Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

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Shindig Real Wedding: Chapter Six.

January 12, 2011

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

Cannoli Signs.

It isn’t just enough to let them eat cake anymore. Now you must feed your guests cookies, candy, or donuts to go in adorable little favor bags. Bridget and Nicholas did cannolis. What cannolis have to do with their wedding’s visual theme of birds and branches I don’t know, but I wish I were invited.

The cannolis, in an assortment of flavors, were to be presented on tiers atop a table for guests to fill goodie bags with on their way out the door. Bridget needed a clear way for the different flavors to be labeled. Since we were already doing large chalk board signs for this wedding, I thought that was the way to go.

I found a smaller version of the wood framed chalk boards I used for the branch signs at Lee’s Art Shop on 57th Street. Then, using the same method as with the larger signs, I drew the flavors of the cannolis using a white paint pen.

Next I stained the edges with a non-toxic water-based stain.

I used the same stain on the wooden dowels I would use for sign posts. I originally wanted to use real branches, but I was concerned they wouldn’t be strong enough.

To attach the dowels to the backs of the signs I employed the good old glue gun.

The signs need time to dry thoroughly before standing them upright. The hot glue from a gun is actually a type of plastic that doesn’t need too long to dry, but picking them up too soon will make the sign slide.

Once everything is dry, they are ready to go upright. Long after Bridget and I decided to make these signs we still hadn’t come up with a method of actually making them stand up, then it hit me…

The look of her wedding was intended to have a vintage inspired feel in addition to the bird and branch motif. I collected assorted small vases and jars from Fishs Eddy, and filled them with birdseed. Then stuck the sticks right in there!

It took a few tries to get the right consistency in the birdseed. You don’t just want the tiny little pieces even if that’s what looks best. Make sure to get some sunflower and larger seeds in there because it will help the dowels stand up easier. Don’t ask me why…It’s a physics thing.

For guests to collect their cannolis I got these kraft tin tie bags and stamped them up with the couples logo. Stay tuned and keep fingers crossed for photos from the actual event!

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

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Posted in By Jill Ryder, DIY, Event Design, Inspiration | No Comments »

Shindig Real Wedding: Chapter Five.

January 11, 2011

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

Menus.

I’m a foodie. If I weren’t a graphic designer I’d want to be a chef…or a food critic… or Padma Lakshmi.

When clients ask me to make menus to coordinate with their invitations this excites me. What better way for me to marry (oh it’s so bad, but I couldn’t resist!) my expertise with my greatest passion.

Bridget and Nicholas chose birds and branches as a visual theme for their wedding. The invitations were romantic and floral and incorporated wood grain paper and twine. Many of the other graphic elements for the reception used several types of real wood, chalk boards, and bird graphics.

It’s easy to get carried away using all the same materials just because you favor them. This results in what I like to call “too much of a good thing” or another favorite term of visual folks in all professions, the dreaded “matchy-matchy”. Restraint is a necessary component in good design. Not only that, when working with a table top it’s important to consider all of the other things that are going to be on that table–plates, napkins, silverware, several glasses per setting, a centerpiece, place cards. I’ve walked into some weddings, looked at the table and said, “Where do the people go?”

For all of these reason I thought we should keep it relatively simple for the menus.

For the backing paper we used a plainrecycled printer paper. I wanted something thin to make it appear less like a card and more like a trimming. To create a romantic edging I used a Martha Stewart Paper Edger with an eyelet pattern. I swear I don’t know what I would do without scrapbookers. I personally don’t have the patience or time, but there are so many great products out there for me to use professionally.

After the paper was edged. I cut it in thirds the short way creating three pieces 8.5 inches long by approximately 3.6 inches wide. The menus were printed on the same kraft card stock that was used for the place cards. This was then mounted to the recycled paper.

As a finishing touch we drew from the invitation and added a bit of twine at the top. This menu will sit nicely on a table that already has plenty of décor on it. Without too much distraction, wedding guests can easily pick it up and concern themselves with what really interests them …eating and drinking.

Stay tuned for Shindig Real Weddings: Chapter Six: Cannoli Bar signs.

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

Posted in By Jill Ryder, Event Design, Inspiration, Invitation Wording | No Comments »

Shindig Real Wedding: Chapter Four.

January 7, 2011

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

Place Cards

Lately there’s an astonishing rumor circulating the community of wedding professional reporting of wedding throwers opting for elaborate poster sized maps for guests to stare at in order to find where they are seated. Not only does this less elegant approach barely save any paper considering the tiny size of most place cards, it will end up costing more to produce and display.

And, oh, the mayhem that must ensue! The droves of tipsy party goers filing in from the cocktail hour, pushing forward to find their spot! Crazy Uncle Johnny nudged Drunk Cousin Danny and a fight broke out! Grandma couldn’t see her name on the board and is sulking outside! As if weddings weren’t hectic enough. Save the mosh pit for the dance floor.

It’s worth mentioning that I have the ability to make these types of signs so this rant isn’t just an emphatic hard sell for a product I DO offer. I have been asked by clients what my opinion is on how to handle seating. Now you all know my answer.

Below – a particularly good argument for sticking with tradition

My client, Bridget, is one of the more savvy brides I’ve met in terms of integrating her graphic elements with her décor, tableware, and florals. One thing every formal wedding reception needs is place cards, but it’s no surprise she went the extra mile.

She bought these birch place card holders from a vendor on etsy.com, so all we had to do was create a flat card to snuggle inside.

I am accustom to saving the scraps left over from the larger pieces of paper when cutting invitation cards. Luckily we had the best of the best scraps leftover from Bridget’s invitations. My very favorite wood grain paper, Savanna, from GMund, which, I have to say, only gets better when nestled into a tiny piece of birch.

To finish we printed the names on kraft card stock and mounted them to the white Savanna card creating a perfect topping for a woodsy table setting.

Stay tuned for Shindig Real Weddings: Chapter Five: Menus.

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

Posted in By Jill Ryder, DIY, Inspiration | No Comments »

Shindig Real Wedding: Chapter Three.

January 6, 2011

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

Coffee-stained Manila Tags.

I hate wasting stuff. I am the self-proclaimed (and youngest) Doggie Bag Queen. Even if I have just a soggy French fry or two leftover on my plate I’ll give the waiter the old, “Wrap ‘er up!”

As if that weren’t enough I’ll probably attempt to find a new use for the bag itself. It isn’t about being cheap it’s about guilt.

So, why is it that most mornings I find myself pouring half the coffee I make just for myself down the drain? I have this giant coffee maker, see, and it feels, just, weird to measure out only enough for the one or two cups I’m going to drink. Why don’t I get one of those single serve coffee makers with those individual pre-measured cups? That’s about being cheap.

Recently I’ve found a use for my coffee conundrum. As we all can see and as I’ve written about right here on this very blog, people are really into things that look aged, used, recycled, and like they were just picked up off the floor of a barn.

Coffee is great for aging paper in a subtle, non-toxic and pleasantly aromatic way.

For her wedding, Bridget Grish had the idea to provide tags for people to write messages on in place of a guest book. After writing the message guests were instructed to hang the tags from a tree.

I ordered these manila tags from ULINE.

As is, they just look like, well, manila tags bought from ULINE. They need some style, some oomph. Something that spoke, “Hey, we, the tags have been hanging around for the past hundred years in an attic somewhere waiting for just this occasion!”

First I began by boiling down my leftover coffee. I like it strong, but to create a good stain you want the rocket fuel variety that I’m not willing drink. I transferred the coffee to a small saucepan and reduced it to a quarter of the amount I started with. A little common sense science lesson– in order to reduce the moisture in something it must boil uncovered.

Once I had my coffee mud I sponge painted the tags including the strings. First blotting, then wiping. It’s a good idea to wring out the sponge before painting, as too much liquid will make the tags curl.

For the finishing touch I added something I do for a lot of clients. I often create a custom rubber stamp that a couple can use on a huge variety of paper or fabric items for their wedding, from thank you notes to dinner napkins. The stamps are inexpensive and save even more money by replacing professional printing.

Stay tuned for Shindig Real Weddings: Chapter Four: Menus and Place Cards.

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

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Posted in By Jill Ryder, DIY, Event Design, Inspiration | No Comments »

A Novel Idea.

January 4, 2011

Written by Sebrina of Mismikado Creations.

As soon as I saw the book cover designs of Coralie Bickford-Smith I knew these would look stunning incorporated into a wedding scheme. Look at the rich details and colors of these designs.

Incorporating a bride and groom’s love of literacy is becoming a growing trend in today’s weddings. Not only do you have the option of pairing a stack of beautiful books with an elaborate or simple flower arrangement…

… but you could even create an entire themed scene like Jen Wood did at this real NYC wedding.

So if you are a bookworm couple or just like really lovely designs, strongly consider incorporating some of Ms. Bickford-Smith’s books into your wedding layout. Best yet you can buy each book for around $14 on Amazon.

{sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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A Few of My Favorite Things, Part 2: Fonts.

December 29, 2010

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

The are a GABILLION fonts out there, (actually, according to my research there are only somewhere between 40,000 and 100,000). We’ve come a long way since writing on cave walls. Some people spend their entire careers studying the origins and histories of typefaces and designing them for all other humans to use. There is even a documentary that pays tribute to one of the most prolific fonts.

Thankfully, not all fonts are appropriate when applying them to wedding invitations and there are certain fonts I come back to again and again. Some are print. Some are script. Some are classic. Some are avant guard. Some can be used on almost any invitation. Some are very specific in style.

Below are some examples of the fonts I carry around in my back pocket for easy access…

I really love anything that looks handwritten only neater. I’m new to Business Penmanship, but I’m totally in love. You could say we’re in our honeymoon phase. It’s romantic and elegant, but also whimsical and casual. What’s more, it comes with a huge variety of scrolly glyphs to further enhance your type treatment. Its one drawback is that it’s very thin, like a hair, with no bold version. Sometimes I reward it with a little outline to fatten it up.

Chevalier…Oui? Ouuuuiiii! It sounds French and it’s got a quintessentially classic style. However, Chevalier deceives us. Scoundrel! It’s not as old as it looks and was, in fact, designed in 1946 by E. A. Neukomm, who was Swiss, not French.

This little guy is bold and a little arrogant, but he can definitely get away with anything on the right invitation. Why? Well, take a look. Something similar is used on our money.

This is another one I just found and I can’t stop using. It seems to work anywhere. Comfortable with both print and script crowds, I don’t have to baby sit. It’s kind of Old West, but also European.

And look at the rag tag group of dingbats that come with it! Yup, that is indeed a dragon….and a flower pot. What a character! Yes, I punned.

Rosewood is a little particular, but I find myself using it a lot lately. It might be because I’m obsessed with “barn chic” right now and so is everyone else, (see “A Few of My Favorite Things, Part 1”). Plus there are two of them…they’re fraternal twins. There’s the flamboyant and circusy, “get your rodeo on!” Rosewood Regular, and its more subtle yet diverse little brother, Rosewood Fill.

I have plenty more font crushes so stay tuned for “A Few of My Favorite Things, Part 3: Fonts, Part 2”.  Cheers!

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Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

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Posted in By Jill Ryder, Inspiration, Stationery | No Comments »

What a Bright Idea: Decorating with Light Bulbs.

December 24, 2010

Written by Sebrina of Mismikado Creations.

Seeing as how we found that amazing venue with the light bulb ceiling, it only seems natural to incorporate light bulbs in other decorating details.

This Oyule Lamp by Sergio Silva can cleverly be recreated using supplies you have on hand. These two tutorials are great guides in creating your own.

Light Bulb Lamp

Light Bulb Lamp: Another Option

To incorporate our favorite bloom selections, why not make adorable light bulb vases?

Or how about hanging some of these lovelies on the aisle chairs at the ceremony?

And if the raw edges of the bulbs make you nervous, remember you can always smooth them out with some simple hand tools.



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Posted in By Sebrina Schultz, Event Design, Inspiration | No Comments »

Wood, Glass & Brass.

December 23, 2010

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations. 

Don’t get me wrong, paper is great. It’s versatile, flexible, lightweight, recyclable, colorful, texturally diverse…can be written on, printed on, folded into a paper airplane or a lotus flower. Its myriad uses allow a graphic designer’s creativity to run wild.

Fact is, if you’re that creative eventually you reach the end of the paper trail. It can be a little two-dimensional. You start to hunt for other things to print on or, at the very least, accompany paper in its presentation of the facts. Sometimes I find myself envying event designers because they get to use so many different kinds of media to create their vision. Luckily, every once in a while, a client lets me think outside the page.

A destination wedding in the Dominican Republic uses corked jars filled with sand as a place card. We shipped the jars down empty and the bridesmaids fill the jars with sand from the beach on the day of the wedding. It was a fun way for the girls to bond and leisurely as the chores of bridesmaids go. The jars double as a keepsake for guests and a paperweight, protecting the place cards from flying off in the tropical beach winds.

Similarly, we created place card tags to accompany incense burners for this Moroccan themed wedding.

Working on a smaller wedding allows for a lot of creative ideas to come to fruition.

The three-dimensional invitation was shipped in a box (technically made of paper, but who’s counting?) and the belly band was made of silk ribbon and a gold cord clasp from a fashion accessory store.

For the event, (an Autumn wedding), we cut slices from a birch branch to prop up the place cards and stained thin sheets of wood for menus.

Stay tuned for more non-paper items from Shindig on upcoming projects.

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

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Posted in By Jill Ryder, Inspiration, Stationery | No Comments »

Maps!

December 21, 2010

Written by Jill of Shindig Invitations.

I’ve always had a thing for maps. I can stare at a detailed map for hours trying to make myself better understand how the Earth has laid itself out. On a recent rainy day at my family’s lake house my father and I decided to memorize the locations of all of the African countries. Using a map, we created a test for ourselves covering all of the names of the countries with slivers of Post-It Notes.

Why? I don’t know…we’re nerds.

With destination weddings seemingly on the rise, it pleases me that I can study and design maps as part of creating invitations. A map is not only a useful part of an invitation because it shows people how to get where they’re going, it also make a fabulous graphic element combining font, color and line art in infinite ways to match any wedding style and location.

Below are six maps from invitations created by Shindig all showing a different style and usage.

1. A wedding in St. Barth’s with several events spread over a long weekend and all over the island features an accompanying key with stars used to bullet the location of each event.

2. The largest invitation I’ve ever created is, itself, a map. A full 8.5×11 sheet of cardstock shows the two forks of Long Island and incorporates all the wedding details in one self-contained unit. The reply postcard is held down by photo corners to easily detach.

3. A map and key are translated into a western style for a wedding taking place at a botanical garden in Austin, Texas. Desert florals such as a cactus and other succulents mark the spots of the events.

4. A simple map provided on the itinerary for a wedding on Maui, Hawaii is printed on a bright and tropical green paper stock.

5. For a minimalist and monochromatic invitation to a New York City event, a map helps add a little something more to look at even if the guests already know their way.

6. A save the date for another pair of map lovers, (he-an engineer, she-an elementary school teacher), uses a historic map showing Manhattan, New Jersey, and the Hudson River. The usage is mostly aesthetic, but with the addition of a dotted line pointing to the general location of the wedding venue, it becomes a useful element, helping to acclimate out of town guests.

Visit www.shindiginvites.com to see our gallery or call 917.405.9366 for an appointment today.

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Creating Texture with Winter Flowers.

December 20, 2010

Written by Sebrina of Mismikado Creations.

Remember what I said about texture. Texture is one of the best ways to affect the mood of your event and has a huge play on the decor. A key element of texture is flowers. The various visual feels of flowers can emit different moods from lush to edgy to ethereal and woodsy.

Therefore you have to consider your overall mood and design when selecting your desired flowers. Of course it’s also best to keep in mind what flowers are in season for your wedding.

The above flowers are an Iris, Wintersweet, Winter Daphne, and Viburnums.

These can be incorporated in various means throughout the decorations. One of my favorite decoration ideas is to create a bookcase display with overflowing Winter Daphne to accent the vibrant colors of The Private Roof Club & Garden at the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Stay tune for more creative ways of incorporating flowers into the aesthetic design.

{source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Posted in By Sebrina Schultz, Event Design, Inspiration, Uncategorized | No Comments »

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