Tuesday, May 6, 2008

This Weeks A Savvy Favorite















Today's A Savvy Favorite is Lisa Tse with Inkbox Designs. We have asked her to write about her fabulous company and how she got started! She is simply fabulous, her website is so cute and her CAKE line is amazing! Enjoy our Guest writer Lisa Tse. Thank you also Lisa for offering all our readers 15% off their online orders. See below for details!


CAKE!! The icing on your BIG DAY!

When I was getting married 2 and a half years ago, I searched high and low for fun, hip bridal party gifts that weren’t (for lack of a better word) cheesy! Being a designer, I was really particular and didn’t want to give my girls something that I wouldn’t wear myself. I realized that there was a void in the industry. After being a graphic designer for the fashion industry for many years and then designing my own wedding invitations and hearing many of my guests say “Hey, you should do this for a living!”, I decided to start my own design studio called, INKBOX DESIGN BOUTIQUE, specializing in custom, untraditional invitation design. Building on the idea that if I couldn’t find what I liked out there, I’d create it myself, I added a product line, called CAKE (the icing on your BIG DAY!) and got to work creating bridal party t-shirts for modern, fashion-savvy brides.

I started by using my experience in apparel graphics, print & packaging design that I got while working for Abercrombie & Fitch, Paul Frank Industries, ROXY & Hard Candy and created sophisticated looking graphics that (from afar) looked like a cool, fashionable tee that any savvy woman would wear...Then, when you got closer, you’d see that it’s a bridal party t-shirt with cheeky attitude. Next, I searched for the perfect t-shirt to screen print on. Quality and comfort is everything! I inspected and tried on many tees and fell in love with the super soft, luxurious 100% combed cotton tee that I chose. It’s made with extra length and has a flattering fit (I even sleep in mine!). The final step in making this a bridal party gift like none other out there was creating chic, girly packaging for it. I LOVE PACKAGING!!! So a beautiful box with a window that displays the tee graphics was a must. It was important to me that this looked like a gift you would give someone, not just a t-shirt.



The tees are great for many occasions-----I want people to know that they’re not a 1-time use tee. They are perfect for the obvious; bridal showers, Bachelorette parties and group events like spa day with the girls, but they are also great for anything you do around town like dress fittings, shopping excursions, hair-do trials, cake tastings, rehearsal dinners, mani/pedi’s, engagement photos and brides can take it on their honeymoon, too...oh yeah and once the BIG DAY has passed, as I mentioned before, they are so soft, you’re gonna want to sleep in them!

This past March, I launched 3 new products that I’ve added to the line that I’m super excited about; a Miss Bride Zip Up Hoodie, Letterpressed Cards for the Bridal Party and Doggie of the Bride T-Shirts! (yes, that’s right!...doggies deserve to look fabulous, too!!)



I firmly believe that the invitation is the first impression to your event. It sets the tone and gets your guests excited about what’s to come. I like to WOW people. I carry my love for details and packaging throughout every invitation ensemble I create, making sure I really show the personality and style of both the event and the person throwing it! The themes or color schemes really inspire me and drive the design. I incorporate unexpected materials and really try to do things you don’t see everyday. The best part of my job is seeing my clients’ faces when they see the finished product and hearing about all of the wonderful comments they get from their guests. One bride received lots of emails & phone calls from friends & family the day her invitations were received----Some were crying, some were screaming and most were surprised at how the invites captured her personality so perfectly. The thing I hear the most is ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before’...which means I’ve done my job.




I love what I do and I hope you do too! Please check out my website and tell your savvy girlfriends about INKBOX & CAKE:

To order CAKE products or to see samples of my INVITATION DESIGN WORK, go to: http://www.inkboxdesign.com/

*****If you order please type in promotional code savvyevents for 15% off all merchandise!!!

Lisa Tse (pronounced SEE)
lisa@inkboxdesign.com



Have a Fabulous Day!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Southern Charm Meets Wine Country





May 3, 2008
The Harvest Inn
St. Helena, California

This weekend we had the pleasure of working with the sweetest couple from Birmingham, Alabama. Elizabeth & Chris were engaged at The Harvest Inn so it was the perfect setting for their intimate affair. Elizabeth looked ever so sweet in her Melissa Sweet Wedding Dress. The guys wore khaki suits that looked stunning with the pink & white striped bridesmaid dresses.  The stunning florals were by Lauren Williams at Fleuressence Floral Design.
And the fabulous and talented Kelly Zubal of Inticing Creations made the wedding cake.
The guest had a nice wine and cheese reception following the ceremony and listened to the music of Ever Music Group.
Darren from Thomas Hughes Video documented the day and we can't wait to see the video!
It was a lovely afternoon in the wine country the weather and setting was just perfect. 
Congratulations Elizabeth & Chris we were honored to be apart of your wedding.