Paper Layering Tool {DIY Tutorial}

We recently ran across a genius DIY idea to make perfectly positioned layers on your invitations and DIY paper projects over at Project Wedding from a post in their forums. The poster's idea stemmed from a product that Envelopments carries called the JIGster. And since the JIGster costs upwards of $70 it just isn't in the budget for some DIY brides.

The end product creates the perfect template to use in layering paper on top of one another giving a clean, even look every time! I might just use this on my holiday cards this year to position my family pictures! The directions to make your own are below:

Source

Directions

• Go to your local craft store and look in their pre-cut picture mat section. Just buy the cheapest one (Michaels had a 5x7 that was already layered at a 1/4" - it was $1.80).
• Pick up some foam board (or anything that is sturdy). I picked up a small piece for $0.99 which I cut to make two 5x7 rectangles.
• Using an x-acto knife make a clean slice in two opposite corners.
• Using a hot glue gun (or any craft glue) and glue the 1st piece of mat on to the background board*
• Measure where you want the 2nd mat to hit... since mine was already at 1/4", I didn't need to do much. If you wanted an 1/8" or three levels you'll just need to measure where the steps should go and layer appropriately.
• Glue the 2nd mat on top of the 1st mat.
• Let it dry and you are good to go. Perfect edges without driving yourself mad!

Source

*The poster's only note is to glue close to the edges on the first mat. The paper that she printed on was thinner and had the potential to slip under the mat.

Do you have a DIY project you'd like to share with us? We'd love to post it on our blog! Contact us at danielle@cherishpaperie.com with your information.

Checkerboard {Ideas and Information}

Inspired by a desire for a fresh approach to invitations, the Checkerboard collection offers ornate and luxurious designs. With over 10 albums, Checkerboard offers invitations, announcements, and stationery for just about every occasion and event under the sun—themed parties, showers, graduations, births, moving, wedding, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and more.

Checkerboard's Luminesce invitation was highlighted on Good Morning America during a segment on the influence of the royal wedding on upcoming events. Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of BRIDES magazine, spoke to this trend and displayed this stunning design during the interview. Click on this link to view the GMA segment.

You can browse through the Checkerboard collection online through Cherish Paperie's website. Contact us if you have any questions or need help ordering this product.

Invitation Etiquette {Ideas and Information}

How exciting is it to open your mail and see a thick beautiful envelope and just know that it's a beautiful invitation for a dear friend or family member's wedding? Knowing that you are about to get a glimpse into the start of another couple's lives together in matrimony can be fun. You can learn a lot about the tone of a wedding and of the couple from their wedding invitation.  

However something you do not want to see in the invitation is the dreaded registry card. Registry cards are handed over in large packs from the bridal departments at Macy’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond when you register with them. Most brides just assume that they are to be used. Why waste a perfectly good piece of paper, right? And how else will the guests know what to buy for the wedding?

Don't worry, your guests will find out where you are registered and what you would like to receive for your wedding. Including these cards with your wedding invitation sends the wrong message. Remember, your wedding is focused on the upcoming marriage rather than on the gifts. Your guests do not need a “friendly reminder” to bring you a waffle iron.

If you'd like more information on wedding and invitation etiquette check out this article here from eHow. They cover all of the basics when it comes to registries and weddings. And remember... just throw out those registry cards!

A Sip & See for Baby {Ideas & Inspiration}

A Sip and See is a great way to show off the new baby to friends and family. Having everyone over to see the baby over a couple of hours instead of having multiple groups of guests over a period of a few weeks can be easier on the new parents as well as the new baby.  It is also a great alternative for mamas who don't like a lot of attention that a shower brings to them since the new baby is the center of attention.

Most Sip and See's are a casual "open house" type shower held after the baby is born. Unlike a typical shower with a full meal, light appetizer-type foods and drinks are offered to guests. They can also be held for visiting relatives and house warming parties. They're basically a great excuse to get together, drink and eat and enjoy each others company.

If you're planning on hosting a Sip and See soon contact us to help in creating the perfect invitation for this special occasion.

The Importance of Proofreading {Ideas & Information}

So you've created the perfect custom invitation and are ready to tell us to send it to the press. Before signing off on your custom invitation we highly suggest going over your final proof with a fine tooth comb. Proofreading your invitation could mean the difference between having your friends and family show up at your wedding location and having them show up two counties over.

While proofreading is a seemingly simple task, it can prove to be a challenge not because you don't know the information, etiquette, etc. but because you have had your head immersed in the design and proofs of the invitation (and the wedding!) from the beginning. Plus, your invitation designer might not personally know the names of those involved and the locations of your events meaning that they can't know if an address or name is incorrect. 

Below are a few great tips and tricks to proofreading your invitation before giving the go-ahead to start production:

Read through your invitation slowly

• go to a quiet place away from friends and family
• make sure there are no distractions around - turn off the tv, cell phone, radio
• once you've read the invitation top to bottom, reverse yourself and go from the bottom to top
• put the invitation away and take a break, come back to the invitation a few hours later

Enlist the help of others

• have your fiance read through the invitation
• have your mother or mother-in-law read through the invitation
• have your boss read through the invitation
• have your next door neighbor read through the invitation
• make sure those who are directly and indirectly involved in the wedding help
• do not stand over the person proofing your invitation

Read through your changes

• check to make sure you aren't making the same mistake twice
• see if what you are changing reads correctly, type it out and re-read it to make sure
• if needed, re-type out the invitation sentence by sentence to double check what you've requested

Go through the checklist

• Spelling of ALL names - including yours
• Check all dates - Wedding date & year, RSVP date
• Spelling of ALL locations and venues
• Verify all addresses and check driving directions
• Check spacing between words and sentences 
• Verify monograms, stamps, etc 
• Check shape and size including font shape and size
• Check general colors to make sure that your computer monitor isn't changing anything

Request a final proof in a sample

• To really verify that the look and feel of your invitation is correct ask for a sample mock up of the invitation
• Re-review each of these steps once you receive this proof

The Best DJ Ever! {Real Weddings}

Congratulations to Chris and Kristi! My brother and my new sister-in-law, had a beautiful wedding with a fabulous DJ - he kept the reception moving along and even had some great games to get the guests involved.

Photos by Jessica Verma Photography

Chris and Kristi had great favors...coaster that they inserted their engagement photo into...a cute keepsake!Custom Programs did their fan wedding program with a plumeria motif and the same fonts and colors to match their invitations. My daughters were flower girls...and the little one even caught the bouquet! Better watch out for this one Dad! ;-)

A kid friendly wedding

Congratulations to my cousin Joe Simmons and his new wife Danielle! We spent the weekend in San Deigo for this wedding, and what a treat! Danielle comes from a big family with lots of children, so this was the kid-friendliest wedding we have ever been to! What a great break for the parents to enjoy a reception too!

They had face painting, balloon animals, a magic show, lots of dancing and a huge yard the kids ran around on all night!

And of course I have to show off the finished products we did for them - fan wedding programs, pocketfold invitations (similar to the Tailored Gift Wedding on our gallery), favor stickers and tags...all to match of course! ;-)

Their pocketfold invitation was adorned with ribbon and a monogrammed tag that included their names and wedding date. Inside the invitation they included the RSVP postcard and directions to the reception from the wedding site. 

 

The custom programs they ordered had 5 pages all together and included the names of the bridal party, the layout of the mass and their thank you to guests and special family members. They put a light blue ribbon on the bottom of the fan to give it a simple finishing touch. 

Each table had a flower centerpiece that they attached a custom tag to. This tied in the different details of the wedding. They had the same tag on their invitations and a similar sticker on their favors. Even though this wasn't a lot of detail it was a beautiful way of decorating each table (and quite budget friendly as well!).

 Since the couple loves Disneyland so much they bought Disney cookie boxes (similar in size to animal cracker boxes) and wrapped them in wrapping paper purchased after Christmas. They then used the left over ribbon from their invitations and the stickers we made from them for a simple DIY favor that every guest enjoyed... especially the kids!