Free, free, free! Want to win 200 Custom Postcards?

Hi all,

In case you aren't yet getting the new Globetrotting Bride feed, I wanted to let you know about a great contest I'm hosting where two lucky winners will get 200 free custom postcards.

Be sure to change your bookmarks to www.globetrottingbride.com and update your RSS Feed to http://feeds.feedburner.com/globetrottingbride/KQVo

Good luck!

Vintage Travel - Free Virtual Rubber Stamps for you DIY Gals

I saw these on iDiY and I think they'd be so great for a vintage travel inspired Save the Date card, escort cards or even wedding invitation RSVPs. Click here for the full story and directions for downloading the free vintage postcard Epherma Brushes.

(images from Le Blahg)

Wedding planning tip for the organized bride....

You meet so many people when you're wedding planning wouldn't it be great if you could hand out your contact details with something more personal than your business cards?

Here's a great idea....

Make some teeny tiny MOO mini cards! I just made a batch and they have been getting rave reviews. The photo quality is great and so is the paper stock. See how cute and tiny they are?!?!



Each box contains of 100 mini cards and the best part is that each card can feature a different photo. I think it would be so fun to upload all your engagement pics and print your contact details on the back.

Of course there are zillions of other ways to incorporate MOO mini cards into your wedding like place cards, gift tags, save the dates, etc. And be sure to check out MOO for other cool products like holiday cards, post cards, greeting cards and business cards.

Invitation Etiquette 101: Use pretty stamps!

I was out with friends last night and my engaged friend Danielle told a funny story about how her mom complained about her choice of stamps on her engagement invitations. Want to avoid this scenario?

You all saw the new 61¢ wedding cake stamp right?


I'm happy to report that there are also some wedding worthy 44¢ regular stamps perfect for thank you notes and RSVP cards.

Check them out:

My top pick are these King and Queen of Hearts stamps!
My second pick is this wedding rings stamp:

Have a great weekend!

Mailing your wedding invitations sometime soon?

If you live overseas, you can just ignore this post. If not, don't forget about the US Postal Service rate increase happening on May 11.

First class stamps are going from 42¢ to 44¢ and two ounce stamps (what most wedding invitations will weigh) will be 61¢. I'm pleased to report that a brand new "Wedding Cake" stamp has arrived for the occasion. Check it out:


Of course you still have time to stock up on these Forever Stamps for bills and thank you notes but I do think they're pretty ugly.

Wedding Correspondence - Send it by E-Mail? Snail Mail?...TELEGRAM!

One of my good friends has an old telegram message framed in her apartment. Its a message sent to her dad announcing that she was born (he was in the Army or something like that at the time). It's faded and full of typos but it always catches my eye.

If you're looking for a cool way to include some retro correspondence into your wedding plans, check out Telegram Stop.


You fill out the telegram information online and for just $4.70 it gets sent to the recipient anywhere in the world as an old-school telegram! I think it would be a fun way to ask "Will you be my bridesmaid?," or to say "Happy Anniversary," or maybe even just to wish the wedding couple a Bon Voyage on their honeymoon.

If you're the DIY type, click here to download your own Western Telegram template - this would be so cute for Save The Dates!

Want to be a cover couple? Here's your chance!

Destination Weddings & Honeymoons has a fun new feature that lets you sample a peek at cover couple stardom.

The Cover Model Maker lets you upload your own photo and fill in your own headlines. You can also choose the text, colors, positioning and size. I had some fun trying it out (yes, that's us below) and I bet you will too. If you're having a destination wedding, this would be a really cute Save The Date or Thank You Card idea.

Wedding Tradition Explained: "Tying the knot?"

You all know that "Getting married" = "Tying the Knot," but do you know where this expression originates?

(source)

In many cultures including Hindu, Egyptian and Celtic, the hand of a bride and groom are tied together as a symbol of their new bond and commitment to the marriage. This is the origin of the expression "Tying then knot".

Are you incorporating this expression into your wedding? I'm loving these Save The Dates with the little Mini Moo cards and bakery string.

To read more about the origins of tying the knot and other interesting wedding traditions click here.

It's as easy as ABCD!

Not only is Amy of ABCD Designs one of my favorite bloggers and Twitters, she's also an extremely talented invitation designer! She's got amazing style, a knack for envisioning, a keen sense for details AND shes also a worldly globetrotter!

Check out this elaborate invitation suite she designed for a Nicole and Michael's destination wedding in the Bahamas:

This funky and modern design is actually inspired by vintage damask (see the pink kissing couples pattern? That design is made from an actual photo of Nichole and Michael kissing).

Wish I was invited! The couple arranged chartered flights and hotel rooms for all their guests.

Amy works mostly on custom (or bespoke) designs but she's also got an off-the-peg (ready-to-write) collection loaded with great designs. Check them both out here. And keep in mind that her invitation suites can be as minimal (invite and RSVP) or maximum (directions, programs, table cards, place cards, menus, etc.) as you want. Oh an if you want to see some of Jeremy Lawson's photos from Nicole and Michael's destination wedding, click here.

Fun wedding trend takes flight...Asian Wedding Tradition

Ever notice that a lot of brides feature origami cranes in their wedding decor? Just look here, here and here.

Well, this popular wedding trend is based on an Asian tradition. The crane mates for life and symbolizes peace and longevity in Asian cultures. According to Japanese lore, a bride who folds 1,000 paper cranes before her wedding will have a prosperous marriage! Mini origami cranes make great escort-card holders or favors so start folding. Click here for directions or check out Thousandfold Origami for some custom project ideas like this.

Want more? For details on the Origami Club, check out this Daily Candy article.

The ultimate personalized holiday cards

If you haven't heard of Moo, a very cool UK based printing company, you're missing out. They have an array of products that I'll be writing about in the coming year but I just had to share the beautiful holiday cards I created with photos from our recent wedding. The paper quality is amazing and what I love most is that each holiday card can be personalized with a different picture. Here's a sampling of my favorites.

Check them out:

A front view:

Inside:

You can even customize the back!

And the winner is.....

Congrats! My Dream Ring, you have won the Wedding Paper Divas $100 gift certificate. Please email me with your contact details.

Happy holidays!

Free invites, ornaments and honeymoons. Oh my!

Feeling lucky???

Here are some great prizes to be won:

1) Globetrotting Bride's $100 Gift Certificate from Wedding Paper Divas contest - Need some invites, holiday cards, social stationary? Just pick your fantasy wedding destination and invite to enter. Deadline is Dec. 22.

2) Parisian Party's Holiday Giveaway offers up the chance to win these cute "Paris Party Girl" Christmas ornaments. Click over and share your favorite Winter in Paris memory before Dec. 14. This site offers fabulous inspiration for all things French and totally oh-la-la!

3) Remember my eco-friendly wedding gift idea from Trees Instead? Well, they've got a Green Wedding Contest running through December 28th. Three lucky couples will win Trees Instead Wedding Favors (one tree planted for every guest). The second prize winner will win an acre of planted trees and the first prize couple hits the jackpot with an acre of planted tress, a Lifetime Carbon Footprint offset and an ALL INCLUSIVE ECO-FRIENDLY 5-NIGHT HONEYMOON IN COSTA RICA.

I say, increase your odds and enter all three.

Divalicious invitation contest with Wedding Paper Divas

Do you wish weddings didn't cost so much? I thought so.

Raise your hand if you want a $100 gift certificate for divalicious products from Wedding Paper Diva invitations (like wedding and party invites, holiday cards, save the dates, thank you notes, social stationary, etc.) ?

Just participate in today's contest (now - Dec. 22) and the lucky winner might just be you! And yes, this contest is open to contestants worldwide.

If you're a wedding newbie, Wedding Paper Divas is loved worldwide for their wide range of designs, customization options and quality printing.

Here's the scoop:

1) Imagine your fantasy destination wedding (Note: you don't have to be having a destination wedding).

2) Visit Wedding Paper Divas "Signature Collection" and pick your fantasy destination wedding invite. Sign up or log into your account (free and painless) and save your favorite design.

3) Comment below and share your fantasy destination wedding locale and favorite invite.

4) Cross your fingers.

To inspire you, I'll go first:

My fantasy destination wedding would take place on a yacht as we sailed from Bodrum, Turkey along the Agean and the Mediterranean coast. For the invite, I'm going to go with Wedding Paper Diva's Elegant Architecture by DwellStudio below. Blues are my favorite and I'm just loving this oh-so-chic design.

Now its your turn...

Around the World with Kenzie Kate Invitations

Whether you're planning to tie the knot in Seville or Savannah, I think you'll enjoy Kenzie Kate Invitations' sophisticated and modern wedding collection named after some of the world's most glamorous cities. Founder Mackenzie Sala works one-on-one with each of her couples to select every last detail. Best of all, while these invites are custom, they are also moderately priced to fit within all wedding budgets.

Choose from more than twenty styles which come as a complete set (invitation, reply card and envelope, customizable enclosure card and an outer envelope) and feature high quality papers, ribbons and envelopes. All of Kenzie Kate's colored papers are made from 30% post consumer recycled materials. I especially like the 100% recycled Brown Bag Kraft envelopes that are an option with any invite design.

Check out my favorites:

Burlington

Casablanca

Palm Springs

Seville

All designs and more details are online.

Mackenzie also has a great wedding blog - Something Old, Something New so be sure to check it out for more wedding inspiration.