Kristen’s fellow Wedding Ace and bridal attire guru, Jessica, recently posted a fabulous inspiration board showcasing bridal hats in place of the traditional veil. Knowing our blog readers are always looking for unique wedding ideas, we thought we’d share Jessica’s inspiration board with you. (And doesn’t the darling hat featured in the bottom right corner of the board remind you of last week’s Real Weddings bride Nicole’s use of peacock feathers as her inspiration?) How will you be capping your bridal look – with a veil or a chic hat?
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Credits, clockwise, from upper left: Unveiled Bridal Designs, Amy Jo Tatum, Erica Koesler, Erica Koesler, ItstheLittleThingsut, EMilliner, Alice Hart Couture
When brown became the “new black” several years ago, pairing it with all shades of blue and pink became a major style trend. And for good reason! These modern color pairings maintain an understated, classic feel that has broad appeal for those who want to work with color without going over the top. And while these color schemes continue to prove their enduring popularity, more and more brides come to us looking for a fresh way to use these colors they love.
That’s why we adore the emerging trend of incorporating pops of green into the standard blue-and-brown palate, as we showed you beautifully executed in Rachel and Dan’s Biltmore wedding on the blog last fall. (Thanks to Michael Oppenheim photography! for all of these gorgeous photos!) Their addition of bright, lime-y greens revitalizes the tranquil blue-and-brown color scheme with crisp, unexpected pops of vibrancy.
Experiment with adding green to traditional color combinations and see where inspiration will take you. With more color options available to brides in inks, papers, ribbons, and fabrics than ever before, expanding your color palate to create a truly original look has never been easier.
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 …
Between the argyle and mercury glass, we have been happily overwhelmed by the all the current sparkly vintage trends. Melissa and Kristen recently fell in love with these gorgeous hairpieces they saw at a party, and they can’t stop talking about all the ways they could be used in a wedding!
Think about it… the bride could wear a vintage fabric flower in her hair, and her bridesmaids could wear coordinating flowers attached to ribbon sashes around their wastes. A vintage brooch can grace a headband and also a purse.
The movement has even brought these glamorous pieces to chokers, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. You can work them into the boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, and I imagine that they would work well as part of a centerpiece, too. So if vintage style is your bag, try some of these ideas on for size!
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!
I had the delightful pleasure of attending my cousin’s wedding last weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Nearly all of the guests were out-of-towners, making this a definite destination wedding. I was so impressed with their attention to the little details that made the entire weekend flow as a seamless event, while leaving plenty of room for each guest to enjoy their own “mini vacation” in this popular seaside spot.
Note to the gentle reader: Please pardon this blogger’s sub-par photography skills!
Perhaps the most useful detail was this clever “Guide to Awesomeness” that Tricia and Will put together themselves and tucked into each out-of-towner’s welcome bag. The guide unfolded, map-style, to reveal a large, full-color road map of the Myrtle Beach area, complete with numbered pinpoints of each wedding event, recommended restaurants, and even golfing options!
The bottom half of the guide provided categorized details of each marked location. Tricia and Will incorporated lighthearted tips and recommendations for each spot so we’d easily be able to find the best spot for local seafood or the ideal destination for entertaining kids at an alligator farm!
Their helpful guide allowed me to set aside my printed, unpredictable Mapquest directions and follow their handy, local-approved map. We weren’t late to a single activity! And best of all, we felt like we got the most out of our “mini vacation” by sticking to the bride and groom’s fabulous recommendations. If you’re planning a destination wedding, take a cue from the newly wed Mr. & Mrs. Weaver and create your own “Guide to Awesomeness!”
If you’re looking to create a vintage vibe for your wedding day, we love the idea of using sealing wax to secure your wedding invitation envelopes. A perfect complement to our retro chic Hollywood or our classic Grace invitations!
There are seals with every monogram and image you can imagine to personalize the impression pressed into each dollop of wax. Many brands of sealing wax are mailable, and we particularly love the selections available online through Letter Seals.
Carry the old world charm of wax seals into other aspects of your wedding day. Gift your bridesmaids with these gorgeous fine silver wax seal initial necklaces by Etsy artist Shannon Westmeyer. The perfect way to say thank you to your lovely maids!
Or imprint a seal on the side of wine bottles or hurricanes as table centerpieces.
The ideas are limitless!
Sealing wax images courtesy of Letter Seals
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?
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!
According to Brides magazine, turquoise is the “it” color for this year’s spring weddings. And we agree! Want to get in on the turquoise trend? Check out these different uses of turquoise resulting in completely unique looks.
If you aren’t afraid of making a bold turquoise statement, then incorporating a deep swath of this color across the background or pocket of your invitation is a great way to go! Shown here is our Coastal Pocket Invitation with the favorite pairing of turquoise and chocolate brown.
You can use the same turquoise-and-chocolate color scheme and achieve a completely different look! Our Cari Postcard Save-the-Date uses a lighter shade of turquoise as the background color for a softer feel. Yet you can still maximize turquoise’s impact with a pop of a deeper shade on a single flower!
Maximize the fun quotient of turquoise by pairing it with luscious tropical pink, as shown here on our Circles and Dots Ribbon Program!
Turquoise brightens our Layered Flower Place Card and pairs beautifully with lime green …
And works just as well as a fun complement to classic black-and-white on our Booklet Program
Try turquoise with silver, navy, or even chartreuse. The options are limitless!
One of our favorite harbingers of Spring is when the trees suddenly sport their bitty, bright, lime green buds. This nearly yellow green soon gives way to ever deepening shades of kelly, shamrock, and moss. As you may have guessed, here at The Green Kangaroo, we can wax poetic about shades of green for days! And weddings that incorporate green, whether with the barest hints of color or in bold pops of brightness, embrace the season’s freshness in an impactful, visual way.
Check out our latest inspiration board with a few fabulous ideas for greening up your wedding day.
Clockwise, from top: wedding cake with lime green hydrangeas, Garrison Designs; floral pattern favor boxes, Little Things Favors; The Green Kangaroo’s Cari wedding invitation with modern paisley motif in lime and caribbean blue ink; green empire waist dress from Jenny Yoo (photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings ); handmade mossy ring pillow, Martha Stewart Weddings; pink and green bouquets, Fresh Affairs; green strapless dress from After Six (photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings ).
Elizabeth Baggett
March 10th, 2010
Photo courtesy of Temecula Winegrowers Association’s Web site.
Many of TGK’s invitation designs have been inspired by brides searching for something entirely unique. Our design team loves nothing more than taking a customer’s vision and transforming it into a custom motif that fully reflects the bride’s personality or the spirit of the event. Such was the case when we created our Vineyard Square Pocket invitation! A couple was planning their wedding at a winery in the gorgeous Temecula region of California and was looking for a wedding invitation that perfectly captured the venue’s rustic style.
Working with the bride’s preference for a pocket-style invitation, our designers incorporated the grape vine and wine bottle motifs, showcased here on the invitation’s RSVP postcard. And the Vineyard Square Pocket was born! We’ve had numerous brides since then use the Vineyard Square Pocket as inspiration for their own wedding invitations.
Wedding venues have sparked quite a few of our invitation designs! Do you have an idea for a one-of-a-kind motif or graphic for your wedding? Most of our customers are surprised to learn that our custom design fees start at just $125. Just give us a call or send us an email to get started. After all, custom wedding invitations are at the heart of what we do best!
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.
