The Green Kangaroo - Unique Wedding Invitations and Stationery

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!

Dogwood Wedding Invitation shown in Thyme ink on White paper.

One of the most exciting moments for a bride-to-be is checking the mailbox and receiving the first guest reply card. Despite all prior planning and activity, this is an event that signals the wedding day is right around the corner!

But once the responses are counted, rarely does a bride want to recycle these small treasures that often feature funny notes or sweet sentiments from guests. Rather than relegating your reply cards to a box in the attic, get creative with ways to preserve and display these fun tokens that will provide happy memories long after the wedding day is done.

Crafty brides might incorporate the cards into a wedding scrapbook. Or take the idea a step further and visit a bookmaking site to turn your reply cards into a one-of-a-kind coffee table book. And speaking of coffee tables, mod podge-ing the reply cards to the top of a reclaimed tabletop and covering with a piece of glass will create an eclectic furniture piece for the newlywed abode.

The possibilities are limitless! How have you gotten creative with your reply cards and other wedding memorabilia?

A few weeks ago, TGK was asked to create a menu for the local chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE)’s annual awards gala at the luxurious Umstead Hotel. We loved the way the event planners incorporated the menus into the design of the tablescapes – allowing the printed stationery to add to the beauty of each table’s design. This strategy, frequently used by professional party planners, is a savvy, cost effective tip for brides who want to maximize their decorating budgets!

Custom menus, table cards, and place cards, designed to complement the colors and motifs of your wedding, are a simple way to jazz up table décor and to take your event’s overall look-and-feel from “nice” to “wow!”

Special thanks to Brian Mullins Photography for sharing his gorgeous photos with us!

It can be so hard for brides to think about planning a spring or summer wedding when it’s cold and dreary outside! So this month, the TGK design team selected this adorable, whimsical design to give you a little springtime inspiration among the falling leaves and dropping temperatures.

Our Audrey Pocket Wedding Invitation is a unique tri-fold design. Inside, the mounted invitation is flanked by a right-side pocket, perfect for holding reply and accessory cards (two are included with this design!).

Shown here with grass green shimmer paper for the pocket and printed with chocolate and grass green ink on antique white paper, this color scheme is a yummy complement to the wispy playfulness of the dandelion motif.

Of course, as with all of our invitations, the style options are limitless! Visit our extensive photo gallery featuring all sorts of design ideas using our Audrey Pocket Wedding Invitation.

If you’re looking for a whole lot of inspiration for the look, feel, style, and COLORS of your wedding, look no further than The Perfect Palette blog. This online gem is a treasure trove of design ideas to be sure. But it also gives brides a super simple starting point for thinking about their own wedding style based solely on the colors you like. It’s a great way to get the gears spinning and gives those of us who don’t live, eat, and breathe wedding style a basic touchstone for figuring out how to create a one-of-a-kind event from scratch.

We love the author’s thoughtful examination of the meanings behind an array of beautiful colors with incredibly helpful links to palettes pairing those basics with every color combination you can imagine! Oh, how I wish this tool was around when I got married …

Though TGK co-owner Melissa was lamenting the early presence of Christmas music in a shop she visited just after Halloween, in truth the holiday spirit has descended on the TGK studios with a force! Holiday card orders have been pouring in for some time and the design team is having a field day with crafting some beautiful new motifs for the 2009 holiday season.

Here’s a preview of our latest holiday designs. I’m a traditional gal, so I love showing them in the classic holiday colors, but you must check out the other color palettes our fab designers have created for the season! Just click on the photo to see the other options available for each design. Or visit our full holiday collection for even more one-of-a-kind seasonal greetings!

The Quilted Holiday photo card, shown here in Burberry.

Let It Snow holiday card, shown in Cherry & Silver.

Deck the Halls, in the Vintage palette.

Our loyal readers know Melissa and Kristen have been contributing bloggers as the Wedding Stationery Aces on the terrific Wedding Aces site. This week, they give a great designer’s point of view on how to select the best font combinations for your wedding invitations. Here’s a sneak peek:

Our invitation business was built on giving our customers the freedom to make their own design choices. That doesn’t mean they all make “good” choices! This quick guide should 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.

Just follow the link to read the full article on the Wedding Aces site – and be sure to leave a comment for our very own Aces while you’re there. It’ll make them feel awfully special and important!

Pocket invitations have become one of the top trends in wedding stationery. And with good reason! The tidy pocket design neatly and stylishly holds all of the elements of your wedding invitation package, keeping those maps, reception cards, reply cards, and envelopes organized and orderly so that guests don’t misplace key information.

Our Claudia Pocket is perhaps our most popular pocket style. Brides love the no fuss, streamlined look of this piece, which features the invitation on one side and the pocket for accessory items on the reverse. Simple, and beautiful!

Shown above in tropical pink and black ink on white paper with a black matte pocket, the Claudia – just like all of our designs – can be customized with any combination of motifs, papers, inks, fonts, or embellishments you can dream up! Here’s the same invitation, customized in a whole new way: The Claudia Pocket in chocolate and marigold on a chocolate matte pocket with our sunflower motif.