How Many Rivers To Cross

Hi Moments That Shine,

I’m getting married in 2010 and looking at doing my invitations soon. We’re budgeting right now but have a problem. We have no idea how many invitations we’re going to need! The first draft of our guest list is 150. What do you suggest?

Thanks,

Tina

Hi Tina,

Congratulations ☺ You sound like you’ve just started planning and I have to say … you’re on the right track! The first thing I want to know from my clients is if they’ve at least started talking about the amount of money they want to spend on the wedding. And invitations definitely set the tone for the day so you’ll want to get started on that as soon as you can.


If you don’t know how many people you’re going to end up inviting just yet, my rule of thumb is your estimated number divided by two and then add about five to ten percent. In other words, one per couple invited plus a bit of a cushion ... so about 80-90 for you. Of course this may go up or down depending on the number of single people and families but that’s a good starting point.

The reason you want that cushion is for a few reasons. First, you may end up inviting more people. You can usually order extra from your stationeer but they may cost a premium for a low run … ordering additional invites at the onset will help alleviate that cost.

Another reason for ordering more is human error. You just might make a mistake in addressing envelopes … the horror! Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.
And of course, you’re going to have a keepsake. Make sure you order enough so that you have one for yourself!


Have fun in the next stage … designing ;)

Cheers,

Susan

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Whooooo Are You?

There's a fairly new program on TLC called .: Who Are You Wearing? :. If you haven't heard of it, the premise is four would-be designers are assembled and they compete with one another to have the celebrity of the episode wear their creation to a red carpet event.


I caught the show because my wonderful husband was running errands one day and I had the T.V. to myself ;) I didn't think I would be a huge fan but I found myself incredibly interested in the results! I was also rooting for a particular designer in the first episode I watched. I'm happy to say that I was able to track her down afterward and she agreed to do up a quick posting for the blog! I'll be making you wait a little while to find out just who it was, the celebrity of the episode and, of course, what message she would like to tell you. Until then, read up on the show and catch it if you can!

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When I'm Asleep I Dream You Move In Next Week

I was hopping around different websites a few weeks back when I found this photo ...


Love it! We worry so much (some more than others) about what shoes to wear on special occasions. These ladies have taken things to the next level ...

How about some shoe bling? You can add it with actual pre-made decals or stick on rhinestones. You could also grab some glitter glue from a craft store and write your own message.



(above photo courtesy .: Jules Bianchi Photography :.)

How about stickers? This bride's niece made sure she had her something blue ...


And a heart (or two) sums up a wedding in the truest form ...

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I Heard a Rumour She Loves the Mountains and the Snow

In honour of the first snowfall of the season, this week's Etsy post is all about keeping warm!

This cottonwood capelet is by .: fringe :. The bloom brooch is detachable but why not add a bit of oomph to your outfit and keep it there?

Are you really cold? Check out this full wrap by .: knitnjules :.

Need a little sparkle? I love how this is functional yet pretty and delicate at the same time. Scarflette by .: TheSpinningHand :.

If faux fur is more your style, take a gander at this wrap by .: Wrapor :.

Capelets are great because they give you warmth AND you're able to move your arms without worry! This one is by .: TickledPinkKnits :. There's even bamboo in there!

Let's not forget about your hands! .:SeasideKnitting:. hopes to keep them warm with these cuffs (love the pearls as well!).

.:piperewan :. has some funky accessories for your shawl. This flower is made of hand-dyed hanah silk and sewn by hand.

Definitely not ordinary, check out this shawl by .: laslopezlas :. The mixed fibres create such a unique look!

If lace is your cup of tea, this retro shawl by .:katetowers :. may be exactly what you're looking for. Divine!

And my favourite of the week? I gotta be me ... it's colour time!
This shawl, also by .: laslopezlas :., would be perfect with a dress or simply over a black shirt and jeans. Be a vixen!!!

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Get Ready For Something To Be Something ...

Love this idea so I had to share it!

I am a ribbon whore. There. I admitted it. Satin, silk, organza ... all widths ... from mauve to burnt orange. My cupboards are full.

Since I have this odd addiction, a table adorned with ribbons would send me in a tizzy. If you're looking to jazz things up for your next party/event/dinner, why not try this?!


above photo by .: Tinywater Photography :.

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You Fill My Head With Colours Of Wonder & Delight

I'm so happy to start this section of the blog now! Thanks to Rethinking for making this first one so much fun ...

Hi there,

I'm getting married next year and I'm really excited because I'm starting to look for a dress. YAY! The only issue is that I have this tattoo on the back of my shoulder and I'm not sure if I want to show it off or keep it hidden away. I really had my heart set on a strapless dress. What should I do? Help!

Signed,

Rethinking My Ink

Waterloo, ON

Dear Rethinking,

YAY indeed! Shopping for the dress is one of the most exciting times during wedding planning but it can be daunting. And I’m talking for those of us who didn’t have to take tattoos into consideration!

If I were in your shoes, the first thing would be to decide on comfort level as far as the artwork being seen. If it’s something that has meaning to you and you love it, embrace it. Make it an extension of your look of the day. Some brides have not only shown off their tattoo but they play on it. Do you have a cherry blossom across your shoulder? Maybe you can have cherry blossoms on your invites, ring pillow and bridesmaids’ dresses.


Of course you can go the route of covering it up … if the tat is something you no longer want, are willing to pay a lot of money to get rid of, go through some painful processes AND have lots of time before the wedding. Sounds like you’re attached to it though. You can certainly try covering it up with makeup (Dermablend seems to be the brand of choice). Be forewarned that even the best makeup artist likely won’t be able to guarantee the results. A better (and more creative) option would be to go hunting for a shawl or shrug that would cover it up nicely during the ceremony and then let it show during the reception.


Personally? I’d flaunt it. It’s your wedding, it’s your tattoo and YOU want a strapless dress. What better day to show the world the real you? ☺

Relish the attention!

Susan

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You Were Meant For Me And I Was Meant For You

Friday Footwear time ...

Last night I walked into an Aldo store (shopping for my husband instead of me for a change). While we were paying I was looking at the rack of jewellery and all the goodies on sale. One thing I found was a great costume brooch kind of like this one ...


For a whopping $9.98, this brooch was on sale ... and it was two for one.

*insert spinning wheels here*




If you have a pair of shoes (preferably fabric and ones you don't mind experimenting with), why not pick up two of these brooches and turn plain into PIZAZZ?!
Simply take one brooch per shoe and either *carefully* pin it to the front or take the stem off and use some durable glue ... or you could even sew them if you're so inclined. Try it out and customize your own pair!!!

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Alright, red stay far far away from white please

Jess- Hey Erin- I was putting together our winter window display the other day with our wonderful shop assistant, jess jr, and it got me thinking about colour combinations. What’s your least favourite colour combination when working with flowers for events? The window was black white and red, pretty much my personal very worst colour combo nightmare, but we saved it at the last minute by adding shots of a deep rich purple and some hot pink- and all of a sudden all was ok with the world again!




Erin – I am not overly fond of red and white together. It seems to Christmassy or “I am Canadian” unless that is the look you are going for. I am usually happy when we are using colour to begin with period. It makes everything a little more interesting. One colour I find tricky is blue or purple. There are not a lot of flowers out there that come in these colours and often times a grower will substitute something blue when we asked for something purple or vice versa and we all know there is a big difference between the two when it comes to co-coordinating with bridesmaids gowns. On top of that these colours are hard to see from a distance. This means that if someone is sitting at the back of the church an arrangement of dark blue flowers will not show up as well.



Jess-Hmm, I see what you mean- but blues and purples together is one of my favourite combos, but yes, they can be very tricky to actually make work on the day. Darn Mother Nature (and growers!) and her unpredictability! Interestingly I have discovered this past summer that I really really really don’t like all white as a colour scheme- I know- rather awkward considering its popularity as a bridal flower, but luckily I am a professional and can manage to get through a wedding in all whites without letting on how I really feel! I find it hard to convey much with all white; arrangements just tend to look all the same to me when they are all white. Maybe colour preferences change as we age Erin- do you remember someone telling us something to that effect years ago when we first opened about learning to love pink?

Erin – yes of course. A neighbour of our’s at the store told us that when we hit 20 we would really start to love pink. Little did she know we were already 26. It was quite funny

Jess-Yes, but she was right- I do love pink more now I am older, just look at what you can do with it!

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Only Time Enough For Love

Instead of making my Etsy post a theme of products this week, I want to feature a seller ... .: Muscari by Easter Yu :.

From the 'About' section on the .: website :., here's a quick description ...

Muscari was started in early 2008 by Easter Yu. It specializes in bold and one-of-a-kind wedding and fashion accessories crafted with feathers, silks, dried botanicals, beads, and other found objects.

Ideas come from a love of nature and an obsession with color, pattern and texture. Easter loves to use ordi-
nary materials in not-so-ordinary ways. All work is handcrafted in beautiful Peapack, New Jersey.

Muscari caters to both retail and wholesale. Please contact Muscari for more information.
info@muscaridesign.com

I <3 all things Muscari!

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