Back it up!

Minutes after posting yesterday's blog entry, my power went out. The good news is that although I had a bunch of other applications running on my computer, I had saved all my work. The bad news is that after the electricity came back on two hours later, my secondary internal hard drive suffered an untimely death. It took a good hour to figure out how to get my computer to reboot successfully. You know how time flies when you're having fun? Well, time stood still during those sixty loooong minutes.

I thought about all my client files that I'd have to somehow rebuild. I thought about the hundreds, no thousands, of irreplaceable photos that I'd never be able to retrieve. And then I thought about...THE WEDDING FILES.

The guest list.
The vendor contracts.
The detailed budget spreadsheet.
The photos that I collected from who-knows-where that would provide inspiration during the moments when I felt uninspired.

This mini panic attack was enough to make me go out and buy an external hard drive today. It wasn't cheap...boy, it really wasn't cheap...but I guess the peace of mind is worth it. So learn from my (almost) disaster. Back it up. Today.

Color inspiration

If I were to revamp the FAQ page on my Emi Ink web site, I'd make the following changes:

QUESTION: Who's doing your invitations? (*wink-wink*)

ANSWER: Although I've been tempted to do Evites on several occasions, yes, I'll be designing my own invitations.

QUESTION: What are your invitations going to look like?

ANSWER: I wish I knew! All I'm sure of is the color scheme which was inspired by the photos above. I came across these gorgeous pics and instantly fell in love with the vibrant colors. The deep pinks with orange accents will definitely stand out against the darker backdrop of the bridesmaids dresses (black, of course), favor boxes (again, black), and vases (surprise, these are black, too). It's completely different than what I had first envisioned for our wedding, but I think it works for us. As for the design, it's anyone's guess right now. I just purchased some beautiful paper that I'm hoping will take on a life of its own!

The beauty of yuzen washi

Even before I started designing invitations for a living, I always had an obsession with paper. So, being able to shop for papers with unusual textures or patterns is probably the most fun I've ever had at any job...that's no exaggeration! Since I often work with imported yuzen washi from Japan, I was inspired to learn more about the the meanings behind some of the more traditional patterns found on the beautiful handmade papers.

The photo above is from a swatch of paper that I'm using for a client's table cards this week. It's also the same paper that was used on their wedding invitations. Inspired by the obi from the bride's custom wedding gown, I searched for a paper with vibrant red and orange colors, and one that was also full of rich symbolism. The crane (or tsuru) has traditionally been considered a sign of lonvevity and good luck, as has the hexagonal tortoise shell pattern seen on the right edge of the paper. The hexagon pattern was originally a Chinese motif, but was adopted by the Japanese during the Heian period. Because of its refined design and connotations of longevity, the pattern was often used for regal court dress, and later for warriors' kimonos and armor.

For a quick introduction to Japanese design motifs, Snow, Wave, Pine by Sadao Hibi and Motoji Niwa is an excellent (and beautiful) book! So the next time you see a pretty washi paper, take a closer look. You might be surprised what you find!

Slideshow mania

Argh.

My fiance and I are smack dab in the middle creating our wedding reception slideshow. We've been looking through lots of childhood and family photos over the past few weeks and sampling hundreds of songs to find the perfect tune and the perfect beat to create judt the right experience for our guests.

It's not easy.

Between the two of us, we have a long list of ideas, but I doubt if people will sit through a 3-hour marathon of mugshots and video clips...especially without comfy theater seating, a lengthy intermission, and free popcorn.

So how do couples showcase those special moments that highlighted of each of their lives AND tell their love story in four minutes or less? It seems mathematically impossible. But I know we HAVE to find a way. We don't want to see our guests shift uncomfortably in their seats as they look anxiously at their watches and pray that the end is near. We need to leave everybody wanting more. Hmm, maybe a dliffhanger ending where we...

Fun at the Bridal Expo

2 days down, and 1 to go! We've been busy chatting with brides and grooms at this weekend's Bridal Expo and having fun meeting new clients and other vendors in the wedding biz. Today I
also had my friend (and matron of honor) helping out at the booth...and it's a good thing, because we were swamped!

So thanks to my friend, I was able to sneak away for a little while and swap my exhibitor badge for a bride-to-be sticker. One of the things on my "to do" list was to check out wedding bands. I had no idea what style I wanted, but the helpful salesperson at The Diamond Specialists helped me narrow down the choices very quickly. It's funny...I thought that I wanted a plain platinum band, but once I slipped on a band with a little "bling" in it, my mindset totally changed! What I imagined would be too distracting next to the solitaire on my e-ring, actually enhanced it. Now I just have to convince my fiance that this "enhancement" is worth the $$$.

Coming up for air

Forgive my lapse in blogging. It's been a crazy week with an even crazier week just ahead. As predicted, I enjoyed a two-week vacation over the holidays and now that I'm back, EVERYTHING is in full swing once again.

There's the Bridal Expo coming up this weekend. I normally take a few days to prep for a show...this time, I have one day. The shows are fun, although I suspect that a lot of grooms don't think so. They literally get stuck "holding the bag" as their lovely brides amass huge collections of glossy brochures and rate sheets to peruse in the solace of their own home. Yup, the Bridal Expo is a great place to meet tons of wedding vendors at once...the tough part is deciding which ones are right for you.

Besides prepping for the show and working with my current clients, I've realized that my wedding is just around the corner. Well, not "just" around the corner but I definitely see it's little head peeking at me in the distance. It's about time for me to start my invitations and I don't have a clue what to do. I guess that's not totally true. I have lots of clues, but I haven't hit on "IT" yet. My fiance stopped offering me suggestions long ago and has assumed the "whatever you want is fine" (aka "yes, dear") motto. The truth of the matter is, I want his opinion and I really do value his input. He has a wonderfully creative and artistic side to him and often pipes in with brilliant ideas for my clients' invitations. It's just that our design styles don't always match up perfectly. I'm sure that however our invitations turn out, they'll be a true reflection of us as a couple...or we'll send out two different invitations.

Fondue fun

Imagine strolling down a road lined with charming boutiques and then stumbling onto a shop specializing in gourmet chocolates. You walk through the doors of the shop and learn that it is actually a café that not only sells delectable chocolates in exquisite gift boxes, but also offers fondue on their menu. This was my experience on my last day in Chicago as I discovered Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge.

My fiancé and I would have been quite happy sipping on a couple of hot chocolates but opted for the fondue platter filled with fresh strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, graham crackers and pound cake. We dined upstairs in the loft and ignored the tinge of guilt we felt for bypassing a healthy lunch in favor of this decadent meal.

Leaving the lounge with our wonderful sugar highs, we vowed to dust off our fondue pot and give it an honorary spot between our toaster and rice cooker.