Bohemian Tablescape {Reception Stationery Designer}

How gorgeous is this? We were invited to create a Bohemian style stationery set for a beautiful tablescape. We included gorgeous green succulents, playful flowers and fun fonts in an effort to create the perfect look to go with the settings. What do you think?

To see more of these beautiful pictures pick up the latest Bride & Bloom Southern California Edition wedding magazine on newsstands now! 

As always, it was the work of an entire team to create these beautiful designs. Please take a moment to check out these awesome businesses we worked with on this Bohemian design:

Photography: Samuel Lippke
Florals and Design: Dolce Designs
Planning: Details Event Planning
Stationery: Cherish Paperie
Linens: La Tavola
Rentals: Town and Country
Production: Be Inspired PR

Lipstick Pink Daisy Wedding Stationery {Cabo San Lucas Stationery Designer}

We recently designed some stationery for a beautiful destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and couldn't wait to show off how beautiful it turned out! The daisy design transfered beautifully from the save-the-dates to the programs to the table stationery and escort cards.

To view this collection and more please visit our wedding invitation gallery. If something catches your eye please feel free to contact us to start designing the perfect invitations and reception stationery for your big day!

Custom Everyday Stationery {Huntington Beach Stationery Designer}

Custom Note Cards (incl. envelopes) - 16 for $18

Cherish Paperie not only designs wedding stationery and holiday cards, we also design stationery for the everyday occasions. Need to send a thank you card? Why not send it on beautiful, personalized stationery. Need a birthday card? Why not have us design a custom set of birthday cards just for you! That way you never have to remember to go to the card store or pick up one in the grocery store last minute.

We've talked about the importance of note writing in the past and believe that every person should have a beautiful set of stationery to write on should they feel the need to write to someone. And instead of using a generic store-bought set of stationery why not design your own to fit your personality and needs?

Contact us today to get started on designing the perfect set of notecards for you!

Day-Of Timelines {Ideas and Inspiration}

We just recently discussed wedding maps and great ways to design and include them into your invitation. Now lets talk about day-of timelines. These cards simply let those around you know where they're supposed to be and when so there's no confusion about the timeline of the day. There are two different versions of the day-of timeline; there is the wedding schedule timed out by 15 minute increments to give to all of the wedding vendors and then there is the cliffs notes version to give to your bridal party and any other important guest at the wedding who needs to know the timing of everything.


Wedding Day Timeline
Wedding Day timelines are a must for your wedding vendors. If you've already hired a wedding planner than the planner will more than likely create this timeline for you as the big day gets closer. But if you're going at it alone you may need to create one yourself to pass along to your vendors. Basically this timeline tells the people you've hired when to get where and sometimes what to do.  Here are a few things to consider while planning out your wedding timeline:

Hair & Make Up - Getting Ready
For most brides, the morning of the wedding is the busiest. Not only do you have tons of people around you, there are also a lot of things going on. Making sure that you schedule enough time for hair and make up is very important because this will affect whole day's schedule. Not only should you write down the time you are scheduled to get your hair and makeup done but also write down what time those in your bridal party are getting dolled up as well. Also include the time that your ride should pick you up and take you to your ceremony location unless you are getting ready at the ceremony location.

For great tips on how to schedule your hair and makeup check out Wedding Photography Directory's post about Wedding Day Schedule Planning and Strategy.

Photography - Before or After
While most traditionalists believe that the bride and groom should not see each other until they meet at the alter, many brides nowadays are choosing to forgo this tradition in order to give themselves more time to enjoy their cocktail hour and reception. Make a decision that works for you and let everyone know when and where you would like your photographs to be taken.

Some great tips and tricks for wedding day photography can be found on Style Me Pretty in an article written by Christian Oth.

Ceremony and Reception
Now the ceremony might seem like an easy thing to schedule. But you also have to remember to include when the florist should arrive if you are having the location decorated, when the musicians or singer(s) should start and the timing of the processional and recessional so everyone is on the same page.

And the most amount of time scheduled will more than likely be at your reception. Not only are you scheduling set up, caterers and entertainment but you also want to include fun events like special dances, speeches and cake. Just make sure that while planning out your schedule you also include a special time for you and your spouse to have a moment or two to relish in the excitement of finally being married!

If you are in need of a template for your more detailed schedule check out this Google Doc created by Michelle Rago and Style Me Pretty.

Cliffs Notes Card
This simple card basically just gives the cliffs notes version of your wedding day timeline to your bridal party in a cute, stylish fashion. You simply include the times of the events they need to be at. You can also include information on the back of the cards that detail what each member of the bridal party is responsible for if there are responsibilities at the wedding for them to perform.



For great DIY timeline ideas please check out the following sites:
Adorkable Duo
NYCity Weddings

Cherish Paperie can also design your wedding day timeline to match your invitations or other wedding reception stationery. Just let us know what you want and we'll create it!

Lover.ly Stationery {Los Angeles Stationery Designer}

We had the opportunity to design some beautiful stationery for the Lover.ly launch party last night. If you haven't already checked out their site please do! Lover.ly is a new and innovative website geared towards allowing brides to scrapbook ideas and inspiration for their wedding that they collect from different websites and blogs. Then they can share those ideas with their friends.

No more printing and pasting into books, ripping pages out of magazines, or copying and pasting on your computer. Just simply request to join Lover.ly's site and get started! Head on over and request a beta code now. You'll be the first of your friends to find out how amazingly simple it is to plan a wedding or event with Lover.ly.

 

Playing with Envelopes {Ideas and Inspiration}

Now I know that Miss Manners and etiquette say that you should always hand address your invitation envelopes but if you don't mind going against the grain there are a few things you can do to spice up your envelope. Using different fonts, colors and even a picture or two can take your envelope, and invitation, to a new level.

You can stick with simply using a calligraphy type font to go with a classic, elegant look. Having us print the names and addresses of your guests directly on the envelope will save you time and money (if you were going to invest in a calligrapher).

Another great idea that some brides are doing is to have a calligrapher write the return name and address out and turn that calligraphy into a stamp. This not only is perfect for your invitations but will also be something that you can use for years to come!  You can find many stamp makers who do this but a few we like are Emilie Friday, Fawnsburg and eDanae.

Using a different font can lighten up an invitation envelope. And playing with different font sizes can also make your invitation envelope stand out and stay unique.

Adding a simple picture that ties your envelope in with your wedding theme can give the guests a glimpse of whats to come. By adding color to the envelope, whether that color is the envelope itself or the font and picture on the envelope, you can also change the look and feel of this important piece of stationery.

And remember if you are using a black or very dark envelope color you will need to use calligraphy in either white or silver ink or you can use our custom wrap around labels. The labels would also work well with other envelope colors as well.

The Letter Writing Process - How to Start {Ideas and Information}

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In an age of electronic devices, handwritten letters are a unique joy to receive in the mail. With text messages and emails who has time to sit down and write a letter? The meaning behind the written word shows a lot more than just type font on a computer screen or cell phone. Whether you are sitting down to write a thank you note or sending a card as a quick hello to a friend, writing a letter shows effort and care. And as we've mentioned before, more and more people are getting back into letter-writing.

For some, writing is very cathartic. From personal experience with my family blog and this blog I find that writing allows me to be creative and also gives me a place to display all of the bottled up information I have inside out to everyone. And if a public blog isn't for you, some find journals or notebooks a great way to keep track of what they're thinking, how they feel and whats gone on in their lives.

Writing letters is also a great way to connect with yourself and with others. I've been writing letters to my children since before they were born. I find that it helped connect with them and it also is helping me remember how they were at different stages of their lives. Writing letters has also helped in remembering what is going on in the world at that time. Many historians have uncovered information in the form of letters written back and forth. So it is very important that we continue to write.  

To make a letter seem more personal you can purchase custom stationery. The stationery can be either in the form of a folded card or a flat card, or you can choose to have custom paper printed for you. The stationery can include a simple monogram or personalization at the top or a nice design or border. Once you've decided what size and design you want your stationery to have you can order it through Cherish Paperie. 

Once you've received your custom stationery you're ready to pick up your pen. Now you have to decide who you are writing to. Are you writing to a friend who just recently moved? Are you thanking a grandparent for a gift given to your child? Or are you sitting down to write a letter to a friend you haven't spoken with in a while? Once you know who you're writing to you can start focusing on what you're going to write.

When Do I Order My Invitations? {Ideas and Information}

He's proposed and you said yes! And now you're planning your dream wedding. What do you do next? Well when it comes to ordering your invitations and other wedding stationery we have a guide for you to go by. Remember, ordering earlier is always best. And ordering a sample of the invitations you plan on using is always a great idea so you know exactly what they'll look like. Custom stationery takes time. We want to provide the perfect product for you and your big day!

For custom-made invitations and reception stationery, it is best to start planning your invitations 10 months before the big day. Ideally, you send out the save-the-dates six months before the wedding (twelve if the wedding is a destination wedding or out of the country), so this allows plenty of time for consultations, design meetings, printing, and (if you choose to do so) calligraphy. We will work with any timeline, but to avoid rush fees, try to start the process as soon as you can.

Below is an estimated timeline of when you should order your paper goods:

10 Months - begin researching invitations and contact stationers
8 to 7 Months - order save-the-dates
6 Months - mail out save-the-dates
4 to 3 Months - order invitations
3 to 2 Months - order programs & reception stationery
2 Months to 6 Weeks - mail out invitations

Martha Stewart, as always, is a great resource for all things wedding and has created a wedding timeline for every bride-to-be so you can keep track of everything you need to do and see.

Meet Our Team: Diane Klumb {Cherish Paperie Stationery Designer}

Diane Klumb - Stationery Designer

Diane joined Custom Programs in November 2008 after taking time off from the sign business to be a stay at home mom and part-time dance and gymnastics teacher. Diane is a professional graphic designer with over 20 years of experience in the field. Beginning her career in the sign industry in 1987 she developed her skills and talents creating signs, banners, menu boards and logos for thousands of satisfied customers; so it wasn’t too much of a stretch to apply her design skills to the paper industry.

Diane’s official title is “designer” but takes care of everything from fulfilling sample orders to helping out in the production studio and styling photo shoots. You name it, Diane can do it! Luckily Diane thrives on juggling a wide variety of tasks and making sense out of the occasional chaos of our active studio. 

She has designed many of Cherish Paperie's wedding set collections and is great at monogram and logo ideas. Diane also does a lot of the invitation and program assembly. No one can tie 150 ribbons into perfect bows on a program that look exactly the same like Diane. Working with ribbon and rhinestones is one of her specialties.

She first got her creative inspiration from her mother and her love for making hand crafted gifts. Even as a young child she was always getting into Mom’s craft cupboard! Throughout her high school and college years Diane spent most of her time in the art room doing paper mache’, frosted mirror designs cut by hand and working with ceramics. In recent years she has had fun making quilts and knitting scarves for the ones she loves. She has also enjoyed an 8 year career in elite gymnastics and ballet and spent some time as a preschool dance teacher as well. She also has an eye for interior design and even practices on her own home.

Diane now lives in Seal Beach, CA and owns the very home she grew up in. She has also had the privilege of raising her beautiful daughter Kayla in the family home, who is now 19 years old and attending a local college. She also enjoys designing from her home office for Cherish Paperie and spending time with her mini-dachshund dog named Liberty. Diane is very excited to be a part of all the changes and new designs happening here at Cherish Paperie!

How to Compose A Thank You {Ideas and Information}

Thank you's have somewhat become forgotten in recent years. And that is kind of sad. I know that a majority of my friends still write thank you's or personally call and thank me however I hear more and more stories of gifts left forgotten and thank you's never received.

I know that I've been bad about the timing of sending out thank you's. My son's first birthday thank you's were ordered and picked up one week after his party. But I only got about 1/2 of them on their way out before I ran out of stamps and kept putting off buying more because I was SURE I would see the people in person and hand deliver the thank you's. I still have one on the fridge reminding me to deliver it. And he just turned two in February. Oy!

But I'm getting better, and so can you! There's always reason to send a thank you card. Not only when you receive a gift but also when someone does something unexpected or kind for you as well. And as we've mentioned before who doesn't like getting mail?

We found a few great tips from Mary Mitchell, president of The Mitchell Organization in Seattle and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Etiquette (third edition) on writing thank you's and wanted to share:

Thank-You Note Dos and Don’ts

Although each thank-you note should be unique, there are some rules to follow when you put pen to paper. Mitchell has developed what she calls the “SSA formula”:

• The first S stands for Specificity. Thank the person for the specific gift (for example, "Dear Grandma Ann, thank you so much for the Macy's gift card.")
• The next S stands for Significance. Tell the person that you recognize the effort and time that went into giving you the gift. Hint: That sentence should begin with the word "you." ("You know me so well! How else would you have known my favorite store?")
• Finally, the A stands for Action — how you will use the gift. ("I can’t wait to purchase the new pots and pans we've been eying for our new place")

Never write anything negative in a thank-you note. Even if the gift was the wrong size, color, or not to your taste, do not say so. Lastly, if the gift was money, a check, or gift card, do not refer to the amount.

Traditionally, thank-you notes should be written in ink on note paper or a note card, but don't hesitate to be more creative. I know that my toddler LOVES to draw these days so instead of me writing out his thank you's for him I print out picture thank you cards and let him color on the envelope. Not only does the recipient get a one-of-a-kind envelope design, they also get a great photo of him.

A thank-you note should ideally be sent anywhere from a day to a week after receipt of the gift. However, even if more time passes it’s still better to send it late than never. Do not apologize if the note is late. I've come to realize that the person appreciates the gesture more than anything... even if it is a year out.

Wrap Around Labels {Ideas and Inspiration}

I love when a new design idea comes out and it makes the whole look and feel of a product even better. This definitely is the case with wrap around labels. They're so versatile and customizable, not to mention functional! You can not only put your recipients address on the label but your return address as well. And the label can serve as a second seal to the back of the envelope. Plus, doesn't it just look good?

Now I know that wedding invitations are supposed to be handwritten (ya know, as per Miss Manners herself) but if you aren't going that route and are planning on printing the addresses on labels or right on the envelopes then this is a great alternative!

These would also be great for party invitations, thank you cards or just your every day stationery to write to friends and loved ones.

Cherish Paperie not only offers custom stationery but the accessories that make that stationery one of a kind. From custom stamps to custom wrap around labels, we're your one stop shop for all stationery needs!

Save the Date {Custom Wedding Stationery}

The date is set and you're ready to let friends and family know what date to save. Why not do it with a Save the Date? If you're having a destination wedding, have a wedding date on a three-day holiday weekend or have a lot of out of town guests you plan on inviting you may want to send out save the dates to your guests.

There are many options on how to send out your save the dates. You can go simple with a post card or an email, or you can go with a more unique way. I sent out save the date stickers and placed them like a business card on my printed save the date card. That way guests could either put the save the date on the fridge or use the sticker on their calendar.

I love the look of this "photo booth" save the date. It seems so personable and memorable. And using your own picture whether its from an engagement photo shoot or taken by a friend (or photo booth) takes a save the date from formal to more casual. And the simplicity of the design is just perfect!


But there's nothing wrong with formal! Or matching your save the dates with all of the other stationery for your wedding. Why not use a save the date that compliments the invitations you are choosing? And while you're at it you can design the reception stationery for your special day all at the same time. This can save you time and energy later on in the planning process. One less thing to check off your list.

This feathered card is simple and elegant. It includes all of the important information and clearly highlights what date your event will take place on and the location of the event. 

And since a save the date is getting the word out on what date your wedding will take place, a save the date that highlights that date as part of the design might be a great choice for you.

These next two save the dates feature calendars right on the front of the card. You can get specific and list the day of the week, month, date, year and time or you can just include a picture of a calendar and circle your date.

Tips for Save the Dates: 

• Include the date of your wedding, your names and the location or city that the wedding will take place  
• Send out your save the dates 6-12 months in advance
• You don't need to send a save the date to every guest. If only a handful of your guests will need to make travel arrangements to make it to your wedding you can just order enough to send to them.
• And remember the most important thing about a save the date - to only send them to people you know you will be inviting. Do not send a save the date to those who aren't on your wedding guest list; if you aren't sure than don't send it. 
• And remember to have fun! Save the dates are your chance to get creative and have fun. There's no proper etiquette on wording, etc. 

The Art of the Handwritten Word

 

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How much emphasis was placed on handwriting in your school curriculum growing up? For me, that emphasis was very strong in my younger years in elementary school but it slowly died as the years progressed. Sure, I had a class here and there where the teacher still strongly believed in carrying a notebook and writing in it each day (thanks Mr. B!) but for the most part everything was typed.

I remember being so proud of myself in the third grade when I finally mastered the alphabet in cursive (both upper and lower case). I would write my name over and over again just amazed at how pretty it looked on the paper. I felt so powerful being able to write out the words and sentences that came to my head.  I also tried to perfect my penmanship. I tried to be very neat and precise in my writing and doing so earned me better grades on my papers.

And than we started learning how to type on computers. By the 8th grade I had already taken a computer and typing class for four years in a row and all of our school papers had to by typed, not handwritten. Handwritten papers were for rough drafts only, before we typed them up. And than slowly even the handwritten rough drafts disappeared and everything was typed on the computer. There were no rough drafts anymore. And now I find myself only writing down simple notes or thank you's. Nothing as elaborate as a poem, story or even a letter. All of these things are written on the computer.

And while I love the speed in which the computer lets me get all of my thoughts out, I am sometimes handicapped by that speed. I don't have the time to stop and think about what I'm writing. The beauty of writing something by hand is not only the beautiful penmanship (which, by the way, is definitely lacking these days!) but the beautiful words and sentences that came to me as I really, truly thought about what I was writing.

The delay in getting thoughts from the brain to the hand to the pen has been cut and now our brains send words and sentences to our hands directly and our hands type everything out as quickly as the thoughts come to our heads. We don't think before we type. And I think if we still put emphasis on how important it is to hand write a letter or a note instead of type it up we would be doing a lot more thinking about what we're writing.

So I believe it is really important that we start putting more emphasis and preference towards handwriting instead of using our computers to type up all of our ideas. With this new habit I hope to delve more into the art of the handwritten word. Why is grammar so important? Are the rules we learned in English class really going to help us in the long run? And how will these things make us better writers? What do you think?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Happy St Patrick's Day! 

Make your life a little more green with some cute stationery from Custom Programs! 

What's in a Note {Ideas and Inspiration}

 What's in a note? Why even continue to use fancy stationery (or even just a simple plain piece of paper & a pen)? Well a new article has shown that people who have been using electronic mail and social media sites for communication are starting to fall back to the old ways and are choosing beautiful stationery and fountain pens to start writing and conversing with their closest friends. And this article got me thinking...

There is still something about getting a letter or card in the mail. It seriously makes me giddy with delight when I put the pile of junk mail and bills (only a few since we're mostly paperless to "go green") and see a familiar return address. I just know it's a card or a letter from a loved one. And I'm not the only one who gets excited, my 2 year old son gets excited as well!

Since he just turned 2 he received a lot of cards in the mail from various family members and friends. He would ask me to open the envelope as soon as he saw the letter in his name (he recognizes most E's). You should have seen his eyes and how wide they got while he examined and looked at the cards front, center and back. He was thrilled! And I don't want that thrill to get lost with the internet communication of today. I want to keep that excitement alive.

So in order to do this I've started talking to friends who also have similar aged children and we've decided to start matching the kids up with pen pals. I had a deaf pen pal when I was in the 3rd grade and receiving letters from her was so awesome. We both had beautiful stationery sets that we purchased especially for writing back and fourth and when I wrote on that paper I felt wonderful. So once my little boy is matched up we are going to design him some special stationery to "write" on as well. Sure it'll just be pictures at first but I hope that it will grow into letters and helping him learn penmanship. Too many children today rely on computer fonts and spell check. I don't want this to become a crutch for my child as well.

And since I'm asking my child to write on stationery more I am going to do so myself. And not just the standard thank yous (although these would be a perfect way to start! Hand-written thank yous are still considered superior to e-mail), I will start to write to those friends who I can't find time to email or call just to say hi. Because I know how wonderful it is to see that familiar return address in the mail... Perhaps you might like to personalize some cards or stationery to do the same. Let us know how it turns out!!