The Green Kangaroo - Unique Wedding Invitations and Stationery

While TGK was built on giving our customers the freedom to make their own design choices, that doesn’t mean they all make “good” choices! One area that often causes confusion is in choosing the appropriate font styles for wedding invitations. Not to worry! Our guide will help pave the way for those of you who are a bit confused about the purpose of combining one font with another on your wedding stationery.

Block fonts are typically used for the body of your invitation to ensure legibility for the key details of your event. These fonts read well even in smaller point sizes and are ideal for lengthy driving directions and information on hotel accommodations.

Now, unless you are the ultra-mod type, you’ll probably need something to soften up the block font a bit! That’s where the script font comes in!

The script font is what gives your invitation its personality. Script fonts are the class of “scrolly,” decorative type that we love to use for the names of the Bride and Groom, and for accent text on the accessory cards. Script fonts can be hard to read at small point sizes, so we don’t recommend using script fonts for the body of your invitation.

Hydrangea Invitation featuring a combination of block and script fonts

TGK’s solution to the font debate? We recommend combining the block and script fonts… using block fonts for the body of the invitation (so it remains legible), while adding extra oomph around the names of the Bride and Groom with a lovely script font.

Summer’s free-for-all explosion of blooms is the inspiration for the themes, colors, and of course florals for many a bride. If a particular blossom has struck your fancy this season, why not let that muse inspire something beyond your bridesmaids’ bouquets? Incorporate your favorite flowers into the design of your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, and wedding day stationery for a simple yet creative way to land on an event theme.

Take the idea of a “theme” as far as you’re willing to go. If your taste steers towards the classic and conservative, let your floral inspiration grace just a subtle corner of your wedding invites (as shown below) and perhaps motivate your color choices for bridesmaids’ gowns and a few other hints here and there.

Floral Decor Clutch Invitation

On the other hand, if you’re looking to make a bold statement or to carry your theme throughout your wedding for a solid, unifying effect, let a floral design take center stage. We love to help brides create “signature” designs – ranging from gracious flowers to simple leaves and other botanical elements – that appear on everything from the wedding stationery to place cards, gift bag tags, and dance floor lighting effects.

Hibiscus Wedding Invitiation

Hydrangea Wedding Invitation

A simple, well-defined theme and color scheme can significantly aide the bride struggling with narrowing down the limitless choices available when planning a wedding. So even if you don’t consider yourself a “theme person,” consider choosing a lovely summer flower to serve as your inspiration point for selecting all manner of wedding accoutrements.

If you’re planning a fall wedding, I’m sure you are in the very thick of the planning stages! To give you autumn brides a little cool inspiration during these hot summer days, I wanted to feature one of TGK’s gorgeous fall-themed designs, the Acorn wedding invitation.

The hand-drawn acorn branches bring to mind crisp autumn days and are a supremely elegant nod to the season. We love this design in traditional, subtle earth tones, such as chocolate and grass shown above.

And we just launched this new Acorn Square Clutch invitation design, also shown in chocolate and grass, but with a little more green for a bit more punch! The clutch features your invitation on the front with an innovative pocket on the back. It’s similar to a pocket, but a bit more streamlined without the booklet-style opening.

Check back with us for more autumn inspiration in the coming weeks! And try to keep cool until then …

Taking a cue from our popular pocket wedding invitations, last year The Green Kangaroo introduced a new pocket-style concept: our unique clutch wedding invitation style.

The Monogram Clutch, in periwinkle and pewter.

Since its introduction, brides have loved the simplicity of this innovative design, which features your invitation on one side and a pocket on the reverse to hold three accessory cards. No unfolding necessary! Just flip the invitation over and your maps, accommodations, and reply information are all there, tucked neatly into the simple pocket on the back.

The Circles and Dots Clutch, in tropical pink and aqua.

And an added plus is that clutch invitations cost a bit less than pocket invitations because they use less paper. Just one more spin on a new classic from our design team!

Over the last few weeks, we’ve launched four new square pocket invitation designs. If you love the clean, modern look of pocket wedding invitations, we think you’ll adore our fresh – and square! – takes on this “new classic!”

The Seahorse Square Pocket incorporates our popular palm tree, sand dollar, starfish, and (of course) seahorse motifs to set the scene for your laid-back chic coastal wedding! The square pocket design is a terrific solution for packaging the vital details and information for a tropical destination wedding.

Our Monogram Pocket’s clean lines appeal to brides looking to keep things simple, timeless, and elegant. Perfect when paired with subtle, sedate hues, this invitation really pops with vibrant colors, such as the grass green and navy, shown here.

Since we launched it last year, our charming Magnolia motif has quickly become a favorite! We love the “surprise” of this gorgeous southern blossom gracing the lower corner of the invitation when the pocket is opened! A stunning addition to our square pocket family.

And of course, we can’t launch a new set of invitations without finding a home for our beloved Josie motif, whose updated floral filigree design sets the tone for weddings of all styles. Josie, like my little sister, looks good in just about any color or shape we put her in! And the square pocket style is no exception.

Have you fallen in love with being “square” yet?

TGK’s Facebook fans got a fun sneak preview of the new save-the-date designs we launched over the last week. (What? You’re not our Facebook fan? You’re missing out!) Of course, we want our blog readers to see all of the new fabulous pretties, inspired by brides looking to coordinate their save-the-date cards with some of our most popular invitation designs.

Our Hydrangea Save-the-Date (shown here in periwinkle and botanical) features a gorgeous shade of light blue, which is the hot color for summer 2010 weddings!

The Preppy Monogram Save-the-Date (shown here in navy and grass ink) lives up to its name with a crisp, contemporary feel and clean lines while maintaining a classic style.

Do you love our Hollywood Save-the-Date design (shown in harvest and silver ink) as much as we do? Retro chic at its very, very best!

And finally, for brides thinking about a mountain get-away wedding, the Pine Save-the-Date (shown in chocolate and harvest inks) perfectly sets the tone for a rustic, outdoor event.

Remember, we recommend sending out save-the-dates up to 12 months, and no later than 6 months, before your wedding. So if you’re tying the knot in the next year, hop to it!

Brides planning summer weddings at beach-y locales will love our sophisticated take on a classic coastal theme. Introducing our new Starfish wedding invitation! Inspired by our ever-popular Coastal Couture design, which features an actual dried starfish embellishment, our designers have incorporated this unexpected motif into one of our most affordable invites. Right now we’re loving this design in bright contrasting shades that are right at home on the hot sandy beaches for mid- and late-summer weddings. But this design also looks great in more muted shades that speak to the natural hues of the coast, such as taupe, pale blue, and soft pink. Whatever your style, we think you’ll love this fun new design!

The Starfish Wedding Invitation in Tangerine and Tropical Pink:

or in Lime and Turquoise …

or try Tangerine and Aqua!

More new coastal designs are currently on the drawing boards, so keep watching for additional beach-themed inspiration!

Dreaming of an elegant coastal wedding this summer? Our Sea Oats motif is the perfect complement! Pictured below in chocolate and turquoise ink on a rich chocolate shimmer pocket paper, this design is sure to set the stage for your seaside wedding.

Accessory options include a direction card with custom map and reply card. (They slip handily into the “clutch” pocket on the reverse of the invitation.)

Complete the look with our sea grass themed Ribbon Wedding Program, Sea Grass Menu, matching table cards and place cards. Shown here in chocolate and latte ink on antique white paper, with blue iris satin ribbon and french blue shimmer layer paper!

*Special thanks to Azul Photography here in Cary, NC for capturing that beautiful shot of our Coastal designs at a recent bridal show!

Our design team has been busybusybusy cooking up some fabulous new motifs to keep up with what our customers are clamoring for! We had such a tremendous response to our vintage-chic Bliss motif on our holiday cards and Bliss save-the-dates that we decided to incorporate this popular design into a new wedding invitation. And to make this announcement even more exciting, the Bliss wedding invitation has been added to our growing Frugal Collection, which is a favorite with brides on a budget!

Shown here in marigold and chocolate ink on champagne shimmer paper, the Bliss wedding invitation is the perfect blend of old and new, with its classic, flouncy blossom and modern use of color and off-center type.

We are also loving it in turquoise and cherry red ink as shown here …

... and in aqua and chocolate ink, seen here on the accessory card and RSVP postcard, items that are both included with each Bliss wedding invitation! How’s that for “frugal”?

Just in time for summer weddings, TGK’s designers have completely revamped the Hibiscus wedding invitation suite with stunning new artwork!

The Hibiscus wedding invitation in turquoise and cherry red ink, on diamond shimmer paper.

This bold, exotic tropical flower is the perfect theme-setter for elegant summer weddings, bringing to mind hot, bright days and steamy, sultry nights. Summer brides looking for a sophisticated way to incorporate just a splash of color will appreciate the Hibiscus wedding invitation’s clean lines and white background set off by the colorful hibiscus flower border. We also love how the designer incorporated the serene, botanical feel of this motif while letting the invitation’s style showcase summer brightness at its best!

Stay tuned for more new designs featured on the blog! In the meantime, check out a few more customization possibilities for the Hibiscus wedding invitation ... the options are endless!

The Hibiscus wedding invitation shown in lime and aqua ink on heavy white paper.

The invitation’s RSVP postcard shows two possibilities for incorporating chocolate and tropical pink inks.

With Valentine’s Day just around the bend, we are preparing for an upswing in newly engaged brides interested in Save-the-Date cards! Love it or loathe it, Valentine’s Day is arguably the most popular day of the year to get engaged. So if you think your sweetie is gearing up to pop the question, we’re featuring some super romantic Save-the-Dates to get you in the spirit of the holiday!

The Josie Save-the-Date in Lipstick Pink and Grass Green ink combines classic elegance with a fun, modern color combination perfect for spring. Shown here with the background tinted Lipstick Pink just a few shades lighter than the type.

The Cari Save-the-Date in Chocolate and Cherry Red ink on champagne paper is a nod to vintage style that retains a modern feel with the brown-and-red color palette.

The Bliss photo Save-the-Date in Pewter and Cranberry ink with its flouncy flower is one of our most popular designs. Incorporating a romantic photo is a great way to personalize your save-the-date cards.

Keep us posted on how you plan to spend Valentine’s Day! We’ll be on the lookout for romantic engagement stories.

Just in time for spring and summer weddings, our design team has unveiled their newest creation: The Modern Calla Lily Wedding Invitation suite! Having carried lovely calla lilies in a few weddings myself (my favorite were the sweet miniature variety!), I love seeing these popular wedding flowers gracing a TGK design.

Several brides have recently requested calla lily wedding invitations, telling us that the ones they’d seen elsewhere were somewhat “tired” looking. (Let’s just say that when a bride describes something as looking like it came “out of the eighties,” it’s not exactly a compliment!) We decided to let these beautiful flowers inspire a fresh, modern design with a TGK flair!

The invitation and two accessory pieces are shown above in pewter and marigold ink for a sophisticated, subtle look. For the bride looking for a fresh, spring style with a burst of color, this motif in lipstick and chartreuse ink (shown below) delivers an entirely different option!

Sure there’s a lot going on around the holidays, but there’s still something enticingly romantic about tying the knot around a significant holiday, such as Christmas or New Year’s. Incorporating your wedding theme into the glamour and giddy excitement already abounding in the air can add just the right touch of magic and whimsy to make your day extra special. As we enter Christmas week, we thought we’d give you a little holiday-inspired inspiration for wintery wedding designs. Ho ho ho!

The Snowflake booklet program with Christmas-y Cherry Red and Lime ink and a Flame Red ribbon.

The Grace Save-the-Date postcard in Black and Pewter ink sets the stage for an elegant New Year’s Eve wedding.

The Meredith wedding invitation shown in Turquoise ink on Champagne Shimmer paper with our Snowflake motif is perfect for an early December wedding in chilly Pennsylvania!

Now that our holiday shopping is almost done, we’re all feeling a little light in the pocketbook! So we thought it would be appropriate to highlight one of our Frugal Collection wedding invitations this month. Brides on a budget LOVE this collection that offers wedding invitations with a custom, designer look but with the option of a few less frills to keep the cost down.

The Circles & Dots Invitation, shown here in Aqua and Lime ink, is all about fun, contemporary, clean styling. We love the detail of the single-letter monogram and the bold use of color. This bride chose a post card style for her reply card, which is a hot trend!

All of our Frugal Collection invitations include:

• A choice among paper colors, fonts, and two ink colors,

• One matching accessory/reception card, printed on 1 side,

• Matching reply card and envelope (or reply post card), with return address printed on the front in black ink,

• Inner / outer envelope set, with return address printed on the outer envelope in black ink,

• One proof of each item ordered.

In honor of our latest Save-the-Date giveaway, we thought we’d share a few tips for unique Save-the-Dates on the blog … to give our upcoming winner a little inspiration!

Dandelion Post Card Save-the-Date shown in Sky Blue and Pewter Ink on White paper.

1) Get on the calendar! Save-the-Dates have become a near necessity for engaged couples in today’s busybusybusy world. It’s common for families and friends to be spread across the country and even internationally, making advance notice for long-distance travel arrangements a priority. And even for local guests, crazy work schedules and other commitments can present conflicts with the social calendar!

For all these reasons, we recommend brides send their Save-the-Dates 12 months in advance, if possible, and definitely no later than 6 months in advance.

2) Get organized! One advantage of sending Save-the-Dates is that it forces you and your families to get organized enough to create a guest list, which is one of the first critical to-do items for kicking off wedding planning. If you’ve got a “deadline” in mind for getting your Save-the-Date cards ordered, it makes it a bit easier to encourage your future in-laws to track down the addresses of those long lost cousins on the opposite coast!

3) Get inspired! While the design you choose for your Save-the-Dates doesn’t have to dictate the color scheme and themes for your entire wedding, browsing your stationery options at this early stage is a great way to get ideas and inspiration for when you’ll need to be making these decisions down the road. We find that, while many brides carry the same themes and motifs from their initial Save-the-Dates down through their invitations and wedding day place cards, just as many opt to have a little more fun and whimsy with their Save-the-Dates while choosing more conservative styles for the rest of their wedding invitation suite.

4) Set the stage for the upcoming event! Your Save-the-Dates can reflect the season, style, level of formality (or informality!), venue, and even the time of day. They are a great way to give your guests a teaser of what they have to look forward to!

5) Customize and personalize! Reflect the unique personality of you and your fiancé as a couple. Incorporating a special photo of the two of you is a popular way to personalize Save-the-Dates. Couples may also choose a particular motif that has a special meaning; we’ve designed dozens of graphics for couples based on symbols or items that hold a particular charm and we love incorporating these designs into unique Save-the-Dates!