ALESIA ZORN CALLIGRAPHY & ENGRAVING

Out of Africa

I was recently asked to participate in a table/room scape with some of my favorite local vendors.  Cindy of Encore Events spearheaded our lovely, vintage, Out of Africa theme with ideas, expertise and product from Botanica Floral Design and Kara of Peter Corvallis Productions.  I provided seating cards, place cards and the table # on a darling little plate.  As always, a million thanks to Paul of Paul Rich Studio for making my work look so good!

Seating/escort/table/place cards - know the difference

Oh, Etiquette, you funny, funny creature!  I've had -and been witness to - so many conversations about the multiple cards needed at a wedding reception, here's a blog post to hopefully help clear things up.

(Photo courtesy of Stewart Harvey Photography. Lettering - monoline flourished formal script)

Let's start with the easy one - place cards are what's set at the place setting where one is required to sit. The place card may also be used to cue a server what entree to serve a guest - suggestions for that are another post for another day :-)  Today, here's a place card from one of my most darling brides 

Now, how do you get the guest from the door to their place setting?  This is where seating cards/table cards/escort cards come into play.  

(Photo courtesy of Paul Rich Studio. Lettering - monoline formal script)

These card direct people to their seats.  My preference is to call them "seating cards."  Some people call them "table cards" but I've had a couple clients confuse them with "table markers."  

As for the phrase, "escort cards"... boy howdy, you haven't lived until you've witnessed an elderly stateswoman in the calligraphy world straighten out someone's hash on the subject!  Officially & historically, escort cards are what one receive is one were a single woman attending a dinner unescorted. Back in the day, they had to be escorted to the table by a singe gentleman. There would be a little envelope addressed to the woman, let's say "Miss Elizabeth Bennett."  Inside there would be a card that said "Your escort is Mr. Darcy."

Today, call them an escort card and I know what you mean.  I won't use the phrase in case I slip someday in the presence of a calligraphic doyen and accidently bring their wrath down upon me.

Huh. I used the phrases "boy howdy" and "straighten out someone's hash" in the same post. Apparently I'm channeling my inner Southerner today! 

Bye y'all!

When To Mail Your Invitations

I've had a few conversations this week about the timing of addressing and mailing invitations and that's inspired this blog post!!    Etiquette says they should be mailed 6 to 8 weeks before an event.   You're fine on the 6 weeks side of the scale if you've done any of the following:

• sent out save-the-dates
• you've already directed guests to your wedding website where they can find lots of info on travel & accomodations
• your guests are local 

If you haven't done any of the above (not that there's anything wrong with that ;-),  you're better off at the 8 weeks side of things.

"Great!" you exclaim! "I'll get them out even sooner than 8 weeks!!"  "Nope," says Goldilocks (that's me) , "you need to time it just right."  If you mail them too early, you could run into all sorts of circumstances:

• Someone moves unexpectedly. Happened to a client when the real estate market took a sharp nose dive and their poor Cousin Trent AND  his cockatoo (long story) were evicted when their landlord went into foreclosure.
• Sadly, someone passes away
• Someone breaks up
• On a more lighthearted note, you address an envelope to Mr. & Mrs. John Smith, Susie and Baby Sister - and Baby Sister is born Baby Brother (true story, I'm imaginative but even I couldn't make that up)
• The RSVP is soooo far away, with a devil-may-care-I-have-all-the-time-in-the-world attitude, it is stuck on the fridge or in a "to do" pile and then it drowns in more time sensitive business.  I shamefacedly admit to doing that twice.  In the past month.  Yes, I know I should know better, that's why I made up the word "shamefacedly."

6 to 8 weeks, my friend, it's the best way to go.

(A million thanks to Paul Rich Studio for the photo of my envelope!  The script is dip pen Flourished Formal Script done with a sparkly white ink and a vintage Spencerian #1 nib)

 

Sweet Dreams Weddings & Events

I'm tickled to be mentioned on Sweet Dreams Wedding & Events blog today!  We shared a lovely bride named Tara, her wedding was just GORGEOUS!  I'm really happy to have had a small part in it with the seating cards - silver on eggplant - and the table markers, which was love in several languages.  You can see the blog post with more incredibly lovely photos here. 

Wish Upon a Wedding's prize winning table!!

Last week, myself, Nadia Ly (owner Creations by Ly and president of the Portland Chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding) and Lisa Martin of Studio del Fiore  concocted a table top for the ISES Portland "Art of the Party" tabletop competition.  The contest was judged by visiting guests Pauline Parry and Dan Smith of Good Gracious! Events of L.A.  I am so tickled to announce our table won "Best Use of Theme"!!

The colors come from the Wish Upon a Wedding log0 (yes, friends, I am not the only one in the world who adores lime/olive/turquoise/teal together :-) The theme of the table was "Blissful Wishes" as that is the theme of the November galas WUW will be hosting all around the country.    

And while I'm on that subject, you can get your tickets for the Portland Nov. 18th gala here. 

 

Now for more pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A close up of Lisa's floral, arranged in mercury glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gorgeous linens and table ware chosen by Nadia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A close up of a personalized menu.  I was so glad the inspiration came to me to honor past WUW recipients as the names on the menus, especially since some of them are no longer with us.

And now... the award!!  

 

HUGE thanks to Melissa of Continuum Photography for the incredible photos!!