write his name himself. Also, I swapped the backside design for this darling little alphabet arrangement. Perfect for school exchange cards!

 

Want to do something like this? Just let me know in the special instructions!

Available on my darling Mindy Windy cards.

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Valentine’s Day Exchange Cards

Posted on January 5, 2013 by beth

There are so many crafty, fun Valentine’s Day exchange card ideas out there. Taking over my Pinterest feed, in fact. Buuuuuut. There are a few caveats.

 

Maybe you’re not a crafter. Maybe you want something polished. Maybe you’re simply too busy to pull it off. I have 3 kids under the age of 6, and I know that between work and juggling everyday life, I just don’t have the time/sanity to do it. (Especially because I know I would be the one actually doing the craft.) So, I’m planning on letting Boatman Geller and Mindy Windy do the pretty for me, and ease a bit of the responsibility of coming up with something adorable.

 

Boatman Geller has some really adorable (great for little kids) exchange cards, and Mindy Windy has fun photo cards that we can size down for exchange cards (designs that range appropriate from babies to teens!). And, who says you can’t add a little homemade packet of something to go along with it? Or have a fun, personalized photo shoot to use in a photo version? *I’m planning on doing some heart shaped playdough for my preschooler! and a cool, “Mrs. Rodriguez’s class rocks!” photo for my kindergartener. And, that makes me feel smart & crafty.*

 

xoxo.

 

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The Gift List :: 2012

Posted on November 21, 2012 by beth

One thing I’ve been doing a lot lately, is selecting gifts for people. I love investigating and creating the perfect ensemble. And, I really LOVE when I get the amazing feedback from my clients that things were a big hit!

 

MY TOP LIST of BLISS FOLIO PREZZIES:

(find these and more in the gift and stationery sections of my website)

 

Under $20

Luggage Tags (set of 4). Great for a traveler, a family gift, or for a child (ballet bag, soccer bag, school bag, karate bag, etc. printed with your phone number for when the inevitably leave it behind)

A la carte Haute Papier notepads. These make the perfect little gift at just $11 each for the small, $13 for the skinny, and $16 for the large. Order several and take advantage of group shipping.

 

Under $30

Notepads. Boatman Geller does notepads right. Darling designs and sold in sets of 2 for $26 (only at Bliss Folio).

 

Under $50

Cell Phone cases. Whether it is for an iphone 3, 4, or 5 – these cool ‘tough’ cases have saved the day in our house on numerous occasions. (The gray herringbone is a favorite in the shop for men!)

Address stamps. Designs a plenty to choose from, including some brand new delights from Inked.

 

Under $75

Folded notes by Boatman Geller. A wide selection. Always 20% off!

Flat cards by Boatman Geller. This Repp Tie set is very popular for men.

 

Under $100

Letterpressed notes that make a statement and are easy on the budget. Check out the Petite Box Set by Haute Papier or just a set of 50 of their letterpressed cards. No other letterpress pieces priced like this on the market. (Most start around the $4 per card mark, these are at $2 a card and under!)

 

Not a note writer? EVERYone can use notepads. This Ultimate Set of notepads is 3 large, 3 skinny, and 3 small pads. (Ok, so this is priced at $105, but it has free shipping.)

 

Under $200

The Grand Silk Stationery box set is by far one of my most favorite gift items on the market. As mentioned above, the price for the letterpressed cards is unbeatable. All packaged up in a gorgeous silk box. The perfect gift for the someone who has everything. Choose 4 different designs (25 cards each).

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Holiday Personal Service

Posted on November 2, 2012 by beth

We love to help our clients find that perfect card for the holidays. But, I think it might be even more fun is to make our clients’ lives easier!

 

Holiday cards and personalization options are completely endless. Recognizing our clients’ busy lives, we developed the Bliss Folio personal service. You can have the perfect card with the fraction of the work.

Efficient. Smart. Easy. Free. Let us do the work. (After all, we know the possibilities of each card inside and out!)

 

Send us your photo (or even photos your considering, we can help you choose) and we will make some card recommendations for you to compliment your photo(s). Boom. And, just like that, you can check it off your list.

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Personalized Wine Tags

Posted on October 26, 2012 by beth

This is genius. How many times do you bring a bottle of wine to a party? And, you drop it off in the kitchen amongst a sea of other wine bottles? And, perhaps the host or hostess isn’t right there? This simple little wine tag, cleverly but subtly, shows your contribution. wink. wink.

 

(It is kind of like that Seinfeld episode where George puts the tip in the jar at the register when the clerk walks away and then reaches in to grab it back so she can see him leave the tip, only she turns around when his hand is in the jar. Right?)

 

Plus, it is totally cute. And, easy. I’m all about easy. Just slip it over the top. Boom.

 

 

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Photographer partnerships

Posted on September 24, 2012 by beth

Must be something about my industry, or something about my personality; I have a lot of talented photographer friends. (Boy, do I wish I had some of that talent!) One thing I have sure learned from them is that many of them HATE (really, they use that word) doing announcements.

 

And so began some really wonderful partnerships. They snap and edit and do their creative thing and then I take care of the announcements and/or holiday cards. It is really a match made in heaven. I have a vast selection of products and some that are especially suited for professional photography.

 

Depending on the client and their desire of involvement, they can select the announcement and create their perfect piece, or I can deliver my personalized service and recommend pieces that compliment their photograph and their budget. And, some photographers even decide to give their seal of approval on a couple of lines or products (I am happy to send out samples as paper and production can truly only be seen in person).

 

Our priority is to properly showcase the professional photographs with an equally beautiful announcement and photo production. (Don’t you think it is a shame when your gorgeous photos aren’t done justice? I know it is peeve of mine.)

To find out more about partnering with Bliss Folio or to see samples, please email me. Know a photographer who this would be perfect for? Don’t forget to let them know (we love referrals)!

 

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