enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

wedding wednesday : reception details.

Wedwed10709 Our reception is taking place in a ballroom terrace of a hotel in downtown Sacramento. It's a pretty lovely place that needs very little by way of decorations. We will be using their (probably white or cream) linens, plates and etc. I will be making flower centerpieces, place cards and table numbers, but that's it.

But I am excited to find small ways to bring some orange and gray into the reception.

These gray and white paper straws have been making the rounds on the blogs and I just love them. We are having a cocktail hour before dinner and they would be perfect for the bartenders to stick into glasses. (I may cut them in half to better fit tumblers.)

I did not think I would be the disposable cameras on tables kind of bride, but when Elsie shared these ones from Urban Outfitters, I sort of changed my mind. Built into the camera words, images and frames so when they get developed the photo has designs printed right on it. Too cool. And obviously the orange color is a big part of the attraction. Did you have disposable cameras at your wedding? How were the photos? Worth it?

Cocktail napkins feel like a good way to bring in some color. I am NOT going to have them custom printed but figure instead I'll stamp "e&p" on them in white ink (as long as it doesn't smear…).

And my orange and white striped May Arts ribbon. It's probably my favorite thing and it was the hardest to track down. (It's 1.5 inches wide but I can't find it anywhere online now…) I have about 30 yards of it. This ribbon will be wrapped around the stems of all the bouquets and I hope to bring it into the reception as well. If there's enough ribbon, people might just forget there is supposed to be a cake…

Happy Wednesday.

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31 responses to “wedding wednesday : reception details.”

  1. Leslie Avatar
    Leslie

    I say go for it with the disposable cameras. We had them at our wedding (15 years ago!!) and while some of the photos are kinda lame, many of them are great! We love to look back on the fun our guests were having through their eyes! I think those orange cameras (and the fat that they print designs into the images) are the coolest!

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  2. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    First of all – I love your wedding posts…love the orange & gray combo…Best wishes to you and your fiance! 🙂
    I did the disposable cameras at my wedding. Almost all of them were completely used. The one downside…Everyone tends to take the same pictures – the bride & groom’s first dance, the cutting of the cake, etc….so we have extras of those and some are too far away…but the positive – candids of the guests…I got back some really great pics of the family & friends that shared in our day…I would do the disposable cameras again as the majority of the pics I was happy with 🙂
    As far as your ribbon…Stampin’ Up! has a similar ribbon right now – if you want more of it…it’s more of a pumpkin color…but just in case you want to take a look: http://www.stampinup.com/ECWeb/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=115616
    Have a great Wednesday! 🙂

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  3. Maryn Avatar
    Maryn

    I have some of the ribbon that Kim (the previous poster) mentions, and if you’d like me to mail you a piece, just let me know.
    Disposable cameras: the ones at my wedding didn’t yield anything good, but these might be fun simply because of the designs they put on the pictures. Maybe just get a few, not one for every table?

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  4. Sherry Cartwright Avatar
    Sherry Cartwright

    Brilliant wedding ideas. Love them. For stamping on the napkins —- white craft ink might seep through the layers, but Close To My Heart makes a white dye ink that would probably do the trick.

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  5. grungedandy Avatar
    grungedandy

    We did disposable cameras at my brothers wedding along with 4 of my cameras that I gave to trusted friends & told to take as many as they could (I was the official wedding photographer & chief brides maid!) So we came out with a great collection which included me for a change! I nearly always have to take a photo or 2 of me at the end of an event so I’m included, don’t like photos of me but it’s important to include myself so they are often naff ones! This time I was pleasantly surprised! You want to find one of two people who love taking photos & then ask them to catch everyone else! Love the colours & the little details are so cool.
    Have fun Seeya Hugya G

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  6. Jessica Fulkerson O'Brien Avatar
    Jessica Fulkerson O’Brien

    I did not have disposable cameras at my wedding.
    I think in the 80s or 90s, when the trend originated, people didn’t have their own cameras as much as they do today and definitely not at the same quality. So many guests already have cameras on hand now. I received so many emails full of shots my friends and family took (that went from so-so to really great) and I have loved having each one. Disposable’s would have given me far lesser quality and no option of what to print, what to save digitally.
    A few other reasons…
    -I also think disposables foster a different attitude than when people have their own camera – they are not as thoughtful with the shots they take.
    -They’re wasteful
    -They’re oddly expensive. You pay X amount to buy them and X amount to print them… let’s say they are $12 each and it costs $6 to print their film… round up to $20 at least. Multiple by 10 tables…. you want to spend $200 on crappy pictures?
    Just my thought.
    I don’t know if this appeals to you, but at my wedding, I took two big bulletin boards (maybe 2′ x 3 or 4′, which I already head) and filled them with pictures of us over the years and places that were significant to us, plus some ticket stubs. You know, the scrapbooker in me had to come out somewhere. Well, we set them on easels (borrowed from my work) near the ‘check-in’ table, where people signed the guest book and they were really fun for people to look at my. My mom threw a brunch for out-of-towners the following morning and set them up again there. Shot of color for very cheap! 🙂

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  7. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I’m sure you’ve been getting lots of pearls of wisdom, but word of advice:
    DO NOT STAMP YOUR NAPKINS!!! I thought this would be a great idea for my graduation open house. I had a LOT of people and a mildly fancy party and I thought stamping the napkins would be a great idea. Turns out no.
    *it smears
    *they’re hard to stamp
    *not worth the “mess ups” especially if you have expensive napkins
    *the ink bleeds major after wiping someone’s mouth or having a drink sit on it.
    *it takes a REALLY long time and its NOT worth it. You would think it would be quick with skilled stampers like us, but no.
    I experimented with several different ink types too, and it was just a mess. So I would suggest not doing that. haha
    just thought you should know from experience!
    I just got engaged and I’m scouring blogs upon blogs looking for lovlies. Any sites you recommend?
    Oh and when’s the date for yours? I forget.
    ❤
    Elaine

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  8. Cameron Avatar
    Cameron

    I completely agree with Jessica above, but I did have disposable cameras at my wedding (in March of 2000), one on each table. When we got them back we found that a lot of people had given the cameras to the kids, so we had a lot of low-level shots of bums and crotches, or kids goofing off, or the floor. A lot of people couldn’t figure out the (simple to me) flash so the shots didn’t come out. Some cameras were taken home by guests and we never got them back. Honestly, I looked at the photos and filed them in my photo file boxes and I haven’t looked at them again in 9.5 years! If I had it to do over, with the same money I spent on cameras and developing I’d buy a few cheaper digital cameras and distribute them to key people at the reception–or just ask people to be “designated” photographers and have them send me their digital photos! 🙂
    That said, I do love those Urban Outfitters cameras… but maybe just get a few and give them to certain people (like bridesmaids)?

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  9. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    oooh, good ribbon find!

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  10. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    thank you for offering! I think with what I have right now I am probably okay… but I will be in touch.
    And I agree… just a few tables get cameras.

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  11. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    great tip… I’ll look for that ink.

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  12. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    Love the photo board idea and totally see your point on the disposables… I think I just like the idea of the images on the prints… maybe worth it for just 3 cameras or so.
    That’s fabulous that guests have been emailing you photos, I hope I get some too.

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  13. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    Thanks for the advice! I just don’t want to have them printed…maybe just orange napkins are enough..
    my favorite wedding blog is 100layercake.com/blog
    we’re getting married on april 24,2010

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  14. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    My mother had disposable cameras at her wedding. Some of the pictures weren’t worth it–one roll in particular was full of a ten-year-old brother and sister duo posing for each other and hamming it up–but some of them were really cool.
    It’s a nice contrast to the “professional” photos.

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  15. RachelG Avatar
    RachelG

    I had the cameras and loved the pictures that were taken. Sure, a lot of them weren’t great, but the shots that were made them worth it. I especially loved the shots of family that I don’t get to see very often and of my friends having a great time.

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  16. Julia Avatar
    Julia

    i vote yes on the disposables… it’s always fun to see what everyone else was doing while you were busy getting hitched. you will have a few crap pictures, but overall, i think you will enjoy flipping through them.
    i’m a recent blog stalker, and am in love with all your stuff… thanks for sharing all of your creative ideas!

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  17. Tiffany Avatar
    Tiffany

    I had the cameras as well, if your looking for fun crazy things you are going to miss ~ I would at least get a few caneras 🙂

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  18. holly Avatar
    holly

    i vote no on the dispoable cameras. my brother had them at his and he and his wife said they got maybe 2 worthwhile shots outta the whole bunch and most cameras weren’t even used up, so they had to finish em off, which doesnt seem like a bad deal, but when the quality is so much less than digital these days, it kinda was a pain. not to mention developing!!
    i dont wanna be a downer, so i will say that you should totes get the paper straws!!!!

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  19. Sandra Machado Avatar
    Sandra Machado

    if you are still set on stamping your napkins, i suggest you gocco them. it’s fairly easy to do and you can personalize them in whatever way you wish. AND you can stamp with white ink (which i think is a plus). i’ve seen it done on napkins and they looked great. here’s the link: http://wemetinabar.com/2009/06/projects/
    good luck and congratulations!

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  20. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    good call… I have a gocco.

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  21. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    One thing I really miss about not being married is planning all the little wedding details. These ideas are really fun.

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  22. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    I also recommend the cameras … we had them at our wedding, and I attached a list of scavenger hunt ideas to challenge the guests to get certain pictures. It broke the ice at tables, set a goofy mood, and was a hit with our wacky crowd. At the end, our catering staff even took pictures for us to finish up the cameras! One of my favorite extras, totally worth it.

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  23. Melanie Avatar
    Melanie

    I can recommend the disposable cameras as well. Some of the pictures were a bit dark or useless but most of them were quite fun. What I appreciated especially was that all the guests took pictures at their tables so that we got an idea afterward of what they were up to! And without the cameras I would not have photos of all the guests! It is also fun to see what the people chose to photograph. Many plus-points I would say! Enjoy the planning – apart from the day itself it is the most special time.

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  24. akbuilt Avatar
    akbuilt

    at my friend’s wedding, she nixed the expensive disposables and had people post there own digital shots on a Flickr account set up just for the wedding. She included small cards with all the info at each place setting and ended up with TONS of great pictures that were free.

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  25. Natalie Avatar
    Natalie

    Hey there,
    I highly recommend the Flickr route. we got some awesome shots. We put out login info on the tables and also put the stuff on our website (you know, you were there. 🙂 )
    The photos from our disposal cameras didn’t turn out. Very tragic. If you decide to do it, I recommend doing a test round before the big day so you know if they’re going to show up, that way you don’t waste the dough.

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  26. Cat Avatar
    Cat

    I love the disposable camera! I’d say it’ll be cool if there were polaroids! but the films are so expensive ): I helped out at a company’s dinner and dance once and went around with a polaroid taking photos of people and they got to keep it and it was really fun! I guess the downside of having that at a wedding is that you wouldnt get to keep the photos ):
    haha go with the disposable camera! its so pretty in orange and grey specially for you (:

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  27. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I love the idea of personalized napkins and I actually just did this for my parents anniversary party (posted here http://kreativekate.blogspot.com/2009/08/secret-crafting-pics-finally.html) and it worked out great. We just did an assembly line (for times sake) and used an instant dry dye-ink.
    The only thing is that I’m not sure how well the white ink would work out (since they are normally pigment inks)… but maybe you could stamp a grey ink on the orange napkins or orange/grey onto white napkins? You still have so much time you can certainly test it out and see what happens, esp. if its an idea you really like! ;D
    Well I just though Id throw it out there that I did the stamped napkin thing and it worked out fine. Good luck!

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  28. Elise Blaha Avatar
    Elise Blaha

    thanks Kate for the tip. I love how yours turned out!! Was it Stazon ink that you used? I know they make that in a gray…

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  29. Thinkie Avatar
    Thinkie

    we had some disposable camera’s at our wedding. The person handing them out only gave them to a few children. And no one else seemed interested or was invited to use one. We had hoped people would hand them down all day so we would see everyones perspective. That didn’t happen. But we did end up with a fun view of how the kids experienced the day. They photographed mostly each other but also events and other guests, even some they didn’t know. Not all pics were great, partly due to the camera’s, partly due to the inexperienced photographers 😉 But there were a few lucky shots! And we got to see some things that happened when we were away for out photoshoot (the guests got to do a guided tour of the historical town where we got married and were split up in two groups, most of the pics of one group came from the kids) And the camera’s you are showing are sure to give funny results! I’m just wondering if you will know which frame will be where on which photo, or someone may end up with a mustache in their eye…
    We did invite all our guests to bring their camera’s as long as they wouldn’t hinder the designated photographers, the photographer can’t be everywhere at the same time…
    Maybe this: http://www.advancedgraphics.com/ might help you get some candid pictures, you can have custom ones too, maybe of the two of you so people can pose with you without bothering you? 😉 Or some with space to put your head trough, they have a bride and groom like that 😉 Tacky but funny. I’m thinking about ordering or making one for my mum’s 50th birthday next year 😉 A disposable camera of this type would be fun for that event aswell but I haven’t spotted them in the Netherlands yet.

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  30. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    I know I’m late to this post. But I wanted to add a few things.
    1. I stamped cocktail napkins with the grey Stazon ink and nothing smeared and they were lovely. I had a stamp made at http://www.simonstamp.com and their customer service was excellent. I have 1,000 napkins left over, it seems.
    2. Martha Stewart has a scavenger hunt thing for disposable cameras. I think it’s a cute idea. If you’re prepared for tons of bad shots and a few good ones, you can’t be overly disappointed.
    3. There’s a machine called a Canditto (google it!) that can make copies of all your guests’ photos and you have them right away. We did this at our wedding two weeks ago and I LOVED having photos. Worth every penny. I think I have a coupon code somewhere for $100 off?
    4. I also like the idea of a little Q&A at the tables. I’ve also seen info added to the ceremony programs. You could add tidbits of info on the inside of people’s placecards to help break the ice if you’re putting strangers together. Like, “So-and-so climbed Mt. Everest.” and “So-and-so and Paul were in the same class in kindergarten.”

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  31. Steph H. Avatar
    Steph H.

    We had wonderful photographers and videographers and still really enjoyed the shots form the disposables we left on each table. In fact, since so much of the wedding was a blur for us, we got to relive it through our guests’ eyes when looking at the shots they took. We did not have many kids at our wedding so having kids take the cameras was not an issue.
    You could also use the embosser you bought and emboss the napkins if you decide to not stamp them (if you do stamp them, I would us an ink like Stazon on Fabrico or Archival ink, all of which are waterproof.
    Love seeing all your ideas!

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