Digby & Rose

Winter Wedding Wonderland

Summer has been associated with weddings for years and, in fact, prices and availability for wedding venues, flowers, tuxedos and just about everything else tend to spike, especially during high wedding season in June. As a result, plenty of wedding parties are beginning to look for inspiration in other seasons and winter is quickly becoming the new summer when it comes to a beautiful seasonal backdrop for wedding ceremonies and parties.

Winter and Holiday Themed Weddings

Winter weddings can be a heck of a lot of fun because they often take on a Christmas or festive theme in order to play up to all the aspects of the season. Holiday themed flower arrangements pop with color thanks to the deep red of poinsettias against the vibrant greens and bright whites of other Christmas flowers like holly and mistletoe. The colors for winter and Christmas themed weddings can be anything from the ultra-traditional red and green to more modern takes on the season which incorporate white or silver with a crisp light blue and brown or a deep burgundy against a forest green with gold accents.

Christmas Themed Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations sent out for Christmas-time weddings need to stand out so that they don’t get jumbled up with the usual round of Christmas and Holiday cards that become commonplace after mid-November.  You can make your invitations stand out just by using soft cotton or bamboo envelopes that are addressed by a calligrapher.  Another way not to get lost in the shuffle is to consider a royalty size invite (6 X 9).

• Sending out Save the Date cards at least 9 months in advance, will put the event on the calendar by April and then send out the invitations by the beginning of November to ensure ample notice and to allow time for an RSVP;
• Using a unique and memorable, single non-folded card with and elegant script font with simple information of who, what, when and where.  It’s usually-Save The Date-Lisa & Steve-Are Getting Married-December 21st 2013-Washington, DC.  There are no rules to follow for a Save The Date, just have fun with it; they don’t even have to match your invites.  We suggest that they’re interesting and pretty enough to be displayed for the months leading up to the event.  Here’s one we did that features a calligraphy style DC Metro map.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… And Your Life

Planning a winter wedding can make your special day truly stand out – not only for your guests but also for you and your future husband or wife. So embrace the holiday aspects of the season to make your wedding unforgettable – all the way from your initial Save the Date and Invitation cards through to holiday inspired decorations and the cake. There are plenty of themes to play on through the winter and best of all in cities like Washington, DC the winter months are off season so hotel rates and packages can add up to quite a savings with plenty of things to do including a brand new ice rink in the heart of Georgetown that’s bigger than the one in Rockefeller Center in NYC.

Posted in Wedding Resources

Pop the Question, Then the Champagne

Men (and women) have been getting down on one knee and asking for their girlfriend’s hand in marriage for generations. From the awkward to the sublime, there are thousands, even millions, of different ways for guys to pop the question. And, thanks to the internet, there are now more than a few engagement videos out there which show off some of the more inventive ways people have gotten engaged. To some, these videos, pictures and stories are heartwarming, but for the guy looking for the mind-blowingly unique way to propose they can be pretty intimidating. Luckily, all of these videos work to illustrate the three simple rules to asking the question in the perfect way.

Set the Scene

Remember to choose the setting carefully. If the woman you love is a bit shy, you may not want to ask her in the middle of a crowd or where you’re likely to attract a lot of attention. But, if she loves attention or a certain public event or venue, play to your strengths. There’s a great story about a guy named Matt Still, who used a public place to his advantage when proposing to his girlfriend. Matt had always told his girlfriend, Ginny, that they would make the movies jealous. So, he hired a filmmaker to help him create a movie trailer, rented out a local movie theater and then offered to take Ginny out to the movies. Matt had invited Ginny’s close family and friends as well as some theater employees who were in on the surprise. When his engagement proposal trailer ran, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house and, when the lights came up, Ginny accepted and they were able to celebrate with their friends and family, which in retrospect was quite private compared to the attention the proposal would soon receive. The engagement was video-taped and played on YouTube and it wasn’t long before global news channels and talk shows, including Ellen, were picking up the story.

Make it Personal

While Matt’s proposal may have gotten him and his fiance into the national spotlight, the key to a truly memorable proposal is to simply make it personal. Inside jokes and shared passions are the best foundation for proposals that will have her not only saying yes but remembering that special moment each time she glances down at her ring. One of our favorite proposal stories around here is the infamous New York Times crossword puzzle proposal. Back in 1998, Bill Gottlieb actually hired crossword puzzle Guru Will Shortz to sneak in a personal message and proposal to his then girlfriend Emily Mindel in the New York Times crossword. Bill knew Emily was a huge fan of the daily puzzles and he sat quietly and nonchalantly reading the newspaper as she filled out the Wednesday crossword, as he knew she would that morning. Emily begin to take notice of coincidental clues and answers like her’s and Bill’s names, “A Modest Proposal”, “This Diamond Ring”, and then the answer, “Will You Marry Me?” to a clue. The final answer, and the one Bill had been hoping to hear for months, was “Yes” to 57-down.

Just ASK!

Don’t drive yourself crazy – or give yourself a case of cold feet – by over thinking the proposal. While creative proposal stories are fun to read and hear about, at the end of the day it comes down to the two of you. No one knows your girlfriend better than you. Plus, a simple proposal can be the best thing possible. Who needs a giant flash mob when you can propose over Twitter? While some people may say that proposing over the internet is tacky, keep in mind that it worked for Greg Rewis. Greg made it into the history books – and down the aisle – when he popped the first proposal via Twitter in 2008.

When you ask a girl to marry you, you’re giving her more than a ring. You’re literally giving her one of the most memorable moments of her life. No matter if your proposal takes place while curled up in front of a fire, sitting atop a Ferris Wheel or in front of a million football fans through the magic of Jumbotron, just remember to ask from the heart. It’s the only ingredient you need for a truly memorable engagement.

What’s your favorite proposal story? We want to hear about your own crazy proposals. How’d you get your girlfriend to say yes? Or what was it that he did that you just couldn’t resist? Tell us about your unique stories or amazing proposals you’ve heard about that left you laughing, crying or just completely shocked.

We’ll start… here’s a video of our clients, Ben and Kristi. Ben popped the question through chorus, choreographed dance and complete surprise at Disneyland! We’re proud to say we did the wedding invitations (fleur de lis) for this wacky and lucky couple, who even had their wedding at the happiest place on earth. Talk about a fairytale come true!

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Posted in Wedding Resources

Hockey Bar Mitzvah Invitations

Sports Themed Invitations

For any young man celebrating a significant milestone in his life, he’s going to want to do it in his own style, with his own personality. Pretty pink invitations may not be the way to go, but adding a fun and colorful graphic of his favorite sport to the invitation can give the whole event a personal touch. So for this young hockey lover being called to the Torah, it was time for a unique invitation with a personalized NHL-like emblem that included his initials overlapping two hockey sticks.

The Significance of a Bar Mitzvah

When a Jewish boy turns 13, he’s not just becoming a teenager, he’s becoming a man. While the term Bar Mitzvah has become more commonly used to refer to the rite of passage ceremony, traditionally and technically it defines the boy who is coming of age. In Hebrew, Bar Mitzvah translates to “an agent of the law” or “son of the commandment.” When a young man is called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah, he is officially recognized as being accountable for his own actions from then on. A very serious rite, but also a fun and joyous celebration!

Personalized Invitations

Your little boy may be becoming a man, but don’t worry, he still has his little boy charm and childhood dreams! If your son dreams of becoming a hockey star or just loves the sport so much it’s all he talks about, then why not show that side of him through personalized hockey Bar Mitzvah invitations? The first step in finding the perfect custom invitation is to give us a call. We can work with you to design a truly unique and personal Bar Mitzvah invitation that best represents your son. From choosing the right paper, color of the card and lettering, fonts and graphics, we can turn your creative image into a memorable keepsake.

Posted in Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah Invitations, Custom Letterpress Designs