Voted One of the Best - 3 Years in a Row!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! For the past THREE years, Salutations has been named one of the best wedding invitation companies in the Metro Detroit Area. We are SO grateful for everyone who took the time to vote for us in this year's WDIV's "4 The Best" Contest.

We have been working very diligently this fall to launch our new product line-up and hope to share our new website with you by the New Year. All of the amazingly kind words that you shared about us have encouraged us along the way, and remind us daily why we are in this business!

Iwonka's Pocketfolds

There are so many elements about Iwonka's invitations that I love! Anybody that really knows me knows that I am partial to the deep red and brown colors :) I also love the graphic that was used in her ensemble, and I love how the curls in the font pick up the swirls in the graphic. I was also very excited about the seals on the outside of the pocketfold. Each of her invitations have been personalized with her guests' name and incorporates the graphic. Althought, proofreading 200+ polish names was not the easiest task for me!



I also love the format for her envelopes! Normally, I would suggest to my clients to use a colored envelope if it is available in your color scheme. But with the vibrant colors this graphic adds to the metallic ecru envelopes, I was really happy with the end result! For those newbies out there looking for ideas and gathering price info, we do not charge extra to print a graphic on your envelopes. Just one more reason to consider Salutations for the design and printing of your invitations, and it really ties the whole ensemble together!



Iwonka's custom maps were one of the most complex maps I've had to design yet. Her church and reception were not very close together (Farmington Hills and Troy), and most of her guests had to travel to attend her wedding. Rather than making the map double-sided, Iwonka elected to have an overview of the major Detroir area highways, with blow-up details for the church and reception location. Also included on her map are her accommodations, and information letting her guests know that there was a complimentary shuttle between the hotel and the reception.

At the last minute, Iwonka decided to add a Seating Chart to her order.

Her extras tied back to the original invitation to carry her theme throughout the reception, including table numbers, 2-page booklet programs, and two styles of favor tags. One is a folded card that she could hand write a person note for each of her guests and attached to the out-of-town baskets at the hotel. The other is just a flat tag that was attached to favors!

Envelopes - Reduced Price for Quick Sale!

I just checked in my latest shipment, and realized that I ordered the wrong stock! If you are looking for 3.5x5 Envelopes in Azalea (E1), I have 240 of them that I am willing to let go for 27 cents a piece! Shoot me an email and the first person to respond is the lucky winner! I'll even pick up the shipping!

Nikki + Scott's Z Cards

Unfortunately, being as busy as I was last year, I was not able to dedicate as much time to my blog as I would've liked. However, I have several designs from last year that I just love, and even though the weddings have came and gone, I still intend to post a few of my favorites!





When Nikki and Scott first came to me, they really loved the look of the pocketfold invitations but only had the budget for a panel card. While I tried to assure Nikki that panel invitations could be just as stunning as pocketfolds, I could tell she really wished the pocketfolds were in her budget. Then, last spring, I purchased a new die and convinced Nikki and Scott to be my guinea pigs! The result is this beautiful Z Card invitation ensemble, which acts like a pocketfold in the sense that the inserts are all banded together, but is not as expensive as a pocketfold.

The z-card itself is made from shimmery black cardstock, and has a champagne backer between the die cut and the printed invitation layer. I love the look this combination of fonts produced, and it compliments the design. Nikki's set included a response card and envelope, a reception card, and a double-sided custom map. For out of town guests, their invitations also included a rehearsal dinner and brunch insert. All of her inserts were printed on metallic cardstock.



I particularly liked how the same graphic was carried through all the pieces, but has been manipulated on each piece so that it gave each insert a unique look.



Map cards can be tricky at times. I always let my clients know that I'll try to fit everything on a single-sided card to help keep the costs down, but sometimes it doesn't always work out that way. Nikki's map is a good example of this. The three biggest factors that impact the design of each map are the the number of locations, the distance between each location, and the size of the map card. Because we needed Nikki's map to fit inside the wrap that holds all the inserts together, and this is driven by the size of the response card/envelope, her map card needed to be double-sided. This allowed us to show the detail between her hotel, reception, and ceremony locations and provide the guests with a route from any single location to either of the other two locations.

I have to admit, I am very fortunately to have such nice people as clients time and again. Nikki and Scott are no exception. I really enjoyed working with this couple, they were so open to my ideas and trusting of my abilities. Best wishes to the two of you, thank you for letting me be a part of your special day by giving me the opportunity to design your invitations!

Donna's Save The Date

Donna was looking for something modern but not too bold for her Save The Dates. Since her colors are melon and bright green, I used this Z Card in a light ivory and accented it with the melon and just a touch of the green. Her envelopes reverse this color scheme - the outer envelopes play up the bright melon color, and are lined with the light ivory. I love getting colored envelopes in the mail, and if envelopes are available in one of your paper choices, I always recommend using them. It doesn't cost anymore than a white or cream envelope, and it's always exciting to open the mailbox and discover that you have something besides bills and junkmail to open!

Henry and Angela are one of my New York City couples, and they were so fun to work with! This is one of the rare instances where most of my communication was through the groom, but after working with them I feel as though they have become friends! Henry and Angela were married at a vineyard in California, and had a very modern pocketfold in bronze, fushia, and tea green. The pocketfold inserts included a RSVP postcard, a Brunch insert, and a custom map. The map is one of my favorites this year, I love how the finished map printed! I also had the pleasure of designing program fans, something I haven't had a chance to do in a long time. I know you can't see the detail, but the thank you's that each of them wrote on the back of the program are very touching. Without ever meeting Henry or Angela or their families, I feel like I know so much about them and it's obvious they grew up in very loving homes! In lieu of table numbers, they opted for table names. Each of the table names is a significant place for the two of them, and there is a blurb on each table tent that explains why - I wish you could read all the table tents that I made! Each guest had their individual escort card, which was placed in a beautiful topiary in colors that matched their reception decor perfectly! Henry offered me a CD with their professional photos, which I will try to post once I receive it. I am definitely in withdrawl now that their wedding is over and I don't have all of Henry's emails to look forward to each day, but I will be sure to look them up when I head to NYC this spring again for the National Stationery Show! Best wishes to you two!!!

Do It Yourself!

Are you looking for ways to save money on programs, placecards, etc.? Depending on how crafty you are, you can always buy blank cardstock that matches your invitation ensemble and do it yourself! All of our products are available as blank cardstock. 8.5x11" sheets of metallic cardstock start as low as 30 cents a sheet. Just ask, maybe we can give you some ideas!

Hat's off to the Grads!

Ryan was a 2007 bride of mine, and she is graduating this spring along with her two brothers. Although I am booked through September 2008, I couldn't say "no" to Ryan when she contacted me for some fun Graduation Announcements seeing that she was such a great client! I love the color combination in these panel cards, and the use of the patterned paper for the backer with the belly band embellishment. Congratulations Ryan!!!

Kim's Pocketfold

When Kim came to her initial consult, she brought with her an invitation that she fell in love with. Ironically enough, the invitation belonged to a former bride of mine! The outside of the pocketfold has a seal with each guests' name printed on it, and a ribbon to hold the pocket close. Sorry for the blurry photo of the map card, I am still learning how to use my digital camera and haven't figured all the quirks out yet! If anybody wants to trade photography lessons for invitation design, we just might have a deal! :)

Jenna's Pocketfolds

Jenna is one of my ever growing number of out of state brides, and was great to work with! Jenna contacted me at the last minute when she couldn't find a pocketfold invitation that was in her budget. We were able to design, print, and ship these in less than two weeks - a record for me! The two-tone custom graphic matches the metallic pocketfold and the backer card perfectly, and was carried over to the response postcard. The custom map is a new style for me, and I love the way it turned out! The monogram seal on the outside is a simple "O" with a crystal that matches perfectly in the tail of the letter. Jenna has received so many compliments on them that she has asked me to design her menu cards and programs to match!

Overstock Sale!

I'm trying to get a head start on my Spring Cleaning, and found a few items that I need to move out! I have a few overstock items that I am selling at a significantly discounted price. If you are interested in any of them, please email me!

• 5x7 Signature Portrait Pocketfold - Antique Gold. Approximately 175, $1 each
  
• 5x7 Signature Landscape Pocketfold - Antique Gold. Approximately 100, $1 each
  
• 5x7 Signature Portrait Pocketfold - Zircon. Approximately 140, $1 each
  
• Willow Springs Program Paper - great if you want DIY programs! Each package makes 50 2-page programs, and includes setup instructions. I have sample finished programs that I can give you. Available in White Linen (3), Pale Pink (1), Celadon (3), Periwinkle (4), and Silver Sparkle (2). $6 per package.