spring weddings!!!

I am up to my ears in pink paisley and green pocketfolds! That can only mean one thing -- springtime wedding season is just around the corner! And I couldn't be more excited.

Before I get too excited about the warm weather again (since it is only December) I should point out that some of the schemes I'm working on for January and February weddings are gorgeous. Red seems to be a very popular wedding color. I'd say it's probably surpassed purple.

Red/black/silver is also popular and elegant.

Beth and Jason are having a Kansas wedding in January, using those three colors, and we were both very happy with how they turned out. Her pocketfolds were custom-sized.

Moving on to Danielle and Sergio. This bride is so sweet and has great visions for her wedding day. She wanted Red and gold, and is getting married in a gazebo. The gazebo on this invite is actually from a photo she had taken at the venue on a nasty, rainy day. A little digital alteration, and voila! Perfect graphical element. I LOVE the paper this is printed on. It's a pearlescent called "stardream quartz" and is GORGEOUS. The envelopes are metallic, too! Quite the "pop" the bride requested, I think.

Here's a fun tip for my "green" brides. online RSVP. If it's done right, it is completely elegant and sophisticated. I have a bride who is preparing for a June wedding. Her invitations will be printed on "plantable" paper -- you can plant it after receiving it, and flowers will bloom! The accents on the invitation match her wedding Web site, so when guests hop online to RSVP, it still makes sense. I recommend www.mywedding.com for setting up an elegant site. They have tons of background options, and their RSVP section is very classy. This idea works best if the majority of wedding guests are internet-savvy, as it might be difficult for people like great-grandma to have access to the internet. The blue in the background of the above picture is handmade paper that will act as the back cardstock for her panel invite. The envelope is recycled, as are the twine pieces. I cannot WAIT to see this final product!

Happy planning! The ideas are limitless!!

warmly,

Emily

I am truly blessed.

O how I love my brides and mamas!

Every time a new email comes to embellishedbyemiy, I sit back and think about just how lucky I am to have a day job and a side job that I love so much! As far as Embellished by Emily goes, how hard could it possibly be not to love the "work" involved? Every person who contacts me is completely elated with their newest stage in life and wants ME to be the one to illustrate that for them. Blessings are definitely counted every night. Believe me.

I currently have 3 weddings I am working on (save the dates, invites, programs) in one way or another. Three weddings = three very different brides = my favorite! One wedding will take place in a castle in Ireland, one wedding is in a beautiful outdoor-garden setting in Illinois, and the third will be in a gorgeous Christian church in the center of my hometown. See? Very different... Keeps the cogs from getting rusty :)

A very popular trend today is the "pocketfold" invitation. These are so wonderful when including multiple pieces of information. And since most receptions are held somewhere other than the church assembly hall these days, an added direction and reception card is almost always necessary. I am so excited about the pink and green pocketfold I am working on. What a FUN combo of colors for a wedding for such a FUN-loving couple.

Of course there are tons of options for pocketfold invitations. I can make them any size, shape and color you desire. Like this one I did for M+J's August wedding.

I really am lucky my love for glue, scissors, paper and art advanced beyond the 3rd grade!















With all that being said, I will leave you with this:


My very best friend, Stephanie, was the first wedding I ever did invitations for. I owe her a HUGE thank you from the bottom of my heart for not removing me from her wedding party and her life after the disaster that was her invitations and programs. Needless to say I have learned a LOT from her wedding almost 5 years ago, and whenever the topic comes up, we laugh it off, and Stephanie is proud that she was my "guinea pig." Now all I have to do is cross my fingers that she trusts me again when it comes time for her baby announcements!
Bundle up as the weather turns!
Warmly,
Emily

babies, weddings, autumn!

It's true what they say... These things really do come in 3's. Three weddings then 3 babies, etc., etc., etc. And I LOVE it!!

Just today I found out a really good friend is pregnant and due at the end of March 2010. I am working on baby announcements for another friend and also wedding save-the-dates for another. The spring and the fall really are popular times for this stuff.

Don't you just love this time of year? You never know what the days are going to bring in, so that first cup of coffee in the morning is spent on the balcony adjusting to that particular day's temperature. Such a fantastic time.

I hope this fall is bringing you everything you hoped it would. I know for at least 5-6 of my clients, it's more than they could have ever imagined!

warmly,
emily

The new site is here!

Well, it's finally here!

www.embellishedbyemily.com

It's new, it's FLASHy and it's PINK!

Please let me know what you think!

Warmly,
Emily

We are under way!

Wow! What a summer! It's only just begun, but I am busy, busy, busy! First off, I just got a new computer and am busy transferring files from my old one to my new one

Where to begin...

Graduation invitations and thank you cards! Congrats, Grads!!

I have had a lot of bridal showers recently and have had a blast putting together invitations and decorations for those. I find myself saying yes to any project, and I feel this makes my people happy as well as expand my own horizons. I even designed a pair of Hearts cards that were 20"x30" for a bride and her husband-to-be. They turned out great, and according to a bridesmaid were quite a hit! Always great to hear.


My good friends, Dan and Regina just got married in Pennsylvania this past weekend. The wedding was so much fun, and the best part was that I got to have an excuse to hang out with Regina a lot before (and after) she moved from DC to start her married life back in Philly. We spent so much time having a blast while creating the programs and donation cards. I'd have to say that's the best part of doing this. I get to see so many different creative opinions and ideas AND spend fulfilling time with people I love dearly.



One of my best friends, Laura, is HAVING A BABY in August! Those shower invites were so much fun to do, and I have also created a stencil of the baby's name that I will paint on the nursery wall next week. I am so excited to see how this will turn out.

I am working on wedding programs for a wedding whose invites I did back in May. Mallory and Jason have an indigo color scheme, which has proven to be quite popular here recently, yet also VERY difficult to match colors to. Everything is too navy or too purple. No worries, though! Embellished by Emily has it down! The programs are tri-fold, and I am very excited to see them in print!

Just got word today that I have another bridal shower coming up in August with a brown and pink theme (yay!) and I am so excited to work on those.

It seems every time I log into Facebook, another friend is engaged or pregnant. Congratulations to all of you blessed friends of mine, and keep me in your brains if you find yourself finished with everything but invitations and all things paper!

I look forward to working with my autumn/winter wedding brides soon. In the meantime, catch those fireflies, and I hope to hear from ya!

Warmly,
Emily

So much coming up

Summer is coming right up, and with that comes WEDDINGS!

A good friend's wedding was this past Saturday, and since I did all things visual (and was a bridesmaid) for that party, I must say I am a bit relieved that it is over. However, I am finding myself having withdrawals from hydrangeas of all colors. Best wishes to J+K and their marriage together!

The good news is, I am currently working on two more weddings coming up in June and August. And babies out the wazoo! We have a first birthday party in the middle of May

R+D are good friends so I couldn't help myself but to offer up my services when they announced their engagement over a year ago. I must say, I have quite outdone myself with their wedding announcements. They are so gorgeous and elegant.

M+J are getting married in August, and my sister is a bridesmaid in that wedding. I did announcements/programs for M's sister's wedding in December, and I guess she liked the way those turned out, so I was hired! Naturally, she wants something completely different than her sister's wedding since they're getting married only eight months apart. I am up to the challenge, and am very happy with how those are turning out.

Baby M turns 1 on May 16, and I am very excited to be putting together the invitations for his first birthday party. M's aunt is a wonderful photographer, so once she sends me a disc of baby pix, I can get started on those.

I hope my clients in the east enjoy these few spring days and my western clients make the most of their blizzard!

Warmly,
Emily

Bridezillas!

Good afternoon!

I have a confession: I DVR episodes of Bridezillas, and it is hysterical! I don't know where these people come from, because I have never had the misfortune of meeting ANYONE like these women. One part that I find interesting about the show, however, is that there really isn't a focus on the invitations or announcements.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of people put off invitations until the last second. Aside from the exchanging of vows, the rest of your wedding day/weekend is a party for your guests. Wouldn't you want your guests to get the absolute best first impression of a party you are throwing?

Unlike on Bridezillas, I promise I won't misspell your name :)

Warmly,
Emily

Babies, babies, babies!

Good evening!
I just found out that another friend of mine is pregnant. That makes 4 current expecting mothers. I think these things usually occur in 3's, so that means 2 more people connected to me out there in the universe are knocked up and just haven't shared the news :)

Congrats, ladies! This is such a fantastic time. With new babies, come birth announcements, all sorts of invitations (christenings, birthday parties, graduations) excuses for awesome Christmas cards, etc! The fun is just beginning, and I am here to help you show the world how much fun and blessed your life is.

Keep me posted!
Warmly,
Emily

CURRENT PROMOTION!!!

With the wedding season coming up just around the corner, it's time for all my Summer brides to start thinking about what they want their loved ones to receive in the mail as the first impression of an amazing day.

I am currently offering a 15% discount off your total order from me for weddings taking place May-September 2009. This includes invites, programs, thank yous, and all things paper that you may need my assistance in creating!

What a wonderful opportunity for me to get to work with such amazing people!

Warmly,
Emily

Lindsey & Troy

Over my brief trip home to Kentucky for Christmas, I was able to see Lindsey and Troy get married. The church, Anchor Baptist, is absolutely stunning, and Lindsey's family did a fantastic job transforming Anchor's recreation room into a gorgeous reception venue.

The happy couple's photographer was JoAnna Liston. She really captured the spirit of the day and the love and spirituality these two share together. Check out the slideshow she posted on her site of Lindsey and Troy. The very first image is the invitation I designed and assembled for their special day.

Lindsey and Troy - Best of luck in your new life together. Love you!
JoAnna - Awesome job. Keep it up!

Warmly,
Emily

Bridal Expo!

Good morning!
On Sunday, January 25, I am headed to Bethesda, Maryland for a bridal expo to help my friend, Michael Connor set up his booth for wedding photography. He is an amazing photographer of weddings, engagements, babies, etc.

I've only been to one of these things as a spectator, never as a vendor, so I'm really excited to get to meet various brides and hear all about their ideal wedding days. I am also helping Michael on Sunday, February 1, at the Dulles Bridal Expo in Virginia. If you live in the area, come out and see us. If you have an upcoming life-altering event, come book us! These expos truly are an amazing/interesting experience with TONS of vendors (cake, photography, video, DJ, hotels, limos, etc.) You could have your whole wedding planned and booked in just one day.

Please join my Facebook group Embellished by Emily if you haven't yet. I hope to have stuff posted on there as I create it.

Warmly,
Emily

Welcome to the many musings of Emily at Embellished by Emily. It is in this little forum that I hope to share with everyone the beauty of creativity and imagery. For whomever is thinking about working with me to convey a particular message or meaning in their special day, I want you to know (and you will after reading these entries) that you can come to me with ANY idea or change you wish to make.

This whole business is built around making you happy.

Hope to talk with you soon!

Warmly,
Emily