Appointment with Barbara

I met with Barbara yesterday evening at the Starbucks in Woodmere to show her invitation samples. She loved the pocket invitations as well as our stepped invitations, and 4 of our catalog invitations. I just sent her some photos for her and her fiance to narrow down. There's a lot of choices, but that's how we can cater to everyone's styles!

Ryann and Matthew

I finished Ryann and Matthew's invitations the other day. They ordered from our Affordably Inviting line and used our hand addressing service. This is an extra service we offer so you don't get cramped hands addressing your envelopes! Please inquire about this ssevice at your consultation! We also offer computerized calligraphy as well as hand written calligraphy for your envelopes.

Happy Holidays

I also wanted to update about my wonderful Christmas. I was in Indiana with my and my husband's family. The highlights for me were getting to see my nephew Noah (he can walk now!) and my husband giving me a surprise gift of a Cricut diecutter! I's a really cool machine that I am so excited to try out and play with. I will get a lot of use out of it and will be able to come up with more invitation styles!! So I have a lot of expereimentation ahead, but hopefully a lot of neat invitations will come of it.

Finishing Touches

Today I am working on the finishing touches on the sample books for my new Sales reps! Nikki DiGuiseppe (my sister in southern Indiana) and Amy Sample (my best friend from college in Indianapols). I am so excited to get them started. We already have business lined up for Amy in Indy generated from the Knot. She's excited as well to start on a new venture. We will be jump starting Nikki's sales with a bridal show in Louisville this Sunday (Jan 3rd). I'm also getting ready for that - leaving tomorrow! I've been a busy girl with all of this, appointments and making invitations! But it's so worth it, I love doing it!

New Years Resolution

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to blog more. I haven't been blogging as much as I should for JDK Invitations, but that will all change in the new year. I will be keepting the blog updated with all of the happenings with JDK. So stop back often!

New locations!

I've updated our website today to reflect 2 new locations of JDK Invitations coming soon! The first is Indianapolis, Indiana where my friend Amy Sample will be a sales consultant and support the Indy area. The second is Lousville, KY/southern Indiana where my sister Nikki DiGuiseppe will be selling. I'm so excited to expand this much already! And I know both of them will do really well. Check out our contact page to contact either of them. I hope to have them both up and running at the start of the new year. Yay!!

2 consultations today

I know it's been a while since the last blog update, but things have been busy! I (Jeana) found out that I am pregnant, so doctors appt's and such have been keeping me busy!
On to wedding invitations! I had 2 consultations today on the East side of Clevelad.
The first was with Laura Miller and her mom Rhonda. Laura wanted more of a traditional look -so I showed her invitations from our McPherson's Affordably Inviting Book. She picked a beautiful cream seal and send invitation with a floral design - very classy. This consultation went quick, they knew exactly what they wanted, and Laura had to get back on a plane to NJ where she lives! And I found out her fiance is from Switzerland - how cool!

My next consulation was with Jenna Wolfberg and her mom. Jenna was looking for something modern. She found this in our custom side pocket invitation. We put together the colors of metallic pewter, black, and metallic snow white. We are also going to do a custom monogram for her and her fiance to be used throught her invitations and accessories. We will also be doing circle menus (love them!), thank you cards, and placecards.

Photos of samples to come!

Julia and Chris

I met with Julia and her mom last night in Fairview Park - I loved them! Julia wanted to do aqua, black, and white. They especially liked our custom invitations--our long jacket invite and our triple layer invite. Julia had a hard time narrowing down her choices (we can't blame her!), so I am going to send her photos of both invitations so she can think about it. This is a good option for brides with time to spare (she isn't getting married until July). She will then decide and I will do an exact sample for her to sign off on.

Heather and Will

I am now back from a wonderful Western Europe vacation. It was amazing! Before I left I met with Heather and Will, getting married next August. Heather's mom found us on the web, go Heather's mom! I met them at Heather's house and went over potential invitations. They loved our custom pocket invitations, as well as some samples in our Affordably Inviting Carlson Craft catalog book. I am working on some samples now of our customized invitations, I hope they love them! Heather and Will were nice to meet with, really easy going and agreeable. Their colors will be black, white, and raspberry. Here's 2 samples I did for them:

Rachel and Robbie

Just got back from a great meeting with a client in Lakewood. Rachel and her fiance Robbie live in Cleveland for the time being, but are from California, and are getting married in California in January. I will be working on sample invitations, save the dates, and placecards for them. Their reception will be held at a venue in the desert with beautiful views! Their colors are deep purple/plum and silver. I suggested adding a charcoal gray and cream to the mix. Here's 2 sample invitations I did for them as well as a Save the Date and placecards:

Mary Ellen and Jason

I met with Mary Ellen and Jason yesterday evening for their consultation. Their wedding sound slike a blast, they are having a very casual ceremony and picnic reception at Meadow Ridge Farm in Windsor, Ohio. It is a huge field of 140 acres with a pond where they've had festivals and concerts. They are having a tons of activities at their reception and are offering the option for their guests to camp out that night as well. Sounds like fun! They wanted an outdoorsy invitation, we discussed a floral image in yellow, forest green, and pink on white stock with a tropical green backing layer and a tropical green outer envelope. I can't wait for them to get their sample!
Here's photos of their sample:

New Photos

I've added some new photos of invitations we have been working on to the site. Hope you like them! We have also added more invitation styles and patterned papers to our line, so make an appointment soon to see them in person!

Networking

Last night I met Heidi of Heidzillas - Wedding Consultaton and Day of Coordination. She is pretty amazing, she started her business about a year ago and has had so many weddings so far! Check out her web site @ http://www.heidzillas.com/. She has a great blog with photos of all the wedding she has done so far.

Incorporating Wedding Colors into your Invitations and Inspiration

Do you have your wedding color (s) picked out yet? Are you having a theme with specific colors? If not, and you are having trouble choosing, remember that inspiration can come from anywhere. It could be the color of your favorite flower, the lace from your wedding dress, the colors of your ceremony/reception venue, or from the season in which your wedding will take place. Are you getting married in a church, on a beach, at a resort, or a garden? All of these venues have different elements that can be brought into your wedding invitations. What are your and your fiance's personalities - do you love taking photos? a photo invitation would be ideal, do you love to travel? this can be incorporated. We at JDK Invitations can help you if you feel you are stuck and cannot think of ideas.

Here are some color combinations we love:

Cream & Aqua
Slate Gray & Ruby
Black & Turkoise
Brown, Orange & Yellow
Winter - Brown, Tan, Wine, Pink
Spring - Green & Pink or Aqua & Orange
Summer - Pink, Red, Coral or Yellow, Royal Blue, Turkoise or Orange, Champagne & Fuchsia
Fall - Moss Green, Navy Blue, Baby Blue, White or Borwn & Lavender or Sage, Maroon, Baby Pink, or Yellow, Gray, White

Etiquette - When Parents are Divorced

A hesitant area many engaged couples come across is how to word their wedding invitations if they have divorced parents in their families. The appropriate way to word the names of the parents of the bride who are divorced is to have the Mother of the Bride on the first line, the Father of the Bride on the second line, and leave out the word “and” in-between the names.

If there is a close relationship between a step parent and you wish to include them, add his or her name along with the parent. Etiquette rules say not to include a step parent, but rules don’t always have to be followed! Especially if it going to damage a relationship. Wedding are to gather loved ones in our lives for a joyful occasion, not to create distress and uneasiness.

Revamped website!

I have revamped the jdkinvitations.com website! There are still some links to go, but most of it is up. Phew! Take a look, hope you like it!

Rosalee and Patrick

I met with Rosalee and Patrick this morning. They are getting married in August of 2010, so they are ahead of the game! I love when couples plan well in advance, the it's smooth sailing for much of their engagement. They both liked the Affordably Inviting Catalog book and picked out the Silver Hearts Invitation - very nice choice! Rosalee had her heart set on ribbon (pink), and even though the catalog invitations don't come in her choice of ribbon color, we may be using our own. Even though they are catalog invitations, customization can still be done.

Angela and Bob

Here are the invitations I did for Angela and Bob this week. Angela called me just in time!--She needed invitations fast, her and her fiance are getting married in August! I met with both of them the very next day at their home to go over samples.

Angela expressed that she didn't want to spend a lot of money, but also didn't want to compromise the style and elegance of her invitations. We worked together to put together a triple layer invitation. Rose Metallic cardstock as the bottom layer, a black and white polka dot pattern in the middle (Angela loved the polka dots!) and a white printed layer. I sent her an actual sample and she loved it. At first she wanted to go with a rose satin ribbon, but decided against it when she got her sample.

Angela also went with an RSVP postcard (less on postage and very trendy!). I turned around her invitations in a week and a half and she was very pleased. Thank you Angela and Bob and good luck with your wedding...it's coming up quick!

Back from vacation!

JDK Invitations is back from vacation!


We now offer Catalog Invitations! Come in to see our new Affordably Inviting book. You won't want to miss it. The prices are great and you don't have to compromise on style. Here is some further info about the Affordably Inviting Invitation line:

Includes wedding invitations in a variety of economical layout options. Coordinating accessories help create a beautiful wedding at an affordable price. • Contemporary, traditional, and young love
• Seal N' Send invitations and perforated response post cards
• "We Print" choice of ink color, type style, verse and layout
• Accent ribbons, embellishments and invitation wraps
Retail price range per item based on 100: $.59 to $1.98

Vacation!

Jeana will be on vacation (on the beach!) from 7/3 to 7/11. She will be answering all calls and messages. Have a great 4th of July!

2 New Invitations!

Here are 2 new invitations that I have been working on. The first has a rhinestone monogram and the second has a thread monogram. Hope you enjoy!

Question: Do I really need Save the Date Cards?

If you are inviting guests who live out of town, you are having a destination wedding, or are getting married on a busy holiday weekend, the answer is yes. Save the date cards are announcements to your famiy and friends telling them the date of your wedding, asking them to reserve the day for you. They also are a fun way to get your guests excited about your wedding.

Accommodations and travel reservations for your guests will be far less expensive if booked in advance. Guests also need advance notice to request vacation time from their employer. The minimum amount of time to send out Save the Dates is 4-6 months prior to the wedding, and the maximum is 12-15 months in advance. You may want to match your invitations, or make them a more fun annoucement, or include a photo. Some options are cards with envelopes, postcards, or magnets. Magnets are great because they serve as a consant reminder.

Items that must be included are the bride and groom's names, the wedding date, and location (city and state). Also add the line, "Formal invitation to follow", so your guests know they will be getting more details closer to the wedding date (invitations should be sent 6-8 weeks ahead).
It is recommended that you send out of town guests travel, hotel, car rental, and special events or area attraction information for them to plan. Most hotels will let you block a number of rooms for your guests to reserve at a discounted rate. Make sure to tell guests to mention your wedding when booking.

New Invitations

Here are some new invitations I have been working on for 2 couples.

First are the invitations I did for Jessy Jarrous and Jeff Oslin. Jessy and Jeff had some trouble choosing between a tea length invitation and a single layer with vellum invitation. I made 2 samples for them (1 of each style, so they could make their decsiion). They ended up picking our Single Layer Invitation in Metallic Opal with a patterned vellum to lay on top. Jessy was fixed on having a bow, so we added a black satin ribbon in a bow to the top of the invitation, tied around the invitation. We also did insert cards to match in the metallic opal stock and metallic ruby outer envelopes for a pop of color.

The second invitations shown here were for Andrea Bees. I met Andrea at a restuarant to go over our invitations since she lives in Columbus, and was on her Spring Break in Cleveland. She is getting married in Cleveland, so she chose vendors in Cleveland as well. Andrea really liked our patterns, a black and white one in particular, and her color was lavender. I made a triple layer invitstion. The bottom layer was a lavender stock, the secind layer was a black and white patterned paper, and the top layer was her invitation in metallic ice gold, with black ink. We added a satin bow in tropical lilac. Andrea saw our triple layer sample which had a lined outer envelope to match the pattern, so she decided to go for that as well.

Another item to mention, these 2 girls chose 2 very low-cost invitations, and they turned out beautifully. We show you that you don't have to spend a lot to have wedding invitations you love.

Sun Sentinel Article

A story about JDK Invitations is in this week's Sun Sentinel. Check it out!
http://www.cleveland.com/sun/pdfs/sunsentinel.pdf
To view the whole story, see the Sun Sentinel

Here also is a blog about the story:
http://blog.cleveland.com/thesun/2009/04/avon_lakebased_jdk_invitations.html

Saving Money with JDK Invitations

You don't have to cross anyone off your guest list to save money on your wedding invitations. Here are 10 of our suggestions that can help you save money, but still beautifully set the tone for your wedding.

1. Go with a less bulky invitation style, such as our single, double, or triple layer invitations...as low as $140 for 100! While pocket invitations are great and keep insert cards organized, they also add more weight, which means more in postage. Now that postage rates are going up again, this will be a big help for your budget. Choose from any of our low-cost add-ons to dress up our layered invitations - such as ribbon, paperbands, rhinestones, customized designs, etc.
2. Try a mailable invitation such as our Pochette or "Petal" invitations. These enclose the invitation and insert cards, and act as an outer envelope, so another outer envelope is not needed, therefore saving money. These invitations include a clear seal to close the invitation for the mail.
3. Use our RSVP postcard instead of an RSVP card with an envelope to save on postage. Adding a postcard stamp is a lot cheaper than a first class stamp. Or you could totally eliminate the RSVP card by printing RSVP info on a seperate card--adding an email address or phone number to respond to. You would not need to stamp anything except your outer envelope!
4. Hand deliver invitations to people you see often to save on postage.
5. Choose a standard size invitation - we offer a lot of nice square styles if your heart is set on them, but the postage for a square style is unfortunately more.
6. Put your reception information on the bottom of your formal invitation. Especially if the ceremony and reception are at the same venue, this would eliminate the need for a seperate reception card.
7. None of our invitations include inner envelopes, which are more of a relic from the past that an invitation necessity. By not using an inner envelope, there is less bulk in the outer envelope, which means less postage.
8. Proofread, proofread...proofread! Have at least 2 other people read over your invitation and insert cards when you receive our sample proof. Errors found after invitations have been printed will be more costly.
9. Use black ink for your invitation and insert cards, which is already included in the price.
10. Call us and schedule an appointment to find out how you could save even more money with JDK Invitations. We will make suggestions to make sure you stay within your budget.

Question: Traditional or Contemporary/Modern Invitations?

Wedding Invitations have changed a lot through the years. In the past, invitations were either white or ivory. While beautiful, they were also very plain. Todays invitations are truly a reflection of the couple. Color, patterns, and creative graphic design play a huge role in todays invitations. Most also include some sort of accessory, such as ribbon, lined envelopes, a seal or tag with the couples names, and even rhinestones to name a few. You can let your creativity run wild. We have all of the creativity, materials and know-how to make sure your invitations exceed your every expectation. It doesn't have to be expensive either! --we work with any budget, big or small. We also will work with you with any ideas you may have. We have recently worked with a groom who is an artist, to add a watercolor that he painted to his and his fiance's invitations.

Also, we are giving 10% off to those who order before May 1st, so contact us today!

www.jdkinvitations.com

JDK Collections

The website now reflects our new JDK Collections with patterned papers in 7 different categories. You may choose any invitation style and use a patterned paper as your background paper choice. Browse each collection, have fun, and call us when you choose your favorite to place an order!

www.jdkinvitations.com

Bridal Show Photos

Here are some photos of our booth at Sundays Bridal Show.

Well Sunday was our Bridal Show and everything went great! I am writing this now, and not Sunday, because I am just not re-cooperating from the exhaustion! But it was worth it. We had so much interest and everyone loved our booth. I'm glad because there was a lot of hard work put into it. We had many people sign up for consultations (they get 10% off their order!) and gave away 1,000 favors with our business card attached.

We met a lot of brides and their families, as well as some other vendors we hope to collaborate with. We also met some artists who wanted to send us a file of their work to add to their invitation. This is a great idea! It's very unique and shows their personality.

I met a lady named Laura Lynch who does hand-drawn wedding map cards. She sent me some of her work and I love it, We're going to try to market these. They are beautiful pieces of art.

This week we are setting up consultations for the brides who signed up on Sunday. If you couldn't make it to the show, just give us a call! 216-401-2861.

More to come!

Today we are going to set-up for Sundays Todays Bride Bridal Show. We are very excited! We hope to see you all at the show, tomorrow from 10-5 at Cleveland's I-X Convention Center. We are at booth #907 and also have our sample books in the "invitation gallery".