Yummy wedding favors January 20, 2009

Need I even comment on how delicious these look? And do I even need to elaborate on how awesome these would be as wedding favors? I didn’t think so.

From Brownie Pops

Where have we been? January 12, 2009

We’re making babies! No, not those kind of babies. We’ve been busy designing and getting ready to roll out our whole new Farfalla Baby line of letterpress and photo announcements.  Stay tuned for the official announcement and sneak peek.

Favors packaging January 12, 2009

We are suckers for cute packaging. The contents? Not so much. But cute and creative boxes, bags and bows gets us everytime. From Martha Stewart:

We’re back! September 6, 2008

I apologize to all the regular readers, we alternate half mini-breaks over the late summer to recover from the late spring/early summer printing frenzy. We’ve been so busy since implementing the 20% off promotions that we’ve decided to extend it through the end of the year.  Just mention it when you order if it isn’t already applied to your quote. We’ll do our best, sometimes we forget though.

So we’re back, with a ton of new designs which will shortly be added to the website: www.farfallawedding.com and we’ll toss a few of our favorites on the blog as well. Stay tuned.

Hand cancelling at the post office… June 21, 2008

Don’t waste your time.

I think waiting in line, and bribing the postal worker to hand cancel your invitations is incredibly unnecessary.

Each invitation you send, will be hitting another machine, if not multiple machines, as soon as it leaves your postal workers desk, on it’s way to the next post office. All mail runs through machines for sorting and such and there is really no benefit to hand cancelling the stamps.

Just my random thought.

June Monthly Special June 8, 2008

So the economy is sucking for everyone, we’re doing our part to help. After getting feedback from previous clients, and some helpful prospective clients, they all unanimously voted that we just keep the 20% discount going throughout the summer. So we’ve listened to the people.

June Letterpress Special
20% off all orders placed by 12midnight on Monday, June 30th.

No catches or fine print. Fine print annoys us too.

Holy Blog Stats Batman June 5, 2008

It seems like everyday our hit meter is off the charts, and growing larger everyday. We had 85 hits alone today on the Candy Buffet 101 post, and that is only 1 of nearly 100 posts on the blog. We’re just glad that we can provide apparently fun and useful info that people must really be in need of.

I’ll have to go back to making a “need to post about….” topics.

Glad we can help the brides-to-be on of the world.

No June Special? June 5, 2008

I apologize, we’ve been swamped with orders and haven’t taken a minute to create the June Farfalla Wedding special. We promise it will be worth the wait, and will be hitting the site on Monday. Sorry for the delay.

What is Farfalla all about? May 21, 2008

We are custom letterpress invitation designers. We love letterpress and the tactile result of beautiful custom designed wedding pieces. You can see a small sample of our work at www.farfallawedding.com

Farfalla Samples May 21, 2008

We have officially restocked our sample supply. We were running low for awhile there but it’s back and fully stocked once again.

If you are interested in a sample of some recent work, just shout. Samples are $5 each and include one letterpress piece, and coordinating envelope. The sample fees will be credited toward any future orders.

Happy sampling!

Reception Eats 101 May 13, 2008

Plated, Buffet, Hors d’oeuvre, dessert only. For most weddings, those cover all your bases.

I think hors d’oeuvre and dessert only are pretty self explanatory. But please make your guests aware of the light fare for the evening. You don’t want your guests to be famished expecting a meal, and end up with spring rolls and/or cake only. There if nothing wrong with going with either of these options, just let your guests know what to expect, and don’t schedule your reception during a traditional ‘meal time’. In my book when it comes to receptions, lunch is 11:30a-1:30p, and dinner would be 6p-8p.

Now for the big guys:
Plated reception vs Buffet

I consider plated to be more formal. It will typically have a few courses, an appetizer, plated salad, possibly an intermezzo followed by an entree, and the dessert among at least half a dozen other options. Dessert can be your cake, and/or in addition to your cake.

I prefer a plated meal, I think it takes some of the burden of your guests, allows them to relax and enjoy the food, and not wait in line to get their chicken, which never seem to be quite hot enough. I also feel like there is never enough of the ‘good stuff’ on a buffet unless you are first in line. Also, many options are hard to serve buffet style, I think steak is not a good buffet choice.

Buffets are great if you have a ton of options, want to include different specialty bars (like a pasta bar, sushi bar, made to order stir fry bar etc). But you must admit, it can be hard to juggle a plate for some older guests.

I also think buffets take away from guests getting to chat. Inevitably, someone will be missing from the table when a killer joke gets told, or when the videographer comes around for well wishes* (I will reserve my opinions on that for a future post).

If you want two options for your plated meal, let’s say chicken and steak you also have some serving options. Ask your venue about a duet entree (everyone will get steak and chicken). It’s not as expensive as it may sound, and a lot less work than tracking RSVP meal preferences, and color coding placecards because your venue requires it. Guests also won’t have to choose in June what they want to eat in September.

Buffets are not necessarily less costly either. Do your research, talk to your venue, and do what is best for you. I’m just sharing my two cents.

A Few of our new favorite cakes May 8, 2008

I love the show Ace of Cakes on the Food network, I’m a dork like that. And I stumbled onto their real site to see what else they can make, beside hockey rinks and beagles. And I LOVE some of their more traditional cakes. Here are a few of my favorites:

I love the color variation from dark to light.

I also love the strips of fondant wrapped around each layer on this one. And the flowers are a nice break from traditional roses.

Both photos courtesy of CharmCityCakes.com

2008 Wedding Stamps May 8, 2008

Here they are- Dun dun dun dunnnnn

I’m not very impressed, all they did was change the color for the 2007 set. But oh well. So the bigger question is, when will these bad boys be for sale? Well no one really knows at this point, but the gossip is that you can buy them starting in June. I did some hunting and the official release date is June 10th. So if you just have to have them, at least you know if they fit your timeline.

But remember, very few people will even notice your stamps, so use whatever postage is appropriate, don’t worry about having to use bells, or landmarks, or butterflies.

Cash bar part two May 5, 2008

One more thought, a consumption bar usually will never work out in your favor. You need to do some real math to figure out if going with a consumption bar versus an open bar will really work to your advantage. I’ve always found that it does not, but if your think it will, go for it as your guests will still have full bar options and not be aware that you are saving some $$ on the backend.

Cash bar? Just say no May 5, 2008

I beg you, if you only heed one word of my advice. Skip a cash bar.

I know it is tradition is certain parts of the country, but truly, it’s not appreciated by your guests. If you are making the choice for financial reasons, there is no shame is just offering beer/wine or forgoing any type of alcohol in favor of soda, mixers, juices, teas etc.

If you are doing it because “that’s how our family does it”… please think about the inconvenience to your guests. Many guests don’t bring wallets/purses to weddings, let alone do guests typically expect to have to shell out $4 for a screwdriver ($4 is on the low end mind you).

I don’t like to judge the brides-to-be because it’s not my place. However, ditch the favors, ditch the custom napkins if you ordered them, and fork off the extra charge from your venue for the bar to be included, whether you choose a full top shelf bar, a selection of wines, or good old Coke and Pepsi.

Your Uncle Stuart might never say anything, but I am a firm believer that he is most definitely a little miffed that he flew across the country for your wedding, got you the All-Clad pan set you registered for, and finds himself going back to his hotel room to get some cash so he can have a drink at your wedding.

Your guests will thank you, at least I as a guest would thank you and I think I speak for most guests-to-be on this topic.

May Monthly Special May 5, 2008

We’re bringing it back. The ever popular 20% off all orders. March was the first time we went this route, and it was immensely popular, so if that is what the people want, that’s what we’ll provide.

I consider our letterpress pricing to be among the most reasonable as is, but understandably it is a more expensive route overall. So we’re here to help!

May Letterpress Special
20% off all orders placed by 12midnight on Saturday, May 31st.

No catches or fine print. Fine print annoys us too.

Sorry! April 30, 2008

We’re back, we were taking a small break from the blog to catch up on some orders that have been mounting but I’m glad to say we’re back, and will be full force again. We have a new monthly special for May and all sorts of goodies to share.  See you tomorrow.

Only one week left! April 22, 2008

April is almost over, so for any last minute invite order we just wanted to remind you of our April special.

Free envelope design or free envelope liners, plus 10% off all orders.

No minimum orders or trickery. It will automatically be deducted from your invoice. Happy shopping!

Aisle Runners 101 (the outdoor edition) April 19, 2008

Outdoor weddings don’t mean you have to forgo an aisle runner. There are a multitude of options to help hold that sucker down, and you do need to hold it down. Even the lightest breeze can send your custom aisle runner soaring like a sailboat’s sail.

Here are the basics:

Select a length that works for your venue. You need to go and measure. Trust me when I say you don’t want 100 foot runner if you only have a 75 foot aisle. And vice versa, 75 foot runner on a 100 foot aisle would probably not be noticeable, but it’s still a good idea to measure first.

White or ivory? I would always recommend white, regardless of your dress color. Ivory can look dingy.

Custom painted? I had a custom painted runner and it was fabulous. However, my coordinator and/or venue decided I didn’t want to keep it and tossed it. It was quite sad, as it was truly the only wedding item I planned to save. That’s the way the cookie crumbles I guess. I digress…

Having a custom piece made for your wedding is a great touch if you can afford the extra fee. If you need suggestions, please post a comment and I’ll email you some sources for custom runners.

What about the wind? There is a fabulous duct tape that is two sided, and comes in white. I would recommend you line each side of your runner with this tape, or something similar to avoid having the fabric get blown in the breeze. You can get this tape anywhere (your florist may have something better or similar as well). One source is: White Duct Tape

Happy Aisle-ing!

Invitation Wording 101 April 15, 2008

There are a few basics when it comes to invitation wording. The best place to start is: who is hosting your event, and is it in a church or an alternate location.

Hosting:

One set of parents are hosting, and it’s the bride’s parents: Easy enough, they are listed at the top and traditionally, the last name of the bride is left off. There are some cases where it would need to be listed, but this is the 101 version of wording:

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Smith
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Jane Ann
to
Chris John Doe

Both sets of parents hosting? The bride’s parents would be listed first, followed by the groom’s, and the groom’s last name would still be listed. You would also change “daughter” to “children”:

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. Doe
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their children
Jane Ann
to
Chris John Doe

The couple is hosting:There are a zillion options. Just make sure you use “Together with their families” or “together with their parents” in the mix somewhere. I don’t personally like to do:

The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Jane Ann Smith
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Smith
and
Mr. Chris John Doe
son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack A. Doe

I don’t think the names of the bride/groom should be seperated by parents. I prefer:

Together with their families
The honor of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Jane Ann Smith
and or to
Mr. Chris John Doe

Church or not?

Your ceremony will/will not be within a church, or other religious venue?

“Pleasure of your company” should be used for any ceremony that is not within the walls of a truly religious building. “Honor of your presence” should only be used for ceremonies that are within a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, house of worship etc.

If you are having a full Catholic mass, but it’s outside at a 5-star resort, you should techincally still use “pleasure of your company”.

Now of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and every single event will have different circumstances. These are just basic guidelines to get your started. Now, there are no invitation police, no one will hunt you down if you don’t follow traditional wording rules I promise.

It can’t be done, can it? April 4, 2008

Colors are everywhere this year. I feel like it’s half of what we post about. We recently got a request for a 5-color letterpress invitation. While almost unheard of (and typically extremely expensive) we got to to work and came up with a more reasonable alternative using some swatches, some photoshop, a little magic and a lot of help from printer friends .

Moroccan Tile – full color

We opted for full color offset printing, followed by black letterpress for the text and crosshair type bars around each tiles. We were a little unsure of how the two would work together, but the bride was completely excited, so we want ahead. The result is an almost stained glass effect! It’s truly stunning. Each colored tile looks like a little piece of glass, surrounded by the recessed areas around the tiles, it truly make each color pop off the paper.

Names/Locations/Even fonts have been changed to protect the innocent.

Candy Buffet 101 : Part Deux April 4, 2008

Ok, my fault. I’ve already gotten two emails about where to get scoops. I can’t remember exactly where I got mine, but I did some google hunting and found these from Acemart.com:

you can click the picture to visit their site. They are $1.98 for the 5 oz size. I mentioned earlier that we got 4oz scoops, I think they were indeed 5oz.  Another great google search is for “Restaurant supply” stores. That is where I ordered my scoops, I believe they were like $1.49 plus shipping. But even at $1.98 from AceMart, it’s much cheaper that Bed Bath and Beyond, Target or other retail stores.

One more Martha April 4, 2008

Last one I promise, I think this is my favorite of all the new Martha Stewart meets 1800flowers. I simply LOVE tulips, and these purple and white parrot tulips are gorgeous. It’s funny that they call them “white” when they clearly are green/white beauties instead.

Two titans merge April 4, 2008

Many of you have probably heard about the grand merge between 1-800-Flowers and Ms. Martha Steawart. Well it turns out that they are actually gorgeous, and relatively well priced arrangements. And pssssst, I happen to know that if you use code MarthaShow you’ll get 10% off until the end of April I think. I will add, my biggest complaint about 1-800-flowers or FTD is that it seems like whenever I order something, I get a cheap clear vase instead of the cool one that is shown in the picture (and half of the reason why I made that selection…grrr). So hopefully Martha won’t allow that to happen. Check out some of these beauties.

         

Bamboo Favors April 4, 2008

Wedding favors don’t have to be edible, although they seem to be the most popular, and I would highly recommend them. That being said, there are great alternative to calorie heavy cookies and candy (yes, I know I just posted about Candy Buffets).

What about bamboo, Eastern Leaf has adorable and relatively inexpensive bamboo favors that would be really sweet for some wedding. There are endless options, from the # os stalks, color or lack or rocks/marbles, personalized messages. I give them two thumbs up if you’re in a bamboo favor mood.

           

All of these can be found online at: Eastern Leaf

Candy Buffet 101 April 4, 2008

This is definitely not a new trend by any means, in fact, I had one at my own wedding. But it seems like people always have a hard time finding the actual containers and advice on how to make it happen. So I thought I’d help.

A great example of a Candy Buffet/Bar

First things first

How many guests are we talking about?
Let’s say an even 100 guests.

How much candy will you need:
Most people say 1/4-1/2 pound PER GUEST. People get greedy when it’s a candy free for all!

So we’re looking at 40-50 pounds of candy to be safe. Yes, I’m serious.

Second

How many type of candy should you buy?
This is really up to you, but I would say somewhere between 8-12 types. Too many varieties and you won’t have enough of anything. Too few varieties, and you’ll likely run out of the “top choices”.

What type of candy should you buy?
Again, this is completely up to you. But to provide some tips: Get candy that is individually wrapped, or has a hard coating (like M&Ms). Gummi items can get
hard if they sit out too long, licorice is too sticky for guests to pull on all night. The most successful candies will be wrapped or hard.

Lastly

Sounds expensive?
Candy Buffets are! I think people don’t take into consideration that it’s going to be a huge expensive before they decide to do one. We had 70 guests, and 10 types of candy. That meant 10 containers, and enough candy to fill them all. Honestly, I don’t know what the weight of all our confections were, but it was alot.

Where do you buy the containers?
There are a ton of great stores, you will need to put on your best shopping shoes because it will take awhile to find everything. I would suggest the following stores as great places to start:

• Home Goods
• Hobby Lobby
• TJ Maxx
• Old Time Pottery
• Marshalls

Where do you buy the scoops?
Online is the single best place to find them. I got mine for under $2/each. We opted for the 4 ounce size as it was large enough to scoop with, but wasn’t too big that people who decided to take a full scoop would wipe out our buffet. UPDATE: I included a link to a supply store for the scoops in the Candy Buffet #2 post, go to our Weddings 101 category on the right and it should pop up in there.

Good luck, it’s definitely a task to get it accomplished. I don’t know how many times I had everything laid out on our kitchen table, or how many extra trips to target I had to make because we didn’t have enough Hershey’s Kisses. But the end result was much appreciated by our guests.

Unique color combos April 3, 2008

Be adventurous! There are no rules when it comes to your wedding colors, and choosing wedding colors. If you like purple and your spouse-to-be loves orange… do it. I promise that not one single guest will balk at your selections. Be wild, be a little crazy…. there can only be so many weddings in the world that are aqua, peach, blush or other pastel.

or
Botanical in Lavendar                                                           Botanical in Lavendar and Tangerine

Your invitations are a great way to incorporate all your colors into one medium. Test colors, play with them, see how they look together. You just might find that you like orange and fuchsia together.

Botanical in Fuchsia and Tangerine

Raspberry and Lemon April 3, 2008

The color of the season seems to be raspberry! We’ve been printing and designing nearly 50% of our current orders in the not quite pink, not quite blush, not quite purple color. Maybe we should call is raspberry sherbet instead. Here is a mini inspiration board from The Knot.

another popular color lately has been yellow, all shades of it. From sunshine and mustard yellows to a soft almost creamy shade with just a hint of yellow.

April’s Monthly Special April 1, 2008

We were a little undecided on what to do for our new monthly special. So after some deliberating last week, we decided to dedicate April to:

Free envelope design or free envelope liners, plus 10% off all orders.

Envelope designs are a fun way to include graphics on our outer and/or RSVP envelopes. Here is an example:

Envelope liners are a great way to add a punch of color, and a super way to save $$. You can print your pieces in a single color, and use the liner to tie in another color for your event. Here is an example where we custom printed the graphic and then lined the inner envelopes for an invitation ensemble.

Around the world in 60 seconds March 28, 2008

For the lovely ladies at The Knot, a little world tour of wedding cake traditions…

Asia

Japan: Many Japanese actually use imposter cakes at wedding receptions. Made of artificial rubber, these faux confections are iced with wax — and even feature a slot for the bride and groom to insert a knife. Believe it or not, some models have even been known to produce a puff of steam! Other dupes consist of elaborately frosted Styrofoam dummy cakes. While the imposters are just for show, sheet cakes hiding out in the kitchen are cut and served to guests.

Korea: Many American-style wedding cakes would be considered too sweet for Koreans. They opt instead for a cake made of ground steamed rice covered in red bean powder. A tiered sponge cake covered in nondairy whipped cream is also a popular treat.

China: The traditional Chinese wedding cake is a massive, many-layered creation known as lapis Surabaya. The layers represent a ladder of success for the couple. Traditionally, the bride and groom cut the cake from the bottom up, starting with pieces for each parent and grandparent, who are all fed by the newlyweds.

British Isles

Great Britain: A fanciful fruitcake takes center stage at British weddings. Usually the cake is made with cognac-soaked dates, prunes, raisins, currants, and orange peel, to create a very moist cake. Popular frostings include marzipan, brandy butter, or fondant. And rather than saving a piece for their first anniversary, Brits hang on to the entire top tier, called the christening cake, until the birth of their first child.

Ireland and Scotland: Fruitcakes are also popular in Ireland and Scotland, where the heady, three-tiered confection is often times laced with bourbon, brandy, or whiskey and each layer is spread with almond paste.

Caribbean Islands

Caribbean: Caribbean couples traditionally feast on fruitcakes. The cake is often dark and filled with dried fruits and sherry, wine, or rum.

Bermuda: In Bermuda, it’s common to have a small cedar sapling top off a wedding cakes. The sapling is said to symbolize the couple’s growing love, and is usually replanted after the ceremony.

West Indies: Party guests in the West Indies pay for a lucky peek at the wedding cake hidden under a fine white tablecloth. Here a rum-laced fruitcake is the sweet of choice.

Central Europe

Germany: Though American-style wedding cakes are slowly making their way into Europe, countries such as Germany are hanging onto their own traditions. German couples often serve up a rich nut or genoise sponge cake to their guests. The cake is usually laced with liqueur or syrup; filled with jam, marzipan, or nougat; and covered in fondant or ganache. Any use of artificial coloring on a cake is considered a major faux pas.

France: The French traditionally serve up what is known as a croquembouche. This tall tower of cream-filled pastries is coated in caramel and formed into a pyramid shape, and makes quite a statement.

Italy: Wedding cakes are regional in Italy, and in some areas cake is not served at all. At those where they are, taste trumps decoration. In many areas, the custom is to serve a mille-foglia, an Italian cake made from layers of light filo pastry, chocolate, and vanilla creams, and topped with strawberries.

Eastern Europe

Lithuania: In Lithuania, the wedding cake is actually a cookie-like pastry shaped into a Christmas tree. Baked to a sunny yellow hue, the pastry, called a sakotis, displays fresh flowers and herbs protruding from the top peak.

Ukraine: Ukrainian couples share a type of wedding bread known as Korovai. Decorated with designs representing eternity and the joining of the two families, the bread is considered a sacred part of the wedding feast.

Northern Europe

Norway: Shying away from cake altogether, Norwegians serve brudlaupskling, a type of wedding bread first developed when white flour was a rarity on farms in Norway. Any food containing wheat was once highly prized, so the wedding bread was considered a true treat. Topped with cheese, cream, and syrup, this unique bread is folded over and cut into small squares and served to all the guests.

Denmark: The Danish are known to feast upon a cornucopia cake. Made of almond cake and marzipan, the ring-shaped confection is decorated with pastilage and filled in the center with candy, almond cakes, fresh fruit, or sorbet. Sometimes marzipan portraits of the bride and groom are attached to the outside of the cake. To avoid bad luck, the newlyweds cut the cake together; all the guests must eat a slice.

Iceland: Icelanders enjoy a kransakaka at weddings. Made up of ring-shaped almond pastries piled on top of one another to form a pyramid, the hollow center of the tower is filled with fine chocolates or candies.

The Mediterranean

Italy: No Italian wedding would be complete with out zuppa inglese. Scrumptiously filled with chocolate custard, vanilla custard, rum cream, and fruit, tiers of pound cake are elaborately trimmed with flower blooms of royal icing.

Greece: These days, most Greek couples prefer a flourless almond cake, which is filled with vanilla custard and fruit, and covered in sliced almonds. The traditional rendition of a Greek wedding cake consists of honey, sesame seed, and quince, which is said to symbolize the couple’s enduring commitment to each other. Sourdough wedding bread decorated with beads and blossoms is also a traditional treat.

For the truly adventurous DIYer March 28, 2008

DIY cocktail umbrellas! I kid you not, an article in Handmade magazine from our Aussie friends features a howto article about it. They are super cute, but not sure that I’d have the patience for them. Here is a link to the article: http://www.handmade.com.au/extras/webex_umbrellas.php

Heirloom Bouquets March 28, 2008

There has always been the thought of how to incorporate special items into a bridal bouquet, but it’s going a little more mainstream. It is a simple way to incorporate the bride’s heritage, history, family traditions etc into the main “bride” item on the big day. Cameos, pearls, and other sparkleys of the past add a personal touch and sweet elegance to your wedding bouquet and will forever remind you of family. And of course, we have examples!

     

Roses roses everywhere March 27, 2008

I have a great flower site I used back during my own planning, for inspiration and color availability. http://www.fiftyflowers.com/ They have a great search feature where you can search flowers by color, or by type. It came in handy when I was talking with our florist and can help if you’re not sure what type of flowers you want/like but now what colors you want to incorporate.

You can also get a TON of rose petals for <$200. You can use them to line your aisle, or as part of your decor. Make sure you check with your venue before ordering and many have “no scatter” policies… mainly because they don’t want to clean them up.

Long holiday weekend March 26, 2008

Our long weekend, has turned into a lonnnnnnnnng weekend. But we’re back and were getting down to work once again. We have all sorts of posts coming up but our real work must come first, stay tuned.

And as a final reminder, our 20% off monthly special expires in just 5 days! It’s your last chance to get a substantial savings.

Sparkles March 21, 2008

I think by now everyone knows about ToppersWithGlitz.com. I myself feel victim to the rhinestone sparkles and ordered one for my own wedding (along with a matching cake serving set). It was a weak moment, what can I say, I blame it on the lure of the little rhinestones! All the toppers are gorgeous and completely made my hand, which I loved. I’m not a fan of the plastic bride/groom toppers, and after personal experience (what seems like forever ago), I completely recommend you check out this site. Toppers With Glitz

Monthly Special Reminder March 20, 2008

Just as a remember, there are only 11 more days before we change our monthly special. That means you still have 11 days to get 20% off any standard orders. We’ve had a ton of brides-to-be take us up on the offer and because it’s moved so far down our list of posts, we just wanted to give it one more go ’round for those who haven’t seen it yet.

Quick recap of the details: Any standard order will receive 20% off (pre shipping and applicable tax, if any, of course). There are no minimums or other gimmicks. We like to keep it as easy as possible. If you need Save the Dates, that’s 20% off. Invitations, RSVPs, Menus, Place cards, and thank you notes? That’s 20% off as well. The code to use is WP20, just type that into your order form ‘coupon code’ spot and you are done.

Who said you couldn’t get affordable letterpress?

Just what you never needed March 20, 2008

In the way of truly custom favors, we’ve found an off the wall one. This is something you would never have thought you wanted, and will probably never need, but it is our job to share and not to judge. We even made a sample one, we couldn’t resist. Yes, that’s right, custom fruit rollups. You can add pictures, or text. They come in a box of 30 for $29. Fruit rollups are good and all but… a good favor?

Another taste of coffee March 19, 2008

Another little inspiration for all the coffee bean centerpiece seekers. A gorgeous pumpkiny candle, and great ribbon wrap adds a personal touch.

From The Knot:

or a more Fall themed option

Coffee bean centerpiece resources March 19, 2008

We at Farfalla have not used any of these sites for coffee beans, so can’t vouch for their service, but their pricing seems fair, and some even offer free shipping. So where do you get the beans?

http://www.wholesalecoffeebeans.com/
http://www.coffeebeandirect.com/

The best bulk deal: http://www.ccmcoffee.com/index.php you can get 25-40lb boxes, instead of 5lb bags.

Love sweet love March 18, 2008

These are adorable sugar cubes. It may be a little too cutesy, but it’s also unique and I think most guests would think they are more sweet than cheesy.

From Sur La Table French heart sugar cubes.

Say what now? March 18, 2008

From NYT.com a timeless article about all the “must do” discussions before tying the knot. Most are common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many people you know that never discussed these things before (or even after) they choose to get married. How many have/will you discuss before saying “I Do”?

Questions Couples Should Ask (Or Wish They Had) Before Marrying
Marriage Is Not Built on Surprises (Dec. 17, 2006)

1) Have we discussed whether or not to have children, and if the answer is yes, who is going to be the primary care giver?

2) Do we have a clear idea of each other’s financial obligations and goals, and do our ideas about spending and saving mesh?

3) Have we discussed our expectations for how the household will be maintained, and are we in agreement on who will manage the chores?

4) Have we fully disclosed our health histories, both physical and mental?

5) Is my partner affectionate to the degree that I expect?

6) Can we comfortably and openly discuss our sexual needs, preferences and fears?

7) Will there be a television in the bedroom?

8.) Do we truly listen to each other and fairly consider one another’s ideas and complaints?

9) Have we reached a clear understanding of each other’s spiritual beliefs and needs, and have we discussed when and how our children will be exposed to religious/moral education?

10) Do we like and respect each other’s friends?

11) Do we value and respect each other’s parents, and is either of us concerned about whether the parents will interfere with the relationship?

12) What does my family do that annoys you?

13) Are there some things that you and I are NOT prepared to give up in the marriage?

14) If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move?

15) Does each of us feel fully confident in the other’s commitment to the marriage and believe that the bond can survive whatever challenges we may face?

More Coffee bean centerpiece ideas March 18, 2008

We’ve been getting emails about our coffee bean centerpiece post, requesting picture ideas, so we went hunting and pulled a few of our favorites. We’ll keep an eye out for some more, but these should get you started.

Choosing wedding colors March 18, 2008

If you need help with choosing wedding colors, check out this site that I LOVE: Color Palette Generator

You upload a photo, click create, and out pops a complete color palette complete with hex key color codes. You can use those codes to match ink colors for invitations, or even paint colors for you house. It’s super cool if you need a specific shade of blue, or green, or pink, or red, or yellow… you get the idea. Here’s an example.

Here is the original picture of some adorable glass table card holders that we used:

and the coordinating palette with a million uses:

With a twist please… March 17, 2008

I have always loved the look of fruit incorporated into centerpieces. It’s a fresh, springy fun touch. There is a natural bonus as well, lemon in the water will help maintain the color of your flowers (not that you NEED them to last very long, but hey, it’s good to know).

Great find! March 16, 2008

Many brides opt to do a few DIY projects, and I just read about a great site, so thought I’d share. Dollar Tree Direct basically it’s THE dollar tree store, but online. If you need any basic glass items, in bulk, I’d definitely check it out.  Happy shopping.

Letterpress Giveaway : Congratulations March 14, 2008

We had over 115 people enter the giveaway and our congratulations go to Sylvia from Monterey, California. Sylvia won the 50 letterpress invitations and RSVPs for her upcoming wedding in November. Thank you to all who entered, please stayed tuned for our next contest!

Elaine

Guest bag idea March 13, 2008

We had a Florida themed welcome bag for each of our guests filled with key lime, orange, and coconut goodies (and a little rum), and I think these lollipops would be a great addition for any Florida, beach themed, destination, or otherwise nautical wedding. Wrap them in a small cellophane bag, tied off with some gorgeous ribbon and you have another perfect, inexpensive treat. They would also make great inexpensive favors.

These are from Melville Candy

Sparkle Sparkle March 13, 2008

So the night is over, your feet are tired of dancing, you just want to get out of your dress and relax for 2 minutes…. but there is one last thing to complete, the send off! For years newlyweds have used bubbles, rose petals, and of course rice, but now there are so many more options.

Sparklers: like the Fourth of July kind. Makes for a great picture and more fun for guests. You can find them online at http://www.sparklersonline.com/

Fireworks: ‘go big’ with a full blown fireworks display. They are surprisingly more affordable than you might think. A 4-minute show would be plenty long. Check with your venue to see if they already have a contact. Also, be sure to inform your photographer that it will be part of the evening as they may need to bring a specific lens they don’t normally lug around to weddings.

Old School Fun March 12, 2008

We all remember “cootie catchers” right? You know those little fortune teller things you would make during math class in 7th grade that would end up telling you who you are going to marry, or how many kids you were going to have. Well they’ve now gone wedding related. They really are cute, not sure that I would use them as favors, but a cute, fun little wedding item never hurt anyone.

Letterpress Giveaway Update March 11, 2008

We’ve had a few people email us saying that were having a hard time submitting their info for the giveaway, so out of fairness, we’ve extended the entry period until this Friday. We’re announce the winner Saturday morning. Good luck to all your letterpress lovers.

-Elaine

Grimaldi Chocolate “Chips” March 9, 2008

Another sweet indulgence in the way of potato chips, are Grimaldi Chocolate Covered Potato Chips. They are a chocolatier in Melbourne, FL who makes the most delightful and insanely addictive chocolate covered chips. It doesn’t sound tasty, I completely understand your initial hesitation, but once you try them, they really are good. We used to have a woman who would stop by our offices when we were in FL to drop off a box once in awhile, we hated her for the unnecessary sweets, but loved her for the unnecessary sweets, all at the same time… it was a love/hate thing.

I recommend the dark chocolate.

Edible is best March 9, 2008

When it comes to wedding favors, the biggest hit will always be something edible. No one really needs a picture frame that has your wedding theme etched into the silver plating, nor does a guest truly have a need for a mug monogrammed with your newly married surname. Think chocolates or cool regional snacks (like crawfish potato chips in New Orleans). Whenever it doubt, go edible, your guests will thank you, and so will the crew designated to cleaning up your reception site. Non-edibles often times get left behind.

In addition, favors are not mandatory. Unless you have something unique and special between you and your new husband, thing about forgoing favors entirely.

Ahhhh…. nothing like a vacation. March 8, 2008

I’m getting the itch to travel again, after our honeymoon to Australia we’ve definitely cut back on leisure travel because it so exhausting to do all that flying, and hotel swapping. But it’s definitely been long enough and it’s time for some relaxing in the sun, or touring European museums. So in honor of my craving, I thought I’d share some fabulous honeymoon spots if you feel the need for some inspiration.

Africa and The Seychelles: What a fantastic trip this would be! Either alone would be amazing, but together, it would be a once in a lifetime trip. You can do the safari and wildlife adventures, and then relax on the white sands with a nice drink and spend the days snorkeling. Incredible.
    

Italy: Italy is always a fantastic idea, and a great introduction to any Europe newbies. The food is great, everything is easy to find, cars are not necessary… I would highly recommend it.

Letterpress and Thermo and Flat Printing… oh my! March 7, 2008

There have been a million things happening at once these last two weeks for Farfalla, a new office of course, and the more exciting part, new printing options!

We occasionally would opt for flat or thermography (raised) printing if a client made a special request, and now we are making it official by expanding our business to include thermography and flat printing full-time for all our products. Both as more budget friendly than letterpress and a great option for the brides-to-be. We are currently working on new price lists that reflect these options, but please feel free to email us if you would like to get a quote for your project Contact Us .

And don’t forget, until the end of March, you can deduct 20% from all normal orders.

Great gift for the husband-to-be March 6, 2008

Cufflinks are a standard gift idea for a wedding day gift, and there are some really cool ones to choose from. These are two beautiful ones..

But, these are by far my favorite, and would be a huge hit for any baseball fan. They are made from actual baseball stadium seats, how cool is that?! These ones are made from Yankee Stadium (blue) and Shea Stadium (red) seats. They also have Fenway Park, Wrigley and a bunch of others. I give them two thumbs up, your guy will love them if they are baseball fans.

  

Letterpress Giveaway! March 5, 2008

As a thank you to all the letterpress lovers out there, who are keeping us incredibly busy, we want to have a drawing. To enter you just need to visit:

www.farfallawedding.com

and make your way to the Contact Us page, enter your info and wait until Friday, March 8th when we will announce the winner here on our blog. What are the rules? Really, there aren’t many. You need to fill out the contact form, so we know how to reach the winner. You must submit the form before 12:01 am on March 8th, 2008. And you must love letterpress naturally.

What do you win? 50 free invitations in any existing or custom design. The details:
50: 5×7 one color letterpress invitations panels
50: envelopes with letterpress return addresses on the back flap
50: 3.5″x5″ RSVP cards, printed in one color letterpress
50: RSVP envelopes, with your address printed on the front

Additional sets or embellishments are not included, but available if needed. You may email us if you have any questions! Good luck.

Photo book guestbooks March 5, 2008

We got a ton of compliments about our guest book at our wedding. I used all our engagement photos and with the help of photoworks.com, I created our guest book. We made sure to leave plenty of white space for guests to write on and it was great, and a thousand times better than a list of attendees. People drew pictures, wrote little jokes, it is an amazing keepsake, and I highly recommend it. Here is a sample book from their site, granted it’s not wedding related, but they have a ton of options, and helpful layouts, it’s quick and super easy to do.

Adorable Cake Toppers March 5, 2008

Look at these adorable cake toppers, I love the sort of vintagey, handcrafted feel… these are so sweet and unique.

The best part of waking up… March 5, 2008

is Folgers in your cup. Well maybe not really, I can’t imagine grinds mixed with water would be delightful, but you get the idea. I digress…

There is a trend of using coffee beans as decorations. While a little unique, I say go for it. They smell delicious, have a gorgeous espresso brown color, now I can’t say I’m sure how the pricing would fall, but they must be less expensive than a huge flower arrangement if you are watching your pennies. Remember, quality of the bean doesn’t matter in this case, just bulk. You don’t need to spend extra for organic, or some artisan blend. Just the good old cheapest stuff would work well, just skip the Folgers and you’ll be fine.

Some design ideas would be to have a layer of the beans in a beautiful wooden box, and line up your tablecards in the beans. Gorgeous. Use a hurricane vase and fill it with beans, put a candle in the top, or use the beans to support a beautiful tall flower centerpiece. If you want to cut back on the number of beans, without sacrificing the “look”… sneak a tall pillar candle into the center of your hurricane vase, and surround it with beans. The candle with take up the space of at least two pounds of beans and no one will even notice.

If you want to round out the theme, give chocolate covered beans as favors, or a pound of coffee and some great unique mugs to each guest as a thank you.

Postage March 4, 2008

We all know by now that rates will be going up once again with our friends at the USPS. You may also be aware that the new “Wedding Stamps” design has yet to be revealed. While custom postage from various vendors will always be an option, why not consider the wide variety of choices from the USPS? The wedding stamps are cute, but there are tons more to choose from, and may better incorporate your personal wedding style.

Pros for using standard USPS stamps: You aren’t paying a surcharge for stamps. They actually have a lot of great ones. It’s easier and faster to make a trip to the local post office… I hate shipping wait times.

Look at these great stamps that some recent Farfalla Wedding clients have opted to use.

Gelato + Wedding Cake = March 4, 2008

Fabulousness! I heard a little rumor about gelato wedding cakes… and couldn’t imagine how it would work. Gelato is typically very soft, and very creamy.. not like traditional ice cream that can be hard frozen and cut with a knife ala Baskin Robbins ice cream cakes. But it is true, they do exist: Nosh Gelato and Mondo Gelato both offer cakes made from gelato, and Nosh Gelato boasts the wedding version. What a great idea. For the perfectly content gelato eater to get gelato instead of white cake, I give it two thumbs up.

* courtesy of mondogelato.com

Would a rose by any other name… March 4, 2008

From The Bride’s Guide a fabulous list of meanings for slightly less common flora. Just a little FYI for sentimental brides. Cheers!

• crocus: cheerfulness
• daisy: innocence
• dogwood: duration
• orchid: beauty
• forget-me-not: remember me
• freesia: innocence
• geranium: true friendship
• hellebore: calming
• lady’s mantle: comfort
• lilac: first emotions of love
• pansy: you’re in my thoughts
• peony: bashful
• pink jasmine: I attach myself to you
• ranunculus: radiant with charms
• snowdrop: hope
• sweet pea: delicate pleasures
• tulip: declaration of love
• white jasmine: amiability

Wedding of the Week : Deliciously Urban March 3, 2008

This week: Deliciously Urban. What does “deliciously urban” mean you say? It’s a little phrase that I take credit for creating during my years in NYC; it refers to anything that is reflective of being chic, urban, and having classically clean design… and it is so dripping with big-city stylings that you can just taste it.

Another sneak peek for tonight… March 2, 2008

A little peeky at tomorrow’s Wedding of The Week

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Exciting changes are in the works! March 2, 2008

We apologize for our absence recently from our brand new blog. We’ve been working on some exciting new changes to Farfalla including a move to a more roomy and grand office. Stay tuned for the news.We’ll give you a hint though. We are going to start offering new print methods in addition to letterpress. We’re very excited and hopefully so are you! But you’ll have to stay tuned for all the juicy details which should be along this weekend.

Farfalla letterpress discount… shhh February 28, 2008

Now, through the end of March, 2008, we are offering a 20% discount on our invitation ensembles in honor of our anniversary. Simply use code: WP20 on the order form and POOF! we’ll take it off for you, who knew it could be so easy?!

www.farfallawedding.com or www.farfallawedding.com/order.html.

There are no rules, other than you must order by March 31st at midnight. Cheers!

And remember, we have a special every month, select the Monthly Special section to the right to view the current month.

Fresh Envelope Linings February 27, 2008

We’ve found a great new outlet for accent papers that can be used as backing layers, or envelope liners. Here are a few of our favorites.

Tablecards vs. Placecards February 25, 2008

Just from planning FYI:

Tablecards instruct your guests to be seated at a specific table. Once they find their table they can select any seat they prefer. Tablecards can be issued as one per couple, or family. An example would be:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Table Twelve

or

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
Miss Ashley
Table Twelve

Placecards instruct your guests to be seated in a specific seat AT a specific table. Placecards are typically paired with a seating chart or other means for guests to narrow in on their table. Once they arrive at their table, they will look for their placecard and sit in their pre-selected seat. Placecards will be individual, each guest will require their own card, and no table number would be listed. An example:

Mr. John Smith

or

Mrs. John Smith
to include a child that would be lap seated with a parent, or otherwise is incapable of sitting in their own real seat, I would recommend:

Mr. (or Mrs.) John Smith
Miss Ashley

Wedding of the Week : Beach Weddings February 25, 2008

This week: Beach Wedding

Wedding of the Week February 25, 2008

Occasionally we have couples who don’t quite know what they want from their invitations, but they are having a “fill in the blank” wedding. So each week, in an effort to inspire, we’ll select a different wedding style and include inspiration pictures, fresh invitation designs, favor ideas etc.

Inspiration February 25, 2008

You can tell you love your work when every color, pattern, or piece of paper immediately gets turned into a new invitation design. This pattern and color palette will certainly be inspiration for some new letterpress designs.

No trees were harmed in the making of your invitations… February 21, 2008

Eco-aware, a little term we use around Farfalla to describe our work. What are we talking about? It means that we are aware of the environment and do all we can to help protect and nourish it. All our letterpress papers are 100% cotton. That’s right, no trees, not a single little limb, nor a leaf, nor a cute little sapling. Viva las trees!

Bigger is better… February 21, 2008

We’ve been thinking about our designs lately. Although everything we design is custom for each couple, there has definitely been a trend toward larger and more graphical artwork recently. It seems that gone are the days of soft dotted lines and swirls… and we love it! Using intense graphics adds to the overall feel of your event. We really love our Victorian design and it’s been really popular lately. We’ve printed versions of it in at least 6 completely different colors, and we can’t decide which one we love the most.

Letterpress is traditionally very delicate in our opinion, but by switching it up with detailed and bolder graphics, it’s like the love child of a ballerina and a football player. It’s aggressive, but still amazingly beautiful.

What does “Farfalla” mean? February 21, 2008

‘Farfalla’ means butterfly in Italiano. Italy is fantastico.

Farfalla has arrived. February 20, 2008

We did it! We took the plunge. After suggestions that we should jump on the blog bandwagon we decided it is a grand idea.

There are so many things we’d love to share with our clients, that are not necessarily invitation related, but there wasn’t really a good place to do it, so here we are. We plan to include all the lovely wedding ideas, items, and little randomness that we come across daily, and of course love with all our clients and regular visitors. But never fear, www.farfallawedding.com and our custom designed letterpress ensembles are still our main endeavor.