Five Dot Design • Blog

You’ve been scouring the internet for months- days on end- on your lunch break at work (and even when you should be doing actual work), when you get home, late at night when you can’t sleep. You’ve bookmarked, scribbled notes and maybe even sketched a few pictures so you can remember every last detail you want to incorporate into your wedding.

Click the image above to open it full size. Feel free to print this image off as a reference for your own wedding.

Introducing, Pinterest. (Don’t be intimidated by needing an invitation). Think of it as a mobile bookmarking app that keeps all of your ideas in one place, organized and allows you to follow other people to see what they’re pinning (as well as preserving the links to the photo’s original post). You can even snap a photo with your phone and pin it to one of your boards. No need to tote around all your magazines or try and organize print outs. Simply pull up your account when you meet with your vendors–and who knows? maybe your vendors are pinning as well. Invite them to follow you for constant inspiration for your wedding. In keeping all of your imagery in one spot, it can help you see the overall vision of your wedding, keeping everything consistent.

Won’t you pin with me?

Want to see what Five Dot Design can create for you?
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Gold has taken the fast-track to be one of the hot colors in fashion and event design… I’m pretty partial to the cooler-toned metals, like silver and pewter and even I find myself flirting with the gilded hues of the color wheel . During the awards ceremonies this year,  gold was mostly found paired up with emeralds on the red carpet, but it can be dressed up or down depending on the colors and accessories complimenting it. One of the most suitable pairings for gold is ivory, with its unobtrusive nature and warm, neutral tone, making it a natural selection when wanting to find a balancing point for your wedding.

Click the image above to open it full size. Feel free to print this image off as a reference for your own wedding.

Gold and ivory carry a soft elegance when paired with one another- a simple beauty, no matter the style of the event. This color combo lends itself well to ornate patterns and old charm that are not loud, dated or too showy. Take for instance the BHLDN dress pictured above, (yes, I know it’s pricey, but absolutely stunning! Perfect for the rehearsal dinner or even a reception dress). By layering golds, ivories and creams, the pattern on the dress isn’t screaming for the attention, but instead makes a statement with the style and shape of the dress. Paired with a colored stilleto or even gold rhinestone/glitter peep-toe pump, there would be no question this dress would set the bar at any event.

Dressing up the groom can be a little trickier. Pairing the vintage pocket watch with a great chain is a simple touch to an otherwise ordinary tux- it instantly adds character and charm. Incorporate a little more gold into the boutonniere and your groom is well balanced and definitely well dressed. Throw in a gold tie and he’s the perfect compliment to you.

I’m totally in love with the gold chalkboards in the color board. Those would be great for way-finding at an event (especially events that take place in one place or unique venues that people are unfamiliar with where to find certain things)  or would be absolutely perfect hung over a candy, dessert or popcorn buffet or buffet dinner to inform guests of their options. Pair them up with the beautifully designed cake above to call out the flavors of the tiers and you would certainly wow your guests.

Incorporating gold into your stationery can be done very elegantly. Simply backing your invitation in a metallic gold paper, as shown here, or using gold ink, as shown in the color board above, is a great way to incorporate the elegance of gold without going overboard. Gold metallic ink is achieved with more conventional printing methods, where a more cost effective flat gold can be achieved digitally. If you use gold ink on the invitations and flow that look thru into the reception by using gold paper or ribbon, it’s a great way to tie your entire look together- especially if your linens and table settings use hints of gold, as well.

Want to create an inspiration board? Try Polyvore.com

Photo Credits for local vendors
JMM Photography
Yellow Canary Florals

Want to see what Five Dot Design can create for you?
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When flipping through the pages of bridal magazines, chances are those pages are filled with dress after dress of layers, ruffles, rosettes and draped fabric. But, the drama and romance don’t have to stop at the dress. Introducing texture into the rest of your wedding can be quite simple and chances are if you tap into the creativity of your vendors, together you can take the vision of your wedding from beautiful to gorgeous.

Many reception halls will offer conventional linens when you book your date. By adding linens with a slight pattern to them, like the pintuck pattern on the napkins and table cloth below, you add visual interest to your table. Pairing textured linens with unconventional floral arrangements that utilize an array of flowers with different shapes, branches, berries and even feathers can transform any table.

For many, the cake is a strong visual piece in their wedding. Cake design has come a long way from the traditionally tiered cake thanks to fondant, modeling chocolate and Cake Boss. In some ways, modeling chocolate can be treated like fabric to a dress. It folds, it waves, it flows just as fabric drapes on a form, so don’t be afraid to go over the top and think outside of the box when it comes to your cake.

Click the image above to open it full size. Feel free to print this image off as a reference for your own wedding.

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Even if your dress doesn’t have layers of fabric and draping doesn’t mean you can’t add special touches to your wedding dress. Simplistic dresses (and even the fancy ones, too) paired with over-the-top shoes, a beautifully crafted headpiece in lieu of a traditional veil at the ceremony or just worn at the reception, funky jewelry and an embellished clutch would make any girl feel like she belonged on the pages of those same magazines she flipped through while she was planning this big day.

Adding a touch of texture into your wedding invitations can be as simple as using linen paper, fabric or specialty textured paper. The natural depressions in linen paper offer a vintage feel to the printing and offers a whole new look to your design. Fabric or rafia instead of conventional ribbon and suede paper are unexpected and leave your guests excitedly curious as to what else you have in store for them at the actual wedding. Even the most simplistic invitation consisting of a flat invitation, RSVP postcard and insert can be lifted to a new level with a lace paper wrap or fabric inner envelope.

Want to create an inspiration board? Try Polyvore.com

Photo Credits for local vendors
Pottinger Photography
Adora Event Rental
Leah Robbins Photography
Yellow Canary Florals

Want to see what Five Dot Design can create for you?
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I like to believe there’s a little bit of a Glam in all of us. Whether you only bring her out on the weekends or on special occasions, there’s something about adding that extra touch of eyeliner, red lipstick and to-die-for eyelashes that makes us all feel a little rock n roll glamorous. Personally, I’ve always been a big fan of this look, but it isn’t just for girls with tattoos or girls with boys with tattoos. It’s an attitude, it’s a color palette and most of all… it’s the accessories.

Click the image above to open it full size. Feel free to print this image off as a reference for your own wedding.

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As with all things glamorous, the bigger the better-very rarely will something be considered too over the top. Broach/Ring bouquets are starting to pop up much more than usual and it’s a fantastic way to incorporate costume jewelry from a family member, or introduce an edgy alternative to flowers. Pair that with a complimenting head piece or broach attached to your dress, and you’re able to amplify your glam factor ten fold.

It can also be hard to really incorporate your personality into a dress bought from a bridal boutique, so by adding in a few pieces of colored tulle underneath your dress, it allows your dress an easy transition from ceremony to reception… and it adds a pop of color to make your photographer happy. Some dress styles lend themselves well to having “add-on” pieces; feathers, crystals, lace, ribbons- just to name a few obvious embellishments you can add to the dress itself. Add ruby red lipstick and thick black eyeliner and you’ve got yourself a complete look.

When considering Glam for your stationery pieces, think bold, ornate, and vibrant. A hot pink wrap around a black and white invitation mailed in a hot pink envelope not only keeps a refined and elegant look, but it grabs your guests’ attention and signals that this wedding will have an edge to it.

Want to create an inspiration board? Try Polyvore.com

Photo credits above
tmphotography.net
jmmphotography.us
madeulookphotography.com
jomelgregorio.com
cincimakeup.com
martisfloraldesigns.com

Want to see what Five Dot Design can create for you?
PORTFOLIO ::  CONTACT ::  FACEBOOK ::   WEBSITE

It’s a new year and time for a new color to move to the front of the line! Choosing colors for your wedding can sometimes get a little overwhelming, but by choosing one color and finding colors that compliment that color and your theme, things will really start to come together.

Every year, Pantone announces their “Color of the Year” and you see a shift in the fashion, home decor and even the wedding industry. This year they named “Honeysuckle,” a perky shade of pink, as the hot color for 2011.

Click the image above to open it full size. Feel free to print this image off as a reference for your own wedding.

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Using your primary color as the bridesmaids’ dresses or in your flowers are the most common way to incorporate one or more of you colors into your wedding. Visual elements such as the linens, chair covers or sashes and lighting are great ways to use your colors to create ambiance in your room, as well. Consider a few unexpected items like chinese lanterns, furniture, handmade touches and/or small knick-knacks on the tables to really bring your vision full circle. Sometimes the smallest touches and attention to detail can take an event from great to grandiose.

If you’re looking for a few unexpected ways to add color to yourself in addition to your flowers, try choosing shoes in one of your colors (and why not see if your groom will wear a colored pair of shoes that are either the same color or a complimentary color to your shoes, as well) or add a sash to your dress or wear a colored headpieces. To really keep your guests talking and completely wow them, consider a colored veil.

A great way to incorporate a pop of color into the stationery for your wedding can be as simple as a band to hold all of your components together or by including a vibrant floral into the actual invitation, as shown in the two pieces below.

A peek at our newest line of hand drawn invitations in conjunction with InHouse Studios in Michigan

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If you prefer a more subtle way of bringing color into your wedding invitations, try using a colored mailing envelope, even if it’s a few shades lighter than the color you intend to use throughout your wedding. It not only stands out in the mail, ensuring your guests don’t mistake it for junk mail, but it adds an unexpected pop to even the more formal and conservative invitation designs.

Want to create an inspiration board? Try Polyvore.com

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Photo credits above
studionphotography.com
jmmphotography.us
martisfloraldesign.com
bobbiandmike.com
stephcarsonphotography.com
desireehayesphotography.com
thesmallobject.com