Ultimate Weddings Live

First big event for Design of Affection took place on the 17th and 18th of May at Ultimate Weddings Live in Punchestown. What a fantastic weekend of chatting with various vendors and excited couples. I couldn't believe the feedback from both vendor and public about my stand - I was over the moon!

I tried to make my stand interactive and colourfully appealing to encourage people to look at my products and chat to me about their weddings (the sweets probably helped!) 

As well as the invitation collections I had ceremony 'booklets', table numbers, menus, place names and more. Because these items are generally quite small I felt I needed something larger to let people from a distance know there was something good to look at...hence the use of directional arrows and the almighty personalised peep board! Despite some people being a little hesitant, others were up for getting their photo taken. 

During the weekend I ran a competition using a Signature Board idea, again to make it more interactive. This was really successful as you can see below... (left = before the show, middle = after day one, right = after day two). 

Overall, it was a great experience of marketing my own material and service which resulted in interest and bookings, I couldn't have asked for more. I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to exhibit at a wedding show!

Classic invitations

Not all invitations have to be flamboyent or themed, perhaps you like something more classic and simple.

This invitation uses a delicate script with calligraphic ornaments to frame the text. To add something a little special, the invite is mounted to a pearlised card complimenting the colour of the text and small diamantes brighten the corners.

Staggered Invitation

This staggered wedding invitation is another interactive design for your guests. It holds all the information you need to give them in one neat package which stays connected while you rotate each page.

As with all invitations the design possibilities are endless. This design uses the couples initials to create a pattern that is used throughout the invitation as a faint background.

The other nice design feature of this invitation is the brass fastener (or brad), these are available in many shapes and designs. I chose a simple brass fastener for this design however the variety out there is amazing, so no matter if you want simple, or something inkeeping with your theme I'm sure it's out there.

Emma & Darren's Wedding

This was my first taste of being involved in a wedding from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it.

Being a close friend of the Bride I wanted to make sure the special day was topped off with special design. The brief was simple, winter themed and purple, so I designed an ornate snowflake in a deep purple similar to the colour of the bridesmaid dresses.

The design for print started with Save the Dates followed by a beautifully presented invitation package tied together with purple satin ribbon and a snowflake.

For the special day, in early December 2013, the printed designs included outdoor direction signage, ceremony booklets, table menus, a seating plan, table numbers, kid's activity books, and a 'signature' board for the guests to leave a message.

One special addition to the wedding was a photobooth with a difference. As the groom is a winchman in the Irish Coast Guard, what better than a printed helicopter with the windows cut out. This went down a storm not only with the younger guests but the adults as well!

Photo's taken by www.shaneosullivan.ie, Andrew Ferguson & Meghan Ferguson.

Gate Fold Invitations

The beauty of creating wedding invitations is that the design encompasses not only the graphics created but a variety of materials. What makes Design of Affection stand out is that we merge professional graphic design with beautiful materials to create your perfect Wedding Stationery.

Gate fold invitations tease the guests by showing just a little information before they open it up to reveal all.

Below are two completely different gate fold invitations designs, the first is based on graphics, the second is based on use of material. 

Heart design with twine bow, reflecting the graphics, to close. 

Laser cut gate fold with satin ribbon and pearl embellishment, and classic invitation.

Tying the Knot

I love this idea of literally tying the knot when the guest opens their invitation. Although I have created a nautical theme which the thin rough twine creating a knot compliments perfectly, other materials can be used to tie the knot; ribbon, thread, wool, etc. to complete the look of your design.

Petal Fold Invitations

Elegance... I love the petal fold invite. This sample uses white satin ribbon to keep the pochette closed. On the ribbon is a small card with the initials of the couple and 2 pearl embellishments. Once opened there is a belly band holding the invite and RSVP together. In this instance the belly band is printed paper however it can also be textured paper or ribbon depending on preference and what compliments the main design.

This petal fold design is quite traditional however it doesn't have to be, the pochettes are available in a variety of colours and the design will be reflective of your day.