Merry Christmas

Well this will be most prob our last post for 2009. We wish all the best over the festive season and look forward to great 2010. We will be closing on 19/12/2009 and re-opening on 7/01/2010. There are a number of new and exciting product that we will be offering in the new year and will keep you posted!!!

All the best and thank you for your interest in our blog!!

Take Care

Happy Planning!!!

THE BEST OF NOV 2009

Finally get a chance to post something, been a really busy couple of months!!! Below is a showcase of some of our new wedding invitations that have been designed for recent clients. Classic patterns are back, vintage damask is slowly fading out and floral prints are in demand.

Enjoy!!!!

Wedding Invitation Classics

At Crystal Print we are totally obsessed with the classic style of invite. Here are some we have just done. Enjoy!!!

OUR NEW WEBSITE

Finally our new website is up and running. Still needs a bit more work as well as samples added. Have a look and let us know what you think.

www.crystalprintsa.co.za

Links We Love

Been meaning to put these up for awhile so here goes. Weddings are something we are passionate about and there so many different and unique wedding vendors out there making a huge impact in the industry that we thought we would share them with you. We have also collected some interesting sites that assist you with planning your special day.

We would like to make this a permanent feature on our blog so if you are a wedding vendor or a past bride that has something to share please drop us a line at ross@crystalprint.co.za. Also a note that our new website will be up and running soon with a new range of wedding invitations and stationery samples and products that we will be launching through our site. Enjoy!!!

1) Colour palettes for your wedding day, www.colourlovers.com has an interesting collection of ready made palettes or make up your own.

2) www.belles.co.za - One of the finest collection of bridal gowns and evening wear we have seen.

3) www.marthastewartweddings.com so many ideas to make your day unique.

4) www.blogger.com design your own blog to keep your friends and family updated with your wedding plans. You can add pics, write stories and eventually post your wedding pics on it so your guests can go online and view. Its free and easy to use.

5) Wedding Tour - www.marriagemeander.co.za The Marriage Meander is a leisurely journey, transporting brides-to-be and their retinues to select wedding venues and bridal studios putting them in contact with professional Wedding Specialists. The next Marriage Meander will take place on the 19th September 2009.

6) Tala Game Reserve - www.tala.co.za - need we say more.

Thats it for now and will post more soon.

Take care

Happy Planning!!!

Crystal Print Birthday Specials

A couple of specials we are running for the month of September 2009 to celebrate our 13th Birthday.

Give us a call to book an appointment to view our range of wedding stationery.

031 209 4464
082 417 4668
ross@crystalprint.co.za

WIN WIN WIN

As apart of our 13th Birthday Celebration we are offering one lucky couple the chance to win a R1200 gift voucher towards their weddimg stationery order.

How?

Save the pic below

Email it to 5 friends or more that you know are engaged, getting married or just love anything to do with weddings and dont forget to cc the email to winatcrystalprint@gmail.com.

Good luck and Happy Planning!!!

Marriage Meander September

We Won Silver

Hi there just a note of thanks to all couples that voted for us at the recent Vow Awards (South African Bridal Industry Academy) recently held in Johannesburg. To know that we are valued is very important to us and we are happy to have won a silver award in 2009. Thank you, thank you, thank you .......

Spring!!!!

August Special!!!!

Designer Stationery July Collection 1

Hope you like. Please comment and let us know!!!

Check out our new photostream on www.flickr.com/photos/crystalprint

Cheers for now and happy planning!!!

Tala Bridal Show Again

More pics from the show:

TALA BRIDAL SHOW 2009

(Excuse the quality of the above pic, taken with our really dodgey camera, waiting for our other pics to arrive from our photographer)

Yes its been awhile since we last posted anything. We have been really busy getting new samples ready for our showroom as well as the Tala Bridal Show. Will have the photo gallery up soon on our this blog and our website which is in desperate need of an update will be going under construction really soon as well. So please keep popping back here to view regular updates, pics, samples and ideas. I PROMISE TO UPDATE ON A REGULAR WEEKELY BASIS THIS TIME ROUND!!!

The Tala Bridal Show held this past weekend was one to remember and having attended as well as exhibited at most shows in KZN, it was the most impressive to date. Amazing venue!!!

We would like to thank everybody that came to our stall and wish you all the best in our competition to win the Seating Plan and Easel Hire which will be drawn at the end of next month.

Just a note as well is that we have started an hire range and will be adding new items as soon as we can. What we do have at the moment is 3 easels, 2 frames (seating plans), buffet menu frame, ribbon seating arrangement holder and some others. We will post pics of these items very soon and take orders for bookings.

We also have a new range of invites "SUEDE D LUX" (a very classy upmarket style of invite made with suede material, imported satin ribbons and embellished with the fine diamante style brouches.) We only have a few that we have done and im sure of you were at the Tala Show you would have seen them. In the next couple of weeks we will add to this collection.

Here are a couple of the invites that were on show:

Colour Series

Hello there. Have decided to do a colour series that is mailed once a month out to all our brides and friends in the industry. This month we have chsoed clssic black and white (very popular) but with an added colour hint. Hope you like!!!

Happy Planning!!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to you all and hope you had a good break over the long weekend. Just to let you all know that we now have new showroom hours. Closed Mondays. Tuesday - Friday 8:30 to 16:00. We are open till six on Wednesdays eve until 18:00 (by appointment only) and Saturdays 9:00 to 14:00.

Crystal Print now offers a a print and cut service to all you DIY brides. We have just purchased a fantastic new diecut machine and have a number of wedding card shapes available and are wholesalers for all your papers, boards and ribbons.

Will be posting some new pics and trends soon, just putting all our new pics together.

Happy Planning!!!

A Touch of Class

Sorry its been awhile since I have posted anything, been really busy as usual. Anyway here is some new ideas that we have put togther and thought we would label it A Touch of Class. As you can see used alot of vintage wallpaper patterns (which are still the trend at the moment), satin ribbons and beading. Hope u like!!!

Retro Paisley Peacock

A request brought to me awhile back that I've been playing with and eventually got one together. Used an ivory ripple board, rounded the corners of the invite (sorry you cant see it in the pic) and used a choc brown and turquoise print. These style of invites are simple but can make a bold statement depending on the pattern and colours used and most importantly are pretty cost effective. Hopefully post some more in this style soon, let me know what you think and if you have any ideas.

Good morning all!!! Black and White - very classic.

Welcome!!!! We hope you like!!!!

Wedding Invitation Trends for 2009

As a designer of wedding invitations and stationery for many years I applaud 2008 as being one of the most exciting and progressive years for South African couples when it came to making a statement in their wedding stationery needs. In previous years the wedding invitation was overlooked and kept to a minimum when it came to the wedding as a whole. Let’s be honest and I’m sure you have heard it before “It’s the first indication that your guests receive to what the wedding will entail” so you want that to be reflected in your wedding invitation to set the tone for your special day. Today’s Brides want something unique and are keeping up to date with local and international trends taking the wedding selections by storm, but also not forgetting to add that South African flavor. The invitation which I’m proud to say is now a fashion accessory and fast becoming top of the wedding planning list to which it should be. It’s saying “This is who we are” and 2008 had definitely achieved that. Things can only get better seeing a lot of the designs, styles and themes overflowing into 2009 taking on a new twist.Here are some trends that I believe we will see in 2009 making your unique wedding invitation one to remember for years to come.

Here are some trends that I believe we will see in 2009 making your unique wedding invitation one to remember for years to come.

Vintage Candy:
As I’m sure most of you are familiar with the vintage prints that the end of 2007 and 2008 introduced. Damask, baroque patterns were all the rage and believe will still carry on, with bolder colour combinations, adding modern elements and alternative letter styles that will bring in a new concept on the old design. Wedding invitations will now see these antique style patterns take on a whole new meaning.

Colour Me Shades:
Every bride is unique in their own way and most probably already have a colour in mind whether the trend or not. My suggestion is “Go for it!” it’s your personal choice at the end of the day. 2009 wedding invitations will use an array of different colour palettes. The trend I’m noticing is brides sticking to a single colour scheme but experimenting and mixing its different shades. This choice not only broadens your options but takes the difficulty out of trying to make everything match. It’s also chic, stylish, fun and different.

Monogram Us:
The classic interlinked initials seen on the majority of wedding cards will now be replaced with ornate framed monograms customised according to your requirements. The monogram in itself is design and can be carried through all your wedding stationery for your special day. Basically like the old coat of arms these modern day gems can incorporate personal elements and most importantly make your wedding stationery one of a kind.

Citrus Splash:
Two colours that have been popular towards the end of 2008 and already getting a lot of interest for 2009 are orange and yellow. Orange, which is no newcomer and has been around for some time, but is having a facelift with new tones, that are really exciting and being blended with colours unheard of in the past. Think neon orange, tangerine fizz, tangy orange and then consider the complete colour palette. It goes well with choc brown, baby blues and mint green or pure white and gives your wedding invite that extra pop. Now yellow on the other hand was a colour rarely seen and to be honest difficult to play with, but with the new patterned prints and unique wedding invitation shapes that are available it’s making its mark. Think canary yellow, lemongrass, buttercup, lemon zest and I’m sure you can most probably taste the possibilities. These two colours are not only fresh but reflect the seasons that lay ahead.

It's In The Shape:
Wedding invitations come in all shapes and sizes and the one that 2008 labeled as most popular and will once again carry over into next year is the pocket fold invitation. A unique invitation which says style and elegance and incorporates your additional info cards like directions, rsvp, accommodation details or an added before or after celebration and then neatly folds up into a standard size invite keeping everything in place. 2009 will also see a more economic trend playing its roll, its got to in this day and age but at the same time one doesn’t want to skimp on the quality. Dual sided cards are the way to go and the front panel being the canvas to reflect your desired colour and design with the reverse panel being the actual invite.

Envelope Me:
Last but not least, the envelope. Gone are the bland white envelopes we have seen for so many years and we now say hello to a matching affair. Not only do envelopes come in variety of colours and sizes to compliment your wedding invitations but 2009 will see them given a much needed face lift with matching outer and inner prints. Another popular trend is having the envelopes personally addressed in the invitation font and a crest or monogram on the back leaf.

Hope you enjoyed our opener for our blog and we look forward to filling you in with new ideas and inspirations for your wedding day.

Happy Planning!!!