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December 26, 2014

Let it Rain! How to Plan for Rain on Your Wedding Day

Filed under: DIY Wedding Ideas — PDWriter @ 9:51 am

rainy day

Outdoor weddings are becoming more and more popular every year.  Perhaps it is because an outdoor wedding offers elements of freedom and chance which are lost in the certainty of an indoor space.

However, with that freedom comes the necessity of dealing with the unexpected elements, such as rain.

Rain might seem disastrous when it comes to the most important day of your life but, with a few genius tips and a back-up plan, it doesn’t have to ruin the event.

Plan for Rain, Don’t Hope it Won’t

If your wedding falls in a month with any chance of rain, plan as if rain is a certainty.   If it does rain, you’ll be able to act with certainty instead of wasting time trying to figure out what to do in the moment or collapsing in tears.

Have Tents Available

Even if you want to do without tents or canopies if possible, have them available just in case. While they may not be ideal in some cases, it is important to think of the comfort of your guests.  Another great option is to plan to have the reception under tents that way you can move to the space quickly if necessary.

Choose Water Proof

Another way to rain-proof your big day is to rain-proof it! Choose a hair style that will look great wet or dry, bridesmaid dresses that can withstand elements, umbrellas that worth with your colors, and bring in some stepping stones for the aisle if needed.

Keep Them Warm

Remember to keep your guests warm. Consider serving warm drinks and having fire pits.

Make Rain Prep Camera Ready

Rain or no rain—you can still have stellar wedding pictures.  In fact, you can even make rain part of the pictures with fabulous results! Think of rain gear as props and get cute matching umbrellas and fun rain boots to add visual interest.

With the right planning, rain can not only not be a problem, but be a beautifully romantic addition to your special day.

Looking for wedding invites to include in your wedding? Rain or shine, PaperDirect has what you need. 

Pristine Blue Wedding Invitations by PaperDirect

December 22, 2014

Inspired Ways to Use Canning Jars at Your Wedding

Filed under: DIY Wedding Ideas — PDWriter @ 9:13 am

Just about everyone (including us here at PaperDirect) is head-over-heels over canning jar ideas, crafts, and décor so incorporating them into a wedding is the perfect match!  We love the sense of Americana and visions they evoke–, visions of savvy citizens putting up staples, generations of children catching fireflies, Aunt Bee’s pickles, and lemonade so cold it freezes your teeth.

Yes indeed, that is the stuff love is made of.

Now we lift our glass (a canning jar, of course) to love and weddings, and offer you some fabulous ways to incorporate this simply marvelous piece of ingenuity into your wedding.

Centerpieces

canning jar centerpiece The ways to use canning jars as a centerpiece are endless with results from elegant to rustically beautiful.  Some of our favorites include these uses as center pieces.

Here is an idea for a beautiful centerpiece using a mossy tree cutting, canning jars and flowers, and another use fit for even the most refined wedding.

We love that you can incorporate stunning blasts of color like in this example using these bright yellow and blue flowers and colored glass stones.

Canning Jar Wedding Favors

Wedding favors are always so much fun!

Not only is it nice to give guests a keepsake for your special day, you can tell a fun story of who you met, common interests, or the theme of the wedding.

Canning jars as wedding favors hold a world of beautiful possibilities.  Some of our favorites include this canning jar wedding favor, hot coco mix in a jar—perfect for the winter wedding!

homemade cocao in a mason jar

We also love the idea of filling the jar with sweets, and writing the date on the jar lid, as they do here in this canning jar wedding favor idea.

Canning Jar Aisle Runners

What could be prettier than a bride walking down the aisle which is lined by mason filled with flowers?  Whether you paint the jars, hang, or decorate them, they are a delightful way to highlight the special event.

Canning Jar Lighting

Wouldn’t it be romantic to light the way for an outdoor evening wedding with these rustic hangers? From candles and tea lights to hanging twinkle lights, we love them all. This canning jar oil lantern had us all feeling in love.

canning jar oil lantern

Canning Jar Cups

Of course no list of canning jar uses could be complete without mentioning using them as beverage containers!  There are many ways to personalize them (you’ll want guest to be able to identify their own) such as paint, pens, and personalized labels and make it tons of fun. We loved this idea, using a chalkboard.

Let us know how you use canning jars! We’d love to hear!

 

December 12, 2014

DIY: Wedding Gown Invitations

Filed under: DIY Invitation Ideas — Tags: , , — PDWriter @ 10:50 am

These fun DIY wedding invitations are perfect for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, menus or the big day! There are countless color options and paper types you could use to create elegant, earthy or whimsical styles. To learn how to make these fun invites, read on:

diy-gown-invitations

Supplies You’ll Need:

Tools to Make Things Easier:

  • Pencil
  • Scissors or hobby knife
  • Paper Trimmer
  • Glue Gun or other paper-friendly glue
  • Word Doc Template (If you want to print details instead of writing)

Let’s Begin! How to Create these Invitations:

  1. Decide now whether you want to hand write these invites out or use the premade Word Doc template. This template contains two text boxes per invitation- one located on the bust of the dress, another on the skirt of the dress. Browse this site for free fonts!
  2. Using a paper trimmer, cut 7 ¼” x 5 1/8” Onyx backers and set aside.
  3. Print Dress Template and cut out. This is only the template so it doesn’t need to be perfect:

DIY Gown invitations Step 1

  1. Trace the cut out onto the plain wedding invites. Again, this doesn’t need to be perfect- enough to see the shape so you can cut.

DIY Gown invitations Step 2

  1. Cut them out! While manual cutting seems risky, the shape of the dress is pretty fluid. I am no master scissorman and had little trouble with it. Once you get in the groove, it’s as easy as wedding cake.

DIY Gown invitations Step 3

  1. Once you have your dresses cut out, you’ll want to decorate them. There are many ways you can decorate including:
    1. Stampers
    2. Rhinestones
    3. Ribbon
    4. Brightly Patterned Paper
    5. Water Color
    6. Shimmer Markers

I used short ribbons and rhinestones which is simple and elegant. To attach these ribbons, use a hot glue gun to dab pea-size dollops onto the dress invitation, securing each side like so:

DIY Gown invitations Step 4

Hint: To make sure each ribbon shows properly, glue with the ribbon going in this direction:

DIY Gown invitations Step 5

  1. After you’ve glued both ribbons in place, add your embellishment. We’ve used a Crystal AB Swarovski rhinestone from Michaels, but you can embellish with whatever you’d like.

DIY Gown invitations Step 6

  1. Finish the invite by gluing the invite (with either hot or glue runner) onto the shimmer onyx paper.

DIY Gown invitations Step 7

  1. Here’s the final invite!

DIY Gown invitations Final

This invitation idea is wonderful because it’s a DIY that looks professional and elegant. Whether you want to use your wedding colors, or go bright pink for a sassy bachelorette party, these invites will remain keepsakes after the wedding festivities are over!

No go, be bold and create your own!

December 8, 2014

Christmas Party Planning Tip #10 – Christmas Playlist

Filed under: Event Planning Tips — PDWriter @ 9:24 am

Christmas Playlist

What keeps guests feeling upbeat and jovial at a party? Great tunes!

It’s time to think about a fabulous playlist for the Christmas party. To keep everyone content, choose a mix of classic seasonal songs sung by popular artists. Here’s our favorites.

12 Perfect Picks for Your Holiday Party Playlist

  1. All I Want for Christmas is You ~ Mariah Carey
  2. Do You Want To Build A Snowman? ~ Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn & Katie Lopez
  3. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree ~ Miley Cyrus
  4. Little Drummer Boy ~ Pentatonix
  5. Underneath The Tree ~ Kelly Clarkson
  6. Joy to the World ~ Chris Tomlin
  7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Michael Buble
  8. O Holy Night ~ Celine Dion
  9. Last Christmas ~ WHAM!
  10. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel ~ Sugarland
  11. Run Rudolph, Run ~ Kelly Clarkson
  12. Baby It’s Cold Outside ~ Willie Nelson & Norah Jones
  13. Please Come Home For Christmas ~ Jon Bon Jovi
  14. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Michael Buble

Listen Here:

Give your DJ this setlist, then ask for extra opinions and professional insight. In the meantime, order thank you cards to give to your vendors at the close of the party. This week only, get 25% off all thank you note cards at Paper Direct.

Use code WCRT1214 at checkout to get this limited-time offer.

Then view our Christmas party guide to plan other aspects of your party!

Classy as Heck Envelope Seals

Filed under: Designing Your Invitation — Tags: — PDWriter @ 9:18 am

People have been sending written correspondence for hundreds of years. Of course, in the early days, there were no self-adhesive envelope flaps (or even the kind you have to lick). So instead, the letter writers of the past used a wax seal with their personal insignia stamped into it.

The seal served a couple of purposes. First, it made sure the contents of the letter stayed private. It’s pretty easy to tell when a wax seal has been broken, after all. Second, it helped keep the cost of postage down.

Prior to the 19th century, postage was determined by the distance the letter had to travel and the total number of sheets, including the envelope. So to save money, people often sent letters without an envelope. Instead, they just folded up the pages of the letter and sealed it shut with wax.

Wax seals eventually fell out of favor in the latter half of the 19th century when postage prices went down and pre-gummed envelopes were invented.

But still, even today, there’s something about receiving a piece of correspondence with a seal on the envelope. Seals add a touch of class, of style, of importance. Luckily for us, though, modern envelope seals spare us the headache of dealing with hot wax!

If you want an easy way to make a big impression, check out some of our favorite seals:

Castillo Deluxe Embossed Seal

castillo embossed seals

A terrific choice when you want a touch of old world sophistication.

Scalloped Deluxe Embossed Seal

scalloped embossed seals

Perfectly elegant and just right for special occasions.

Baroque Luxury Seal

baroque seal

Like the period it’s named after, this seal is beautifully artistic and exquisitely ornate.

Swirls and Leaves Deluxe Foil Seal

swirls and leaves foil seal

This seal takes inspiration from nature, giving it a down-to-earth yet refined feel.

Daisy Deluxe Embossed Seal

daisy embossed seal

For a more whimsical feel, opt for delightful daisies.

If none of these strike your fancy, we invite you to explore 100+ designs on our website. We’re sure you’ll find one that meets your seal of approval!

 

December 2, 2014

Keeping Employees Happy During the Holidays (It’s Easier Than you Think!)

Filed under: Recognition & Motivation Ideas — PDWriter @ 9:17 am

keep employees happy

For some companies, the holidays are a quiet and peaceful period. For others, especially those in the retail sector, it’s one of the busiest, most hectic times of the year.

This can mean extra stress for employees, who may be working long hours and dealing with frazzled, harried customers. Tensions can rise, making for a less-than-merry work environment.

So how do you keep the stress low and the jolly high? Here are five suggestions:

Set an Example

Employees often take their cues from their superiors. If you or your management team is stressed and grumpy, chances are your employees will be, too. On the other hand, if you maintain a sunny disposition, your staff will follow your lead.

You don’t have to be over the top. The smallest things can have the greatest effect Simply smiling at employees (and customers) and remembering to say “please” and “thank you” will create a positive atmosphere.

Plan Stress-relieving Activities

There’s no better stress-buster than having a little fun.

Schedule a quick all-employee break to walk around the block. Order in lunch. Encourage employees to talk about their favorite holiday memory. Organize a Christmas carol contest.

Make time for laughter and your employees will respond.

Recognize and Reward

rewardFeeling appreciated is a terrific motivator and morale booster. So whether it’s helping a customer find the perfect gift or staying late to do inventory, take note when your employees go above and beyond.

Feel free to get creative with your recognition. Give a gift certificate for one hour of paid time off. Or present them with an award for “Patience with the World’s Most Obnoxious Customer” or “Jolliest Elf of the Day.”

Be Flexible

man76Sure, you may not be able to work around all your employees’ holiday schedule requests. And most understand this. But if a staff member needs time to go to her daughter’s Christmas play, do your best to accommodate her.

If you’re in an office environment, consider granting comp time for extra hours worked. This will allow employees to take care of shopping and family demands while still fulfilling their work duties.

Give a Gift

If it’s financially and logistically feasible, give a gift to each of your employees as your way of saying thanks for all their hard work. Anything from delicious baked goods to a grocery certificate for a Christmas ham to cash (of course!) lets employees know that they’re valued and appreciated year-round.

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