This is an amazing opportunity to meet people from all over the country while visiting one of the greatest cities in the world. For the people who have never been to a stationery show it can be overwhelming and incredible at the same time. This one we’re attending is the National Stationery Show so there will be thousands of vendors. Note to self: comfy shoes are a must. 

We will be spending two whole days there seeing everything from scrap booking ideas, personalized products, bridal accessories, and of course custom invitations. As a business owner it’s always good to scope out your competition and I can’t wait to see whose invitations they have on display at the show. At this show we will get an intake of everything stationery there is, which will be great for the growing stationery side of my business. I offer matching stationery to my invitations and the more I know then the more I’ll grow. With that said, We can’t wait to jet off towards the big city!

We hope to give you the inspiration you need and bring a smile to your face! Thanks and I hope you return weekly to see our posts! Also, check out the invitations, stationery and photo boards by Julie Hanan Design for your wedding or event!!!

• Theme – Keep an open mind when you look at invitations. Imagine this invitation in your colors, something that corresponds with the bridesmaids dresses, venue and flowers. Ordering a sample is important so you can get a feel of the quality of cardstock and printing that is used.

• Design – What one bride loves, another hates. If you are looking to stay traditional, choose something that is classic, timeless and elegant. For a more modern, outgoing bride look for clean lines and bright colors.

• Cardstock – Invitation designers will have multiple cardstocks to choose from. Smooth, textures, or metallics, are just a few! Choose one that will correspond with the theme of the wedding or somethingthat will enhance your invitation.

Before you search for a invitation designer, have an idea of what you want, and most importantly, HAVE FUN! Create something you will want to showcase instead of throwing it away in the garbage!

Blues, Golds, Purples, Browns and Silvers are a few colors that really shine as a metallic.

Here are some interesting metallic ideas that you can use...

• Fabric Confetti – Instead of your traditional rice or rose petals, metallic fabric confetti will add some sparkle to your send off. We are green here at JHD, so remember to clean up and recycle!
• Metallic papers for your invitations – Instead of a matte envelope, choose a metallic
• Florals – If you use branches as a centerpiece, spray the branches in a metallic color. A unique idea is to incorporate a brooch or button bouquet 
• Shoes – metallic shoes are hot! Wearing them out or wearing them during your wedding will surely turn the eyes of your guests
• Table Runners – Add some glitter to the table
• Desserts – Fondant is widely use as it's easy to mold. It can be sprayed in any color, so pop some metallic here!
• Bridesmaid Dresses – Make sure you don't get tacky here! Silver and gold metallic dresses have to be chosen wisely
• Dinner Plate Chargers – Bring a dazzle to your table by adding a simple dinner plate charger.
• Chairs – Some venues off a vintage gold or silver chair. If they don't incorporate a metallic color chair tie.
• Fabrics – Use metallic chair covers, table cloths or if you want to add a big pop, drap metallic fabric from the ceiling to the floor.

The Bridal Association of America says that the average cost of wedding invitations are $659 for 100 invitations. This includes the invitation, envelope, RSVP card and envelope. Here at JHD, we work with your budget to bring your invitation dreams to life. A couple of things to keep in mind while choosing your perfect invitation so you don't break the bank are the following....

Budget: Just because the average is $659, for 100 invitaions, that is approximately $6.60 a piece, doesn't mean that $659 is your budget. Come up with a number that you are comfortable with and keep in mind that adding layers and embellishments will increase your cost.

Type: The type of wedding invitation you choose will affect the cost of the invitations. Decide wether a flat panel invitation or a pocket invitation is the right style for you. At JHD our flat panel styles start at $2.75 and $4.75 for pocketfolds.

Design: We offer 25 different designs to match the style of you wedding. Keeping it simple yet elegant to fit within your budget! Don't see one that you like? We offer custom designs for a flat fee of $250.

Quantity: How many wedding invitations do you need? Please note, just because you have a guest list of 200, you don't need to send out 200 invitations. It is important that you gather an accurate count of how many invitations you will need prior to ordering. We recommend ordering an additional 10 - 15% to account for last minute changes and add on's, post office mistakes and to save some as keepsakes! Don't forget to figure in these extra invitaitions into your inital count, as order extra's later can get costly, and may not be possible.

Don't Forget About Accessories!: Getting accessories for your wedding invitations can make a huge impact on your invitation. A little ribbon, twine or fringe can go a long way. Decide which embellishments compliment your theme, or talk to your stationery designer about recommendations that will "wow" your guests!

Below are a few of our most popular designs from our Build Your Invite Collection. All of these designs are available as a flat panel and pocketfold style and you customize to fit with your style and budget! To find out more information please contact us!

Thank you again to all the awesome vendors involved in this shoot!

Photographer –  Julia Franzosa Photography  \ Wedding Planner – Naturally Yours Events  \ Bridal Gown - Mignonette Bridal  \ Cakes – Luscious Layers Bakery  \ Pastries - Floriole  \ Floral – Larkspur  \ Stationery and Paper Products - Julie Hanan Design  \ Table – Architectural Artifacts  \ Wall Artwork - Emmy Star Brown \ Makeup Artist - Makeup Your Beauty \ Hair Stylist – Erica with Lather Salon  \ Veil and Accessories - Violet Bells  \ Model- Jill Nyquist

After months and months of waiting and anticipation, our new website and new product line is finally live! Thank you so much to all the people involved in putting this together, and a big thank you to Omar from Dios Design. We are so happy with how it turned out.

To some of you who saw our old website, you may be thinking... this doesn't really look much different? What did she change? Well, here is a list of some of the changes that you may want to see:

• New footer on all the pages with contact information, blog, etc.. 
• Brand new product galleries with our new, featured, "Build-Your-Invite" collection
• Separate image gallery with our one-of-a-kind photo placecard boards!
• New process and updates on our FAQ and policies
• Broken down pricing pages so you can easily tell how much you'll be spending on our products
• Our blog is now integrated into our website!

Have some thoughts or ideas about the website? We'd love to know what you think! Your comments and questions are strongly encouraged and please stay tuned to see the new updates over the next few months!

 -Julie