Wedding month - Invitation etiquette by Ruby & Swallow

Meet Durban based graphic designers Kim & Filipa. They design the most stunning event stationery and write a design and lifestyle blog, which we simply love to follow - Ruby & Swallow.  They love all things wedding and share wedding tips, trends and even venues with their readers.  Their stationery is beautifully hand crafted, designs are unique and have a modern edge.

As part of our Wedding Month and the launch of our Gift Registry service we asked the girls from Ruby & Swallow to write a piece for us about invitation etiquette.  It is so hard to choose appropriate wording with regards to wedding gifts and gift registry's. I knew these girls would have the answers!

Grab a cuppa and have a read...

Putting together your wedding invitations can be the most wonderful - and trying - time of your planning. Not only might you have to deal with choosing a colour palette, style, stationery budget and fonts, but you'll also have to decide on your invitation wording. This may seem easy enough, but after families, parents and fiance's get involved, our experience has taught us that this can be the hardest part of putting together an invitation!

In particular, the gift registry part can be the most difficult to word and many find it quite uncomfortable because couples nowadays aren't always choosing traditional registries. Traditionally, couples lived at home before getting married and this meant they needed everything to set up their new home as a married couple. Today, many couples have either lived together or have moved out of home long before getting hitched, and therefore have everything they need for their homes.

This means that engaged couples are not always going for standard wedding registries, and there are so many more options to choose from nowadays. There are online shops such as Yuppiechef, Gift Tree and Esque, as well as many local stores such as The Ruby Orchard providing wonderful items and ideas for wedding registries. Many couples also prefer to ask for money, as a contribution to their new life together or their honeymoon. 

With all of the above in mind, this makes wording for your gift list rather hard and many brides and grooms are so aware of not wanting to offend their guests. Something that we tell all of our clients is that their guests will always want to buy them a gift, regardless of what it is, and it's always more helpful when they know what kind of gift you would like to receive, be it from a gift list or if you'd prefer money.

 There are so many different views and opinions on gift list wording, but we have listed a few examples below that include to-the-point wording as well as simple and sweet poems. 

 1. "Your presence at our wedding is gift enough, but if you do wish to buy us something, a contribution towards our dream honeymoon/home would be appreciated." 

 2. "If you're thinking of giving us a gift, to help us on our way, a gift of cash towards our honeymoon, would really make our day." 

 3. "The most important gift to us is to have you share our day, but should you wish to contribute in some other way, then a contribution to our honeymoon would be very gratefully received." 

 4. "Your presence, not presents is all that we require, but if you would like to gift us something to start our married life together, you will find our registry at Woolworths and Boardmans." 

 5. "Please donʼt feel obliged to buy us a gift, we just want you to come have a good time with us! However, if you prefer to purchase a gift, feel free to surprise us!" 

Don't let the process of choosing wording for your invitation and gift list become too overwhelming! Go with your first instincts and decide on what it is you and your fiancé really want. Of course, professionals such as stationery designers or shop registry organisers can help you out along the way!

Such great suggestions for brides to be, Thank you so much Kim & Filipa.

Now hop on over to their blog for some pretty inspiration, a gallery full of their work and great links to wedding venues and photographers - Ruby & Swallow.

It's Wedding month - Table Decor ideas

Choosing the perfect table decor can be a task in itself, with so many beautiful things available.   You want to keep it simple but gorgeous, stylish and elegant without being too cluttered and of course to leave enough space at the tables for your guests to sit and eat and drink comfortably.   Sometimes, the simplest things can be the most effective and memorable - which is exactly what you want your big day to be!

There are tons of ideas out there, and thanks to all sorts of  wonderful sites and Pinterest you can find wonderful inspirational boards and ideas.  Here are two of my favourite table decor ideas: rustic crates and lanterns.

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Here are a few items available at The Ruby Orchard, that we think will add that little something to your wedding table...

Wedding Month - Meet Mel from Midlands Photobooth & Functions

As part of our wedding month... we have the greatest pleasure in introducing you to Mel.  Mel is a regular shopper at The Ruby Orchard and has a great eye for decor and interiors.  She co-ordinates events and functions adding the prettiest touches and has recently launched a new business.

Mel answered a few questions about herself and her business for us, 

Sit back and enjoy the read...

   

1/ Please introduce yourself...

Hi … my name is Mel and I love all things pretty and girly.  I am a lady at heart and a sucker for romance. Grew up on a wood pile in the midlands as a farmers’ daughter and have done the full 360 to loving the finer things in life. Some call me OCD but I think it’s just attention to detail and not settling for second best. I love getting into the nitty gritty of detail whilst planning parties, hosting events and interacting with people. I studied events co-ordination and public relations and this has helped me create platforms to launch my creative ideas. I’m keen on running, cycling, gym classes and spending time with friends and family. I currently live in Hilton, KZN with my handsome husband, David and I’m excited for what the future holds…

 2/ When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?! 

 A Wedding Planner... after watching the movie!!

 3/ What’s your...

Top Song - Angel ~ Jack Johnson
Top Food - A salad from Tasha’s filled with interesting vegetarian goodies
Top Place - The beach – the hotter the better ;-)
Top movie - Definitely Pretty Women ~ just can’t ever get over watching it!

 4/ I never leave home without...  

Lip gloss and my cell phone!

 5/ Introduce your business... where did the idea come from?

I recently launched my own business called Midlands Photobooth and Functions. The business has two elements ~ the photobooth and events co-ordination. A photobooth is the perfect addition to any event. It is a fun, trendy and memorable way to keep guests entertained with photos that will keep them laughing for days! We have different packages available and the cost is based on the number of hours the booth is hired out for. All packages include ~ unlimited photos, double photo strips, an assortment of props, a disc containing all the photos, own personalised logo at the bottom of the photo strip and photos uploaded onto Facebook. I also offer events co-ordination. I believe that the success of any event lies in the detail and executing it well and it is this detail that I am most passionate about. I am a very organised person and I thrive off planning and executing events ranging from baby showers & kiddies parties to weddings! I recently got married (in October last year) and we had a photobooth at our wedding! It was such fun and it was so awesome to have all the funny photos of our friends and family. I made a scrap book prior to my big day and we used it as a guest book whereby our guests stuck their photo strip in and wrote us a message! This was very special. The Midlands is wedding and party central so I saw a gap in the market and decided to take a risk and start my own business! I studied public relations and events management and have experience in the industry so I see this as a fantastic opportunity for me!

 6/ What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt so far in your business journey?

You can be very organised and plan for the best but unfortunately things do very often not go according to plan ~ I have learnt how to remain cool, calm and collected in situations like this and this has helped ensure events are always a success.

 7/ What are your hopes and dreams for midlands photo booth and functions? 

I would like to be a one stop shop for brides and those wanting to host events. Working with clients from the very beginning to pulling off the perfect day is what makes it all worthwhile. The booth is incredibly popular and is a fantastic stepping stone for greater things to come. I am planning to do a graphic design course next year so that I can grow my business and offer additional services such as stationery, invitations etc… Watch this space;-)

 8/ What is the coolest thing you have ever seen at a wedding (apart from your photo booth)?

The coolest thing happened at my own wedding ~ my darling husband serenaded me by playing his guitar and singing to me ~ This was very romantic and right up my alley!!

9/ Do you have any top tips for brides planning their big day?

Just relax and enjoy every single minute building up to your big day! It only happens once in a lifetime so just soak it all up and try not let little, silly things stress you out and get the better of you.

10/ How can people get in touch to book your services or a photo booth for an event / party / wedding?

Phone or email me quick ;-) for a free quote

Website ~ www.midlandsphotobooths.co.za
Email ~ info@midlandsphotobooths.co.za
Facebook Page ~ Midlands Photobooth & Functions
Cell phone ~ 071 441 8086

It's Wedding month - Table Favour inspiration

Little boxes of vintage style sweeties, home made shortbread, personalised candles, mini photo frames... a favour is a little thank you from the bride and groom and dates back centuries.  European aristocrats gave tiny trinket boxes filled with sugar cubes as gratitude and symbolised their wealth.

I've seen wedding favours in all shapes and sizes, some quirky and fun, some tastefully simple. With the world wide web showering us with ideas there is no shortage of favour inspiration at your finger tips.  I found these two gorgeous favour ideas with a few clicks.  LOVE this miniature jar of honey and the potted succulents would freshen any table decor.

Keep reading for some favour ideas from The Ruby Orchard... 

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Here are some products available at The Ruby Orchard that would make fab wedding favours. Need 200... we'll sort it, get in touch! 

Handmade soaps, Coasters, teeny tiny ceramic bowls, hand carved wooden bowls. 

Wedding Gift Guide

We have all had that moment - trying to find THE perfect wedding gift.   What do you get the couple who have everything?  Or the couple who have very specific tastes?  Or even the couple who are just starting out and have nothing yet?  It can be tricky - you want to choose something beautiful and classy but also useful and treasured.

The Ruby Orchard to the rescue!  We have beautiful, classy, stylish, elegant and even fun gifts that will tick all the right boxes and stand out from the crowd.   From beautiful hand made pottery bowls platters and vases, to gorgeous chunky wooden boards and serving platters.  From stunning bespoke mirrors to rustic photo frames in different sizes.  Wine racks from recycled wine barrels,  cushions, salad servers, platters, bowls, mugs, vases, tea towels,   Glass storage jars, heavenly scented candles, made to order wedding prints, wooden crates, canvas prints and signs and so much more.

These are a few of our favourite wedding gift ideas:

October - It's our Wedding Special month

Wedding season is almost upon us, so we are making October all things wedding!  We'll be looking at our top wedding gifts in store, favour ideas, table décor inspiration and guest posts from wedding people in the know!  Yay... excited!

We have all had that moment when we just don't know what to get as a wedding gift.   What do you buy the couple that has everything already?  Or the couple who don't have anything for that matter.  A wedding gift is something you want to take your time to pick, to make sure you choose the perfect present that will be enjoyed for years to come.

We have some very good news... we CAN do Gift Registry's at the Ruby Orchard!  I know - exciting isn't it.  So brides... here's what to do:

• Book a time to come in - we can chat about logistics and select the method's that suit you and your guests.
• Select the lovely things you would love to be gifted with on your big day
• We'll produce your Gift registry catalogue for mailing to your guests.
• Your guests can come in and purchase / or email us the items they would like to purchase.
• We place that item in your gift box.
• You collect the gift box full of the goodies. Simple!

Keep watching for our wedding posts throughout October.