Event Planning

We are really excited to announce our new vintage range is now available to order! We have launched 9 stunning designs all of which have a handmade look but are completely printed – so there’s no fuss, there’s no spending hours assembling your cards, they are ready to go and look amazing too! The collections comprise of; Vintage Peony Shabby Chic Flowers Vintage Nautical Shabby Chic Bunting Vintage Damask Vintage Snowflakes Vintage Bunting and Love Birds Shabby Chic Polka Dot Roses Vintage Orchid Vintage Peony and Shabby Chic Flowers are probably my most favourite designs - although I love the others too! The Vintage Peony was created using a beautiful rustic image of a single peony and comes finished with twine and a hessian tag on which you can have your names printed in a vintage typewriter font to complete the look. The Vintage Flowers design is made up using a soft, delicate floral print and is finished with a heart shaped tag, cream twill ribbon, white lace and twine which runs around the centre. I think these designs are versatile and will compliment a vintage themed wedding very well. The next two designs were created using many different elements. They are both fun but stylish and unique in design. The Vintage Nautical is perfect for an overseas wedding or a UK coastal wedding. I love the way the subtle beach theme and the femininity of this design complement each other so well. The nautical theme was created using whitewash wood, sand, floral fabric, brass buttons, vintage brooch, grosgrain ribbon and a brass plate. Shabby Chic Bunting is fun and is bang on trend. The design comprises of a neutral textured background, ditsy print bunting, cream twill ribbon, fabric brooch, buttons, polka dot lace and vintage paper. The perfect choice for a vintage inspired summer wedding. Vintage Damask and Vintage Snowflakes were created with the colder, more wintery months in mind. The Vintage Damask was put together using old damask wallpaper, silver ribbon, lace, buttons and a vintage brooch consisting of a large smoky amethyst surrounded in diamonds. The Vintage Snowflakes is a very subtle winter inspired design. It oozes elegance and was created using a muted snowflake background, a luxury black satin ribbon, lace and a gold and pearl button to complete the look. I think they will both add a touch of glamour to any vintage winter wedding. Vintage Bunting and Love Birds was created in a way so that customers can change the colour to suit their colour scheme. The coral colour which runs along the bottom and the bride and grooms initials that appear on the tea light jars can both be changed to any colour off our colour palette (this can be seen in the additional images underneath the main image on the website). I love the intricate details of this design, like the small love birds that sit discreetly on the bunting at the top and the initials on the tea light jars that are suspended with string and the white bunting which gives it an understated look whilst maintaining the vintage feel. Shabby Chic Polka Dot Roses combine a mixture of colours and textures. It is made up using a subtle blue floral fabric, blue and pink organza ribbon, polka dot paper and a vintage tag which you can personalise with your names. It is a pretty design that would compliment a pale pink, hot pink or blue colour scheme – or a combination of all 3! Last but not least is the Vintage Orchid design. Purple, lilac and orchids have always been popular amongst our wedding customers which is why we came up with a vintage style orchid range. The invitation was created using a distressed orchid print, twine and a hessian tag of which can be personalised with your initials and a love heart adding that final touch. It is an elegant design that would suit a purple or lilac vintage style wedding throughout the different seasons. Free samples are available to order of all the designs shown above, click here to order now. Items in the Vintage range include; Save The Date Cards Save The Date Magnets Wedding Invitations Evening Invitations RSVP Cards Guest Information Cards Poem cards Envelope Seals Order Of Service Table Plans Table Names Menus Place Cards Personalised Wine Labels Favour Tags Lottery Ticket Holders Guest Book Thank You Cards I hope you love the designs as much as I do. I would love to see any photographs from your wedding displaying our new vintage range so please e-mail them in!

Here at The Card Gallery I have been working on a new and exciting vintage inspired stationery collection and I just can’t wait to share it with you! My aim was to create a range that looked handmade but wasn’t if that makes sense! All of the designs will be completely printed onto luxury 300gram Conqueror card so there will be no assembly and no fiddly bits to stick on. To create this look I put together vintage flower prints with ditsy fabrics, rustic twine, pretty ribbons, delicate lace, shiny buttons and much more and I hope you agree I have created some lovely vintage style designs. My personal favourites My personal favourite is the ‘Vintage Peony’ design. I love the way the twine and cute linen tag appears to wrap around the rustic print giving it a handmade feel. The tag can also be personalised with your names giving that added finishing touch. My other personal favourite is the ‘Vintage Nautical’ design. Here I have combined a whitewash wood effect background with sand, pretty fabric, a fabric brooch, buttons (one of which has an anchor on it), cross grain ribbon and an old brass plate on which the text appears. The full range will be launched in 2014, please follow us on facebook and twitter for up to date information on the range.

Pink is an all year round popular wedding colour – using dusky pink, cool greys and mauve can really help create a more wintery feel to your winter wedding. Here I have put together a collection of lovely ideas to create a beautiful ‘winter pinks wonderland’.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations or save the date cards are often the first snippet your guests will get of your wedding so it’s important to get it right! With a wide range of beautiful stationery out there it is really hard to make that final decision. Ordering free samples can often help as they will allow you to see the shade of pink so you can determine if it’s right for your big day. Here I have selected ‘Pink English Roses’ by The Card Gallery which is a traditional design with a modern twist.

Pink Flowers

Team up pink and cream roses with a splash of greenery to create your perfect winter pinks bouquet. Use hypericum berries, pine sprigs, skimmia to add texture and diamantes to add some winter sparkle.Foliage and flower decorations can take a pale less colourful bouquet to another level if you feel it looks washed out. Greenery is particularly important for your floral displays as it can give your flowers a more seasonal feel.

Bridesmaid

Dusky pink is an elegant winter wedding colour, plus there are lots of choices of dusky pink styles to choose from. This particular one I came across on www.pinkbridesmaid.co.uk is available in 9 different shades of pink and will include inch wide straps for younger bridesmaids. Just remember that bridesmaids don’t have to be dressed the same. You could try dressing the little ones in a contrasting ivory dress which contains a hint of dusky pink like this one I found on www.justdresses.co.uk

Decorating your venue

Accessories help set the mood and help create a winter wonderland for your special day. Try adding items like; Tea lights in frosted glass holders to add warmth and romance. Lanterns add a soft glow. Tall statement centrepieces filled with pink roses, ivy, white branches and hanging crystals to reflect the candle light. Ice carvings to bring the frosty outdoors inside. Luxury white table cloths with dusky pink napkins fastened with a large diamante embellishment. Follow your winter pinks theme through with matching table plan, table names, place cards, menus, favours, and guest book. Here are items from the ‘Pink English Roses’ range by The Card Gallery.

Rebecca Jones and Martin Rowley officially became Mr & Mrs Rowley on 13th November 2013 after tying the knot in Las Vegas. They opted for a destination wedding as they both wanted a small intimate wedding, inviting very close family only. They both quickly agreed that Las Vegas was going to be their chosen destination after holidaying there previously holding special memories for them. How they met They met through mutual friends and had previously been to the same secondary school (although never coming into contact before). Rebecca knew Martin was the one as soon as they had been introduced as there was so much chemistry between them. Length of Engagement They had been together twelve years before Martin decided to pop the question. He proposed in February over a romantic candlelit meal at their home in Telford, and Rebecca instantly said ‘Yes’! They had previously chosen her ‘diamond cluster’ ring together but the proposal date was a surprise … they wed 8 months later. Why Las Vegas? They decided they wanted to get married abroad as the cost was a lot cheaper than getting married in the UK. They chose Las Vegas as it was a place they had visited before and it held special memories for them. It was also quite straight forward to get married there with no minimum residency order required, all they needed was a wedding licence. The wedding ceremony could also be broadcast live over the internet which meant that their family and friends back home could also watch them get married … the whole thing seemed to come together perfectly, it was like a dream come true. Wedding Invitations Rebecca set her heart on having 'Vegas themed wedding stationery' so was delighted to find that The Card Gallery did a whole range of destination wedding invitations. Rebecca’s wedding dress Rebecca decided to go to the charity shop Barnados for her wedding dress as she had been told that they sold sample and end of line wedding dresses at the fraction of the price. She was amazed by how many beautiful dresses they had available and tried on several until she came across the ‘one’ (priced £150!). Wedding flowers & photographer Rebecca arranged her wedding flowers and photography through the Chapel Of The Flowers where her ceremony was to be held. She opted for a small elegant bouquet of pink and white roses. The photography package they selected was an onsite photo session with a professional photographer for the bride, groom and bridal party. Wedding Cake Their wedding cake was organised by the chapel also. They selected a red velvet single tier heart shaped cake decorated with elegant icing dots. Ceremony Rebecca and Martin were picked up from their hotel in a white limousine and were driven to the Chapel Of The Flowers in time for their ceremony which was to be held at 2.00pm. They had a 'regal ceremony' which was a non-religious ceremony and Rebecca was walked up the aisle by her father Trevor. Reception Their reception was held in a private dining room in the Canaletto Restaurant overlooking the action of the piazza at St Mark’s Square. They celebrated with a beautiful Italian inspired three course meal and Champagne. Rebecca’s advice to other brides If you decide you want to get married abroad don’t use a wedding company as you can quite easily book everything yourself once you have done your research on the internet. By doing this you can save money and it can also be less stressful as you are in complete control of your own wedding.

Where to begin? A fun and easy way of deciding on a theme is to create a mood board or journal. Try creating 2 or 3, for example a festive one, a winter pinks one one and a snowflakes one. On your mood board include cuttings from magazines, wedding invitation samples, bouquet ideas, colours for your bridesmaid dresses and so on. You may see one idea coming together more than another, or you may find that the cost of doing one idea is the deciding factor. Try and decide on a theme before you buy your save the date cards as these can often set the mood of your wedding, giving guests an insight into what’s to come. Continuing your winter inspired theme throughout your venue Your venue helps set the back drop for your romantic winter wedding. When selecting your venue look out for features like open fires, high ceilings, crystal chandeliers and large picture windows from which you can look out onto picturesque snow covered grounds. Your table stationery and table plan should then compliment your venue, bringing your chosen theme to life. Stationery to consider purchasing for your venue is as follows; Table plan Table numbers/names Menus Place cards Favour boxes Personalised wine bottle labels Guest Book Post box Cake boxes All of these items can be purchased from www.dottyaboutpaper.co.uk and can be personalised to suit. Natalie’s 5 winter wedding tips

• Choose carefully - If you're choosing your save the date cards or wedding invitations during the summer months then think ahead, don’t choose something too summery as it won’t look right against a venue decorated with festive garlands and ornate Christmas trees.
• Plan ahead - It’s a good a idea to send save the date cards out around a year in advance particularly if you’re planning a wedding around a busy time of year like Christmas. The earlier you tell your guests you're getting married, the sooner they can mark it on their calendar. Formal invitations can then follow around 3-6 months before the date of your wedding.
• Save money where you can - Save money by popping your save the date cards inside your Christmas cards for example, this will not only save buying double the amount of postage stamps but will save time too.
• Be organised - Beat the Christmas rush and avoid disappointment by ordering your final bits of wedding stationery early, it’s often a very busy time of year for everyone and you don’t want to end up with no table plan or order of service for instance.
• Enjoy it – Don’t turn into the next bridezilla, being stressed will not get you anywhere, it's meant to be a happy occasion so be happy!

Matching envelope seals are this month’s ‘must have’! After recently adding them to our website they have been increasingly popular amongst wedding customers! Envelope seals can be purchased to match your save the date cards, wedding invitations, thank you cards and so on, and add that perfect finishing touch! The most popular envelope seal designs over the past few weeks have been Add Your Names, Silver Rings, Cream English Roses, Victorian Lace, Falling Snowflakes and Winter Reindeer. At only £4.50 for 70 self adhesive seals they offer excellent value for money and even come with free delivery too!

Product details

~ Each pack contains 70 self adhesive seals. ~ Design is printed onto a white seal measuring 25mm. ~ Easy to use, no mess, no fuss and travel well in the post. ~ Free UK Delivery

I love shopping, especially around Christmas time when the shops are full of lots of glitter and sparkle, it makes it all the more magical! Here are a few accessories that I've spotted that would compliment your wedding tables if you're tying the knot around the festive period.

click on images below for full product details

There is something magical about getting married at Christmas. With family and friends already in the mood for celebrating, venues decorated with elaborate Christmas trees, festive floral decorations and luxury garlands you already have a good foundation to build on.

Christmas Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are perfect for setting the mood or theme of your wedding so think carefully about what you choose. If you are buying invitations during the summer months, you perhaps are not feeling wintery or Christmassy but you will be when you get married so think ahead. Lots of general wedding invitations can fit in with a Christmas wedding, for example red roses are a classic choice but still compliment a Christmas wedding beautifully. Other invitations you may like to consider are ‘Falling Snowflakes’ or the fun and quirky ‘Winter Reindeer’ design. Just remember you can follow the theme of your invitation throughout your wedding, having matching order of service, table plans, placecards and even thank you cards all of which can be personalised to suit your needs.

Winter Wedding Dresses

A crisp white wedding dress against a luxurious fur jacket or cape will look stylish on your big day, so there will be no need for you to be cold. Cover ups can be purchased from high street retailers and specialist wedding shops and allows you the option for you to remove when you’re indoors. If you love the ice queen look then follow the theme through and accessorize with a fur and crystal encrusted hair piece and muffer to keep your hands warm. Your bridesmaids can accessorize with a posy style bouquet featuring ice blue ribbon, clear crystal jewels and white flowers.

Venues

When planning my own wedding, my venue was one of the most important details of my day. I wanted something idyllic, that would detach me from the outside world and would be a beautiful backdrop for my wedding photo’s. I would recommend that you spend some time visiting venues, you won’t know if it ‘feels right’ until you go there. I knew when I pulled up at my venue that it was ‘the one’, I hadn’t had that feeling previously. If you are visiting a venue in the summer months then you have to consider that it will look quite different in the middle of winter. Perhaps ask what the place will look around Christmas time, what decorations will they put up? Do they have Christmas party nights, and will it affect you? Make a list of questions and don’t be afraid to ask, after all you’re paying good money and you won’t want any unwanted surprises!

Bouquets & Centrepieces

Red roses are a perfect choice for a Christmas bride. They can be complimented with holly, cinnamon sticks, hypericum berries, candles and seasonal greenery for your table centrepieces, adding warmth to your room on a cold winter’s day. Your local florist should be able to show you photos of Christmas bouquets and arrangements so you can get a better idea of what’s possible.

It can be really difficult when it comes to buying a special gift to thank your attendants for helping out during your wedding day. It may take a while to find those perfect bracelets for your bridesmaids, ot just the right bouquet for your mum - but when it comes to the boys, what on earth do you get them? We have heard from lots of brides and grooms who have bought just the right thing for their male attendants - from Xbox's to flying lessons, there have been some fabulous gifts. But what if you are on a budget and want to opt for something that's more of a token gift? Here at The Card Gallery, we have a special area dedicated to the guys: our wedding socks and cufflinks section! Wedding socks and cufflinks are a great solution as they are affordable, the men can wear them on the day, and they get to keep them afterwards. We have a great range for the groom, best man, ushers, groomsman, father of the groom, father of the bride, brother of the groom, and brother of the bride. Why not take a look online and get the gifts for your special menfolk today!