Not every wedding uses a seating chart.  For my wedding, we didn’t use one but there were a couple of reasons for that.  Does your wedding need a seating chart?  Here are some things to consider and help you decide.

1. What is the capacity of your venue?  If your guest count is close to the maximum capacity of the venue you will want to use a seating chart.  You want to make sure that every guest has a seat and that all families can sit together.  
2. Are you having a plated dinner?  If you are having a plated dinner it will be easier for your serving staff to know the plates needed at each table,  You will want to pair this with place cards with their specific food selection at each seat.  This will allow the serving staff to serve the food most efficiently and move your reception along faster.
3. Do you want certain people to be seated close to the head table?  Everyone wants to be close to the couple, but who do you want close to you?  If you want certain friends or family members to be close to the head table you will want to use a seating chart so that you can ensure that they will be close to you.
4. Do you have guests with mobility problems that your venue cannot completely accommodate?  If there are any areas of your venue that can be difficult for people with mobility issues to navigate you may want to make sure they are seated at a table that eliminates any terrain that would make it difficult for them.  
5. Do you have a complicated family situation? If you want to keep people apart you can seat them at different tables and at tables that are not near each other.  If you have family that don’t get to see each other much you may want to seat them all at the same table so you know they will definitely get to be together.  I worked with a couple who had some family members that were recovering alcoholics and some family that were heavy drinkers and they wanted to make sure they were sat at different tables in order to respect and support the sobriety of those family members.  There are many complications that could lead you to wanting a seating chart.  Each couple will have different potential complications and you will want to discuss it as a couple to determine if it is a big enough complication to lead you to wanting a seating chart.
6. What about COVID-19? Covid-19 has definitely affected weddings in 2020 and may continue to be an issue into 2021.  Certain states are requiring contact tracing and they want to know who has come in contact with each other.  Having a seating chart will allow you to know who was seated at tables together if there was a case of Covid-19 traced back to your wedding.  ​

While it may seem easier to not have a seating chart for your wedding depending on your specific situation it might actually be easier to have one.  Consider your guests, your venue and your catering when deciding if you want to do a seating chart.

Keywords: wedding, wedding day, wedding sign, wedding seating chart, seating chart, COVID

Styled shoots are so fun.  It is always nice to meet up with friends and make new friends while being creative.  With weddings being rare this year there has been a lot of opportunity for creatives to get together and created some fun shoots. 

Krystle Allen with Krystle Clear Events is a wedding planner and designer extraordinaire.  She put together a team of vendors to showcase the beauty that is the Eola Hills Legacy Estate Vineyard in Salem, Oregon.  Just a couple miles once you cross over the bridge from downtown Salem to West Salem is this beautiful oasis with a view of the coast range. 

Krystle created classy tables using a farm table and jewel tone items.    Her eye for detail is #lifegoals.  You can tell it is her passion and she has found her calling. 

Alana with Flowers by Alana used orange and blue flowers along with greenery to accent the tables.  The bouquet was stunning as well.

Nothing Bundt Cakes don't just have a catchy name.... they also make delicious desserts.  These Bundtinis were red velvet and lemon.  Not gonna lie... desserts made be my favorite part of styled shoots. ;)

Morgan Nichols did a wonderful job on Grace's makeup.  Grace was a beautiful canvas and Morgan did a great job.

Grace and Taylor looked great in their outfits as well.  It is always fun to work with models that are a couple in real life.  You can't fake this chemistry.

Taylor was dashing in his tux from The Black Tux.  Grace was adorned with a dress from Adorned in Grace (see what I did there?  See.... I'm punny!).

This photo I shared on instagram shows how well the photographers and videographer worked together.  Maybe I started on the wine a little early.... I cannot confirm or deny.... It was a vineyard after all!!!

It takes many hands to put these styled shoots together and this team was great.  All are definitely professionals.  Honored to be in the same space.

Here is the list of all the wonderful professionals who put all of this together:
Venue: Eola Hills Legacy Estate Vineyard | Instagram | Facebook |
Coordination/Styling: Krystle Clear Events | Instagram | Facebook |
Photography: Emily Skye Photography | Instagram | Facebook |
Photography: Ashley Masters Photography | Instagram | Facebook |
Photography: Alisha Hale Photography | Instagram | Facebook |
Videography: Valley Trademark Photography |  Instagram | Facebook
Flowers: Flowers by Alana | Instagram | Facebook |
Rentals: For the Love of Pete Rentals | Instagram | Facebook |
Dessert: Nothing Bundt Cakes-Clackamas | Instagram | Facebook |
Models: Grace and Taylor | @grac_eelizabeth | grace.roth5 | 
Makeup: Morgan Nichols | Instagram | Facebook |
Dress: Adorned in Grace | Instagram | Facebook |
Suit: The Black Tux | Instagram | Facebook |
Stationery: Blue Bonsai Printing | Instagram | Facebook |

Respondez s’ilvous plait
RSVP questions are the second most common questions I get about wedding stationery after “when do I mail everything?”  The most common questions I get are:

1. How do I collect RSVPs?
2. Why do I need to do RSVPs?
3. When should RSVPs be due?
4. How do I track them?
5. What about food choices if I am doing a plated meal?

 
You may have asked yourself these questions too.  RSVPs are a necessary evil of wedding planning.  It is important to collect them so you can account for every guest.  Let’s go through and answer each of these questions.

1)   How do I collect RSVPs?
 There are 3 ways to collect RSVPs that I recommend- through mail, email, or online.  Which method you choose is based on your preference and the way you think will be most successful in getting your guests to actually respond.  There are pros and cons to each method.  There are things to consider when choosing which route is best for you and your wedding.
 
Mail- This is the most traditional way of collecting RSVPs.  Before the advancement of technology this was the only way you had guests respond.  If you are having a formal wedding this is the route of collecting RSVPs that fits that style of wedding.  Having your guests mail back their RSVPs is the most successful way to get your guests to respond, as long as you put stamps on the RSVP.  Whether you choose a postcard or a card with envelope this method with the stamp provided is the most effective.
 
Email- I recommend using this method only if you have a dedicated wedding email address.  If you use your regular email you have a higher chance of losing the emails in all your regular email.  This also helps keep all of them in one place and you have a lower chance of overlooking.
 
Online- If you have a wedding website through any of the big wedding companies (The Knot, Wedding Wire, etc.) it probably includes the option to collect RSVPs online.  The drawback to this method is that the RSVP function can be cumbersome to set up and may be difficult for your older guests to use.

2)   Why do I need to do RSVPs? 
There are two reasons why you need an accurate guest count- food and seating. 
 
Food- Your caterer and baker will need to know an accurate guest count.  They will need to make sure they have enough food to accommodate your guests.  Whether you are having a buffet reception or a plated dinner your caterer will need to know how much food needs to be prepared.  Your baker will want to make sure your cake is the right size.  You also don’t want to pay for more people to eat than you have to. 
 
Seating- If you are setting up seating for your ceremony you need to set up enough chairs plus an additional 15-20% in order to make sure everyone is comfortable and everyone can still find a seat where they can see the altar.  If you are choosing to do a seating chart you will need to know very accurately in order to assign the seats for all guests.  If you choose not to do a seating chart you will still want to be sure there is enough seating for everyone and not have anyone missing a seat or having families have to sit apart from one another.

3)  When should RSVPs be due?
 RSVPs should be due 1 month before your wedding.  If your caterer or baker needs a final head count more than 14 days before your wedding date you should make your RSVP date 2 weeks before the due date.  I recommend having the extra time because not everyone will RSVP so you will have to track down some people and that gives you enough time to do that and ease some stress. 

4)   How do I track RSVPs?
A simple spreadsheet will do wonders.  You can use the same spreadsheet to collect addresses and track all information in one spreadsheet.  As soon as you get an RSVP returned you can go in and mark the response as well as the number of guests.  If you have guests’ responses like food restrictions or song requests those can go in the spreadsheet as well. 
 
5)   What about food choices?
If you are having a plated dinner with food options, you need to make sure guests know the choices and how to let you know of their choice.  Email RSVPs typically don’t work for this because people will RSVP but forget to mention a food choice.  Mailed RSVPs are a better option because with it right on the card people are much less likely to forget to complete the food choice section.

However you choose to handle RSVPs be sure to be detailed and diligent.  This will be one of the most frustrating parts of the wedding planning process.  I hope the answers to these questions help alleviate some of the stress.
 
Keywords: wedding, RSVPs, wedding day, wedding date, invitation design, invitation details

 This was a different introduction to a client but I loved it.  I participated in a contest with Kel Ward Photography.  I contributed a $250 gift certificate towards stationery for the winner.  Danielle and Kasey were the winners!!!  So they were stuck with me! Lol.

Danielle had an idea of what she was looking for and was able to send me many pictures (thank you Pinterest!).  She knew she wanted a mandala in the design and wanted it printed on kraft cardstock.  I don’t do many invitations on kraft but I was looking forward to the opportunity.

A key element for their invitations was having their names inside the mandala.  By their nature mandalas don’t have empty centers so I was going to have to create one.  That was step one because I couldn’t build the invitation until I had the centerpiece of the design.

I came up with 2 designs for the mandala and sent them to Danielle.  She loved them both and picked one.  They wanted a more casual invitation so that meant needing to stay away from formal fonts. I came up with a few options and sent them over.  I wanted the couple to pick what fit their wedding best.  They chose one of the designs I did but wanted to see it in an olive-green color instead of black.  That was the element that got a “perfect! I love it!” response from them.

Their wedding invitation suite included 2 inserts.  They were having guest RSVP on their wedding website so 1 insert had that information on it.  The second insert was an accommodations card.  Almost all of their guests were traveling to attend their wedding and the wedding was at a resort, Chinook Winds Casino.

The invitations and inserts were all printed on a heavyweight 130lb kraft cardstock.  Kraft cardstock is hard to find in such a heavy weight but I prefer the heavier weight because of the sturdiness it provides the invitations.  This is an element that could not be found when ordering online from a big retailer like Shutterfly or Vistaprint.

I love when a couple comes to me with an idea and working with the couple the vision becomes a reality.  This was my first suite done on kraft card stock.  I have done many since, but this was my first.  I was immensely proud of the final product and I was even happier that the client loved it.

Thank you, Danielle, for working with me and trusting me with your vision.

Keywords: wedding contest, wedding, invitations, wedding invitations, kraft cardstock, destination wedding invitations

I love what I do. I get to be involved in creating dream stationery for wonderful couples.  But as Uncle Ben said in Spiderman “with great power comes great responsibility.” (Lol- my inner nerd is showing… I know!)  Some couples come up with the coolest ideas, but they scare me! Enter Emily and Jeremiah. 

Emily contacted me and said they were having a Wizard of Oz/Native American themed wedding.  What a cool idea! As you can imagine they could not find an invitation to match this fusion theme. Enter you friendly neighborhood custom stationery designer!  My excitement to be involved was quickly followed by “can I do this?”

Luckily, Emily had an extremely specific idea of what she was looking for, so she was able to tell me and guide me along this collaboration.  The colors, what she wanted included, even the font type.  I love when I send a design to a client and the response is “Yes!”  Even “yes but…” is a great response.  Knowing we are on the same page is so rewarding.

Emily drew a dreamcatcher that was being used in other elements of their wedding and she wanted it included in the invitations.  More of that “can I do this?” panic began to set in.  But I was ready for the challenge and I was determined to get it right.  I jumped in and started to digitally recreate her drawing.

Throughout this process I sent dozens of emails to Emily asking what she liked and what she wanted changed.  I may have bordered on annoying!  But I tell all my clients at the beginning of the process to always be honest.  I want my clients to get the perfect design so if it isn’t perfect please tell me.  I can keep making changes.  If I am way off on your design vision, please tell me and don’t worry about hurting my feelings.  Emily took my word on that and always told me what needed changed.  The color shades were difficult to get perfect, but we got there.  I would rather send a design 100 times to get it right than have a couple feel like they must settle with the first one.

Once the invitation was done we moved on to the info card.  They were having a camping weekend wedding so there was a lot of information for their guests as well as a map.  My process is to do the invitation and then use the elements to make the matching pieces.  Emily decided she wanted the dream catcher and the yellow brick road on the information card as well.  It tied the card together nicely in a suite.

While this theme was out of the box, I was so happy I took on the challenge.  In the end, I was proud of the finished product and Emily and Jeremiah were happy.  What more could I ask for?!

Keywords: wedding, wedding invitation, RSVP card, wedding theme, Wizard of Oz wedding, Native American wedding, custom wedding invitation design

On average, couples hire 13 wedding vendors for their wedding according to Wedding Wire.  Thankfully most of these relationships end up perfect for the couple but there are always a few exceptions.  Disappointments tend to happen when a couple hires a “vendor” but not a “professional.” 
 
So how can you know you are hiring a professional?  Here are some tips to spot a professional:
 

1. They will have invested in their business- You get what you pay for.  If a vendor has not invested in a website, learning their craft, equipment, business cards or a contract (the good ones are always paid for) then they are not a professional.  Nothing is free, including building a professional business.
   
2. They have a website- Not just a Facebook or Instagram page.  Those are important and also necessary for a professional but they will have a paid website.  They are investing in their online presence.  It will also be a website where they pay for a domain name and not a free website where they have the hosting site in their domain name.  A website is very basic and a very small fee in order to have a professional online presence.  Would you trust any other business if they didn’t have a website?  Probably not.
3. They have a contract- And it will be long!  We live in a country that requires a lot of legal jargon to cover both the client and the business.  A professional will have a very extensive contract to do just that.  It will include provisions about payment, what you can expect, what they expect from you in order to complete what they were hired for, cancellation policies for both parties, and will have spots for both the client and business to sign.  If a vendor doesn’t have a contract… run.  There is nothing to hold them legally responsible to do what you paid them for.
4. They are connected- They are connected to other professionals in the area.  A wedding vendor that no one has heard of can be worse than one everyone tells you to avoid.  It means that they are just starting out (not a bad thing… we all started somewhere but it means they are not a professional yet) or they haven’t been booked at weddings where other professionals are.  A professional will be attending networking events to get to know people in the wedding industry and to build referral relationships.  Networking takes a long time to get to know people and a professional will have put in the work to be connected to build credibility with other professionals.
   
5. You saw them at a wedding show- This is another example of wedding professionals investing in their business.  It is not cheap to exhibit at a wedding show.  So, at a wedding show you will find wedding professionals.
   
6. They amaze you with their knowledge- They are experts.  They know more about the service they offer than the Average Joe. I am a stationer and I know more than one person should know about card stock and postage.  Honestly… ask me anything.  Design decisions can affect how much it costs to mail your invitations.  As a professional I need to know those rules so that I can best serve my clients.  An expert will not only answer your questions with ease but also knows answers to questions you didn’t know to ask. 
   

 
Be sure to hire a professional for your wedding.  Like the saying goes “If you think it is expensive to hire a professional, just wait until you hire an amateur.” 
 
Keywords: wedding, wedding professional, wedding vendor, wedding pro, hiring a wedding professional

Every wedding needs invitations.  You have many possibilities when it comes to wedding stationery.  You have the option to buy them online by choosing a template or you can work with a stationer.  There are many reasons to choose to work with a stationer over a big online retailer.
 

1. Supporting a small business- Small businesses are the backbone of our country and the entire wedding industry is built by small businesses.  When you choose a small business, you are supporting a dream and not a set of investors.  All of your other chosen wedding professionals are small businesses so why shouldn’t you use a small business for your stationery?
   
2. Stellar customer service- Not only will you get a quality product, but you will have a name and a face to help you through the process.  A person who cares about you and your wedding and will do everything to make it perfect.  When you work with a person you are getting someone with passion who wants to see you smile.  All your answers will be answered quickly and with enthusiasm.
   
3. Quality- You will get to see and feel what your invitations will look like before you order.  A stationer will have options of card stock, envelopes, and designs they have done in the past to show many options for what you will end up with.  You can feel the same emotion your guests will feel.  There is no better way to know the quality than to hold it in your hands.  Even if your stationer is not local to you, they would be able to send you samples of past work.
   
4. Possibilities are endless- The options for wordings and design are only limited by your imagination.  Websites are extremely limited.  A stationer has control over the entire field of your design.  So colors, fonts, wording layout, even languages can be used on your stationery to make it utterly unique and fit the needs of your wedding.  If you can think of it, a stationer can help you achieve it.
   
5. Personal touch- In short, a stationer cares.  They have a passion for paper and for the design process.  They strive for the smile on your face and cares about YOU.  They also can help with complicated family situations that can affect wording of your stationery.  If there is out of the box, they can make it work.
   
6. They can save you money- You might not think this, but it is true.  Just like a wedding planner, a stationer knows things about stationery that you didn’t even think to ask about or were even a thing.  I have had so any clients tell me they needed a save the date for every guest.  I always remind them to count addresses and not guests. And then there is postage.....
   
7. All about postage- There are so many things about mailing that most people don’t know about.  Trust me when I say a stationer knows (almost) as much about postage as any post office employee.  They can inform you of any design choices that could cost you more when mailing.  Square, over 1 ounce, over ¼ inch thick, ribbon, a brooch, or acrylic are some design choices that will make your stationery cost more to mail to your guests. 
   

 
All the people you choose to work with for your wedding should be professionals and your stationer is no exception.  Just like your other professionals they want to make your day extremely special.  Take care when choosing where to get your wedding stationery and don’t be afraid to ask questions.  A stationer would love to answer them and be the choice for your wedding.
 
Keywords: wedding, wedding stationery, wedding budget, wedding invitations, custom wedding invitations, save the dates, stationer