Eastwind Creations Blog

True Love Story: Peggy & Ron

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Ron and I met on an October evening at a Pizza Hut in our senior year of high school. My friend Diane had won a bet - involving the purchase of a pizza - with her friend Jim concerning a high school basketball game between our two rival high school teams. Jim had no car, so his friend Ron was giving him a ride to the Pizza Hut in hopes of sharing the pizza with the winner. Diane did not want to go alone and begged me to go with her. I hated blind dates, but this wasn't a date, she said, just a pizza celebration. Well, Ron walked into that Pizza Hut that evening and it was love at first sight for me. (I never believed in love at first sight until I saw him!)

Four years later, I called Ron on the phone and asked him to please marry me. He had the nerve to ask who he was speaking to on the phone! That's one reason I love him so much - he always makes me laugh. Ron has been my very best friend for 37 years. I am lucky with a capital "L" to have him as a most loving husband.

Vacation Time

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 18:09:00 +0000

Summer is finally here! I hope you are all enjoying your summers. I’m sure they’re filled with many fun wedding preparations; designing invitations, cake tasting, dress shopping, etc. As for me I’m taking some much needed family time. I’ll see you all again in August.

Invitation Spotlight: Simple Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:24:00 +0000

This invitation is exactly what the title of this post states, simple vintage. It is a simple invitation in every way; it’s black and white, uses one font, even the wording is traditional and (yep, you guessed it) simple. The image at the bottom of the invitation evokes feelings of Jane Austen and her many love stories, transporting you to a time where true love was sweet and everlasting. Boring? I think not. It’s simple, clean and classic. Personally, I love it. But what about you?

Real Wedding: Rosemary & Lyle

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:49:00 +0000

Since this month has been all about vintage weddings, I thought it would be fun for our Real Wedding post to be images from an actual vintage wedding instead of a vintage themed wedding. So I was super excited when I was interviewing my Grandmother for this month’s True Love Story post and I stumbled across her wedding album. My grandparents were married on November 23^rd, 1955. Here’s their wedding day in pictures.

Invitation Inspiration: Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:52:00 +0000

There are many different ways to give an invitation a vintage feel. Invitations considered vintage can range from completely classical vintage, recreations of old invitations to modern invitations with vintage elements thrown in. Here are just a few of the ways we’ve brought vintage to an invitation.

(Listed after each invitation are the elements of the invitation that give it its vintage feel.)

Muted colors, Grey Lace, & Detailed Peony

Etching Detail in the Flower

The Many Fonts

Birds and Birdcage

Worn Photographs

Simple, Elegant Chandelier

Black & White, Stressed Photographs

Printing with Foil Stamping

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:05:00 +0000

I thought it would be fun to learn about another style of printing. So, today we are learning about foils stamping. Foil stamp printing is pretty much what its name implies. It’s a method of printing where a heated die is stamped onto metallic foil, with paper lying underneath, adhering the foil to the paper in the design of the die. This style of printing is used to create shiny designs and graphics on invitations, as well as other materials. The most common place foil stamping is seen is on book covers.

A brief history of foil stamping:

Not one person invented foil stamping. Instead, foil stamping has evolved from similar processes dating back hundreds of years ago.

· Ancient Egypt: Over 4,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians, would hammer gold until it was only 0.0001 mm think. They would then use this gold leaf to decorate coffins, arms, thrones, and mummies.

· Middle Ages: Monks would use primitive printing machines and beat gold to classify their books. First they would emboss the book’s leather cover with the printing machine and then the beat gold was added to the impressions on the book by hand.

· 19^th Century: In order to simplify the previous method, used by the monks, gold was fixed on to paper and entire rolls of gold paper were created. Finally heat was used to release the gold from the paper rolls and transfer it to the intended surface. However, the imprint on the intended surface was still made prior to transferring the gold.

· 20^th Century: Finally everything came together to make the foil stamping process we know today. And because gold is expensive, metallic foils were produced and take the place of beat gold in the stamping process.

Above and below is a beautiful example of a foil stamped wedding invitation designed by Leslie Vega of Leslie Vega Design. Leslie did a beautiful job showing off the elegance that can come from using foil stamping on wedding invitations.

Photo Credit: All photos were taken by Leslie Vega Designs and used with permission.

Wedding History: The Wedding Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Wedding dress have not always been the white dresses we see today. The trend of brides wearing white dresses on their wedding day came from Queen Victoria. Before 1840, when Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert, it was common for royal brides to wear red heavily brocade dresses embroidered with silver or white tread. Many common women in Queen Victoria’s days wore blue are a sign of purity. So, it was quite a surprise when Queen Victoria wore a white dress on her wedding day. She started a trend that is still popular to this day.

A Quick Review of Wedding Dresses throughout History

· Ancient Times: Marriages were more of economic unions than unions of love. However, brides still chose to show their excitement and joy at the union by wearing brightly colored clothes.

· Medieval Times: Once again marriages were not unions of love; they were unions of politics between two families, or even two countries. And a bride would dress in a way to place her family in the best light, since she was representing them as well as herself. Upper class medieval brides would wear expensive fabrics in rich, vibrant colored dresses. Usually these dresses had gems sewn into them and were covered in fur, silk and velvet. Lower class medieval brides use less rich fabrics, but they copied the upper class styles as best they could.

· Years Past: As time went on brides continued to dress according to their social status, usually wearing their nicest, most fashionable dress. It wasn’t until Victorian times that brides bought a new dress for their wedding. Following Queen Victoria’s debut of her white dress came the switch to white as the color for wedding dresses.

· The Depression: During the depression brides went back to before Victorian times and did not buy new dresses for their weddings, but saved money and wore their best Sunday dress. And it wasn’t until after WWII that brides began buying new fashion forward, white wedding dresses again.

Even though styles, colors and trends have changed throughout the years, brides have always dress in their very best for their wedding. And this is something that will never change.

How to Give Your Wedding a Vintage Feel

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:49:00 +0000

So, you’re planning a vintage wedding. I’m sure you are wondering where to start. Planning a vintage wedding can be quite a task. You want to celebrate the beauty of a time gone by, but you don’t want to overdo it. Well, here are a few little tips to help you achieve you dream vintage wedding.

Where to begin…how about your invitations? Invitations are a great way to introduce the mood of your wedding. Letterpress is a great way to give an invitation a wedding feel. Also using vintage graphics is a great way throw your invitations back to a simpler time. Need ideas, check out this vintage invitation inspiration and this letterpress invitation inspiration.

Another easy way to bring a lot of vintage is with your dress. You don’t have to get a true vintage dress; you can get a new dress in a vintage cut. Remember to keep your accessories vintage in feel as well, broaches, birdcage veil, pillbox hat, etc. Continue the vintage style with your bridesmaids as well.

Bring vintage into your décor with little things, a broach on your escort cards, mismatched china table settings, antique trunks around the room. And remember lace, lace can bring a vintage touch to almost anything. Copy the lace on your dress in unexpected places, like your invitations and cake.

Music is a terrific way to give an event a specific feel. Whether you use a band or DJ make sure have them play pieces from the era you're replicating.

Keep it simple. When it comes to a vintage wedding, less is more. The key to pulling off a vintage wedding is to commit and stay consistent.

True Love Story: Rosemary & Lyle

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:02:00 +0000

It was a cold night on August 9^th 1955 in Sharon, Pennsylvania when Lyle took me to see a drive-in movie. Just the night before Lyle had asked to talk to my Dad out on the back porch. I ran to the upstairs bathroom hoping to get a view of the two of them and to try and catch a few words. I couldn’t hear anything, but I knew Lyle was asking my father for permission to marry me. I knew a proposal was coming, I just wasn’t sure when.

Lyle said he took me to the drive-in movies so he could have me all to himself. He wanted to go somewhere quite where he could propose without a crowd. Lyle was sitting in the driver’s seat and I was sitting in the passenger seat. During the news reel and shorts Lyle turned towards me with a ring box in his hand. He opened the box and asked, “Will you marry me?” It was plain, simple and perfect. I was surprised and said, “Really?” He responded by saying, “Yes.” I then collected my thoughts and said, “Yes”. Then he leaned over and kissed me. I remember crying I was so happy.

I couldn’t see the ring in the twilight, so I tried using the dashboard light. I didn’t get a good look at my ring until we left the movie early to go to our favorite hangout, Walter’s. (It was a lot like today’s Ruby’s Diner.) We ordered our usual small fries and two small drinks for 27 cents (with tax). I could finally wear my ring and see it. I was a wonderful evening and the best decision I ever made.

I have been married to the love of my life for 55 years, 56 this November. I have three amazing children, four wonderful grandchildren and four more great-grandchildren, all because of the love Lyle and I share.

Designer Spotlight: Lizzy Doermann

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sun, 29 May 2011 00:02:00 +0000

What is your name?
Elizabeth Doermann, but I’ve always gone by Lizzy.
Tell us a little bit about your life outside of designing.
I got married almost seven years ago to a tall, blonde and handsome man, Greg, who is a software/web programmer. We have two darling little girls, Pearl (4) and Ramona (2). I feel so lucky to be at home with them--they are so entertaining and sweet. Spending so much time at home makes me sort of picky about how things look here. It’s been fun to decorate and redecorate and paint and repaint the house. I also LOVE cooking and could spend hours in the kitchen, if only my girls would allow it! I love creating new recipes and, of course, eating the results. I guess you could say I’m a dabbler; I pretty much love all design and all mediums: food, digital, pastels, collage, sewing, interior decorating, landscaping. I also like to pretend I’m organized. I try so hard and seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time trying to achieve the lofty goal of “a place for everything and everything in it’s place.” I love reading and writing. I have several lovely neighbors with whom I get together once a week for a writing group. I love being outside walking, hiking, camping, picnicking and geocaching with the family.
What got you interested in designing, in the first place? What got you into designing wedding invitations? And how did you become a designer for Eastwind Creations?
I’ve always been into anything and everything that allowed me to be creative. When I was little I could spend hours creating clay houses complete with swimming pool and tree house. I loved designing my dream bedroom and I painted a jungle mural all over my walls in high school. You know those kids who always had an over the top diorama or poster for their presentation that was obvious they’d spent weeks working on? That was me. I always thought I’d major in fine art or design, but chose English when I got to college. I loved every class, but I really didn’t have much time for visual creativity. It had been awhile since I had done much design when a good friend of mine started designing for Eastwind Creations. I told her I was jealous and I wished I could have a creative outlet. She said, “Don’t be jealous--they’re hiring!”
How would you describe your design style?
I love designs that are clean and feminine, but not predictable. I love unique color combinations, and I lean a little vintage.
If you could redesign your personal wedding invitation, what would it look like?
I know exactly what it would look like because I just got to design it for my new sister-in-law! I saw a design a few years ago, fell in love with it and saved it in my Inspiration folder. When we started working on her design she showed me a few she liked, and I did a rough draft. It was BORING. She was too nice to put it quite like that and kept insisting she “liked” it. Finally I said, “I want you to love your invite. If this is the one you want, great, but let’s look at a few more designs just to be sure.” I then put together a few samples of ones I thought she’d love based on her personal style and the rest of the wedding plans. She gasped when she saw the one I had coveted for years, and said, “I LOVE THIS! Can we do it?” Her colors were gold/champagne, ivory and pinks, and it had a vintage/European/feminine feel to it. The invite came in a gold pocketfold and had a custom seal with the bride and grooms initials on it. The invite was printed on a shimmery ivory paper. All the wording was in a shapely frame and the frame was surrounded by sketchy roses and little buds in two shades of pink. It turned out romantic and gorgeous and I loved working on it.
What is one thing you would do differently if you were planning your wedding, knowing what you know now? Or in other words… what piece of advice would you give to our brides?
I go back and forth on this one. when I look at my pictures I think, I should’ve done a smaller “nicer” wedding. I didn’t have a huge budget, but I wanted everyone in the world to come to my party, so I had to keep things simple. However, it was such a fun day and I’m glad I got to invite everyone. My pictures might not show off a “designer” wedding, but they are full of people I love. Additionarly, I would advise to not get caught up in expecting perfection. Things rarely ever go according to plan. What really matters is that you’re marrying the man you love and you get to start an amazing life together.
What is your favorite invitation that you’ve designed? And tell us why?
My favorite was probably the most challenging. It was one of my first and required a lot of custom art. Fortunately, I was working with an amazing bride who was so creative, knew what she wanted, and was honest about what she liked and didn’t through the entire process. She made a major challenge fun because of her enthusiasm at every step.

Invitation Spotlight: Classic Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Wed, 25 May 2011 03:34:00 +0000

This month’s invitation spotlight was designed by, our very own, Lizzy Doermann. Lizzy is a talented designer with a great eye. She did an amazing job with this classic vintage invitation. True vintage invitations have quite extravagant flourishes that catch the eye and keep it moving from one element of the design to the next. Lizzy does just that with this beautiful invitation. The invitation is covered with very different style flourishes that work well together because while they are diverse they both mimic each other with curled ends. However, she keeps the design from getting too busy by using different shades of one color and only one light complementary color. In this design less is definitely not more, more is more. The petite size of the invitation gives the invitation a sense of delicacy and adds to the vintage feel. Plus, I love the uniqueness of the little ticket book. If you like this design and are interested in having Lizzy design an invitation for you click here. If you want to learn a little more about Lizzy come back on Friday for her designer spotlight.

Wedding History: The Bridal Bouquet

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Bridal bouquets and wedding flowers, like many other wedding traditions, has an interesting history with a purpose behind it other than just looking pretty. The first recorded use of wedding flowers dates back to ancient Greece, where plants and flowers were used to make a bridal crown. Besides the bridal crown, bridesmaids would make floral decorations, much like we do today, including garlands, a bouquet and boutonniere. Even the guests would be given poesies to wear as a symbol of thanks.

Originally the bridal bouquet was made up of flowers, herbs and bulbs of garlic. And it wasn’t a bouquet at all; it was a garland or wreath worn around the head of the bride (and groom). The garlic was believed to have magical power and it would ward off evil spirits that might plague the bride and groom’s future. And like flowers today, the herbs had their own meanings.

Dill – lust (only for spouse)

Heather – good luck

Ivy – fidelity

Rosemary – remembrance

Sage – wisdom

Thistle – austerity

In modern days, flowers are used more for decoration than superstition. While I’m not a superstitious person, this is one tradition I think we should bring back. Let’s put a little more meaning into wedding bouquets.

Photo Credit: Anson Gessel

The Language of Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Did you know that flowers have their very own language? Different flowers have different meanings. And even some flowers have multiple meanings depending on which color they are. During the Victorian era it was poplar to use the language of flowers to send coded messages expressing feelings that could not be spoken out loud. Today flower meanings can be used in a bridal bouquet to express a bride’s hopes and desires for her future marriage.

After a little research I've found a few flowers that have sweet meanings that any bride would wish for her marriage. If you are looking for more flower meanings check out these two websites: Phillip's 1-800-Florals and The Language of Flowers.

Acacia – Friendship

Bluebell – Constancy

Blue Violet – Faithfulness & Love

Celandine – Joys to Come

Daisy – Innocence, Loyal Love, & Cheer

Dandelion – Faithfulness & Happiness

Delphinium – Pure love that is not forgotten

Dogwood – Durability

Elderflower – Compassion

Forget-Me-Not – True Love

Honeysuckle – Devoted Affection, Bonds of Love

Hyacinth – Constancy of Love

Ivy – Dependence, Endurance, Fidelity, Wedded Love & Friendship

Lily-of-the-Valley – Return of Happiness

Magenta Zinnia – Lasting Affection

Oak Leaf – Strength

Orange Blossom – Eternal Love, Marriage & Fruitfulness

Red Rose – True Love

Wheat – Wealth and Prosperity

White Heather – Good luck

Photo Credit: Anson Gessel Photography

Invitation Inspiration: Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Wed, 11 May 2011 01:17:00 +0000

Flowers are a popular theme for wedding invitations so you might feel like you don’t need much inspiration, but hold that thought and take a look at these beautiful flower themed invitations.

Pantone Spring Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sat, 07 May 2011 19:47:00 +0000

You know that saying, “April showers bring May flowers”? Well, it’s been stuck in my head because of all the rain we’ve be getting lately. So, guess what we are talking about this month. Yep, you guessed it…flowers. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the Pantone Spring Color palate and figure out what flowers come in those lovely colors. Then if you’re using the Pantone colors in your wedding you’ll already know what flowers come in your wedding colors.

Honeysuckle is Pantone’s top color for 2011. And lucky for us many flowers come in this stunning color: roses, spray roses, tulips, peonies, calla lilies, dahlias, ranunculi, zinnias, gladioli, hydrangeas, snapdragons and many more.

Blue is my favorite color, but not many flowers come in a bright blue, like Pantone’s Regatta. In fact, I can only think of three types of flowers that come in this color blue: anemones, hydrangeas and delphinium.

Many elegant flowers come in Pantone’s Coral Rose orange hue: roses, spray roses, tulips, mokara orchids, ranunculus, cymbidium orchids, mango calla lilies, gladiolus, dahlias and zinnias. I can just picture these elegant flowers adding a modern twist to any wedding with their strong orange color.

No one wants brown flowers at their wedding, but Pantone’s russet color can be added to any centerpiece by using branches. This russet brown is almost the exact shade of brown as manzanita branches. It is also the same color as dried lotus pods.

I love Pantone’s, shade of yellow, Beeswax. It’s such a rich, warm yellow hue and many flowers come in this golden tone: roses, spray roses, tulips, poppies, daffodils, dahlias, freesia, gerbera daisies, sunflowers, calla lilies, mokara orchids and zinnias.

Lavender is another really popular color for 2011. And lucky for you there are quite a few flowers that come in this color: the lavender flower/herb for which the color is named, as well as, roses, tulips, anemones, chrysanthemum, freesia, gladioli, statice, hyacinth, sweet peas, scabiosa, larkspur, and lisianthus.

As I mentioned earlier there are not many flowers that are naturally blue and aqua flowers don’t exist. If Pantone’s Blue Curacao is one of your wedding colors then you can incorporate it into your bouquet in others ways, such as beads or ribbon. And you can use aqua blue jars or bottles in your centerpieces as well as beach glass or marbles in your vases.

I bet you are wondering what I’m going to say about Pantone’s Silver Cloud. Seriously if there are no aqua flowers, are there grey flowers? No, but there are naturally grey plants: dusty miller, silver sage, and silver brunia and ‘enhanced’ plants: silver thistle and silver-sprayed branches.

Silver Peony is another great Pantone color for flowers because there are just so many choices. Some flowers that come in this soft pink color are roses, sweet peas, tulips, peonies, snapdragons, dahlias, calla lilies, orchids, spray roses, gerbera daisies, larkspur, anemones, hydrangeas, amaryllis, camellia and ranunculus.

I know what you’re thinking the final Pantone color Peapod can easy be covered in your bouquet or centerpieces by the leaves and stems of your flowers. While that’s true there are also some fun green flowers and plants out there that you can use as well: gladioli, hydrangeas, chrysanthemum spray, succulents and kale.

Well, there you have it. There are so many flowers in each of these lovely colors so don’t let anything hold you back. Go out there and explore. Flowers really do come in almost every color of the rainbow.

Photo Credit:

Dark Pink Dahlia by Audery, Blue Delphinium by Bark, Orange Ranunculus by Nazhiyath Vijayan, Brown Branch by Guy Nesher, Yellow Gerbera Daisy by James Jordan, Lavender by Smart Mama, Aqua Vase by Jeremy Schultz, Dusty Miller by Carl E. Lewis, Light Pink Calla Lily by Lakeside Callas, Green Succulent by Dennis Hill.

True Love Story: Brie & Adam

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:02:00 +0000

Adam proposed to me on January 19^th, 2006. I knew he was going to propose that night because he asked me on a formal date, something we never did. He arrived at my place with a stargazer lily in his hands, my favorite. We left the apartment and walked a couple of blocks to his car. When we arrived at the car Adam gave me a single red rose. He then told me the reason he parked so far away was he wanted to walk along the same sidewalk where he told me he was staying in town to be with me. Once we got into the car I was blindfold and we headed off to our next destination. We arrived at the clubhouse where Adam’s band played a show the night I told him I liked him. He then handed me a second red rose. Back into the car we went and on to the next destination. We arrived at a restaurant for dinner. Adam picked that specific restaurant because he said when we had dinner there on an earlier date I looked at him, for the first time, like I was truly in love with him. When we arrived back at the car Adam handed me another red rose. We then headed up Provo canyon. It was a beautiful, clear, winter night with a fresh coat of snow covering the ground. By now I had figured out the theme of the night and I was racking my brain for where we could be going next. When I had finally given up guessing where we were going we arrived at Nunn’s Park, a place I’d never been, with or without Adam. And handed me a small bouquet of red roses. We left the car and began walking through the freshly fallen snow. Adam took me to a wooded area near a stream. He asked me if I remembered what happened there. I said no, that we had never been to that park. He said that I didn't remember what happened there because it hadn't happened yet. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said, “Yes”. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Real Wedding: Lisa and Scott

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:16:00 +0000

On June 26th, 2010, my life changed forever for the better. I had dreamed about this pivotal day since I was five years old. Little did I know that my groom of choice at five years old would ask me to marry him 17 years later!

Scott, my childhood sweetheart, proposed to me with my dream engagement ring in February of 2010. We had been friends our entire lives, and on that day in February, we decided that we wanted to be best friends for eternity. The planning began immediately! I had four months to pull together all the details of my dream wedding. I am a simple person with an elegant flare. It took eight bridal stores and about 100 dresses to find my perfect, simple wedding dress.

The stress that accompanies planning a wedding came as I picked out our marriage venue, our reception venue, guest list, flowers, decorations, bridesmaid dresses, the perfect photographer, and the list could go on! Questions continually ran through my mind.

Our reception venue: was there enough room to fit our big families? Was there room to have our first dance? Was there room for my reception line? Flowers: I need simply elegant. Do we have bouquets for the bridesmaids? Do the boutonnieres look manly enough for my fiance and the groomsman? Will they match the style of my wedding? Photographer: Were they affordable? Would they be willing to drive to my different locations? Would the shots somehow make my seemingly non photogenic self look good?

With all those concerns, who wouldn't be stressed?

My invitations were one of the most important things to me. I was picky about what I wanted, so I found it hard to find a design company that met all my needs. It was so hard, in fact, that it took me months to find the "perfect company."

I quickly learned that being picky wasn't a bad thing--especially because it brought me to Eastwind Creations! My wedding day stresses faded as I spoke with designers who gave me exactly what I wanted. They were easy to work with, and I received my simply elegant red, white, and black invitations exactly when I wanted them. They helped to create, with ease, my perfect wedding day.

June 26th came and went. It was perfect! My stresses quickly faded away, and I was able to delve into the happiness that was waiting for me. It's been a little over 9 months since our wedding day, and my husband and I still talk about how perfect that day was! With the help of someone who really cared, I discovered the dream beginning to our happily ever after.

Invitation Spotlight: Pop of Color

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:29:00 +0000

I chose to spotlight this invitation for two reasons; first, simply because I really like this invitation. And second because this is the invitation from the wedding in our upcoming Real Wedding Post.

This invitation is a great example of being bold and unique without losing the elegance of a wedding invitation. The use of all the different fonts and the pop of color from the ribbon is what keeps this invitation from being a cookie-cutter invitation. The ribbon has a double duty in this design. It brings the earlier mention pop of color and it coordinates with the intricate damask design in adding an elegance to this fun invitation. This is a bold invitation, that might not be for everyone, but if you want something a little different that will stand out, this is definitely an option.

Invitation Inspiration: Circle Themed Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:54:00 +0000

I bet you were wondering how I was going to tie in this month’s invitation inspiration with the engagement ring theme I have going on. Don’t worry there will be no cliché intertwining rings at the top of these beautiful invitations. Think circles. Just like a ring, circles have no beginning and no end. Confused? Check out this wedding ring history post.

I searched the web to find you beautiful circle invitations and here they are. These first two fun circle invitations come from Gourmet Invitations.

How fun is this first invitation? I love how the circle theme is incorporated into every aspect of the invitation.

Can’t get enough of the circle theme? Well, check out these invitations. Circles made out of, you guessed it, circles.

And I love these coasters. Couldn’t you just image them as invitations?

These next four elegant invitations are from Shine Wedding Invitations. The first wedding invitation by Shine Wedding Invitations has a fun, modern feel to it. The bright colors continue the modern style.

These next two invitations are simple, yet quite elegant.

The final invitation is covered in circles, but it definitely not cluttered. It’s clean and modern without being impersonal and cold. Love it.

Circles can be used in all sorts of wedding invitations designs, whether you want fun and carefree, modern, or elegant invitations. And I love the symbolism of everlasting love in those circles.

Photo Credit: First four images are from Gourmet Invitations.
The last four images are from Shine Wedding Invitations.

Define Your Ring Budget in 3 Simple Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Step One: Finding a Starting Price

Today’s standard is for a man to spend about a two months’ salary on a diamond engagement ring. While this is a great starting point it is most definitely not a law you have to live by. The two months’ salary standard is just a price to help you start looking. Looking at engagement rings in that price point will give you a better idea of what you can get for you money. Then what really matters is finding a ring your fiancé will love and you can afford.

Step Two: Learning How to Choose a Diamond

What you really need to know when choosing a diamond is the four C’s. The four C’s of a diamond are Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Knowing what each of these elements are will help you to decide which element is most important to you and how much you are willing to spend to get it. To learn more about the four C’s, check out this post.

Step Three: Choosing a Ring She’ll Love

Only your fiancé can tell you what she really wants, but if you want to surprise her here are a few tips. Look at your fiancés style, life and hands. Does she where classic jewelry like a simple yet elegant string of pearls or does she like to take risks? If she likes the classics then go with something simple like a diamond solitaire. But if her style is spunkier, then it might be a little more difficult. When in doubt talk to her friends. Is she more adventurous? Does she like to do outdoor activities? If so, look into a studier diamond shape that doesn’t chip easily and a strong setting. Finally, look at her hands. A small ring or band will make a large hand look bigger, while a broad banded ring will balance the proportions of a larger hand and vice versa.

So there it is our three simple steps. First, find a starting price, then decide what the most important C is – to you, is and finally find a style your fiancé will love. Once you have determined these three things you will have a good idea of what you will need to spend to get her perfect ring.

Photo Credit: All images are from Sirtrentalot (flicker account)

Wedding History: The Ring

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:03:00 +0000

The wedding ring has a long and detailed history, but I’ll just give you a quick review with some fun facts thrown in.

Photo Credit: Sirtrentalot (flicker account)

Wedding rings were first used by ancient Egyptians, who made them by braiding rushes and reeds. The ring is a circle, a symbol of eternity for the Egyptians because it has no beginning and no end. When we marry we hope that our love will be eternal and thus symbolize that love with a ring. The Egyptians wore their rings, like us, on the third finger of the left hand because they believed that the vein in that finger led directly to the heart.

The Egyptians’ rings would wear and tear and only last about a year before they fell apart. In early Rome, iron was the material of choice for a wedding ring. Iron symbolized the strength of the love the man felt for his bride to be. After coinage gold became the metal of choice and in medieval Europe gemstones were added.

Folklore:

In Irish folklore it is bad luck for a wedding ring to be made out of any material besides gold. Other superstitions deal with the size of the ring. If the ring is too loose then them marriage would break up due to careless acts or forgetfulness. If the ring is too tight it would point jealousy or the stifling of one person by the other and the marriage would collapse.

Cool Facts:

In some parts of continental Europe people wear wedding rings on the right hand. And during the Elizabethan period, fashionable ladies wore wedding rings on their thumbs. The practice of a man wearing a wedding band began mostly during the Second World War - thought to be a consequence of men being separated from their spouse.

A Simple Guide to the 4 C's

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:30:00 +0000

What are the four C’s and why do I need to know this?

The four C’s are key characteristics of diamonds; Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat weight. Knowing these four characteristics and how they affect a diamonds price will help you or your fiancé make better decisions when picking out your diamond.

Photo by: Flicker Account Sirtrentalot

What is Cut? – It’s what makes a diamond sparkle.

When talking about the cut of the diamond we are not talking about the shape of the diamond. Rather we are discussing the proportions of the diamond which is what makes the diamond sparkle. A well cut diamond will allow the maximum amount of light that enters through the top to be reflected and shine back through the top. Poorly cut diamonds will not sparkle as much because they will allow light to escape through the bottom of the diamond.

What is Color? – It’s what it sounds like, the color of the diamond.

Diamonds come in all the colors of the rainbow. When talking color people are mostly concerned with white diamonds, which are rated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). Why do you want less color in a diamond? Well, a colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily and the light reflected back out of the diamond will be the colors of the rainbow.

What is Clarity? – It’s the amount and location of flaws in the diamond.

Most diamonds have tiny flaws known as inclusions. These inclusions or flaws can interfere with the light passing through the diamond. The fewer the flaws in a diamond the more beautiful the diamond will be. Clarity is rated by the GIA from flawless (FI) to Imperfect 3 (I3).

Carat – The most well known of the 4 C’s.

The weight of a diamond is measured in carats; the larger the carat, the larger the diamond. Very important: two diamonds can be the same carat weight, but their prices can greatly differ due to each diamonds cut, color, and clarity.

Now it’s up to you and your fiancé to decide what characteristic is most important to you and work within your budget to find your perfect diamond.

Photo Credit: All diagram pictures found on www.4diamonds.com

True Love Story: Molly & Frank

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:35:00 +0000

In early Spring 2000, after dating for two years, Frank came over to make me breakfast. As I sat down to eat the heart shaped pancakes he had tried to make, I noticed I didn’t recognize the plate I was eating off. It was pink and heart shaped. When I had cleared my plate from the food, through syrup I read...

will you marry me?
2gether forever

...in white paint and some boyishly drawn hearts. He came to my side and got down on his knee and presented me with a beautiful ring and then asked for my hand. I am so happy I said yes seeing as he is everything and more than what I could hope for my husband to be.

- Molly

Speechless.

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 19:18:00 +0000

Look what came in the mail. Can you guess what’s inside?

It’s a wedding invitation of course. And it left me speechless.

Can you believe that all of that fit inside that tiny box?

I wanted to share this invitation with you because it’s one of a kind. I love that the invitation arrived in a box. How many wedding invitations come in a box? And it doesn’t stop there, the actual invitation is a scroll, embellished with ribbon and a jewel. It was smart of the couple to keep the design of the invitation simple since the packaging is so unique and detailed. Finally all of the wedding and reception directions are kept all together in a little booklet. This invitation is a perfect example of a unique invitation that is still simple and elegant. You don’t have to do something crazy or tacky to have a one of a kind invitation.

The Bride and Groom

noreply@blogger.com (Eastwind Creations) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:32:00 +0000

I have some exciting news! We were highlighted on The Bride and Groom.com's blog! So go check it out at The Bride and Groom Blog. I don't want to give it all away, but we give out some helpful tips on how to create your dream invitations without breaking the bank. So, go check out the post and let them know we sent you.