Choosing your wedding colour

Deciding on your wedding colours can help to give you visual unity for your big day. It would also set the tone for your celebration. Therefor it’s understandable that choosing your color/s may seem a bit overwhelming, especially if you aren’t particularly visually oriented or your partner is color-blind and absolutely no help! Yet it’s really quite easy. We did some research on the meaning of colour and hope that it would make this process on choosing a colour, easier for you:

Blue
Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The color of sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives. Blue invokes rest and are calming; however not all blues are serene and sedate. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic, an engaging color that expresses exhilaration.

Green
Green is one of the 'evergreen' favorite wedding colors. Green is the omnipresent color in nature. The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil, soothing and refreshing. Green is considered the color of peace and ecology.

Yellow
Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.

Orange
Orange sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually a strong "love it" or "hate it" response. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy. Interestingly, some of the tones of orange such as terra cotta, peach or rust have very broad appeal.

Red
Red is a strong stimulant and a very exciting and energetic colour. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.

Purple
A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color. It is a colour well liked by creative or eccentric people.

Brown
Brown says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the color of our earth and is associated with all things natural or organic.

White
White projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctors don white coats, brides traditionally were white gowns and a white picket fence surrounds a safe and happy home.

Gray
Gray is timeless, practical, and solid. A longstanding favorite suit color, gray can mix well with any color. It is a color that seldom evokes strong emotion although it can be seen as a cloudy or moody.

Black
Black is authoritative and powerful; because black can evoke strong emotions too much can be overwhelming. It is a very formal and elegant colour and very fashionable at the moment.

Choosing your colour: what to avoid

What to avoid:
•Too much black - while sophisticated, it can end up looking like a funeral, rather than a celebration. If you love black, balance it out with a bright color, or lots of crisp white.
•Losing your personality - think about what you wear normally in your clothing and the shades you’ve used to decorate your home. These are probably colors you are comfortable around already.
•Picking too many wedding colors - two are perfect, and three will still work, but any more than three wedding colors will end up looking ununified and odd. The purpose of wedding colors are to tie everything together, and the best way to do this is to have everything in one of two shades.

Maybe you can let us know what your favourite colours are...

Seating your guests

Guests will need to know which table they are seated at so they don’t have to walk around every table to find their place. This is usually achieved by displaying a table seating chart prominently at the entrance to the venue.

Table numbers are placed on tables to display the number or name of the table. If you have a large number of tables, it might be a good idea to display a floor plan to show where the tables are situated.


If you are feeling creative, you can give your table names instead of numbers. Numbered tables are less work and easier for your guests to find if they are laid our logically. Named tables add a bit more atmosphere and are particularly effective if you have a theme running through your celebration.

Ideas for table names:
flowers
gemstones
your favourite countries
cities you visited
your favourite movies
famous couples
wine cultivars

Annemie's wedding in Top Billing!

Hot off the press, Annemie's (our studio manager) wedding to her childhood sweetheart - featured in the latest Top Billing magazine.

Also featured is the Top Billing Win-a-Wedding couple, Janine & Clifford. Elsje Designs were very fortunate to design their signature wedding stationery. This included their invitations, menus, table seating, table numbers and our favourite favour of the moment: black recycled pencils!

These HB pencils have a body made from recycled newspaper. Sharpens and functions like a normal wooden pencil! With white eraser. They retail at R3 each. Please email admin@elsje.co.za for more info.

A new year unfolding!

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

We have opened the book of 2010. Its pages are blank.

I would like to thank all the Elsje Designs clients that has given us continuous improvement feedback during 2009 - we really appreciate your honesty. Without this valuable feedback we would not have been able to grow in leaps and bounds. We take your comments serious and have worked hard to improve systems at Elsje Designs!

At the beginning of 2009 we employed the services of Mentors and Business Coaches International to help us with our total quality management systems, improved quality control and to become a team that subscribe to a spirit of excellence in the design and production of a quality product and service for you our clients from around the world. We view this as a long term process and already we have managed to make improvements in the following areas:

• We give first time clients a planning booklet and inspirational ideas to take home.
• We have delveloped a timeline to guide brides to enjoy a stress free stationery experience.
• The Elsje Designs Online Catalogue is coming soon - watch this space!
• We stick to our deadline dates and if for any reason we are delayed, we communicate it effectively with clients.
• We receive clients with a big smile and warm hearts.

• We have reduced our First Consultation Form from 3 pages to 1 page
• Improved communication and updates with our clients.

...and we can assure you of continuous improvement as we grow to be competitive in price, quality, flexibility and service with the best in the world.

Elsje and her team are wishing you a fantastic 2010!


A new year is unfolding - like a blossom with petals curled thightly concealing the beauty within. Anon

DIY Grocery Bag Pom Poms

I know Christmas is over, but I can't resist sharing this eco-friendly and economical idea with you. What better way to reuse something as benign as a grocery bag, then to give it new life by turning it into something fabulous for adorning your gifts!




You will need: * 1 plastic grocery bag (per pom pom) * scissors * 5-10 minutes of free time *

Step 1.
Lay your shopping bag flat and cut both handles off. Set handles aside for later. Cut the bottom off of your bag. Cut just enough so that you are left with a tube of plastic (open at both ends). Open your bag and cut down both of the side seams (this will create two squares of plastic).

Step 2.
Starting at one edge, cut around your plastic square in a continuous line (as shown in the picture). Don't worry about making it super straight or even. Repeat with your second plastic square. You will end up with two long strips of plastic (they will be all crooked... but that's okay).

Step 3.
Starting with one of the strips begin wrapping the plastic around four of your fingers using your thumb to keep it steady as you wrap it around. (see photo). Repeat with your last plastic strip.

Step 4.
Carefully tie one of the handles (that you cut off in step one), around the entire bundle of plastic securing with a double knot. You may want to knot it more than one time. The ends of the plastic handle that you used to tie your bundle with will be hanging loose. Do not cut these.

Step 5.
Take your scissors (the sharper and pointier the better) and cut through the loops that were formed when you wrapped the plastic around your hand. These might be hard to see and will probably be all bunched together at this point.

Step 6 + 7.
Once all the loops have been cut, grasp the two long ends (that you didn't cut because you followed the instruction above) in one of your hands. Gently shake your pom pom to fluff it up a bit. You can also use your other hand to re-arrange things to your liking. You may like the untamed version at this point... which means you can stop now. Or if you want something a little more groomed, begin cutting around your pom pom with your scissors (give it a haircut)... trimming any pieces that stick out or that make it lopsided.

Step 8.
Once you have it trimmed to your liking you are done! Yay! You can tie pom poms to your gifts using the two long pieces that you left uncut. Or trim the long ends and string a bunch of these together for a garland for some festive decor!

Eco-bonus: Try wrapping smaller gifts in the paper from brown grocery bags!



From the creature comfort blog

Kiss Play Love

Set the tone for your offbeat celebration with loud colours and simple graphics. Stripes are both playful and modern, especially when paired with colour blocks. Choose an artistic scrawl and formulate your invites with no regard for punctuation or consistency. Slip a red-lips lollipop into the envolope for a witty treat. (From our fun Surreal shoot for Wedding Album.)