Don't forget to say "thanks"

Well, we're at the height of wedding season and all the activities that encompass it - bridal showers, bachelorette parties and, of course, the big day itself. In the midst of all the last minute things to do, one thing that often gets overlooked is thank you cards. We're happy to announce that we have recently opened a shop on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/glassslipperdesigns) and have several thank you cards for sale. We're also happy to create a custom order for you, so please contact us at glassslipperdesignscalgary@gmail.com for more information. A hand made thank you card will show your friends, relatives and guests that you treasure all they've done for you.

{Vintage damask thank you card by Glass Slipper Designs}

Some helpful tips for writing thank you cards:

• Keep it personal. Try to incorporate at least one or two sentences that speaks personally to your guests. 
• Acknowledge what you'll do with the gift.
• Thank your guests for attending your wedding.
• Keep your thank you card to three to four sentences. 
• Write out your thank you cards a few at a time.

Stampede wedding inspiration

The Calgary Stampede turned 100 years old this year! For those of you who don't know, the Calgary Stampede is known as one of the hottest party spots in the world. For 10 days, the entire city of Calgary pretty much shuts down as people celebrate and get their country on, and people travel from all over the world to take in all the festivities. To celebrate the Stampede's 100th anniversary, we've put together a little country wedding inspiration that would fit in with the Stampede's Western theme. For more country wedding inspiration ideas, check out our board on Pinterest.

Country wedding invitation by Glass Slipper Designs. Photo credit: Urban Couture Photography

Comfy hay couches via keentobeseen.blogspot.com

 Barn reception via marthstewartweddings.com

Country wedding signage via Carla Ten Eyck Photography

Boots and heels via Pinterest (original source not known)

Western wedding cake via Flickr

County couple via bendthelight.com

Bridal party boots via simplyblogging.blogspot.com

Wagon wheel escort card display via homemadecosmetics.blogspot.com

Twine-wrapped bouquet via weddinggawker.com

                                           

Etsy shop launched!

We are pleased to announce that we have opened up a shop on Etsy for anyone looking to purchase greeting cards and event invitations. Visit our shop at www.etsy.com/shop/glassslipperdesigns to check out our listings!


If you are looking for custom, hand made wedding invitations and stationery, it's still best to contact us directly at glassslipperdesignscalgary@gmail.com to set up a consultation to discuss your needs.


Also, don't forget to like our page on Facebook as well to stay up-to-date on new products and listings!

Nautical Pinspiration

I am loving some of the great nautical wedding ideas floating around Pinterest these days! Although we live in the middle of the prairies, a lot of these ideas could be incorporated for weddings that are taking place at the lake or out on the West Coast. Here are some of the great ideas we've accumulated for our Pinterest boards (PS: We encourage you to follow us on Pinterest for some great wedding inspiration ideas!).

Nautical rope table setting. Photo via completely-coastal.com

Striped chair sashes. Photo via corenmooreblog.blogspot.com

Anchor wedding cake. Photo via everylastdetail.com

Striped bridesmaid dresses. Photo via greenweddingshoes.com

Anchor cake. Photo via luxefinds.com

Nautical escort cards. Photo via marieclaireidees.com

Striped nautical bouquet wraps. Photo via marthastewartweddings.com

Sailboat table number. Photo via Pinterest (uploaded by user; source unknown)

Lobster tie and nautical knot boutinnierre. Photo via theknot.com

              

Erin & Donovan's DIY yellow and turquoise stationery suite

Glass Slipper Designs recently announced a new DIY invitation option for those couples who are looking to save a little bit of money on their invitation suites while still getting the "custom" look of wedding invitations. Erin and Donovan approached me about this option, and I was happy to create a custom design and step-by-step instructions for them so they could create their ideal wedding stationery suite. 


I loved their wedding colour combination - turquoise and yellow. The colours really pop, and because they are getting married at the Calgary Zoo, we decided to go ahead with some funky floral images for their stationery. I created a custom gatefold invitation design for them, accommodation insert, response card, table numbers and a program design.


Erin and Donovan were really happy with the design I came up with, and they were a joy to work with! I wish them all the best for the wedding and a happy marriage. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about my custom DIY option, contact me at glassslipperdesignscalgary@gmail.com or view the DIY option brochure on my website.

Inside of Erin and Donovan's DIY invitation. Design created by Glass Slipper Designs.

Inside of Erin and Donovan's DIY invitation and the response card and accommodation insert. Design created by Glass Slipper Designs.

Front of Erin and Donovan's DIY invitation. Design created by Glass Slipper Designs.

Erin and Donovan's full DIY stationery suite - invitation, inserts, table number and program. Design created by Glass Slipper Designs.

It's a boy!

My baby nephew, Hayes, was born on March 24. I just had to make a cute little card to celebrate, so here is what I came up with. I love the colour combo, which I chose from the colours in Hayes' nursery. This card could also easily be used for a birth announcement, so if you're interested in placing a custom order, please contact me:

Design by Glass Slipper Designs

A closer look of the front of the card

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Rock n' roll e-session

I am so excited to share this edgy and fun engagement session from Urban Couture Photography with you and an awesome fairytale-come-true love story! The story behind the couple's engagement, e-session and wedding is super unique and cool. You'll quickly see why music is so important to this couple.
Emily and Kyle met at a Battle of the Bands competition in college back in 2004 and were "dragged" out that night, according to Emily. Neither were really looking for a relationship at the time. "It was a good thing we went out that night, though, because we had an instant connection and I knew I just had to talk to him," notes Emily.

Years later, during the summer of 2010, Emily and Kyle found themselves working on the Lilith Fair tour and celebrating one night in Las Vegas. It was a night Emily would never forget.

Emily shows off her new bling the morning after Kyle proposed

"It had been a long day - I was exhausted, but a tour member, who knew Kyle had something planned for me, convinced me that we needed to take a group photo outside of the Beach at Mandalay Bay, which is where we were staying," recalls Emily. "Kyle and I went and walked to the 'Valley of the Falls.' We were surrounded by waterfalls, lit up palm trees and tropical flowers, and before I knew it, Kyle was down on one knee proposing to me."

This summer, the couple will be walking down the aisle in Calgary on August 11, 2012, at the Calgary Metropolitan Centre. Needless to say, they will be incorporating a music and concert theme into everything they're doing for the wedding. 

Kyle happens to know a bit about graphic design, so the couple is designing laminated concert lanyards as their wedding invitations. For the reception, the couple will be having a "red carpet" entrance complete with "paparazzi" when their guests enter into the venue so they can feel like true VIPs. Emily will be carrying a traditional floral bouquet, but will also be including paper roses made out of sheet music in the bouquet. The couple is also forgoing the traditional wedding guestbook and will be having guests sign a white guitar instead. Finally, Emily and Kyle have opted to hire what Emily describes as "the best cover band in Calgary" - Kickstart - who will keep the guests on their feet into the wee hours of the morning.


A big thank you to Emily and Kyle for sharing their story with us and another thank you to our friend Jen at Urban Couture Photography for passing along their engagement photos for us to feature on today's blog post. We can't wait to see the photos from the wedding!

*all photos provided courtesy of Urban Couture Photography

Engagement gift idea

When one of your good friends gets engaged, it's a very exciting moment for all of those close to her. I came across this great idea for an engagement gift basket on Pinterest (of course!) and can't wait until I get to do this when one of my good friends gets engaged. It's such a cute idea and will add to the bride's excitement as she begins all the details and planning. 

Image via Katie Mears on Pinterest (image uploaded by user)

Basket contents:
1) Pink champagne for celebrating
2) Wedding etiquette book (or you could swap out a wedding planning book instead)
3) A copy of a bridal magazine
4) A box of thank you cards for engagement gifts - contact Glass Slipper Designs to order special customized cards
5) Ring holder


Such a cute idea! You could totally customize it to make it more personalized, too. Thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Trend we love: wedding cake alternatives

For those brides who are looking for a non-traditional idea for wedding desserts, there are a lot of creative ideas out there! A lot of couples are opting to bypass the traditional wedding cake and offer their guests something that's a little different. Here are some of the creative ideas we've found around the web:

Cotton candy martini glasses via acozycupoftea.blogspot.com

Donut "cake" tower via applebrides.com

 Popcorn buffet via brendasweddingblog.com

Rice Krispie cake via edmontonweddingplanner.modernproposal.com

Mini cakes found on PInterest (via Sedore Wedding Events and Design)

Candy apple buffet via sosimplyspecial.com

Tiered pie"cake" via Style Me Pretty

Unique ceremony set ups

I love Pinterest! I wish it was around a couple years ago when I was planning my wedding. I've found some great ideas for ceremony set-ups lately, so I thought I would share for those brides who are looking to make their wedding just a little more unique:

Image via Wedding Wire

Image via Picture Perfect I Do's

Image via chicagostyleweddings.blogspot.com

Baby-Pa-Looza

So, there are five of us at my work who are either on maternity leave or about to go on maternity leave. At the beginning of February, we had our first round of baby showers, so I created three cards. I just think this stamp set is so cute, and I can't wait to use it lots for baby shower invitations and baby cards!

Cards by Glass Slipper Designs

Card by Glass Slipper Designs

Card by Glass Slipper Designs