How to make a seating plan on a budget

BRIDES ON A BUDGET - DIY Wedding Seating Plan

I've never met a Bride yet, who is not on a budget.

Many Brides haven't worked out a budget.... but for most money is tight 

Searching the internet reveals that seating plans can cost anywhere from £35 doe a simple rather tacky printed version)  to a massive £150!

At Inspired by Script we get asked to make lots of Wedding Seating plan.

Priced at around £6 a table for a full finished version. 

The cost is mainly made up of the 

actual finishing, measuring and creating 

of a seating plan on foam core board. 

This can still be way over budget for some Brides.

So.... for a while we have been offering a simplified printed card option

so Brides can take the backed cards and add whatever they want to them ,

Brides of course can still do the whole thing themselves, here's few ideas.

FIRST: Print your tables out on a sheet of A4 paper. We print 4 to a sheet.

So the finished size of the printed cards are 10.5 x 14.7 cm

THEN using a paper trimmer, 

you need to trim off 0.5 cm from each of the 4 sides. 

They are now 9.5 x 13.7 

NEXT: Cut your coloured A4 card into 4
Again using a paper trimmer,
this ensures all the sides are square.

This is how the cards will come to you,
if you choose to order the DIY version.
All ready to decorate....

Now... let the fun begin....

simply decorate with diamantes 

I advise the self adhesive version, 

which are available in most craft stores.

Or buy a heart punch and stick on some hearts.

If Vintage is your theme... add a button

Here's a butterfly cut out,

half glued to the card,

giving it a 3D effect.

(We can supply these in matching card colours 

when you order the DIY cards for £1.50 for a pack of 10.

The cutter will cost around £22 a good investment if you are

 planning on making oddles of butterflies.

Or simply glue on a fabric bow
again available in most craft shops

This is another punch.... this time used to make a lace effect ribbon 

And what about display?

Here's one of ours....

you can see more on our pinterest page

This wire heart grabs a lot of attention at the shop,

I bought it from 'The Range' for about £10 

And here's a simple vintage stand,

also from 'The Range'

And just in case you manage to find a 

old door or window hanging around.... 

there's always this idea! 

And I absolutely love this for the VINTAGE WEDDING! 

Use your imagination and don't be scared to be that little bit creative.

All trends start with one person daring to be different!

Any questions?

I'd love to see what you come up with.... share your pictures with me 

by emailing them to me at inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk

or through Facebook!

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

'Inspired by Script'

CLICK HERE!

DON'T FORGET:

you can see more on our pinterest page 

Any questions?

If you need any help or advice

regarding your Wedding Stationery

Email Us

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x

Orange, Yellow and Hot Pink Inspired Wedding Ideas

Well, it's still pretty cold and miserable and the threat of snow looms all around....

So.... we decided to re-dress the window at Inspired by Script

in the hope it brought some magic our way and the sunshine too.

Shown below is a Wedding Post Box and in front  of that

some of Steve Smiths Jewellery, 

which we also sell as his work sells really well

as Bridesmaid and Best Man Gifts.....

No.... not earring for the men, but stunning solid silver cufflinks :-) 

A few weeks ago a lady rang with the most exciting colour scheme

Citrus colours of Orange and Yellow and added to it a hint of Hot Pink. 

So I decided that would certainly warm up the still dark and gloomy days.

As we dressed the other window in Butterfly themed stationery

we thought this time we'd got for hearts....

so the Wishing Tree took a hit first,

with Orange and yellow hearts

and the actually 'Wishing Tags' In gold and Copper foil

to represent the Orange and Yellow.

The Wedding Invitations foiled in

Copper and Gold

looked particularly stunning

We make everything at the studio ourselves, so

 Brides can make sure that everything matches,

this time for the window display I decided to do

 the full set of what's available....

minus the Wedding Albums and Guest Books that is,

but the place cards, table numbers and favour tags are here....

AND..... can you believe it....

but as we had just finished setting up the window,...

the sun came out! Just long enough to take a few pictures,

but it did come out!...

and if you look at the 3rd picture down you will see 

the fluffy why clouds in the most gorgeous Blue sky 

caught in the reflection of the window.

It's certainly hard to believe that this time

 last year we were having a heatwave! 

Peacock Blue Wedding Inspiration

There's no two ways about it.... I LOVE the colours of Peacock Feathers!

I was trundling around Pinterest (my latest obsession!), looking for Inspiration for my Wedding Inspiration Board when I came across this delightful colour scheme from The Exclusive Wedding Blog

I LOVE strong, vibrant colours and ones that shimmer and shine in particular. That's probably why I am s  fascinated with the Foils that I use on my Wedding Invitations and Stationery.

I've just re-designed my North Yorkshire Weddings website and felt that I needed a new look for my Inspired by Script website too. Mainly because I felt the Lime Green and Hot Pink looked a bit childish and didn't really show off my designs to their best advantage.... So, with that in mind (Drum roll and Fanfare please).... here's THE NEW LOOK!

So.... what do you think? Constructive criticism welcome :-)

Emily & Tom Butterflies and Bombers Wedding Invitations, Guest Book, Table Names, Seating Plan and Wedding Post Box

Bombers and Butterflies Wedding Invitations, Guest Book, 

Table Names, Seating Plan and Wedding Post Box

Last Saturday saw the Wedding of 2 very special people.

Emily and Tom.

2 people with 2 very different thoughts on how the Wedding 'Theme' should look.

Tom (who is in the RAF, gave in

 to Emily's pleas to have butterflies 

on their Stationery..... 

with the assurance that 

they we're to be too big :-)

Here's the daytime invitation....

And the evening invitation....

And the matching Personalised Wedding Guest Book.... 

oooops did we slip more butterflies n there? 

The table names were to be named after Bombers.

To be honest, I didn't know how 

I could get the Butterflies and Bombers 

to look good together.... 

a bit of lateral thinking was needed...

And..... because we had the butterflies.... 

Emily had to give in to Tom and agree to the Bombers :-) 

Once I had found photos of the bombers I had to cut them out...

The sideways silhouette looked a bit sill and the RAF 'mudguard'

had to be discarded as it really just didn't fit. 

So here it is.... the RAF Bomber Seating Plan...

And here's the whole thing....

The Wedding Post Box was going to prove more of a challenge.

Getting Butterflies and Bombers to look good together,

may have been an issue....

but in my lateral thinking head,

they both fly and a marriage is the coming together of 2 people

each with individual thoughts and ideas.....

I did stick to the plane above the name card

as in the seating plan.... flying their names in like a banner....

And the 2 butterflies gentle flying together...

2 becoming one.....

 And thanks to Hayley Court from 
Bride and Beautiful Events
for this photo of everything in situ.

It's not often we as Wedding Stationery creators  
get to see our work on the actual day.
Doesn't it look fab? 

All the above items available from 

Http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

Don't forget.....
You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
CLICK HERE!

If you need any help or advice
regarding your Wedding Stationery
Email Us inspiredbyscript@yahoo.co.uk 

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866
We're always happy to give advice :-)

Sue Simpson x

Personalised Wedding Favour and Place Card Duo - 2 in 1!

Personalised Egg Cups 

make a great Wedding Favour and Place Card Duo

Simply add a candle or a Kinder Egg or smilar

And don't forget one for yourself! 

Your guests will LOVE them!

Available from

http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

Don't forget.....

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

CLICK HERE!

If you need any help or advice 

regarding your Wedding Stationery

Email Us

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x

Simple Steps To Wedding Stationery - Avoiding Confusion!

So, you've set the big day and there's tons to think about! It's easy to feel overwhelmed and confused, especially as you've never done this before right?

Don't worry! I've composed this Wedding Stationery Check List, to help you decide what you need, what's important, what's not and what is right for you depending on your budget.

Don't forget: ALL our help and advice is FREE and we are only too happy to offer help and advice to any Bride who needs it. CALL 01609 776 866 during opening hours.

I composed this list to give out to my visiting Brides both at the Studio and at Wedding Fairs.

NOTE TO READERS: If you find this list useful, whether you are a Bride to be or a fellow Wedding Business supplier, please feel free to share via Facebook, tweet, blog or any other means. Sharing is caring :-)

Ok... let's get down to that list!

MUST HAVES

Day Invitations & Evening Invitations

Of course.... these are a MUST. Remember when ordering to order 1 per couple or family!
This may sound like common sense, but it's amazing how many couples come to me for their stationery and ask for one per person :-)

Seating Plan

If you are having a simple buffet, there is no need for a seating plan and if you want people to mingle, I thought this sign was a great ides.

However.... whether this would work in 'real life' is anyones guess I feel :-)

HOT TIP  if you are having problems working out your seating plan This post has a great idea using Post It Notes!STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEATING PLAN 

Place Cards

As a trained Calligrapher with over 25 years experience, this is one of the most pleasurable jobs I get to do. I find it calming and relaxing and dare I say it NON TAXING and almost meditative :-) People LOVE to see their names written in beautiful calligraphy. You can always of course print them on the computer, but the effect is never quite the same :-)

Table Names or Numbers

NICE BUT NOT ESSENTIAL

Save the Date Cards

These are a modern day phenomena. I'm not dismissing anyone who wants to send these out, but unless your Wedding is going to be abroad and people need plenty of notice to save up to come to your destination wedding, I really don't see the point. Save the dates are sent out to inform the guests that a date has been set but not where or what time and from my experience they are sent out over a year in advance.

If any Bride reading this has sent out SAVE THE DAY CARDS, would you share with me why you did? I'd love to know :-)

R.S.V.P.

Most Brides I have worked with this year so far have chosen to add RSVP cards to their orders. I think this is a fab idea as it (hopefully) promotes a quick response. All the people invited to the Wedding have to do is check a box and post back.... simple :-)
Money not gifts request card

Menus

This is a personal choice thing and definitely not necessary as the menu is already set. BUT if you want your menu's to help create a look and a feel and blend with the centre table decoration, they can enhance to 'look'.

Order of Service

Order of Service are more common for couples who are having a Church Wedding. These also make lovely keepsakes of the couples choice of Hymns and Prayers.

Post Box

To be honest, I'd never even heard of a WEDDING POST BOX 2 years ago and was more than a little perplexed by why people would even want one. Then I read a post which mentioned that as the majority of couples already living together first these day, many of the cards contained money..... fair comment.... but then I read on some forums that it's more than a little common for these cards to go missing and even (horror of horrors) STOLEN, while the Bridal Party were out having their photos taken!

I was asked by a Bride if I could make one.... and the rest as they say is history!
I would advice that if you don't have a Wedding Post Box (and you can make your own if you are on a tight budget) that you at least prepare somewhere safe to put your cards.

Wishing Tree / Guest Book

The Guest Book is pretty self explanatory. I've always found guest books, whether used for a Wedding, Birthday or other special occasion a bit of a pain in the bum. Guests get distracted, feel that the big white page is too intimidating and very often someone has to have the responsibility of personally going round and asking people to sign it and make sure it's passed along and kept moving.

Far better, in my opinion is the Wishing Tree and tag idea. People find the idea of writing on a little card and then tying it to some branches or a Wishing Tree somehow a bit magical and are far more likely to do this than sign a book. Afterwards the tags can be taken off and stored in a box.

Thank You Cards 

for your guests.... but don't forget the Chief Bridesmaid, Bridesmaids and Flower Girls, Best Man, Ushers and Page Boys too!

Don't forget.....

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

CLICK HERE!

AND HERE WE ARE ON PINTEREST!

If you need any help or advice 

regarding your Wedding Stationery

EMAIL US!

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866
http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x

4 New Wedding Stationery Designs - Celtic and Art Nouveau

I've been asked to design some Celtic and Art Nouveau Wedding Stationery, and these designs lend themselves pretty well to foiling. 

So a rose in the style of 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh 

A simple Celtic Knot 

A beautiful Poppy

And another Rose

If Celtic or Art Nouveau is your style.... then these are for you :-)

http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

Don't forget.....

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

CLICK HERE!

If you need any help or advice 

regarding your Wedding Stationery

Email Us

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x

Personalised Wedding Plaques Made To Order

As well as other personalised items we offer at the studio, these personalised A4 sized Wedding Plaques are ideal as Wedding Gifts.

Each one is personalised with the couples name and date of their wedding. As these plaques are made from painted MDF they are a little pricey to send through the post, we therefore suggest that they are only suitable for callers to the studio :-)

http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

Don't forget.....

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

CLICK HERE!

If you need any help or advice 

regarding your Wedding Stationery

Email Us

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x

FREE - Easy Peasy way to plan your WEDDING BUDGET

I deal with a regular flow of Brides and Grooms to the studio, to make and create their wedding stationery. I try to offer a service to fit ALL budgets. One thing that always amazes me is the answer to my question 

"OK.... so what's your budget?"  

At this point I usually get one of 2 answers.

1) "We haven't got one"

or 2) "We don't really know"

When probing further I realise that most couples 

have no idea where to start. 

I've promised to write this article for some time and today I feel I really MUST get round to it.... I hope it helps in some small way.

Couples would do best to see what they can afford and work from there, instead of working on what they want, costing it all out and then having to postpone their wedding when the harsh reality of EVERYTHING COSTS kicks in.

Remember: £35 a meal can sound like a bargain, but it can be a real eye opener when you times it by the number of guests you have coming!  And that's just the 'food side' of things. 

Far better to work out a final budget and work it like this, then at least you will know where to cut back if you need to and f you save money on one thing you have more to spend on another.... SIMPLES :-) 

So.... to make it easy for me to work it out for you.... lets say you have £10,000 to spend.

Reception 45% (£4.500)

Your food and beverages will eat up the largest percentage of your budget. This category includes:

• Site fee, if applicable
• Catering costs 
• Bar and non-alcoholic drinks, punch, shots, etc.
• Drinks for toasts
• Wedding cake and sweets

*Don't forget to haggle on price here. If you don't ask, you don't get! You have nothing to loose. If you find that the cost is far more than your budget and you are determined the venue is the absolute place you want to get married and there's no way you are going to shop around for somewhere cheaper.... consider 1 of 2 things.

1) Cut down on your daytime Guest list
2) Have a late Wedding and 1 buffet evening reception 

Transportation 5% (£500)

If you are on a strict budget, this is one place you can save. Transportation should be one of the smallest percentages of your budget. This category includes the following:

• Limousines
• Speciality cars, etc.

If your Wedding is at a venue and you are staying there over night, there's no reason why you shouldn't get ready at the venue itself. If the venue is 50 yards down the road, it's quite a saving if you get a friend with a posh car, to add ribbons and get you to the Church on time. Do you really NEED this?

Entertainment 10% (£1000)

This category includes the following:

• Ceremony music 
• Evening reception buffet
• Reception Music (DJ or band)

Flowers 10% (£1000)

Be very careful. It is easy to get "carried away" ordering the most "visual" aspect of your wedding. This category includes:

• Ceremony - site flowers
• Bridal bouquet
• Wedding party flowers
• Parent's flowers
• Reception centrepieces and floral displays

Attire 10%  (£1000)

This is another category that is really easy to go wild on. While selecting your "gown" keep your "bottom line" in mind. This category includes:

• Dress
• Headpiece/veil
• Lingerie
• Jewelry
• Shoes/wrap/gloves
• Hair and makeup
• Grooms tux or suit

Photography 10% (£1000)

Your memories will eat up another 10% of your budget. This category includes:

• Photography
• Videography
• Engagement portrait
• Wedding - album package

Stationery 4% (£400)

This is another category in which you can save by choosing a simple invitation. This category includes:

• Daytime and Evening Invitations
• R.S.V.P and other enclosures)
• Announcements
• Menus
• Order of Service
• Guest Book or Wishing Tree Tags
• Seating Plan
• Wedding Post Box
• Place Cards 
• Thank You Cards

You can cut down a little on this budget, like having only 1 Order of Service per couple for instance. Talk to the person who is designing and making all your Invitations and On the Day stuff and negotiate a discount.
We at Inspired by Script give our customers a whopping 15% discount on our couples ' On the Day' items IF they have come to us for their Invitations. It's our way of saying a big THANK YOU for choosing us in the first place :-) 

Talk to whoever is making your Wedding Stationery

and see how they can help!

Extras 6% (£600)

This is where you put all the miscellaneous items that can really add up to BIG MONEY!! If you choose all of the little extra touches, you will go way over your allotted 6%. You need to make a choice on how important each category is to you and "borrow" percentage points from other categories which may be less important to you. Items usually needed:

• Attendants gifts
• Wedding gifts for each other
• Favours
• Wedding rings
• Rehearsal Dinner (not usually included in budget)
• Marriage license
• Church/ceremony site fees
• Officiant fees
• Speciality linens
• Chair covers
• Other reception or ceremony decorations

I hope you have found this budget planner useful.

If you have, please share with your friends...

if you haven't or need to know more,

contact us... we can only improve with your help :-)

http://inspiredbyscript.co.uk

Don't forget.....

You can FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

CLICK HERE!

If you need any help or advice 

regarding your Wedding Stationery

Email Us

or phone the studio on 01609 776 866

We're always happy to give advice :-)

(c) Sue Simpson x