 Among many local nonprofit organizations, Beth and I have supported Mulliganeers stands out. Since we opened our business back in 2010, we have had the honor of designing and printing their marketing and event materials, and we proudly donate our time, talent, products and money to help this worthy cause. This year, on Giving Tuesday, we donated 10% of our profits to Mulliganeers and invited our customers to learn more about this wonderful local nonprofit. If you are looking for a nonprofit that makes a difference locally, learn more about the Mulliganeers on their website: www.mulliganeers.org 
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The wedding invitations have gone out, the celebration had happened, now its time to thank your guests! As a rule, thank-you notes for shower gifts should be mailed within two or three weeks, and early wedding gifts should be acknowledged before the big day. Besides the fact that its good manners to respond promptly, theres a practical reason for this: The work won't get a chance to pile up. All remaining thank-you notes should be sent within three months. If you're falling behind, consider calling the people who sent gifts by mail to assure them the package did arrive; then follow up with a written note as soon as you can.  This Minted "Someone Like You" is available at 221 Creations. Thank you cards can be coordinated with your invitation.
The purpose of an engagement party—usually scheduled no later than three months after the big announcement—can be threefold: to share the news of your imminent union with future wedding guests, to introduce your families to each other and to celebrate the impending, well, celebration. Tradition has it that the bride's parents host the initial gathering, but the groom's parents can then throw their own party, or both sets can come together to host the fete. As you decide, here are five things the hosts should keep in mind:
1. Your family should give you time to breathe.An impromptu family gathering the weekend after your partner proposed is the perfect opportunity to break out the vintage champagne, but don't schedule an all-out opulent affair during the first month of your engagement. You both need some time to revel in just being engaged. Plan to have an engagement party two to four months after the question was popped. That gives you the chance to envision your eventual wedding (our app can help with that!)—a crucial element to consider when deciding on the type of event to throw. 2. Find out the size of your wedding.Everyone who's invited to the engagement party should ultimately be invited to the wedding. Otherwise, guests might wonder what they did at the engagement party to insult you. That said, if you decide to host your own wedding and keep the list small but you want to throw an extravagant engagement party, go for it. Just be sure to let people know that the wedding will be small so no feelings will be hurt when guests aren't invited to the wedding. If you're worried your friends will think you want to have a big bash solely to garner gifts, include a note in the invitation that requests no presents. 3. Consider what will make the in-laws most comfortable.Since the engagement party custom was actually designed to help you start building bridges between your families, consider their style. If one of you has a very formal family, an impromptu picnic in the park might not be the most appropriate setting for getting to know one another. Likewise, a five-course sit-down dinner attended by all your friends might be a bit intimidating for them. Settle nerves by including as many people from their side as you can reasonably accommodate.  In 2010, Beth and I began our first business, 121 Creative Communications. Four years later we opened our shop in Downtown Downers Grove, 221 Creations.
Our brides and their families, our customers and vendors, our neighboring shops have all made a difference in our lives and we hope that we have made a difference in theirs. We have had the pleasure of working with so many wonderful people and supporting hundreds of local non-profits. We hope you find time to visit our shop this holiday season so we can say "Thank You" for your friendship, support and encouragement. Thanks, MK and Beth Navy is the new black. As an alternative to formal black, brides and grooms are opting for dark blue as the neutral shade in their wedding’s color palette. Midnight blue is now the color of choice for formal weddings. “Instead of a classic black and white engraved invitation, couple’s are opting for a deep midnight blue letterpressed invitation.” Wedding Wire: Beth Bernstein of SQN Events Chicago.
Brides who want a rustic look and feel will start steering away from the barn look to a more “woodsy” look according to Taylor Green of Taylor Elise Events in St. Louis, Missouri. This includes a lot of greenery in the florals and green as the wedding’s main color. “We’ll also move away from burlap and see more wooden details,” she explains. Wooden details can include the invitation, table numbers, seating cards, tags, chargers, signage, chairs and tables.”
Wedding Wire Trends for 2018 I have survived the weddings of 3 of my adult children. Below are some great tips that will help ease your stress are various times in the planning of your children's wedding. Hope it helps.
Remember, we can help with your wedding needs. Custom invites, veils, wedding jewelry and accessories, party favors, bridal party gifts... the list goes on.. Come in an see us in Downers Grove. Thanks, Mary Kay A guide to help you help your child make the big day hassle-free! 1. Get rid of your own expectations.These days, no matter who is paying, “the bride and groom are the captains of the team, and they’ll say what happens and when,” says Sharon Naylor, author of Mother of the Groom (Citadel Press, $16) and The Mother-of-the-Bride Book(Citadel Press, $16). Too much input from you can cause them a lot of stress when you should be trying to be their support system. 2. Pick your battles. If there are elements you’d love the wedding to have―a certain ethnic tradition, a mother-son dance―choose the most important one (or few) and present it as a request. 3. Start out on the right foot. “Tell the couple, ‘Here are some of the things I might be able to help with―just tell me what you want,’” says Naylor. “That will often get you invited in to help more than if you try to bulldoze them.” 4. Don’t promise more than you can deliver. “Make sure that what you volunteer to help with is realistic,” she says. “Especially on the weekend of the wedding, with family in town, you may not want to be stuck ironing tablecloths for a big party you offered to host.” And you don’t want to cause panic when someone has to be recruited at the last minute to fill in for you. 5. Get to know the in-laws. Traditionally, after the engagement is announced, the groom’s parents reach out to arrange a get-together, but there’s no need to stand on ceremony. Often the bride and groom will invite both sets of parents to a dinner to meet and discuss initial thinking about the wedding plans. 6. Don’t try to outdo the other mother. It can only cause friction for you and potential stress for the kids. You both should be in it for them. 7. Let the bride’s mom pick her dress first. Custom says once she has chosen hers, she lets the mother of the groom know the color, length, and style so she can choose a complementary dress (keep the wedding photos in mind). Both moms should stay away from whites and the colors of the bridal party. 8. Don’t invite people too soon. Don’t start calling relatives as soon as the engagement is announced. To avoid an etiquette gaffe, wait until the guest list is finalized and you know how many people on your side can be accommodated. 9. Practice discretion. “If you’re not crazy about some person or some element of the wedding, keep it to yourself,” says Naylor. “Otherwise, that gossip will inevitably end up floating around at the wedding, and it could cast a shadow on the couple’s big day.” 10. Give a sentimental gift. If you’ve paid for a part of the wedding or honeymoon, consider presenting them with something sentimental, like a family heirloom. Or, from the registry you might choose a pie plate your son or daughter will use at every holiday and think of you. This is a way to say, ‘We welcome you into the family,’ and reflect that there’s life after the wedding.
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