Details make the day

They say that the details can make or break an event, and that is really true. The smallest detail can tie a theme together, make a close friend smile or tell a stranger a little bit about who you are. The can be functional like the wood guest book below and also add a decor element. Details for a wedding don’t have to be extravagant; they can be a simple way of sharing your taste as a couple. Here are some simple, creative, unique and elegant examples we found on Esty to show off your taste and personality at the wedding….

Yummy Wedding Favors

Favors: should you or shouldn't you? Deciding whether or not to have a wedding favor can be a tough task. What we at cloud 9 Weddings have found is the most popular favor is anything edible! Why not give a fun and yummy favor to your guests? It is rare to come across a guest that doesn't like a little sweetness at the end of the evening. Personalized is even better as it lends a final reminder of the unforgettable wedding that you planned with your colors or motif. Here are some tasty ideas that we think are cute that we found these great ideas on Beau-Coup.com.

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday: Thank You Notes

There was a great etiquette blurb on what NOT to send as a wedding thank you note in the Denver Post's Ask Amy column in June. The writer was telling Amy that she had received another pre-printed thank you note generically 'thanking' the gift giver for the wedding check she sent. Coincidentally, I received a pre-printed thank you note recently from a couple that I had sent a wedding gift to which was actually personalized stationery for them to use as thank you notes.

Surprisingly, quite a few of the stationery lines that I carry offer pre-printed thank you notes. In addition to the 'Thank You' printed on the front, there is also an option to customize a personal (yet impersonal) note inside that thanks the gift giver for the gift. Etiquettely speaking: Always write a personal thank you note to anyone that gives you a gift for any occasion. Writing great thank you notes is an art form that is unfortunately fading however the impact of a well-thought out note does not go unnoticed. It also communicates your sincere gratitude to the sender of the wonderful gift you have received.

Bold Stripes + Rustic Damask

This gorgeous eco-friendly Spark letterpress invitation that we did is quite possibly my favorite invitation of the year. A beautiful bold navy stripe paired with an rustic damask pattern mixes a contemporary pattern with a delicate, barely there floral motif. What the pictures just slightly reveal is the tone on tone navy damask on navy paper which gives it a stunning depth as well as the tone on tone soft white RSVP card with the pattern under the text that makes it look like a beautiful fabric.

The folio style is a popular style for both bride and guest alike. They come in handy keeping all the important wedding weekend information all in one spot!

We're Crazy About: Flip and Tumble

We came across these little lovelies while searching for a wedding welcome bag container for a client. Flip and Tumble bags come in lots of fun colors and go from ball to bag! They are great for out of town guests as they travel easy and are durable. A refreshing twist on an everyday item!

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday: Etiquette Myths

The rules of etiquette at weddings can sometimes be a bit confusing. There are many good suggestions out there for proper wedding etiquette, but there is also a lot of bad advice. Etiquette expert Peggy Post gives her list of common etiquette myths on the Wedding Channel’s website and we have listed a few of them below….

• Myth- A bride and groom have one year to send out thank you notes.
• False! Thank you notes should be personal and sent out in a timely manner; usually two weeks after the honeymoon and never more than three months. Make writing thank you note a fun project for you and your spouse to do together.

• Myth- The bride’s family is required to pay for most of the wedding and reception expenses.
• False! Many couples today pay for their own wedding expenses. Both the bride and groom’s families can share expenses too. However you plan on financing your wedding it is important to create a budget and communicate about costs so that you avoid overspending.

• Myth- A bride should expect her bridesmaids to host a shower for her.
• False! Sometimes it is not possible, due to any number of reasons such as financial burden or location, for bridesmaids to host a bridal shower. Brides should never ask friends to host a shower.

• Myth- A couple does not need to send out save-the-dates to guests.
• True! Save-the-dates are helpful, but not necessary. It is a nice gesture to send save-the-dates if your ceremony falls on a holiday, requires guests to travel long distance or is at a popular destination that could get booked.

• Myth- It is best to send wedding invitations on either white or ecru paper.
• False! A couples invitations should be a reflection of their personal taste and the style of their wedding. White and ecru are traditional formal invitation colors, but are not the only type of invitations to send.
• cloud 9 Papers offers a great selection of stationery for your invitations. We even offer some great eco-friendly products!

Check out Peggy Post’s complete list here…

Think Water!

Krista and Erik are an outgoing couple that love to travel so for their July wedding at Denver Botanic Gardens with the reception at the Ritz-Carlon, Denver, we are doing a water theme. They frequent New Zealand and other fun spots so the theme is the mountains meet the beach! We are doing a great water feature that doubles as an escort card table as the guests enter into the cocktail hour to set the tone for the reception. Their colors are aqua, navy, copper and soft white. Here is their letterpress invitation from Spark that cloud 9 Papers did and it is getting high praise from their guests!







Thank you Adam Houseman for the photos!

Wedding Etiquette Wednesday: Technology

We live in a connected world. Today even elementary school students have cell phones and are more than efficient at texting and Tweeting! Along your wedding planning process you have probably made use of a few pieces of technology that have made your life a lot easier. However, when it comes to the big day, being old fashioned regarding technology is a good idea. No one wants their vows interrupted by an obnoxious ring tone. Here are some tips for modern technology at the ceremony…

Cell Phones: Your guests will have them (probably glued to their finger tips). It is a good idea to remind your guests to turn off the phones during the ceremony. Etiquette guru Emily Post suggests including a friendly request on your invitation for phones to be shut off or placing signs at the guest sign-in table or the entrances to the venue. The most effective, but also most intrusive way, would be to have an announcement made prior to the ceremony.

For guests: Texting during the ceremony is a big NO! Wait until after the ceremony before pulling out your phones to text or check messages.

Other technology: MP3 players or iPods should be left in the car, but if you do bring it please make sure to have it turned off and put away during the ceremony. This should be obvious but you would be surprised!

Inspiration 101: Slate and Yellow

I had a fabulous meeting with one our fantastic brides at the Sanctuary Golf Course for May 2011 recently and she announced that they changed their color palette. She hesitantly told me what they were and when she did, I was so excited and smitten right away! I was hoping do to this combo: Slate and Yellow.

Here are some great pic's from Kent Meireis of Kent Meireis Photography of the ISES Denver Wedding Showcase in January where Perfect Petal in the Highlands rocked these two colors...

Decor from the ceiling- umbrellas!

Here are some great yellow and slate invites from cloud 9 Papers to set the tone for the wedding:

Inspiration 101: Teal and Citrus

Nothing says summer like these two hot colors! Gone are the days of picking polar opposites on the color wheel. Teal has always been my color- hence my logo for Nancy Chase Weddings & Celebrations and my new logo for cloud 9 Weddings & Papers. I just couldn't let it go!

There are so many versions of these two lovelies that narrowing down pic's was hard to do. The style boards came from Style Me Pretty and the invitations from Tru, Checkerboard and Exclusive Weddings II you can find through us. I would love to do this combo soon for a wedding!