2012年8月30日星期四

Spring Themed Baby Shower

Spring is all about new beginnings, which makes it the perfect theme for a baby shower! A spring themed baby shower should incorporate all aspects of the season with soft pastel colors, fresh flowers, potted plants and butterflies. From the location to the cake, there are so many ways you can utilize this theme to create a memorable celebration. Here are a few easy and simple spring baby shower ideas to help you inspire your party planning.
  • Location: Host the party in a backyard, at a local park or at a restaurant with an outdoor patio. A garden makes the perfect backdrop for a spring baby shower because it provides natural décor that compliments the party theme.
  • Invitations: Send out your baby shower invitations six to eight weeks before the party. You want to pick an invitation design that reflects your theme, so incorporate two to three pastel colors in your design. You can also tie the spring theme into your invitation wording by saying, “You’re Invited to a Spring Baby Shower in Honor of (expectant mother’s name)”. 
  • Decorations: Colorful flowers, potted plants, butterflies and dragonflies are the perfect addition to your party décor. Display lots of flower bouquets throughout your party space to create a garden oasis. Include seasonal flowers like daisies, lilies and daffodils. Make butterfly and dragonfly place card holders to display at each place setting. Tiki torches or paper lanterns are also a great addition to add ambiance to the party.
  • Cake: Spring baby shower cakes are an essential part of the celebration. You can either choose to design a traditional cake or make cupcakes. For a traditional cake, pick a tiered design that is decorated with pastel colored frosting. Add candy butterflies and flowers to the cake to make it fit the spring theme. If you want something less traditional, mini cupcakes are perfect because they are so cute and irresistibly good. Frost the cupcakes with pastel frosting and finish the cupcakes with mini candy flower cupcake toppers.
  • Activities & Games: Give your baby shower games a spring twist. Play baby bingo and add spring words to the bingo cards like ladybug, butterfly, daisy and daffodil along with the traditional baby words. Instead of traditional bingo card markers, use paper flowers or butterflies for an added creative touch.
  • Menu: Incorporate seasonal flavors into your spring baby shower menu. One versatile idea is to make crepes, which can be served both savory (with cheese and ham fillings, for example) or sweet (with honey or chocolate). A big bowl of fresh fruit salad, and bite-sized treats are also a must!
Infuse the day with color, flowers and new beginnings and celebrate the mother-to-be!
via http://www.punchbowl.com/p/spring-themed-baby-shower
read more:Baby shower activities

2012年8月28日星期二

Baby shower activities

Silly shower games can be a hoot — if the crowd's in the mood. If not, we know plenty of other activities that are both fun and engaging. A handwritten book of advice may be the best gift of all for an expectant mother. Or consider a group crafts project. These are our favorites:

Write a book

Buy or make a small blank book. Ask each guest to write a piece of advice in the book for the mother- or parents-to-be.

Expectant mother Arielle Ikeda of Forest Knolls, California, gave us a sampling of the words of wisdom culled from family and friends at her baby shower. "Most of the advice was about sleep — 'Sleep when the baby sleeps,' 'Get as much rest as possible,' " she says. But a bit of the more unusual advice told her to remember that when she's up at 2 a.m. — nursing the baby in the rocking chair, feeling exhausted and lonely — hundreds of other women are up, too, with their babies. Her favorite piece of advice came from the hostess: "Whatever works."

A variation on the advice book involves asking each guest to write a wish or proverb for the baby. You could use poems, quotes, or something original.

Arts and crafts

Craft projects can be a great activity at a shower, if your guests are comfortable with the idea. You can float it by them ahead of time. Here are a few suggestions:
  • A quilting bee: Have your guests bring squares of favorite fabrics to the shower, or the host can provide the squares. They need to be a uniform size, though — 6 square inches works well. At the shower, provide fabric pens or paint so each guest can decorate her square with a picture or a message for the baby. Then the group can sew the quilt together at the shower, or one person can take the squares home and put it together later. It's a nice way to remember the day and get everyone involved in a group project.
  • A felt board: The hostess chooses a theme or a book and buys a felt board and felt. The guests trace shapes, cut them out, and glue on features. You could do an animal theme or numbers and letters. The possibilities are endless: Think of Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, or The Cat in the Hat. When you're done, the mom-to-be has a wonderful decoration for her nursery.
  • A handmade wall hanging or floor mat: This is a great group project — guests can help paint or design the mat — and something any parent would cherish.
    "If you know the future parents' taste and preferences and are artistically inclined, this can be a wonderful and unique gift," says Jill Wood of A Child's Eye View, a children's design firm in Oakland, California. "If you know the baby's sex and name, you can even personalize it. You can take cues from the baby's room or nursery. For instance, if it's a nautical theme, the mat can be an ocean mural, or a circus scene if it's clown wallpaper." You'll find everything you need at art supply stores. Use acrylic paints, a primed canvas mat, and a satin polymer varnish to seal it.
  • Prefired pottery at do-it-yourself shops: These studios offer a great setting for parties. You can host the shower at the shop and decorate plates, bowls, mugs, or picture frames for the expectant parents.
  • Blow by blow

    Consider a piñata. The mom-to-be should be cautious about swinging a bat, of course, but this can be a great activity, especially if the shower is coed or is an outdoor event like a barbecue. Some party stores have appropriate shapes, such as a stork, bunny, or lamb. Think about filling the piñata with small infant paraphernalia — pacifiers, diaper pins — or tiny baby dolls, candy, pens, pencils, erasers, or novelty key chains.

    A personal touch

    Rituals can be nice. Suzi Lee of Davis, California, organized a small shower for her best friend. "There were only four of us, which made it intimate. Each of us had a candle wrapped as a gift. We lit a candle and said a blessing or poem for the baby." Suzi's son, Carver, had gathered stones from a nearby river, and she put them in a dish, which became the candle holder.

    Arielle Ikeda described a similar ritual from her shower: "There was a cake. Each of us lit a candle and made a wish — out loud — for the baby. The wishes reflected all our personalities. Then, like a birthday cake, I blew the candles out."

    15 minutes of fame

    If you're a video hound, consider making a home video similar to the old television show "This Is Your Life." Interview family and friends about the parents-to-be and ask who the baby will be like. Or produce a mock documentary. Show the video during the shower and present the tape as a gift.

    If this is too high-tech but you have a digital camera and printer available, take a group photo of the gathering with the mother-to-be in the center. You could ask the guests to hold their gift. Print out the photo and ask guests to sign the back, and then place the photo in a special frame to decorate the nursery .

    Whatever you choose to do, make sure you're prepared. You don't want to be running around at the last minute while you're waiting for your guests. Try not to get so caught up in the details that you can't have fun. Remember, this is a celebration for someone close. Don't forget your camera!
    via babycenter

2012年8月22日星期三

Chocolate Gift Ideas for Baby Shower

Chocolate is divine and almost everyone simply loves it. Why not use it as a gift to give a mother-to-be and brighten up the rest of her days during pregnancy? Why not give it to guests as a little thank you for sharing your joy at your baby shower? Here's how chocolate can be used for gift-giving at a baby shower.
Chocolate can never go wrong as a gift. Be it for a pregnant woman or the mother-to-be, or be it for the guests who come and celebrate her joy at a baby shower. It is in fact one of the most feasible gift ideas because pretty much everyone will enjoy it, and it is a gift that will definitely not be recycled. Moreover, chocolate gifts are versatile. Just a box of chocolates is not all you can give as a gift. Chocolate with its versatility can be molded into a beautiful gift idea that anyone will love without doubt. They can be gourmet or they can be simple and straight from the heart. That is how chocolate is. It allows you to mold it just the way you want it, to please you and your senses. So here's how you can come up with some delicious and gorgeous chocolate gift ideas for a baby shower.

Delectable Chocolate Gift Ideas

Here we provide you with ideas that can be used as baby shower favors as well as gifts that can be given to the mother-to-be. Either way, they will definitely be appreciated. These are ideas that you can use as they are, or you can derive inspiration from them to come up with some great ideas yourself. All you have to do is get a little creative, and there will be no dearth of chocolate gift ideas.



Chocolate Dipped Fortune Cookies

A wonderful gift for the mother-to-be, fortune cookies dipped in rich dark (or white, or both) chocolate can serve a dual purpose; for one, YUM! And for the other, the messages inside can be personalized specifically for her. For instance, if she doesn't know the gender of the baby but badly wants it to be a boy or a girl, one of the messages can say 'It's a boy/girl!' On the other hand, you could say 'Your happiness will double in the coming days...' which could insinuate that she can expect twins. These will of course be fun messages and you can customize them to suit her choice and personality. Great isn't it?

Chocolate Jars


For a personalized gift that you can make yourself, put together jars with an assortment of chocolates. For instance, these could be chocolate-coated almonds, hazelnuts, or raisins. You could even have chocolates filled with delicious flavors that the mother-to-be enjoys. On the jar, you may stick a label with a personalized message for the mother-to-be. For instance, it could have the quote, Diaper backward spells repaid. Think about it. (Marshall McLuhan) You could then sign it off with your name. On the other hand, this gift can also be made at home. Again, these could be personalized with thank you messages from the mother-to-be for the guests. The chocolate will definitely be enjoyed and the jars will last them a long time.

Chocolate Covered Cookies

A crunchy treat that is loaded with oodles of chocolate makes for another great chocolate gift idea for a baby shower. The idea is to have delicious chocolate chip cookies in diaper, star, or baby jumpsuit shapes dipped in white and dark chocolate. Sounds delectable, doesn't it? Go another step and wrap them in gender-specific colored wrappers (if you know the gender of the baby), or simple paper that is in accordance with the theme of the baby shower, and you are good to go. Put the cookies in a jar, a tin, or in a box, and use a cute ribbon to give the entire package a finishing touch. This is definitely a perfect gift for the mom-to-be or from the mom-to-be.

Chocolate Blooms

A basket full of assorted chocolates decorated in the form of a bouquet will combine the most delicious chocolates in the world into one large gift at a baby shower. If you are sick of the regular chocolates, why not make a bouquet with chocolate lollipops? While the lollipops and the entire bouquet can be prepared professionally, if you have the time and the inclination, these can be made yourself too. Wrap the lollipops in a variety of colored paper so that they resemble actual flower blooms that can be decorated into a bouquet. Tissue, ribbon, tulle, and other embellishments can be further used to enhance it. This gift can be made with as few as two lollipops so that it is feasible if given from the mother-to-be to the guests at the baby shower. If given by a guest, the bouquet can be as big as you would like it to be.
via buzzle

2012年8月21日星期二

How To Prepare Your Wedding Thank You Card

When you are getting married, your friends will send you wedding gifts. No matter they are going to attend to your wedding or not, you will thank them for the gifts. Usually, you will send them “Thank You Cards”. To this end, you need to know how you can write the thank you notes. There are some common questions brides and grooms will ask. As discussed, some of your friends may not be able to come to your wedding. In this case, you will want to know how you can write the notes to them.
Firstly, you need to thank them for the gifts. Be sure to make the message personal. This means that you will have to write according to the gifts received. Then you may want to write a sentence stating that you miss him / her in your wedding. For instance, you can write “We truly missed you on our big day!”
There are some guests who may not have brought you any gift. In fact, you may still want to thank them for their presence in your ceremony. You will still write thank you notes to these guests. This is something you must do!

Handwritten Notes
Without any surprise, we use our computer every day. It will be natural for us to think about printing the thank you notes using computers. You may not want to do it when you consider the proper etiquette. You can make the note more personal if you write it by your hands. As a result, you are not suggested to use your computer and print the notes.

Signing The Cards
You will sign on the card because you want to make it personal. Make sure that both you and your spouse will sign on the cards. Of course your guests may not analyze the signatures on the cards. However, signing the cards together will express the love between you and your spouse. This should be something sweet.

When To Send The Cards
It is always a good idea to send the cards to your friends as soon as you receive the gifts. If you have enough budget, you are suggested to send the guests two thank you cards. The first one is to thank for the gifts while the second one is to thank for their presence in your wedding. However, you may not have enough budget to make two cards. In this case, you should at least try to send the cards within a month after your ceremony and reception.

Sometimes a few friends will buy you one gift together. Remember, you will still need to send a card to each of them. This will show them how important they are. Besides, some of your friends may give you cash instead of buying a gift. You may have a hard time when writing the thank you notes. One of the options is to let them know how you are going to use the money.
The above are the ideas you have to know when you prepare the thank you cards. Remember, it is always better to order these cards together with the wedding invitations. The design of the cards can be inline with the main invitations if you do so.
black and white invitations form vpgifts

via : shoppersbase
read more: Great Baby Shower Party Ideas

2012年8月17日星期五

Great Baby Shower Party Ideas

Gain more exciting baby shower party ideas as you read this article. You will get to know more ways to celebrate a baby shower by having great themes that you and your guests will love. Truly, any baby shower will turn out fun and exciting with decorative items that revolve around the party’s organized theme.
Your guests will appreciate a delightful party that is both fun and meaningful at the same time.
Hence, you should check out this highly informative article that features a number of themes and baby shower party ideas.

Baby Shower Party Ideas: Great Themes for Baby Shower

If you are looking for the best baby shower party ideas, you should check out this article. You will learn more about creative ways to celebrate a baby shower, as well as the best decorative items for these themes.
Eco-Friendly Baby Shower

Think green on your baby shower. This color is usually associated with life and hope, which is exactly what a baby shower presents. The baby’s arrival definitely makes this theme truly suitable for the party. Hence, you can decorate the room with items that symbolize life and birth. You can fill the room with potted plants and flowers, for a spring-look that is also symbol of new life. You may also use eco-friendly plates, cups and utensils in serving the food for the party. Your guests will truly appreciate this interesting and earth-friendly theme.
Baby Animals

Another adorable theme for a baby shower is by decorating the room with several baby animals. You can have a plenty of stuffed baby animals on the couch for a cozy effect. Moreover, you can also have these baby animals as centerpieces. Choose small plush toys for this purpose and bunch them up for an adorable look.
A Star is Born

This is a great theme for a baby shower, as your baby surely is a star yet to be born. Hang adorable stars and moons on the ceiling, and sprinkle these with silver glitters to make them look like stardust. Moreover, you can create star stencils and write several words on each star. Just let your creativity soar, and think “stars and planets”.

Baby Shower Party Ideas: Low Budget Baby Shower Tips

If you are on a tight budget, you can consider some of the exciting baby shower party ideas that will still make your party as exciting as ever.
House Party
baby shower House Party

Celebrating a baby shower at fancy restaurants sure is expensive; hence, you should opt for a more economical party at your home. You will even enjoy the homey atmosphere, which will also allow your guests to feel comfortable all throughout the party. You can cook the food served in the party for a more practical option for a baby shower.
Handmade Party Favors and Invitation Cards

You will definitely save a lot of money if you decide to make the party favors yourself. Moreover, you can recycle some items so you will not have to buy several materials. Check out some websites online for more ideas on how to make homemade invitation and party favors. Through a personalized baby shower favor and invitation, you will impress your guests with your creativity and resourcefulness.

Baby Shower Party Ideas: Make the Most of an Enjoyable Baby Shower

The best baby shower party ideas need not be expensive and intricate; in fact, the simple means of celebrating this event can already make an impact on your guests. Moreover, what matters most is the bonding and the time spent together for such an exciting event in an expectant mother’s life. By simply gathering family members and friends for the party, there can already be so many possibilities for an enjoyable and meaningful baby shower.
If you are on a tight budget, you should consider the practical suggestions found in this article. You will learn more about the smart ways to make the most of your party even if you have a shoestring budget. The great decoration ideas stated in this article helps you have a wonderful baby shower that you and your guests are bound to enjoy. By focusing on a theme, you can come up with an organized party and you can tailor everything else based on the theme.
Hence, you should try for yourself the practical ideas to celebrate your baby shower. You can ask the help of your friends for additional pairs of hands in making the decoration and party favors for the party. You may also wish to consult the advice of other moms on how they celebrated their previous baby showers so you have an idea on how you can have more savings in the different items that you need to have for the baby shower. Check out online stores for the cheapest deals, in case you decide to avail of nice yet inexpensive favors or invitation cards.
 via : http://babyshowerinvitesnbasketsgift.com/baby-shower/baby-shower-party-ideas

2012年8月15日星期三

History of Western Weddings

Weddings haven't always been walking down the aisle and dancing in a room filled with one hundred and fifty guests. In fact, there's little about the earliest "weddings" that resemble the joyous occasions we now celebrate. Read on for a brief bit of wedding history.

Wedding by Capture

The earliest weddings weren't about love and wanting to spend the rest of your life with that special someone. Instead they were about politics and survival. In early days, the bigger a tribe, the better protected they all were against predators, other tribes and villages and the elements. In other words, there was safety in numbers.
In these early times, women would be kidnapped by the groom and some of his trusted friends or relatives. This group of men is now represented by the Best Man and grooms men that make up a modern day wedding party. Once the bride was kidnapped, she was considered the groom's property and a member of his tribe. The couple would then stay away for as long as possible to avoid retaliation. This period of time has evolved to become what is now known as the honeymoon.

Political Weddings

If a bride wasn't being captured by her groom, she was being used as a tool to bring two tribes or high ranking families together. Brides were also bartered for money, livestock, land or other goods. Marriages were also used to elevate social status for one or both couples. In fact, a married couple might never have met prior to their wedding day!

Medieval Times

During Medieval times, laws regarding marriage changed and women were no longer allowed to be bartered, sold or exchanged for goods of any kind. If a couple wanted to get married, a priestly blessing was required first. It was also illegal for secret wedding ceremonies to be held. A wedding was still arranged in many cases, and contracts were even drawn up listing the terms and rights of all parties involved. Weddings among royalty and aristocracy were often arranged when the bride and groom were only ten or twelve years old. These weddings were more about property and inheritance than love.
That isn't to say marriages for love didn't occur. This was mostly the case with the lower classes, for whom possessions and social standing wasn't so important.

Elizabethan Weddings

During Elizabethan times, weddings began to more represent weddings we attend today. At an Elizabethan wedding ceremony one could expect to see bridesmaids, wedding rings, and the exchange of wedding vows. Women were even beginning to carry herbs or flowers. While these were happy, fairy tale occasions, marriages were still mostly arranged. Even though the Happy Couple often didn't meet until their wedding day, the well-to-do groom was often presented with a picture of his betrothed beforehand so he would know what she looked like.
Prior to the wedding, the groom was presented with a dowry. In many cases, this was the reason behind the wedding. A dowry wasn't necessarily money; it was also land or goods. While technically paying a "bride price" was illegal, a dowry was more or less considered a wedding gift. The families were able to get around the bride price law on this technicality.

Colonial Weddings

Once again, for people of wealth, marriages were more business arrangement than loving relationship. Courtships and marriages were arranged, usually by the father of the young men, who would write a letter to the young lady's father requesting permission to court. These letters would usually list the attributes of the young man in question and why the union would be a profitable one for all concern. If the father of the young lady agreed, courtship and, after a negotiation of dowry, marriage would eventually take place.Southern weddings tended to be more festive than those in the North where solemn civil ceremonies were common place. Southern weddings were always followed by a large reception with food, drink, and games, whereas Northern weddings didn't have much of a party afterwards.

Victorian Weddings

As soon as a woman finished school (around the age of seventeen or eighteen), she would "come out" or make her debut. This was a very important and exciting time as she had been groomed for marriage all of her life. New clothes and accessories would be purchased so she would look her best and impress any potential suitors. Men, of course, viewed courtship as more business than pleasure. Land, money, and the family business were all carefully researched since what belonged to the woman would be turned over to the man upon marrying. The upper classes would usually meet at social engagements such as parties. The lower classes would meet through church and church sponsored functions.
If a couple enjoyed each other's company and shared a similar lifestyle and social standing they might become engaged. Love was generally not an issue as marriage was still considered a business transaction. Since women were allowed a certain amount of independence in choosing their suitors, they did at least have some say in the matter and in many cases didn't marry unless they were a little fond of each other.
via: http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/History_of_Weddings

2012年8月13日星期一

Top Ten Wedding Trends for 2012

From the long-lasting ‘Kate Middleton Effect’ on wedding fashion to romantic watercolor details and a 1900s-inspired panoramic wedding portrait, expect more classic and formal wedding details for 2012. Just remember brides will still take certain elements to a whole new level, like once-in-a-lifetime mega-moons or even The Hunger Games-style bachelorette parties.
1. “Snow White” Wedding Dresses: Buzzed-about movies Snow White and The Huntsman and Mirror, Mirror will inspire 2012 brides to wear wedding gowns that are light and airy, but with a mysterious and sexy vibe. Vera Wang’s stunning witchcraft-inspired 2012 wedding dresses will be the bride’s first stop.
2. Enchanting Flowers: The magical settings of these Snow White-inspired movies and even much-anticipated fantasy film The Hobbit will have an effect on wedding décor, with brides opting for a woodsy vibe. Think: soft, decadent bouquets filled with flowers like cabbage roses, peonies and dinner plate dahlias.
3. Watercolor Designs: On dresses, invitations and table designs, watercolor touches give weddings the perfect creative bent for 2012. A-list designer Carolina Herrera showed stunning watercolor prints in her spring 2012 bridal collection. And the color palette to do this in? Pastels like pink and lilac are the “it” colors of 2012!
4. The Hunger Games-Style Bachelor Parties: Forget strippers and booze, the bachelor and bachelorette party of 2012 is giving way to The Hunger Games-style action. While ladies are channeling their inner Jane Bond via programs like Stiletto Spy School where they get to learn defensive tactics, high-speed stunt driving and MacGyver-like survival skills (all while rocking a dress, of course), guys are finally fulfilling their lifelong fantasies of race car driving, learning how to play poker like a pro and even, believe it or not, herding cows and sheep.
 5. The Bombshell Bride: Marilyn Monroe wooed a president, was featured on the cover of the first issue of Playboy, is the subject of Oscar-buzzed movie My Week with Marilyn, and is going to make an especially big impression on brides this year. The beauty icon’s ability to accentuate her best features, signature pouty lips and slinky dresses (we especially love a number from Reem Acra with a sexy slit up the side!) are the perfect inspiration for bombshell brides.
6. The Panoramic Wedding Portrait: Just like critically acclaimed movie The Artist was shot on film without sound, the trend in wedding photography is to steer away from all the overdone effects (like odd angles and lots of added filters). Instead, photographers are shooting turn-of-the-century-inspired wedding portraits with a formal, classic approach. One shot that’s totally mantel-worthy? A panoramic wedding portrait where every single wedding guest is in the photo.
7. Ritzy Ranch Weddings: The setting? A 200-year-old barn complete with long exposed-wood tables, large chandeliers and ambient lighting. The flowers? Lace-wrapped bouquets of wild roses, lilies of the valley, Queen Anne’s lace and gardenias. The food? Delicate wild game like juniper-spiced venison, cider-braised pheasant and pan-roasted quail, Top Chef: Texas-style. Brides will be channeling the Old West with a rustic-elegant spin à la Lauren Bush and David Lauren’s recent nuptials.
8. When Harry Met Sally-Inspired Video Trailers: When it comes to wedding videos, it’s not something brides are watching after the wedding anymore. Couples are filming their love stories à la When Harry Met Sally and then showing snippets of it in video e-save-the-dates and having it screened at the wedding…all while guests are being filmed watching it, of course.
9. Long Sleeves & Lace:Brides can thank Kate Middleton and the latest Twilight installment for this wedding fashion trend long sleeves and lace! Strapless dresses will still rule the bridal aisle, but expect more coverage for 2012 with a sexy twist. Think: sheer backs and illusion sleeves. And don’t be surprised if the look of lace pops up on everything from the wedding cake to the décor.
10. Mega-Moons: New York? Check. Sri Lanka? Check. Patagonia? Check. All in one trip? Check. That’s right, for 2012, brides won’t be settling on just one dream destination, but instead, they’ll be opting for a round-the-world getaway to several far-flung locales. Plus, they’ll be virtually bringing their friends with them via social travel apps that crowd-source friend-approved recommendations from resources like Tripl and Gogobot.
Thank you The Knot for supplying this trend report.
via:  http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/planning-a-wedding/articles/2012-wedding-trends.aspx?MsdVisit=1

2012年8月8日星期三

Unique Wedding Invitations and Ideas

Craft stores are great places to get ideas for unusual wedding invitations. The scrapbooking isles have a seemingly endless supply of embellishments, ribbons, natural papers and stickers. There are isles with silk flowers and they also have a great selection of beading and jewelry making supplies. Using these supplies are wonderful ways to create invitations that are unique to the individual bride and groom.

Beach Wedding Invitations

White glue can be brushed around the outside edges (about 1/2") of a flat, printed wedding invitation (on card stock). Then sand should be sprinkled over the glue, allowed to dry and any excess brushed away. Small shells can be affixed to a few of the corners with hot glue, if desired.

Using Flowers on Invitations

The invitation should be printed on a sheet of white (or light colored) paper, that is 1-1/2" smaller (both ways) than the underlying, dark or natural paper. Then the light paper should be placed over the dark paper and centered and affixed with a dot of hot glue to hold it in place temporarily. A hole should be punched through both pieces of paper in the top middle. A paper flower that matches the wedding flowers can be attached to the cards with a colored brad (both are available at craft stores) through the holes.
Using the same method as above for the paper, two holes can be punched in the top of the papers instead of one. The stem of a wedding flower can then be fed through the holes to attach the two pieces together.

Unusual Wedding Invitations – Hobby or Activity Inspired

Even if a wedding isn't themed, a favorite hobby or activity that brought the couple together or that they share an interest in could be used for the invitation. A couple who likes to scuba-dive could use pictures of their adventures as a backdrop printed piece with a sheer invitation over it. A couple who enjoys gardening together could make the wedding invitations look like seed packets, inserting bird seed to be used at the wedding instead of throwing rice (or seeds to be planted and grown into a plant in the couple's honor).
wedding invitations from vpgifts.com