Sunrise Creations Blog

There is nothing like receiving an extraordinary envelope in the letter box, knowing that it will be something exciting and fun and not a request for money.

In today’s modern and more relaxed times engaged couples are less hesitant to let their personalities and love of life shine through, and this starts with the invitation to your special day.  This is a teaser of the theme and should reflect the mood you hope to create.

Gone are the days when wedding invitations were white, ivory, ecru, cream, alabaster etc. You get the message! Weddings and therefore invitations tended to be formal and traditional. Not anymore!  You are restricted only by your imagination, and wedding invitations can be any colour of the rainbow to tie in with your personal theme, the colour of the attendants, or even the season or the location.  Gold and Silver are always in fashion, and can be combined with just about any colour you like.

For example, show your love of the orient by selecting an oriental inspired invitation and then follow the theme with your catering, decoration and even your choice of wedding gown.

Wording and font is another design feature that allows couples to individualise, moving away from traditional phrasing. Invitations often come from the couple themselves, instead of the parents as was the case in a generation or so ago.

The ultimate personalisation is the inclusion of photographs. Maybe you invested time and money in your engagement photos, or you want another excuse for a casual photo shoot to record the early days of your relationship.  Using these special images in your wedding invitation is a special touch.

The trend is to individualism with the creation of unique and very personalised wedding invitations and stationery.  It makes your special day even more perfect because your personality shines through every part of the day.

Nothing can beat the feeling of quality paper between your fingers, and the anticipation created by pinning a gorgeous invitation to your fridge for 6 weeks.  Everyone loves a wedding!

Gone are the days of equating the word ‘party’ with garbage bins full of throw away plastic and paper rubbish at clean up time. These days when we celebrate many of us want to know that the environment isn’t going to suffer unnecessarily just so that we can have a good time.

Consider using washable and re-usable cutlery, crockery or plastic plates, table cloths and serviettes, perhaps providing only finger foods on washable platters or even cutting banana leaves into different shapes for use as individual plates.

There are many different options available for disposable party products that have been made from recycled materials such as the bamboo range from An Eco Dream .  No one wants to wash the dishes after a party and these product free you from the sink without harming the environment.  There are so many other fun ways to achieve a unique party experience without having a negative impact on the environment.

Make a list of items you need for your party, starting from your invitations and working your way through to pack-up time and find a fun and environmentally friendly alternative for each one.

Electronic invitations are onet way to remove paper from the invitation equation and for informal occasions they are great.  For something important, though, I still love real, paper, personalised invitations.  There is nothing like them.  If you are choosing paper invitations, make them personal and include a photo so that they become a keepsake. 

A great alternative to balloons can be paper lanterns and other decorations made from recycled paper and cardboard and materials from your garden. Decking your halls with garlands, vines, grasses and flowers gives a stunning effect in place of streamers.

Catering with organic, natural and healthy foods is not only fun and much easier these days with the ready
availability of natural food colours and dyes, you are less likely to end up with a group of manic children and you can relax, knowing that they are enjoying party food that is actually good for them too.

With a little bit of planning you can still put on just about any kind of party and give it a few eco friendly tweaks so that it sits comfortably with your own sense of environmental responsibility.

(image by Aneta Blaszczyk)

Every girl deserves a girls night out every now and then (or more often for the lucky ones).  Whilst going to the movies with your girlfriends or catching up for coffee and cake is always fun to do, why not create a girls night out with a difference and really show your friends what it’s like to have a girls night out?

Start by making sure everyone is available on a particular date but don’t let them in on what is happening.  Just tell them that they need to keep the date free.   Decide what you want to do for your special girls night out.  You could have a cocktail party at a local bar, a pamper party at a local beauty parlour or even a progressive dinner where you attend one restaurant for entrée, one for main and another for dessert and coffee.  Cost out the evening to ensure it is affordable for everyone.

Have a look at our range of party invitations.  We can create some stunning invitations using photos of your girlfriends on previous get togethers. Why not make it a formal style invitation to give your evening a little bit extra glamour?  Be sure to include the time, date, place and any special requirements the guests will need.  For some extra special pampering you could hire a limousine and arrange for everyone to meet at one location where the limousine will pick you up.  Be sure to include the cost of the night out in your invitations unless you are feeling extremely generous. 

If you have girls attending who don’t know each other, think about creating some tasteful name tags for the girls to wear or you could just create some fun ones that say you are on a girls night out so beware! 

The limit to how much fun you have depends on how much you enjoy organising surprise events where everyone gets to enjoy a night of friendship and fun.

Make your girls night out something to remember and don’t forget to take the camera with you – there are sure to be shots you don’t want to miss.