La Design Boutique

Travel-Themed Wedding with Passport-Styled Programs

2012-02-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

If you are having a destination wedding or a travel-themed wedding, look no further. You may have already seen our unique Plane Ticket-styled Place Cards and if that is exactly what you were looking for, then you will love our Passport-styled Programs. These programs are perfect to include all the information you have on your wedding for your guests from a nice letter, to a dedication, to a walk down memory lane, to the itinerary, to the menu and the list can go on and on. These are customized precisely to your requests. We even include a couples monogram to place on the front that resembles a real passport as well as passport entry stamps inside that make it more realistic and simply charming.

Inquire now on these fun and unique wedding programs!

We are part of the top 5% of Wedding Professionals Nationwide!

2012-01-18T00:45:00.001-08:00

{Los Angeles,CA} – January 24, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce La Design Boutique has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Invitations!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, La Design Boutique was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

La Design Boutique is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate La Design Boutique for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that La Design Boutique is one of the very best Invitations professionals within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/la-design-boutique-los-angeles/febf96f7a9c944a6.html.

To learn more about the Bride's Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.

WeddingWire™, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.

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The Beauty of Cherry Blossoms

2011-10-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

Cherry Blossoms have been a popular theme for wedding invitations and the flower of choice for wedding decor. They are beautiful, feminine, elegant and sentimental. The pink hues of the flowers with the brown branches give the perfect color combination to execute throughout the wedding from the stationary to the decor to the attire. Our Cherry Blossoms Collection is the perfect design for you wedding. Inquire now and view our postcard style RSVP Cards to save money on envelopes and postage as well as being environmentally friendly in saving paper.

Travel Themed Wedding

2011-09-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Style #1020P - Travel Collection: Airplane Ticket Place Card

Chocolate Brown and Green Accent Colors

Having a destination wedding? Want to take your guests on a trip down the wedding aisle with you? Giving your wedding a travel theme? This airplane ticket place card is perfect for you. All the information your guests need will be conveniently entered for you. Your guests will absolutely love it. Order now!

And to complete the look, inquire about our Passport styled Programs and Flight Card Menus to complete the look!

Crazy for Hearts

2011-09-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

Love hearts? Having a heart-themed wedding? Or simply just in love and want your invitations to express that? Check out our heart designs for your special occasion. These invitations can be custom designed to the color, font and design you want. All of these come with matching RSVP and Direction Card designs as well as personalized monograms. Need programs, menus and place cards for the Big Day as well? We can design those upon request and give you full control of the look. Inquire now!

Style #1037I - Bacio Collection

6"x6" Square Invitation with Turquoise and Fuchsia Accent Colors

Style # 1034I - Amore Collection

5"x7" Invitation with Pink and Fuchsia Accent Colors

Style # 1033I - Cupido Collection

6"x6" Square Invitation with Pink and Fuchsia Accent Colors

Style # 1032I - Cuore Collection

6"x6" Square Invitation with Pink and Fuchsia Accent Colors

Girls and Martinis Go Together!

2011-09-22T01:32:00.000-07:00

Planning a Bachelorette Party/Bridal Shower for your friend? There is nothing like a themed party to make it more fun. Check out our martini, 40's themed invitations that will get the party started from the moment the invites are sent out. These invitations have black and red accent colors. Order now!

Universal Love

2011-09-21T01:40:00.000-07:00

Style #1041I - Universal Love

Check out one of our new wedding invitation designs inspired by nothing other than "love". Your special day is a celebration of your love, so what better theme to choose for your wedding than "love"! This invitation showcases a beautiful range of warm, autumn colors - brown, burgundy, and gold. It is both elegant and modern at the same time and features the word love in languages around the world.

Ask for a free quote now!

Red Egg and Ginger Party Invitations

2011-06-08T02:22:00.000-07:00

In Chinese culture, a party is given to the baby at his first month's birthday. Proud parents take this opportunity to introduce their baby to friends and family by arranging a "Red Egg and Ginger" Party. The reason for the name was that the parents would hand out red-dyed eggs to their guests. Eggs are symbols of life changes and their round shape symbolizes harmony and happiness in life. The eggs are dyed red because this color represents happiness in China. As for ginger, it is a commonly used in Chinese cuisine because it establishes balance in the yin (cold) and yang (warm). Many new mothers use this in their diet to get stronger.

We were lucky enough to get to do an invitation for a Red Egg and Ginger Party and enjoy learning about new cultural traditions and occasions and being able to be a part of them. The possibilities are endless! Do you have a special cultural tradition that you celebrate and need invitations for? We would love to help you.

New 2011 Postage Prices for Wedding Invitations

2011-05-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has recently changed the price of stamps that may affect your Wedding Invitations and/or Save the Date Cards. If you have yet to mail your invitations you should be aware of these new rates. Here's a list of sizes and prices that have changed effective April 17th, 2011:

• 1st class, 2 oz - $0.64 (previously $0.61)
• 1st class, 2 oz - odd size* - $0.84 (previously $0.81)
• 1st class, 3 oz - $0.84 (previously $0.78)
• 1st class, 3.5 oz - $1.04 (previously $0.95)
• 1st class, 4 oz - $1.48 (previously $1.39)
• Postcards, 1 oz - $.29 (previously $0.28)

First class 1 oz stamps will remain at $0.44

Two New Wedding-Themed Stamps
On April 22nd, the post office released a new wedding-themed Forever® stamp featuring two white roses. While this is only a $0.44 stamp for one-ounce mail it does provide an additional wedding-themed stamp at face value (the rings stamp has been available since 2009) to the list of available choices. The old $0.61 wedding cake stamp is now a $0.64 stamp.

Ode to Prom

2011-05-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

La Design Boutique had the honor and fun of creating an invitation for Prom! It was our first time creating a Prom Invitation and it was soooo much fun. We love festivities, and we love being a part of new events even more! This invitation was done for Gabrielino High School in San Gabriel, California and their theme is "This I Promise You". Their colors are going to be aqua, black and silver. Such elegant choices, right? We love their choice. They decided they wanted an elegant invitation with damask designs that showcased the theme colors. This was printed on a 4.25x6 glossy card and enclosed in a beautiful matte aqua envelope. We hope you have a prom to remember Gabrielino HS Junior Class!

Have a special and unique occasion you need a design for? La Design Boutique is your choice for custom designs!

Eco-friendly Invitations

2011-03-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

La Design Boutique is proud to announce that we use vegetable and soy-based inks with lower levels of VOCs than traditional petroleum-based inks to reduce harmful carbon emissions. This helps protect both the environment and our employees!

Get the same, beautiful designs and quality and help save the planet at the same time! We commend all the couples who have chosen to go green for their Wedding and what a better place to start than on your invitations.

Google Does it Again

2011-02-22T03:13:00.000-08:00

Google has done it again. They have now made life easier for engaged couples too! They have simplified wedding planning and now offer personalized websites, photo editing, Picasa Web Albums for sharing photos, and our very favorite - Google Docs with templates for all your planning needs. We know there are so many different avenues you can take to start your wedding planning, but how easy is it to start with an application you have already been using?

Use their guest list, seating charts and budget planner for your stationary needs. All you have to do is fill out the seating charts as your beautiful RSVP cards start coming back and send us that file to create your unique and personalized place cards.

"Organize the "to do's" so you can get to the "I do's".

More News on Our Creative Director

2011-01-28T00:22:00.000-08:00

We recently announced that our Creative Director, Anna Quach, is now a published artist and you can find her work in many stores. She was also featured as a New Artist at the West Coast Art & Frame Show this past week in Las Vegas!

Check out the showcase that was made of her art below!

Designs That Were Meant to Dress Your Walls!

2011-01-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

La Design Boutique would like to proudly announce that Anna Quach, Creative Director of La Design Boutique, and the one you work up close and personal with on your orders, is now an official published artist! The invitation designs you see on our site were all designed by Anna, and if you like those, you will absolutely love her wall décor. She gets her inspirations from her everyday experiences and is also inspired by her wonderful clients. You can now find Anna's artwork in stores like Kirklands, Burlington Coat Factory, Home Goods, Garden Ridge and more to come! Stay tuned! Below are some of her artworks that you can find at www.kirklands.com right now! We are so happy to have a published artist working on our team. Congratulations!

http://www.kirklands.com/product/Wall-Decor/Art/Faith-Hope-Love-Canvas-Prints/pc/2283/c/0/sc/2293/156573.uts

http://www.kirklands.com/product/Love-Never-Fails-Canvas-Print/156585.uts

http://www.kirklands.com/product/Wall-Decor/Art/Buy-More-Bags-Plaque/pc/2283/c/0/sc/2293/156563.uts

The Two Magic Words: SAMPLE SALE!

2010-12-01T06:21:00.000-08:00

Calling all brides-to-be! Monique Lhuillier is having a one day only Sample Sale on Sunday, December 12th in Downtown, Los Angeles. Sure it's going to be crazy with brides in full wedding mode, but your special dress might be there. 40% to 90% off... do you really want to be at home wondering if you might have missed out? Another great perk, you can make it a Girls Day Out and take your bridesmaids with you!

Good luck!

Monique Lhuillier Sample Sale

1201 S. Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90015

Sunday, December 12, 2010

10am-4pm

The Perfect Song

2010-11-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

A lot of you may have your perfect song for your wedding since the day you first met eyes and fell in love. Others, have had more trouble finding that song that defines their love. Whatever the situation, a song sets the mood but don't try too hard and make sure it is a song that you both agree on and love.

Music is so key to an event and brings out emotions that sometimes words alone can't. I have seen so many countless wedding videos and cinematography that the music just makes it ten times more emotional and heartfelt.

Speaking of trends, one of the songs I have been seeing in many wedding videos lately and I absolutely love is "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap. Simply genius. Just a suggestion to consider if you are having trouble. What is your song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU

Guestbooks

2010-08-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

We just came across this really cute online Guestbook Store that customizes your guestbooks for every occasion down to how many pages you need. It is a really cute, personal guestbook. You can draw a picture of the couple, give your own special advice, write down qualities of the bride and groom, make predictions and just really have fun with it. They also have a wide variety of album covers to choose from as well. I think guests will have a good time thinking of stuff to write and the guest(s) of honor will love sitting down and reading them after the party is over.

Check out Guestbook Store.

Crazy for Jungle Animals

2010-08-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

We just custom designed these adorable jungle-animal themed Baby Shower invitations for a couple who knows what they want. From the particular safari animals, to the monkey with a banana in his hand, to the crib and turtle in the grass - everything was hand picked and custom designed to our couple's exact requests. We even turned all the safari animals on the front cover into plush for the mobile over the crib! Do you notice all the little details? We had a blast designing them and guests are sure to enjoy receiving them.

This unique and fun invitation was printed on 14 pt gloss paper in a booklet-fold format. It will definitely get anyone in the mood for some baby fun! Inquire, order and custom design your invitations or baby announcements now!

iPhone App: Super Planner to the Rescue!

2010-08-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Now this is something that will be very useful to anyone planning a wedding or event. This application takes the knowledge of event professionals, created by one of our own industry experts -Howard Givner, and makes it functional and sensible. We all know the fun and creative part of planning a successful event but what about all the logistics, projections, and calculations behind the scenes that can truly make or break an event? This new application will truly put any event planner or couple at ease.

Check this application out for yourself! It truly has everything you need from pricing, catering, table seating and more! Sounds like a lifesaver to us or more like a Super Planner! =)

We Heart Centerpieces

2010-08-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a beautiful centerpiece to set the mood at your wedding. We have seen the works... from vintage, to ecological, to classic, to fun... there is an infinite amount of possibilities and arrangements a couple can think of and we love how it makes every wedding unique. The couple gets to express their style and run wild with their color combinations and the dining tables are their canvas.

Check out Martha Stewarts 50 Great Wedding Centerpieces to get your creative juices flowing. Remember, although it can be very overwhelming and you may find it hard to choose one style, the most important thing is to stick with the style that you feel best fits you and your fiance. NOT what you think your guests want. This is YOUR Special Day! Enjoy and don't forget to have fun. =)

Poems at Weddings: Clinton-Mezvinsky Wedding

2010-08-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

We all know that there are those certain celebrity weddings that are long awaited and the talk of the town from what the bride wore to what was served at the reception. But not many entertainment feeds talk about the romance and magical part of the weddings, the loving stares the couples exchange or the beautiful vows written. One of my favorite aspects are when poems are read. This past weekend, Chelsea Clinton married Marc Mezvinsky and the following poem was read.

The life that I have

The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours

The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.

Leo Marks

I love this poem along with many others. Are you going to be using a poem at your wedding and if so, which one? One of our personal favorites is Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee..."

Congratulations to Chelsea and Marc!

Dresses to Drool Over

2010-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this designer, Enzoani, while browsing Fashion Week in L.A. and immediately fell in love. He showcased his new 2011 line on July 17, 2010 in Downtown L.A. and surely did not disappoint. His show consisted of 78 looks from four lines: Blue, Enzoani's couture inspired bridal line, Love (occasion line), and new this season - Modeca (a collaboration with the successful Holland-based bridal wear company). His designs are absolutely breathtaking, bold, and European-inspired. Check out his website and there is even more to drool over. How great it is to be surrounded by such beautiful designers who truly make your wedding a fairy tale and make brides feel like princesses. =)

Party Favors or Party FAVORITES!

2010-07-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

There are so many websites out there with such cute, creative, and beautiful party favor ideas. I just found one of my new favorite sites! favor please by Kate Aspen! Check it out! Above are only a couple of their wide range of party favors for every occasion. I am just in love with this site and all their ingenious ideas. These will surely be Party FAVORITES by your guests.

Best part of all is that La Design Boutique can help you design matching tags and monograms for any of these party favors. Still want to go along with the theme and/or design of your invitations? Let us complete the look for you!

Shop now! http://favorplease.theaspenshops.com/

The Secret to Success: Children at Weddings

2010-07-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

Anna Quach, Creative Director of La Design Boutique, came up with this brilliant idea when it came to her wedding. Like many engaged couples, there is always that question about allowing children at a wedding and how things can go wrong. Some decide to put "Adult Reception" to let their guests know to not bring their children, others don't mind it at all. For Anna, there was no doubt she wanted kids at her Wedding because they were family and believed that children gave more life to any party. However, being the perfectionist she was, she still wanted to ensure there were no "hiccups" when it came to the first dance time, toast time, and any other part of the itinerary that may have required additional cooperation from the youngins.

So she came up with this great idea of Goodie Bags for the kids. It was brilliant and when you think about it, we see it everywhere. At restaurants with kid's menus and at birthday parties. So why not incorporate them into weddings where you REALLY want to ensure that the kids are happy and pleasant? Of course, this may add another thing to your list, but it can be well worth it. You can also make it easily match your decor.

For example, for Anna's green and chocolate brown wedding, she bought these chocolate brown paper gift bags and green tissue paper. She then personalized each one on the outside with each of the kids' names. This was the initial well-thought maneuver to get the kids already in a good mood when they see their names on their bag and feel extra special apart from the rest of the guests. Inside, she added a notepad, coloring book, crayons, stickers and other knick-knacks that the kids would enjoy and stay occupied. The plan worked out perfectly. The kids came in with a good mood, were busy exploring their toys during the first dance and speeches and then were fed. Once they were even slightly tired or bored of the toys, it was dancing time and they, along with the adults, could let loose.

Sounds like a win-win situation to us. What do you think? Try it out! There really is no risk and the parents will surely be touched as well by your gesture and consideration of their kids.

Project Wedding Budget Savvy Bride Contest

2010-07-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

Every couple has the overwhelming stress of "staying within budget". If you have a creative and ingenious way of doing this, why not share it with other brides and possibly get a prize for it! Check out Project Wedding's contest now!!!! Hurry though because the contest ends on July 19th!

Recession or not, brides are looking for ways to save money on their weddings, that’s why Project Wedding is delighted to announce The Budget Savvy Bride Contest! Simply create a community article by clicking here telling us how you saved (or plan to save) a bundle on your wedding and you’ll be entered to win one of three great prizes.

(Just so we know you've entered, make sure your title includes the phrase "Budget Savvy Bride." For example--Budget Savvy Bride: Alison's Story)

1st Place: $500 Amazon Gift Card

2nd Place: $300 Amazon Gift Card

3rd Place: $200 Amazon Gift Card

Project Wedding is seeking creative, detailed responses. We want to hear your story and see your pictures. In fact, the more we know the better! Feel free to write as much as you'd like, and upload as many photos as you think tell your story.

Good Luck -- you can enter starting today through July 19th! Here are some examples from last year to help get your creative juices flowing.

A Style Worth a Million Looks

2010-07-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

If you have already started brainstorming on a look for your invitations, you will soon realize there are soooo many styles to choose from, formats to use, and colors to play with. Where do you begin????

First thing first, know the colors you want and the vibe of your occasion. Whether you are going for fun and colorful, bold and elegant, vintage and earthy, etc.

Second thing.... go to our website and see the different "designs" we have to offer. This is where you have to think outside the box. For any design you see on our website, you can change it to whatever color scheme you want and will realize that changing the colors will change the look to exactly what you are looking for. We are hoping to show more color schemes for each of our invitations in the near future. In the meantime, you can always be assured we will be able to do this and send you proofs to look over and color match.

Third thing, the paper, font color, and envelopment you choose will be the perfect finishing touch. Just look at the images above and see how your invitations can be transformed with any of the designs we have to offer.

Lastly, if you don't see what you are looking for and have some pictures of your own, you can always send those to us and we will custom design your invitations to the designs you provide us.

Like our motto says.... "Getting everything you dreamed of could never be this simple..."

Ask for a free quote and consultation now!

Wedding Wire - Your One-Stop Shop to Wedding Planning on a Budget

2010-06-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

La Design Boutique is proud to be a member of Wedding Wire, a website that has all the resources you need to plan your perfect Wedding. Best of all, they just partnered up with Project Wedding, making it sure that they are the leader in featuring the most renown vendors in the industry. Please go there and visit our Storefront and read what our customers have said about us.

If you have been one of our clients, we would truly appreciate a review from you as well. Getting reviews from our clients is so important and your review is a great way to help other couples choose their vendors. It is a huge industry out there and there are endless decisions to be made. Wedding Wire is the most ideal place to start your planning.

Best of all, they provide you with a free wedding website. In this day and age, more couples are creating their own wedding websites with all their information and a convenient avenue for their friends and family. Even for those who are not as computer-savvy, just with a couple clicks of the mouse, you have a professional and detailed website. You can put your wedding registry here, guestbook, pictures, bridal party, and more! The thing we like the most about it is that it sets the mood for the upcoming wedding. Guests can go there and read about the couple, learn more about their story and proposal, see pictures and grow a stronger sentiment for the couple. We are all about setting the mood and we absolutely love it!

One other great perk about a wedding website is that it helps couples on a budget as well! You may not realize, but you can cut so many costs. For example, for those out of town guests, instead of printing an additional insert card for your invitations, all you need to do is put your wedding website on the invitation so that all the additional information like hotels and directions can be found on the website. You can also have your guests RSVP to you on there as well.

There are many other websites like Wedding Wire and Project Wedding out there, but these are the two that La Design Boutique vouch by and are impressed by the amount of information and quality vendors that are available. Check it out now!

Style Me a Princess and Color Me Pink

2010-06-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

We just created the cutest and most fun Birthday Invitations for two sisters and their upcoming birthday party. Their only requests were that they wanted a princess/royal theme with pink and green colors and basically just really girly! So you can see what we came up with above! The best part about it, they absolutely loved it!

We thought the fireworks with their names and ages was a nice touch and this was different and unique from the normal Disney Princesses generic invitations.

What do you think of them? Let us help you design your kid's Birthday Party to make them feel even more special and have their friends squealing with glee.

Invitations on a Budget

2010-06-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest issues in wedding planning is staying within budget. It is so difficult to try to find everything you love at an affordable price. Well, here at La Design Boutique, you have found your one-stop shop for invitations! We give you everything you want, at the price you want, without compromising style and quality. We understand how much money goes into a wedding, especially with the economic crisis we are in, and we will do whatever we can to stay within your budget! We have so many different DIY options as well to save even more money!

One of the many different ways you can save money on your invitations is making your RSVP Card a Postcard. This will save money on an Envelope as well as extra postage. Postcards cost $0.28 to send rather than $0.44 for a regular letter. Postcards can range in a couple sizes from 4”x6”, 3.5”x5”, 4”x5”, etc. (The required specifications for a postcard are listed below.) An RSVP Envelope can cost anywhere between $0.10 to $0.40. You do the math! This is one of many ideas we can share with you… Email us now to explore the possibilities! We would love to be a part of this special time for you.

Dimension Minimum Maximum
Height 3 ½ inches 4 ¼ inches
Length 5 inches 6 inches
Weight 0.007 inch 0.016 inch

- Any item smaller than the minimum dimensions is not mailable
- For postcards, length is the dimension parallel to the address
- Postcards must be rectangular and be made of unfolded and uncreased paper or cardstock.

Be Kind and Reply by the Date in Mind (Proper GUEST Etiquette)

2010-05-07T08:52:00.000-07:00

Now we always talk about all the etiquette rules the Bride and Groom have to follow among the other million things they have to plan and coordinate, but we don’t always hear about guest etiquette. The one thing that is soooo important but many guests don’t realize is RSVP-ing. Guests, there is a date that you need to RSVP by for a reason. Your punctuality in sending in your card determines the number of tables and seats so be set up, the amount of food that will be served, the amount of party favors, menus and other stationary that need to be printed, and most importantly (sometimes one of the most stressful part of planning for a couple) the seating arrangement. The deadline is not written in vain but specifically for all these aspects of making sure the Big Day runs smoothly.

Behind the scenes, there is a huge production being set up and the happy couple do everything they can to send out invitations ahead of time to give you proper time to plan and move things around. If you don’t want to send it back immediately, then put a reminder somewhere as to when you need to send it in by. Whether you use Outlook or a post-it on the fridge, make it a point to remember. Your tardiness catapults a series of events…. The couple will then need to “ballpark” the head count for all the items listed above, the seating arrangements can’t be finalized, and the place cards cannot be done. And to add to all of this, the couple have to take the time to awkwardly call you up and ask you if you are still going to attend and get all the information from you personally.

Also keep in mind that this effects you as well… your tardiness may result in your being seated at a table much farther than you expected. Why? Because the couple have already started arranging seats with the list of guests that have RSVP’ed so the better tables are surely taken already. Now I know you definitely don’t want that. In addition, when filling out the RSVP Card, please make sure you fill it out properly. Please write down the TOTAL number of guests attending and legibly list the full names of EVERY single guest attending. Firstly, you don’t want your name being misspelled on the place cards. Secondly, you don’t want your guest’s name to be anonymous and be known as just your guest or your +1. (Please refer to image above).

I don’t mean to lecture or scold anyone but I think it is important for everyone to understand the situation and proper etiquette. Oftentimes, brides run out to buy actual Etiquette books so they know they are doing everything properly. It would make a world of difference if guests can take it into consideration as well… Believe me, the happy couple truly appreciate this even if they can’t tell you personally.

So, on behalf of every happy and blissful Bride and Groom…. please…. Be Kind and Reply by the Date in Mind.

Get Married in Style and Color

2010-03-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Color Color Color!

Spring has arrived and so is Wedding Season riding on its coattails! What is one of the first things a couple does when they first start planning a wedding? Sure, start buying bridal magazines, researching vendors, and of course shopping for the dress! But what is the one main thing that sets the mood of the wedding and every little detail of it? The one essential detail that determines the flowers, the wedding party attire, and my personal favorite, the stationary…. It’s your wedding colors! Your wedding colors are so important because they are an extension of your personality and style. The great thing about this one big decision is that there are inspirations everywhere! In a previous blog, we spoke about everyday inspirations where we designed an invitation based on an Ikea placemat. There are every day inspirations for wedding colors everywhere! All you have to do is walk on the streets or step into a store. It’s in the clothes you wear, the art you hang on the walls, and the environment we breathe in around us.

I have to point out that I was recently inspired by a beautiful collection from my favorite store, Target. Target just picked up a new designer, Liberty of London, that is hard to miss. I love everything about their style. There is color and life to their designs and simply makes me smile. That is what a couple needs in their wedding colors. Colors that pop and make you happy and feel good…. Your wedding day is a day of celebrating love and a union of two people. Nothing says love like colors.

Above are some great color combinations we have come up with that are a little outside of the box. If you see one of these swatches and they just stand out to you and make you feel like you are jumping on the inside or give you a burst of happiness….then those are the colors you need on your special day. Those are the colors that will just add to the joy you will have on your Big Day. So, what are you waiting for? Color your wedding fabulous!

Visit our site now to see even more color combinations to choose from and invitation designs available in those colors. If you don’t see what you are looking for, simply email us and we will make your vision come true!

Cinema Themed Wedding

2010-03-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had a wonderful and beautiful bride who decided she wanted to do a Cinema-Themed Wedding. This was the first that I have done one, but I thought the idea was brilliant. We immediately brainstormed and came up with so many ideas that worked perfectly with the theme. She featured a candy bar which was both colorful and yummy! Guests were allowed to fill up their "popcorn boxes" with loads of candy.

The one thing I loved was that she made her table numbers the titles of romantic movies they have watched together. There were also DVD giveaways of the movies.

The stationary for the event was quite perfect. Their colors were purple and silver and it just really worked. The envelopments were hand-made and featured a side reel on the front of the invite with the date of the wedding. Below it was a personalize monogram with the couple's names and a chalk board like the ones they use on movie sets.

The one major hit at the wedding was the "movie ticket stub" place cards for the guests. Everyone was pleasantly surprised and it definitely set the mood for the event. I think that it allowed the couple to have fun with their wedding and also allowed their guests to tap into their love of "date night". Who can't relate with the magic of going out to the movies? Everything turned out perfectly and everyone had a great time. Congratulations to our happy couple!

Style Up Your Wedding: Couture Elegance Meets Original Trends

2010-02-25T03:34:00.000-08:00

La Design Boutique is proud to present a new design that has yet to be seen in the Wedding Industry. We now have Magazine Cover-styled Photos! All you have to do is simply send us your picture and we do the rest in transforming it into this new trendsetting design! This will surely catch your guests’ attention and leave a lasting impression. The best thing of all is that you can do whatever you want with it. We send you the files and you have full control on the medium and size you want it in. The list of different ways you can use it is endless:

- Wedding Program Cover
- Save the Date Card
- Wedding Album Cover
- Canvas on Easel for the entrance to the Wedding
- Framed Photo to hang at home
- and any other brilliant idea you can think of!

This is definitely something new and hasn’t been seen. Hurry and order now so that you can be one of the first to set the trend! We are all about standing out and doing something unique and your Special Day deserves a special touch that will be timeless.

Visit our site now for details! www.ladesignboutique.com

Branding Your Event

2010-02-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

For any event that you plan and put your heart into, from a corporate event to a special occasion like a wedding, you want to leave a lasting impression on your guests. You want them to come to it admiring every detail put into it and leaving the event still talking about it to their friends and family. This is one of the things that La Design Boutique takes great pride in doing!

We make your event OUR business. We will work with you in creating a logo or monogram and incorporating it throughout all the details of the event. For instance, for your wedding! A wedding is all about the special couple and their union of love. A couture and personalized monogram on the invitations, programs, menus, signage, party favors, and many more possible items brands your wedding! It gives it a special and unique symbol made especially for the happy couple. Contact us now so we can start branding your special day and making it nothing less than unforgettable!

Katie and Stephen's Beach Wedding

2010-01-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Katie and Stephen!!!! Thank you for allowing me to kick start 2010 with your fabulous beach, L.A. wedding that lived up to L.A.’s reputation of sunny skies and being trendy and stylish as ever. I had the honor of doing Katie and Stephen’s wedding invitations, but to top it off, I was able to do their designs for the wedding day as well. As you can see from the collage above, I covered everything they needed in their stationary needs:

- Wedding Signs
- Place Cards
- Table Number Signs
- Custom Monogrammed Party Favors
- Money Box
- “Guest Sign-in” Sign

Katie and Stephen’s combination of blue attire and signage with the vibrant red, yellow and orange floral arrangements were a perfect look for the beach wedding. It is this kind of creativity and imagination that makes all the weddings I witness so fresh and exciting! I am so happy to be a part of it all and have the opportunity to contribute to such beautiful masterpieces. You were both a pleasure to work with and La Design Boutique wishes you a life filled with love and happiness.

‘Tis the Season for Holiday Cards

2009-10-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

The time is coming near! Do you hear the bells ringing? I certainly do with all the designing of holiday cards I have been doing. It has definitely gotten me in the holiday spirit. Please take a look at the styles we have on our website as well as any custom designs you may want. I think that the internet has taken over our lives and really has changed our living styles. Especially when it comes to when we choose to use the Postal Office aka “snail mail”. Nowadays, we pay all our bills online and definitely communicate with friends and family via e-mail. However, one thing I appreciate the most, is that I still get Holiday Cards from friends and family in the mail. It’s great seeing kids as they grow up through the years and many families use the Holidays as the perfect time to update their loved ones with a current photo. So, what are you waiting for? Get in the spirit and order your holiday cards now!

And for those who have gone completely internet-forward, we offer email-formatted Holiday Cards as well! As we have said, we will cater to our clients’ every need. Happy Holidays everyone!

Everyday Inspirations

2009-10-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I am a workaholic. I am constantly thinking about work and getting new ideas. If I am not in front of the computer, you will find me scribbling in my notebook I keep handy in my bag so that I don’t forget something I came up with. So, the other day, I was at Ikea and saw these really fun, contemporary place mats. They are all hand-made so all of them vary slightly in pattern. They were made out of thin twine wood and tangled together to make a round place mat. They just really caught my attention because they looked like art and were simple yet complex in pattern assembly. I almost wanted to buy a couple and just make a collage on my wall (even though I’m sure that was not the intentions of the designer for Ikea…).

I love furniture. I love interior decorating. I love clothes. I love little knick knacks. What do all of these have in common? They all have some sort of art or design on them. And it brings me such thrill when I can fall upon a piece that is quite ordinary, and others may just look over, and find inspiration for my own designs. A lot of people take one accent piece like a lamp or a rug, and tell their Interior Designer to base the style of their room on that accent piece. The same can be done with invitations and your wedding! You can give me a theme, color scheme, jewelry, place setting, party favor, ANYTHING and I will do my best to give you the most complimenting designs for your invitations, programs, menus, etc.!

This is just one sample. Please feel free to email me at aquach@ladesignboutique.com if you have come across an item that you want to see transformed into a stationary design.

Get Connected!

2009-10-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

With all the different social networks online now, it is difficult to keep up with them all. To make it easy for you to follow up on La Design Boutique, we are in the following networks. Find us in any of the following and get connected!

Blogger – www.ladesignboutique.blogspot.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Design-Boutique/143393881482
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaDsignBoutique
Bridal Tweet – http://www.bridaltweet.com/profile/LaDesignBoutique
Project Wedding - http://www.projectwedding.com/vendor/show/la-design-boutique

Who Doesn't Love Tiffany's???

2009-10-08T03:47:00.000-07:00

My bride is actually having a Beach-Themed Wedding but normally, the Bridal Shower does not follow the Wedding theme. Also, instead of a Bridal Shower, they decided to do a Wedding Shower so that men and women could attend along with the lucky groom.

So I decided to still go with something very feminine and yet sheek at the same time. I mean, how can you go wrong with Tiffany's and everything associated with Tiffany's including the infamous little blue box with white ribbon and now honorably named "Tiffany Blue"?

So, I went with a confetti sprinkled white matte paper to print on then mounted it on a Chocolate Brown Shimmer paper and then mounted that on a Tiffany Blue Shimmer Paper. Then, there is a white satin ribbon wrapped around the invite under the Brown Paper to give the back the look of a Tiffany's gift box. I went with a formal cursive font, but with playful and colorful designs on the actual invite.

I then implemented the same designs on the food signs, wedding shower sign to go on the centerpieces and address labels. I can't wait for the day and see it all come together! Hope you like!

Beach-Themed Wedding Finished Product

2009-10-01T01:29:00.000-07:00

A while back I shared my work in progress for a beach-themed wedding. The invites have now been completed and sent off to the lucky guests. As you can see, we kept with the Blue Petal Envelopment and a Pearl Shimmer cover paper was mounted on with the information and designs. For the designs, I went for a more ethereal and whimsical feel ... instead of focusing on the generic seashells and palm trees, I worked with waves and sea plants and bubbles. I did include some seashells and seahorses but very subtly. The blue and brown color scheme complemented the beach-theme perfectly.

My client has already received rave reviews about the invitation, which is the best reward to me. Now that the mood is set it is now time to work on the Big Day with place cards, table cards, and party favors. Stay tuned...

New Samples at La Design Boutique!

2009-09-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

New Samples for New Occasions have just been added to the La Design Boutique website... check it out and see if there is something fitting for your next special occasion! If you still don't see the "right" thing.... email us and tell us what you want and we will make it happen! We are just a click away to a fabulous and unique event!

www.LaDesignBoutique.com/occasions.html

A New and Hot Site

2009-09-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

WeddingAnswers.com is a new and upcoming site that is absolutely genius. It gives engaged couples as well as vendors an avenue to communicate among each other as well as gain valuable information. All users are put on a point system and earn more points as they answer and ask questions. Gifts and other swag can be redeemed with these points. There are no strings attached and nothing to lose. It seems like the most perfect arrangement and has great potential.

There is also a gallery of photos to get more ideas for your perfect day. Check it out, register, read what users have already asked and answered, and participate!

http://www.weddinganswers.com/

Stay Tuned for More Products!

2009-09-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

La Design Boutique prides itself in "listening" to our clients.... we want to hear and follow your every thought process to give you exactly what you envisioned. Your Special Day means that for at least once in your lifetime, you have a day that you can get everything you want and dreamed of. We don't just settle and we will always do everything in our power to make your event unique, special and spectacular.

We have received many requests to see samples for other occasions... Coming soon to La Design Boutique are samples for the following occasions:

- MORE Wedding Samples including Programs and Menus

- Bridal Shower Invitations

- Baby Announcements

- Baby Shower Invitations

- Birthday Invitations

- Quince Anos

- Baptism

- Holy Communion

- Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah

In addition, we have samples in Spanish as well per request!

So... stay tuned for all of these new and exciting samples!

La Design Boutique..."Getting everything you dreamed of, could never be this simple"

http://www.ladesignboutique.com/

Event Planners from Heaven

2009-09-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am a control freak and need to have everything done my way and need everything to go through me... it is just the way I am wired. But when it comes to your Big Day and there are a million tiny details that need to be handled with, and you need to be able to enjoy the special day as well... this is when Event Planners are true life-savers and saints.

I have the great pleasure of knowing Fresh Events Company and they are truly spectacular. I have personally worked with Ada Chan and she is one of the most charismatic, sweetest, talented, creative, and intelligent women I have ever met. It is one thing to hire planners to help, but Fresh Events Company truly makes you feel comfortable and makes it personal. They make it seem as if your event is their only priority and take away any worry you may have. And to top it off, their work is amazing and FABULOUS.... They design everything with class and elegance that you would have never even imagined. You can already get a good idea from looking at the images on their site.

As much of the perfectionist and control freak I am.... I had no hesitation in putting my event in their hands. It's like they came from heaven to save the day!

Check them out! www.fresheventscompany.com

Follow Us On Project Wedding!

2009-08-28T00:45:00.000-07:00

Check out what our customers have said and also view pictures of our latest work.

See more reviews of La Design Boutique on Project Wedding.

How a Great Photographer Really Captures the Moment

2009-08-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

I have the honor of meeting Sarina through a mutual friend. She did my friend's wedding in which I had the pleasure of doing the signage and CD party favor designs for (as seen in the photo above). Just look at how great her pictures came out.... They look so great and really make everything look ten times better..Which is hard to do since the wedding was so beyond amazing and beautiful already.

I have started to try to do some photography and I never realized how hard it really is. It really isn't just pointing and shooting. There is such a different type of creativity and vision you need to be a great photographer and Sarina has it. What's even better? The fact that she is soooo sweet and personable and really easy to work with. Please check her website out and all the work she has done! www.sarinalove.com

Thank You Cards Make Grand Gestures

2009-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

I had the great honor of creating a really touching and adorable Thank You Card. My client wanted to make a Thank You Card as an extremely kind gesture to the staff at her daughter’s school. I have to admit that the entire time I was working on this project I had a huge smile on my face because I got to look at Linzee’s pictures. She is absolutely adorable and precious and I think that even if I just had her picture alone on the card without any designs, it would still be fabulous and cute as ever. However, I sought to do justice to her photos and am happy to have gotten a great response from my client as well as from everyone she gave the card to.

This is the exact reason why I love what I do and am so lucky to get these opportunities… I am able to fulfill my clients’ needs, make them happy, and have the joy of hearing the reactions they get. It is truly rewarding to me and am growing more and more passionate with my work.

The "Different" Special Events People Share

2009-07-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Before coming to Italy, I never knew that I actually have two "birthdays".... One is my actual birthday and the other is called "Onomastico" which is sort of the birthday of the Saint that you were named after.... Fortunately, my parents gave me an "italian" name without even knowing it and I now get to celebrate July 26th... Santa Anna!

Above is a little thing I put together of the flowers that Lino's sisters gave me and I was just so touched by their gesture and their super sweet card that I just had to take pictures to remember the day that THEY made special for me and would have just been any other ordinary day for me.

This just goes to show you that there is nothing too small or abnormal that can't be celebrated and be made a memory with images and designs that will last a lifetime! This proves that there is no possible way for me to list all the events and occasions I can design for, because there are some that I am not even aware for... therefore, the sky's the limits! =)

Collages for ALL Occasions

2009-07-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of being involved with a, let's call it... Tomato Extravaganza! Lino's family makes their own tomato sauce every single year... Normally, they make 400 chilograms to last the whole year... this year, we made 500 chilograms!!!! It was a two-day event that started from 6 a.m. It was exhausting, tedious, laborious, but most of all - truly an amazing experience. I enjoyed being with the family and helping out, joining in on a family tradition, and learning the methods to making home-made tomato sauce. I hope this collage portrays all of these emotions and aspects that came with the event.

I think collages are a great way of summarizing a memorable event in one collective picture. I can't wait to be able to do these for my clients with weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and occasions that I can't even think of!

Beach-Themed Wedding: Oceans and Seashells and Sand Oh My!

2009-07-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

My current client has requested invitations for her blue and Beach-themed wedding.... This is actually my first but I know it is a very popular theme. To be honest, the ones I have seen don't seem to fall under the elegance and romance of a wedding... so... my mission is to make it as whimsically Wedding-y as possible and making it elegant... let's see how it turns out! Stay tuned... here is a sneak peek of what I have drafted so far... I thought a sand-patterned paper would give it the feel of a beach but the actual invite would be printed on clear vellum to give it a more dreamy, cloudy ambiance.