Five Dot Design • Blog

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?
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Robin and Ryan’s wedding was the first client wedding I’ve attended that was not a friend or family member. I have to say- they know how to throw a party (and chose some awesome vendors to help them show their guests a great time!) I tagged along with the ladies of the 3bc just to see how everything comes together the day-of. For a girl that normally wraps up her work with the bride and groom a week or so before, watching the entire day come together not only taught me how to provide better service to my brides, but it was really just fun to be there from the almost-beginning to the last guest leaving the reception. It was great to put vendor faces with vendor names (Hi Dan and Steve!) and get to see everyone in action, doing what they do best.

Robin and Ryan came to me looking for something elegant, but something unique and that looked like “them.” We started by picking a black backing paper that had a slight texture to it. That pebble-like texture was then paired with a smooth satin wine colored ribbon to add some depth to the entire piece.

After taking in the considerations the events of the weekend, we separated the invitation into 3 sections: Invitation, Itinerary and Information/RSVP. The RSVP was perforated to keep all of the pieces of the suite together and was then folded up into the Information card.

All of the pieces were then, literally, wrapped up and tied with a bow. Add a little bling to the monogram and you’ve got yourself a lovely little New Year’s Day wedding invitation.

The popcorn bar was a hit- great work Marti!

Photography: JMM Photography

Florist and Popcorn Bar: Marti’s Floral Design

Planning: Creative Afflairs

Make-Up: Cincy Make Up

Video: Poetic Cinema

DJ and Lighting: Steve Bender

Cake: Bonbonerie

Church: Covenant-First Presbyterian Church

Reception Venue: Millenium Hotel

This is the post that I usually write 2, 3, 4  times and then on the 5th time, I sit down kind of late at nite and write the whole thing start to finish in one setting. Excessive and a bit weird? You bet. Necessary to write? Absolutely. (A little mushy, too, so don’t say you weren’t warned.)

Though I can’t speak directly from experience, the only way I can think to describe this past year is swimming with dolphins. You see these people hanging on really tight to the dorsal fin, pulling themselves up with all their strength so they don’t get pulled under water, all while it’s splashing in their face, blinding them from what’s ahead. They end up watching with one eye shut, spitting water out every few seconds because they can’t help but smile thru the whole ride. They finally let go, tired and winded, and yell “Let’s do it again!”

Yeah, that’s how I describe 2010.

O.M.G

Everyone says it and everyone means it, but it’s definitely something that can’t be said enough…
My. Clients. Are. Amazing.
Seriously. If any of you girls are reading this, I can’t thank you enough for your willingness to do things a little differently and to think outside of the box. All of you allowed my creative mind to wander while creating something for which both of us could be proud and really, that’s all I ever really want at the end of the day.

I did a lot of talking, a lot of listening and a lot of observing this year… which lead to a lot of learning. Business is definitely not something you can and should do alone. Outside perspective, no matter who is giving it and what profession they are in, is valuable information. With that, however, my belief in standing on your own two feet, having your own identity, thinking for yourself and relying on your own hard work was reaffirmed to a whole new level. I truly believe by owning that notion to the fullest extent, I made my business and myself much stronger. Walking into a new arena is tough. It’s intimidating and it’s scary. But once you get in the ring and you start talking, you confirm what you already knew- that everyone in the ring had been in your shoes once before.

Whenever you enter a new circle, such as this, you expect to make friends, but you never really expect to come across people that are rooting for you and honestly and truly want to see you succeed in your business- especially for not being in the game very long. Many have sat and talked with me, be it over drinks or until 2am on the phone, answering my questions honestly, offering ideas and suggestions on ways to better myself and my business and helping me to work thru roadblocks and frustrations. Most of the time, all it has taken is someone listening to me talk out loud to find the solution on my own, but being there to validate and support the solution that came to the surface. You are invaluable to me and in sharing what you’ve learned and experienced, it’s a gesture I truly appreciate.

Every day is like shaking the 8 Ball, anxiously waiting which prediction comes to the surface. Some days it’s in your favor, some days it’s not, but my support system stays strong no matter what hand I’m dealt. I’ve made sacrifices that I know will ultimately pay off in the end and my family and friends remind me to stay focused and driven- they’ll be there when I finally reach my goals and that’s what keeps me moving forward. You’re always going to have people pop up and situations arise that make the road a little rougher, but I’ve found that by staying focused and following my instincts, the road eventually smooths out. As I gear up for my next trip around, I feel much more prepared, much more calm and overall ready to learn even more about the wedding industry, my business and more importantly, myself.

P.S. A huge thank you to the talents that allow me to post their images which showcase my work. Without you, I would rarely get a chance to sneak a peek at the end result in a day-of setting or just have photos that make me proud of what both you and I are capable of creating for our clients. Another huge thank you for those that helped me pull my table together for my first bridal show this year- I hope to be able to repay the favor sometime. And lastly, thank you to my vendor-friends that have hired me for my talents. It’s always an honor to do work for someone in the wedding circle, so I hope to have the opportunity to repay your kindness… and to work with you again!

Leah Robbins Photography shared these images of a wedding we both worked recently… I love weddings and events at The French House and this one is no exception! In meeting with the mother-of-the-bride, she was concerned with the lack of color on the white tables under the white tent. The sage sashes and linens were provided by Adora Event Rental, so we added just a touch of that sage into the backings of the name cards and on the menu.

The lovely Tamara of Events by WE called me up a few weeks ago and asked if I might be able to help them out in a pinch. They were scheduled to have a style shoot for Every Last Detail’s Wedding Style Dictonary and needed some paper goods to finish off the table.

Our word was “Glamorous” and we were following the color palette of Platinum, Canary Yellow and Ivory. I’m a huge fan of those 3 colors mingling (you might remember seeing them in my re-branding of essence) Below is the inspiration board that was sent over.

My original thought was to use the metallic platinum paper layered with ribbon and the ivory metallic paper, but that seemed a bit predictable. I decided to mix metallic and matte papers for a bit of texture and keep the eye from feeling overwhelmed with all the shine going on. The end result was a design that was light, fresh and refined.

Other vendors contributing to the style shoot
Styling:: Events by WE
Photography:: JMM Photography
Florals:: Marti’s Floral Designs
Venue:: Elements Event Centre

I’ve known Carolyn since grade school, so when we met to go over her wedding plans and talk invitations, it was really us sitting down to catch up. Her cousin, Bridget and I graduated high school together, so I was excited to see one of my friends be part of the wedding, as well.

Carolyn was all for adding texture and color to her invitations– her vision for the wedding was very eclectic and she was very open to suggestions and off-the-wall ideas. This wedding was centered around casualness and fun… but she had one request: that an elephant make an appearance on the invitations.

We started with a linen paper for the invitation. It gave the printing more of an aged feel, as the ink wasn’t able to settle into all the grooves the paper. Instead of opting for ribbon or paper to wrap the invitation in, we went with fabric. Fabric allowed more vibrant colors (with blue being a constant), a wider variety of patterns and it added a very unexpected handmade touch to an already unique invitation suite.

Next came figuring out how to work this elephant into the mix (whom we lovingly called “Stampy.”)– he played a significant role in Carolyn and Sam’s engagement story, so he was a must. I knew a photograph wouldn’t give off the right feel and an illustration wouldn’t work either. Carolyn actually ended up drawing Stampy and I added the watercolor wash to give him a little more presence on the page. I love the fact that she was able to add a personal touch to her own invitations.

Carolyn and Sam: thank you so much for letting my mind wander outside of its creative box! You guys were amazing to work with and I thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your day!

To see more shots of Carolyn and Sam’s wedding courtesy of Marissa and her second shooter, Corrie, go here. You’ll find the programs over there as well!