DIY Dreams!

charlotte — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:24:23 +0000

Save pennies, get creative and add a personal touch with our top DIY tips for your wedding.

Bridesmaid Bakery… Rather than one large wedding cake, one of our clients asked her 10 closest friends to bake a different cake each, for a dedicated cake table! What a fab idea! For delicious recipes invest in a copy of Romantic Cakes by Peggy Porschen.

Romantic Cakes by Peggy Porschen

Create! Cut-out Invitations… Our fab DIY range of laser cut wedding stationery is perfect for creating a professional invitation yourself. Choose your Chartula laser cut cover, paper insert and ribbon, then print and tie together at home.

Fleur Heart in Lavender and Fuchsia Pink

Get creative by mixing and matching colours, designs and ribbons. We love combining a thick and thin ribbon in contrasting colours for a striped look. Or try alternating cover and insert colours for menus and order of service.

Fleur Folly in Natural and Fuchsia Pink

Pretty Papers… A roll of pretty wallpaper is perfect for making confetti cones, table runners and even paper bunting. We love Harlequin wallpapers, available from John Lewis.

Harlequin Elodie Wallpaper in Pink

For confetti cones cut paper to A5 size (half of A4), roll into a cone and hold in place neatly with a glue dot (available from WH Smith).

To make paper bunting cut two 15cm x 20cm x 20cm triangular templates out of card first. Lay them on the reverse of your wallpaper with the two short (15cm) edges against each other (so you have a long diamond shape). Trace and cut around this. Then simply fold in half around a length of ribbon. Staple in place at the top through the ribbon, or use a piece of double sided on the ribbon itself.

Because wallpaper is thicker than wrapping and craft papers it’s ideal for table runners and even place mats and coasters. Simply cut to size! Use pinking shears for a home made jagged edge.

Table Chalk… Decorate a chalk board and write your table plan on it. Instead of sticks of chalk use chalk pens for a neater finish and choose a chalk board with a built in easel from chalkboards.co.uk. You could even use a Create! laser cut invitation as a template for a pretty pattern!

Chalk Board Easel

Lovely Lanterns… Used jam jars not only make great vases but if you twist a piece of wire around the rim and in a handle shape over the top they make perfect lanterns for hanging in trees. If you want to get really creative invest in some glass paint and decorate them. Visit hobbycraft.co.uk for all the bits and pieces you need.

Jam Jar Tea Lights from Hobby Craft

We hope you like our top tips. We’ve also just received the latest (Oct/Nov) issue of Cosmo Bride magazine and on page 129 there’s some great tips for personalising your day, including some lovely DIY ideas, so do grab a copy!

Happy crafting!

Chartula x

P.S. If you love our Create! stationery but want a helping hand with printing and tying ribbons then don’t forget we have a new print and finish service.

Sizzling Summer Sales!

charlotte — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:00:10 +0000

At Chartula we love love love summer shopping! All those floaty dresses, bright colours, shimmery sandals and even better it’s wedding season so there’s oodles of lovely accessories to play with! And now it’s sale time so it’s the perfect opportunity to pick up a pretty bargain. Here are some of our favourites (with invitations to match of course!) that can be found in the shops right now.

We love this pretty French Connection maxi dress. Teamed with their glamourous clutch and our Beau Jardin invitation in turquoise and lemon, it makes for a refreshing summer theme.

Sukura Summer Maxi Dress from French Connection

Hayleys Comet Clutch from French Connection

Beau Jardin Invitation

For a bold statement, this exotic dress from Coast is fab with lots of jewellery - we love these earrings from French Connection (and they’re just £5 now!). Choose our Fleurie Print invitation in violet and gold for an oriental feel, or for a romantic edge go for our Create Fleur Heart in fuchsia and violet - a bargain in itself starting at just £2.55!

Suzanne Sequin Dress from Coast

Ring and Bead Drop Earrings from French Connection

Fleurie Print Invitation

Create Fleur Heart Invitation

We’re loving coral colour themes at the moment and this romantic dress from Coast makes a wonderful bridesmaid dress. Complete the fairytale look with our Petite Bouquet Fairytale invitation in shimmery coral.

Anya Draped Dress from Coast

Petit Bouquet Fairytale Invitation

We hope you like our finds! Happy shopping!!

love Chartula x

Top Tips for Spelling and Grammar

charlotte — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:00:51 +0000

Here at Chartula we like to think we have eagle eyes when it comes to spotting the tiny details that make or break an invitation. As well as the design a misspelt word or grammatical error can leap out of an invitation. Most stationers will provide you with proofs before printing, it’s well worth checking these very carefully as correcting a mistake later can be costly. We’ve put together a few of the common mistakes we spot and our tips for picking them up.

Damask Invitation

Spelling

The most common mistakes are usually where the wrong word has been used and so spell check does not pick it up. Here are some classic examples we often see:

Wedding Stationary or Wedding Stationery

Most people don’t realise but the printed form is actually spelt “stationery”. “Stationary” refers to the standing still version of the word.

Their or There

Surprisingly we do see this a lot. “Their” is used when talking about a person, group or organisation, as in “their wedding”. “There” refers to a location “over there by the tree”.

Form or From

This is a classic typing error and one which we see all the time. It never shows up on spell check so it’s worth checking very carefully. You don’t want your invitations to say “form 8pm”!

Top Tip: The best way to proof read is backwards, starting at the bottom. This forces you to read each word so you’re more likely to spot mistakes.

Watch out for Americanisations: For example organize / organise. Customized Invitations. Customised Invitations. Personalized Stationery / Personalised Stationery.

Orchid Invitation

Dos and Don’ts

Do remember spell check won’t pick up on names of places or people so do check these very carefully.

Don’t put the groom’s name before the bride’s. It’s always ladies first on invitations.

Do be consistent with your forms of address. If you choose to use titles, do so throughout. For example:

Mr and Mrs Andrew Smith, Mr and Mrs A Smith, Andrew and Janet Smith

Similarly if you include your middle name on your invitations, be sure to include your fiancé’s too.

Don’t use capital letters at the start of words such as “and”, “at”, “on” etc. On invitations only names of people and places should start with capital letters.

Do pay attention to the tiny details. If you choose to use a colon after one heading on your information cards, then make sure you do for all headings. Similarly, if you use an ampersand (&) in one course on your menu, do the same throughout your menu. Being consistent with these tiny details will make your stationery look neat and professional. Your stationer should be able to advise you, but as many of these details are really personal preference being consistent with the wording you send your stationer will make it clear to them what format you prefer.

Don’t use full stops on invitations. You don’t need to, and commas are only necessary when breaking up an address that’s on the same line.

Top Tip: Ask a friend or relative to check your wording before you send it to your stationers and also to check your proofs. The more eyes the better.

We hope this helps. We’ve got lots of wording advice and ideas on our website and you can find more Do’s and Don’ts on our etiquette SOS page.

If you need any specific help with your stationery then do give us a call on 01235 850993.

Chartula x

A Dreamy Wedding Present

charlotte — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:26:24 +0000

These days more and more couples are choosing something other than the conventional gift list. At Chartula our couples have asked for honeymoons, a work of art, a wine cellar, a donation to their favourite charity and more. So when we came across interior artist Flora Roberts we instantly thought what a wonderful alternative wedding present her work would make.

Entwistle Corridor

Flora hand paints murals and works of art for both private and corporate clients and has created some truly stunning interiors. They remind us of old fashioned wall paper and willow pattern china.

Nursery

Why not ask your guests to help you commission Flora to paint a mural in your home. We love this idea as it’s an extension of the wedding present’s traditional “setting up home” theme, and like a traditional gift will last for years and will always be a great talking point for visitors.

Fairytale Invitation

And if you’re looking for stationery to compliment your whimsical, arty, modern taste then our concertina Fairytale invitation is delicate and detailed like Flora’s work, and includes an extra page for guest information, so you can add a polite request for your dream wedding gift.

Visit wallflowerpainting.com to see more of Flora’s stunning work. Enjoy!

The Chartula Team x

Inspiration! Blue Romance

charlotte — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:09:17 +0000

Blue Romance

Summer is here and romance is in the air! Think strolls through summer meadows and candlelit suppers al fresco.

A Secret Garden… There’s something Alice in Wonderland about our Haute Fleurie invitation (above left), it reminds us of the hidden entrance to a secret garden and is so pretty in this duck egg colour. Inside there’s space for reply and information cards so it’s perfect for a weekend of celebrations. Team with wild flowers and big blossoms of blue Hydrangeas. Send guests home with slices of cake in these pretty vintage cake boxes by Cox and Cox (above centre top).

Romantic Roses… There’s nothing like Roses at a wedding and we think these Rose Mini Cakes by Peggy Porschen (above centre bottom) make a delicious accompaniment to our Rose Folly invitation (above centre). Mixing these classic flowers with glamorous gold, cornflower blue and pretty pink is wonderfully romantic.

Midsummer Nights Dream… We simply love this dreamy Eloise wedding dress by Jenny Packham (above top right). It’s perfect for dancing the night away under the stars. Add a bespoke vintage necklace by Magpie Vintage (above bottom right) - they can even incorporate your own beads or your grandmothers broach!

We hope this theme gets you in the mood for summer romance! See how you can get the look for your stationery by ordering our bespoke sample pack and asking for “Blue Romance”. Or call us on 020 7138 4055 for a chat! x

Chartula Create! Gets a Printing Make Over!!

charlotte — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:46:14 +0000

It’s what we’ve all been waiting for! …

Create! our fab range of DIY laser cut stationery is now available printed and assembled so you can be as creative, or not, as you like!

There are three great options for you to choose from:

1) Get Creative! With our original DIY service. Perfect for adding your own touch to your stationery and a great way to save money. Prices from just £2.55 each.

2) Have the Best of Both! With our ready printed service. We’ll print your inserts, you assemble your stationery. Ideal for combining our expertise with your own creative flare. Prices from just £3.12 each (based on 100 invitations and envelopes).

3) Pamper Yourself! With our ready to send service. We’ll do everything, including carefully tying your ribbons, all you have to do is pop your printed and assembled invitations in the post. Easy! Prices from just £3.77 each (based on 100 invitations and envelopes).

Whichever service you choose there are three gorgeous Chartula designs to choose from; Fleur Heart, Butterfly Kiss and Fleur Folly, each available in a range of colours. We’ve selected some of our favourites below.

Butterfly Kiss in Sorbet Yellow and Candy Pink

Fleur Heart in Lavender and Fuchsia Pink

Fleur Folly in Natural and Candy Pink

These pretty pastels are perfect for Spring/Summer - choose sugar coloured sweets as favours. We love Cadbury Mini Eggs or penny sweets like Candy Necklaces, Flying Saucers and Sugar Mice - visit Handy Candy for loads of great sweets.

We hope you like the new Create! services and the new look website too!

The Chartula Team x

Top Tips for Wording Invitations

charlotte — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 08:00:18 +0000

You’ve chosen your invitations, now all you have to do is write your wording! At Chartula we know that for most couples it can be tricky to strike the perfect balance between that which is traditionally correct and something that reflects the two of you and your day.

We’ve put together this little guide that we hope will help you with some of the common problems.

Wording Invitations:

Traditionally invitations are sent by the brides parents and are usually written as follows:

Bride’s Parents Hosting

Mr and Mrs (Bride’s Parents Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
(Bride’s Name)
to
Mr (Groom’s Name)
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

Damask Invitation with Bride's Parents Hosting

These days however both families and the couple themselves may be hosting the wedding. The following wording is a great way to include everyone on your invitations:

Bride and Groom and Families Hosting

Together with their families
(Bride’s Name)
and
(Groom’s Name)
request the pleasure of your company
at their marriage
at (Ceremony Details)
on (Day, Date, Month, Year)
at (Time)
and afterwards at
(Reception Details)

English Roses Invitation with Bride, Groom and Families Hosting

There are plenty of alternatives to customise your invitations. Here are some of the most popular for traditional or modern weddings.

Traditional Alternatives:

Request the honour of your presence

2 o’clock
2 o’clock in the afternoon

And afterwards for dinner and dancing
And afterwards for sumptuous dinner and dancing
Followed by dinner and dancing

Modern Alternatives:

Invite you to celebrate
Would love for you to join them

2.00 pm
2 p.m.

Two o’clock

Saturday the Fourteenth of June Two Thousand and Ten

Fun Phrases:

At Chartula we know how important it is that your invitation reflects the two of you. Whilst we concentrate on tailoring your design, over the years we’ve been impressed by the fun phrases our couples have created to inject an element of personality into their wording. Dress codes, notes on information cards and reply cards are a great place to do this if you want to keep your actual invitations quite formal. Here are some of our favourites:

Beau Jardin Reply Cards

Dress Code: Posh frocks and sharp suits

Dress Code: Bring your dancing shoes!

RSVP Acceptance: Wouldn’t miss it for the world!

RSVP Decline: You have left it far too late to send the invitations out, we have a brilliant social life and are all booked up!

RSVP Other: This is our all time favourite party tune and we would definitely get up and dance if you played it…..

We’ve also got a great area on our website with lots more wording examples for invitations - from the grooms parents, both parents, divorced parents, as well as for save the date cards, reply cards and much more that you can copy and paste and tailor to suit you.

For traditional etiquette and wording advice we can highly recommend Debretts, we keep a copy of their Wedding Guide and Correct Form in our studio.

We hope this helps you. Also, look out for our posts on spelling and grammar and etiquette that we’ll be putting up shortly.

Happy typing!

The Chartula Team x

Chartula’s in You and Your Wedding!

charlotte — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:47:11 +0000

Grab yourself a copy of the latest issue of You and Your Wedding. It’s packed full of great ideas for your big day and some lovely invitations to inspire you. Including our very own Petit Bouquet Fairytale design.

You and Your Wedding Jan/Feb 2010

You and Your Wedding Jan/Feb 2010

We love it for it’s delicate simplicity, and pretty, whimsical feel. You and Your Wedding chose the Shimmering Coral for their feature.

Petit Bouquet Fairytale Invitation in Shimmering Coral

We also love it in Damask Blue, Apple Sorbet, Lavendula and other pretty pastels for Spring. Invitations cost from £900 for 100 with envelopes. Or for a similar look on a budget our popular Butterfly Kiss design from our fab Create! range of DIY stationery costs just £2.50 each!

Petit Bouquet Fairytale Invitation in Damask Blue

Create! Butterfly Kiss in Natural and Bluebell Cream

Petit Bouquet Fairytale Invitation in Apple Sorbet

Create! Butterfly Kiss in Natural and Pistachio

Petit Bouquet Fairytale Invitation in Lavendula

Create! Butterfly Kiss in Natural and Lavender

Inside You and Your Wedding you’ll also find some useful tips on wording your invitations, something we at Chartula know all about! For all sorts of wording examples visit our tips and trends page on our website. And don’t miss our next post on spelling, grammar and etiquette.

The Chartula Team x

Join us for Absolutely Beautiful Weddings

charlotte — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:50:44 +0000

What better way to start spring than indulging your wedding whims with the bridal industries leading experts.

The best of the wedding industry has teamed up with Wedding Magazine to bring you an exclusive wedding show. What a fab idea! Join us on Sunday 28th March at London’s Claridges hotel for Absolutely Beautiful Weddings.

Catch the first glimpse of our gorgeous new laser cut invitations, pretty floral range and new printing options and colours for our popular Create! stationery, all hot off the press for 2010!

As well as showing you our new stationery what we’re really excited about is chatting to you in person! An intimate event like this is a wonderful opportunity for you to meet the actual designers from these couture companies - Enjoy champagne and canapés whilst chatting to dress designer Sassi Holford, shoe queen Emmy Shoes, glamorous jewellers Magpie Vintage, bridal boutique Luella’s Boudoir, sublime photographer Julia Boggio, vintage caterer The Utterly Sexy Cafe and many others, plus Chartula designer and founder Charlotte Hewson will be on hand for you to quiz about all things stationery - from style, etiquette and colour advice to unusual bespoke requests or just to offer a little help deciding what you’d like. Then leave with a goodie bag worth £50!

What more could a girl want?!!

Visit the Absolutely Beautiful Blog for the latest info. Here’s a little taster of what’s in store…

Julia Boggio Photography

Chartula Fairytale Invitation

Emmy Shoes

Magpie Vintage Jewellery

Please do join us for what promises to be a day of luxurious wedding indulgence - we’re counting the days to 28th March!

Tickets cost just £15 and places are limited so book yours now. We can’t wait to see you there!

The Chartula Team x

Chartula’s in Wedding Magazine!

charlotte — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:30 +0000

Check out the latest issue of Wedding Magazine for hot new trends for 2010.

Wedding Magazine Feb/Mar 2010

There’s a fab “Reception Style Guide” supplement featuring all sorts of ideas for different colour themes for your big day, from Mellow Yellow to Modern Monochrome.

Wedding Magazine Supplement Feb/Mar 2010

Create a look of timeless elegance with this smart theme. Standing proud amongst a chic collection of black and white goodies (we love the striped lollipops from Confetti) is our elegant Rose Folly invitation. Complete your look with ivory Roses, and Harmony Maxi Dresses from Coast for your bridesmaids. Or for a modern twist choose exotic Orchids, or wintery Amaryllis - try the lovely Jamie Aston for stunning floral arrangements and team with our elegant Orchids, or our opulent Rococo invitations.

Orchid Invitation

Rococo Invitation

Both are available to order on our online boutique. If you don’t see the colour combination you would like just call us on 020 7138 4055 and we will tailor your order to suit you!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the magazine for other big trends for you big day.

Happy reading! x