If this post caught your interest, either you’re a wedding color enthusiast or you’re getting married. If the latter, then congratulations are in order! We have been hearing that bold colors are the order of the day and so we’ve assembled a page of ribbon colors that we fully expect to see at each and every wedding this year.  Go on over to PrintMyRibbon.com and check out our hot wedding colors!

So here’s the idea:

• Find a nice gift box that fits the size of your gift (flat colors or simple patterns are probably best as it could get too busy)
  • Gift Boxes (various sizes and shapes)
  • Metallic Gift Boxes (various sizes and shapes)
  • Wine Bottle Boxes (for one or two wine bottles)

• Crumple up some tissue paper or shred and place it in the bottom of the box as a base or bed for the gift to rest on.
  • Various colors of Tissue Paper
  • Deluxe Tissue Paper Patterns
  • Crinkle Cut Shred

• Place your gift item in the box on top of the shred or tissue paper bed and close the lid of the box

• Using one of many ribbon/bow making techniques, wrap the box with ribbon. Personalizing your ribbon creates an added elegance to your gift!
  • Carnation Bow
  • Chrysanthemum Bow
  • Poinsettia Bow

This gift package is now perfect and ready to give to a friend or loved one.

Why not add to the holiday wishes by creating your own personalized Christmas/Holiday cards as well. Click here to see our templated selections for this Christmas season

A while ago we sought (and obtained) permission from the inventor of this product to use the how-to videos on Youtube. Little did we know that the Hair Bow video would be our number 1 most viewed video. We’ve posted various things about the bowdabra before, and have always appreciated the simplicity that this product brings to gift packaging, heck we even have one that we use in-house for product photos. The video currently has over 30,000 views and is steadily climbing. Check it out…

Currently there are just about a dozen weddings on my agenda this nuptial season, of which I have attended almost half, so I feel at least somewhat qualified to make some observations.

Colors & Theme – Pick one and stay with it

I’m not going to say what colors or themes to choose, that’s between the bride/bride’s mom and wedding planners. What I will say is Pick one and stay with it.  People notice things that don’t fit as well as the little things that do, so take some time and think through those small details and add your colors/theme wherever you can.

Example:

One of last weekend’s weddings used White, Lime Green and Purple where White was the backdrop (color of the tent) and the greens/purples were splashes of color. What I noticed was that they used some sort of white sheer material as a covering for the tent poles and at the top, where the poles created some extra space there were balloons of lime green and purple.

Even if most people don’t notice, the little touches will make your special day just a bit more…special!

Formal, Informal, Somewhere in between – Tell your guests which one

If I don’t have to wear a tie, I won’t. If a jacket is required, I’ll dust it off and uncomfortably don it as I make my way into the church, but showing up to a wedding either too dressed up or too casual is usually not a whole lot of fun.

I’m sure there are guidelines for this sort of thing, but I’m a guy and a simple one at that, so I’m not going to read a book to decipher the outfit requirements for a given event based on the season, temperature and current phase of the moon. Wait did I just call it an outfit!? I don’t wear outfits…I wear clothes, the fact that I mostly match should be enough for people.

What I am trying to say is that it would be very helpful to indicate in some small way, “Please join us for this formal affair” or “Enjoy a relaxing, casual evening with us”. Or maybe I should be happy that my wife is there to tell me when I’ve gone astray and be done with it.

I know it’s not much, but it’s all I got. I’m not a wedding planner, nor do I want to be…Take this advice with a grain of salt and 3 aspirins…Enjoy!

Now that it’s apparent that the color of wedding dresses is drastically changing, what about the actual style of the dress? Vera Wang’s line features endless empire shaped dresses that compliment the shapes of the models. The empire dress is the solution for every body type. Mechanically, the dress is tight at the top, enhancing the bust, with the waistline under the chest. The rest of the dress simply flows elegantly to the ground. This is perfect for body types where you want to hide thighs or other curves. This dress is also popular because women who have a lack of curves can create the illusion that they actually have them with the flowing fabric.

Personally, my favorite part of the dress is its flexibility when it comes to fashion. Sadly, a place where every woman can buy a Vera Wang dress does not exist, and we have to face reality. The reality of the empire dress is that you can make it as simple or complex as you want. Empire dresses can be purchased from almost any local bridal store, and  you can easily add a sash or ribbon to the waste line of the dress, which is very popular in the fall 2008 season. This Ivory Sheer Edge Garbo Ribbon is the perfect touch that will enhance the beautiful asthetics of the dress. Also, celebrities have been using jewels and crystals to accent their empire waste dresses to add more pizzazz.

Another hot trend that is currently sweeping the fashion world is what’s classified as a “crumb-catcher” dress. Don’t let the casual name fool you; these breathtaking gowns add a little more spunk to the traditional wedding dress. The synched or pleated fabric on the bust can be a silk, satin, or any other creme colored material.  The good news is, the spring 2008 floral fashion is still in style, so feel free to carry your flower sashes and belts over into your fall closet.  Whichever style you chose for your big day, feel free to add accessories to your dress, the sky is the limit. The more personal your dress is, and the more comfortable you feel in it, the more memorable the day will be.

Although the storyline is intriguing in itself, the big star of the movie was clearly the attire.  Carrie was featured in wedding gowns tied to designers such as Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta, Vivienne Westwood, and finally, Christian Dior.  The breathtaking gowns had every woman in the audience shifting with envy in their seats.  The gowns Carrie modeled shaped the essence of the Spring 2008 wedding trends in fashion.  However, it was important to recognize the importance of the bridesmaids dresses as well.  Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte were all dressed in monochromatic gowns to complete the color scheme for the wedding.  Dressed in reds, blues, and blacks, the bridesmaid’s outlined the upcoming fashion of wedding dresses for the fall 2008 season.  Colors are spreading like wildfire in the wedding couture industry, and the Sex and the City movie shared this crucial fashion tip with the world of women.  

Sex and the City features Sarah Jessica Parker, known as Carrie in the show, and her life in New York.  She and her three best friends rock the fashion world in New York and are shown going through their daily lives wearing designers from Donna Karan to Roberto Cavalli.  The plot of the movie is complex to say the least, and the climax occurred when Carrie was finally going to marry the love of her life: Mr. Big.  Big has been a main character since Sex and the City first aired, and those of us who are avid fans of Sex and the City breathed a sigh of relief as Carrie and Big were about to tie the knot.