Today we’re focusing on one of our favorite things – custom printed envelopes. Nothing makes us happier than pairing an invitation, save the date, or really any card you’re going to mail with a matching envelope. We have tons of colors to choose from and the design options are endless!
It’s SO simple to create an envelope for your package. If we’re designing your invitation (which we hope we are,) then all we need is your guest list. You can provide us with an Excel or Google Sheets document, or if you have the addresses written out somewhere else, we can transfer them to a spreadsheet for you to make it even easier.
If we’re not designing your invitations, we can still create a beautiful envelope for you to save you from having to write all your addresses by hand! In addition to your guest list, we would just need a picture or sample of the invitation you’re pairing it with so we can pull some design inspiration from it (fonts, colors, etc) and create an envelope that matches perfectly!
To better show you what we mean, we’re going to use a postponement card we completed recently as an example. Here is what the final design looked like:
Take a second to compose yourself after taking in the beauty that was this postponement – with a picture like that the card was such a breeze to design bc the pic basically speaks for itself!
Now, take a look at how we used similar design elements to create several different envelope designs that match:
As with all of our custom work, the designs can be mixed and matched and played with to create the perfect envelope. In this case one envelope spoke to the couple as-is, and the package was complete!
We hope you loved this post as much as we loved writing it – til next time,
Time again for a Corona wedding blog post (UGH!). But unlike last time we’re thrilled to be writing to explain the GOOD NEWS! We’re all rejoicing about Cuomo’s new guidelines on weddings (two of the JKS crew are Corona Brides so we’re right there with you all.) For those of you who haven’t heard about the new guidelines, reach out to your venue RIGHT NOW! They can explain to you how the new guidelines for guest counts, cocktail hour, curfews, and most importantly DANCING, will affect your big day.
With all these new guidelines going in to effect on March 15th, we have received dozens of questions from past, current, and future clients about how to include all the necessary restriction information on their invitations. We compiled some of the most common questions and challenges and summarized them here!
Q: I need to communicate the Covid testing guidelines to my guests, what’s the best way to do it?
A: There are several ways we’re including this information for our clients. One solution is with a “Covid Card.” Similar to a reception or details card, but it strictly covers the necessary Covid information. Another way we can include the Covid info is by expanding the details card already included in the package. We can work with the original size of the card, or increase the size if necessary (we never want the card to look cluttered.) The third way is dependent on the client having a wedding website. We can include a note that says “For All Covid related information, updates, and restrictions please visit the Covid page of our wedding website.” This is a great way to include links and resources for guests if you’d like to include more than we’re able to fit into your invitation package. This line can also be added to a Covid card if you’d like!
Q: I sent out STD cards to more guests than I can now invite, how do I tell the rest of my guests I had to cut down my guest list?
A: This is a tricky one because so many of our clients are worried about offending guests. Our recommendation is to be honest with everyone. We’ve created several cards for clients with messages similar to this:
Dear Friends & Family – due to the current restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, we are moving ahead with our wedding as planned, but on a scaled back basis. We are heartbroken that we will not be able to share our special day with everyone as we originally planned, but look forward to spending the rest of our new life together with you all! Thank you for your love and support!
We have also provided digital graphics with similar messages for those clients who are in a crunch for time, or who want to keep costs low for this piece of the wedding.
Q: I have an A-List and a B-List, but need to receive responses from my A-List before sending out any additional invites. How should I handle this?
A: Even in pre-Covid times we had this question and there is a super simple solution! We simply create 2 versions of your RSVP card with two different response dates. You can send your A-List guest invites out a little earlier than normal, wait for the responses, and as you receive declined RSVPs send out your B-List invites. This is a very common practice and can be handled very easily by simply noting on your guest list who gets which RSVP card.
Q: What happens if I need to adjust the quantity of invites I’ve ordered after I’ve sent back my contract?
A: This one is easy – we simply adjust your quantity! We can adjust the quantity up until your invitation goes to print and your materials are ordered. It is super simple and we always tell our couples not to stress about this at all!
Planning a wedding during Covid is a struggle, but we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to ensure that the invitation process is as fun and stress free as possible! We’re here to help with anything you need, and answer all you questions, all you need to do is ask!
Hi Everyone – welcome to another JKS blog post! We’re throwing this post back to 2019 to highlight one of our favorite invitation packages from last year. We love being able to bring our clients dreams to life from start to finish – and that’s exactly what we were able to do for Kerry & Marc!
This couple knew exactly what they were looking for – a simple, classic invite that would give their guests a sneak peek into the elegant wedding of their dreams! From the minute we started working with Kerry we knew this package was going to be amazing. The inspiration pictures were to die for and we were so excited to get to work!
Side note: one cool thing about working with this couple is that they’re not local to us, so their entire package was done over the phone, by email, and by sending samples via UPS. We were able to complete their entire package without ever having to meet. Working remotely has become the norm in 2020, and although it can be hard to imagine creating an invitation package without seeing anything in person first, it can be done! Don’t be afraid to reach out to us if you’re not local! Anyway back to the story of Kerry & Marc’s invitation…
Once the package was designed, the assembly method was chosen, and all the paper colors were solidified, it was time for our favorite part of all packages – putting it all together! They chose to assemble their invitation with a classic black ribbon which complimented the package perfectly. The only thing we loved more than the invite, were the professional photos their photographer took on the day of their wedding. Take a look at one of our faves (that the couple was kind enough to share with us.)
Photos courtesy of Sweet Connolly Photography
And the fun didn’t stop there! Kerry & Marc wanted to keep their wedding décor on theme with the invitation, and they asked us to create a bunch of other items for the big day. Check out all of the extras we produced for this lovely couple!
We were so happy for this couple on their big day – even over a year later it still makes us smile knowing that we were able to play a part in bringing their vision to life!
Check back with us on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest and greatest (and the occasional throwback,) from JKS!
Hi Everyone! J here – thanks for reading yet another JKS blog post. This is going to be an extra fun one for me bc the focus is the engagement party of a part of the JKS extended family. If there’s anything my friends & family know about me, it’s that there’s nothing I love more than mixing my JKS work life into my personal life!
So you can imagine my happiness when my brother and future SIL told me they needed invites for their October engagement party! I was thrilled not only bc I would get to celebrate two of my FAVORITE people, but also bc I knew we’d be able to do something really awesome with their invites.
I was so excited to talk to the team about their ideas, and we got right to work. The theme: celestial and whimsical. The inspiration was so unique, the designers were just as excited as I was to get started. We went back and forth with proofs, and landed on a final design a few days later. Now I must admit, I love all the invites we produce, but I think this one is one of my all time favorites (including my own wedding invitations!) Here she is:
We were obsessed with the final product. The moon on the custom envelope liner was the perfect las minute addition that made this invite perfect! I still have the invite on my fridge and the party was two and a half weeks ago! Once we finished the invite, we moved on to working on the rest of the decor items they wanted!
This backdrop banner was the first thing we started on. I loved watching people take pictures with this during the day (and forcing my husband to take a million pics in front of it.)
Bricks not included (but recommended) in case of wind 😉
From there we started on a welcome sign that guests would see as they’re entering the party!
A few more extra signs for the house were the last two items we created for them:
Safety first…
…for humans and cats!
Once all the goods were designed and printed, it was party time. It was a beautiful October day, and the party was fantastic. I was so happy to be able to help my brother and future SIL complete their vision for the perfect engagement party. I loved seeing everyone take pics in front of the banner or comment about the kitty constellation on the cat’s sign. We had the best time and I CANNOT WAIT for the wedding!
I hope you all loved these items as much as I did! Feel free to send us an email or contact us to get started on your next project 🙂
Hey Everyone! We’re FINALLY back with another JKS blog post. We haven’t touched base in a while, but I mean it’s 2020 so I think we can all agree to cut everyone a little bit of extra slack this year. Navigating our “new normal” has not been easy for anyone, and add planning a wedding (or should we say postponing or scaling down a wedding,) into the mix and it’s even more difficult. Although we don’t have all the answers to the questions this year has posed, between our own personal experiences with postponing our weddings, and dealing with all our couples over the last few months we wanted to take some time to share some thoughts with you:
First of all, deciding to postpone (& then postponing) your wedding is no easy task. It can be really stressful, and even more emotional. All the planning and excitement that leads up to your big day suddenly feels different. Coordinating all of your vendors for a new date, and even in some cases deciding which ones to keep and which ones to lose, is one hell of a feat. But try to focus on whats most important: you’ll still be marrying the love of your life and beginning your new life together as a married couple. It might be a rocky road to get to the finish line, but you will get there!
Second – you don’t have to postpone your wedding! If you have an open and honest conversation with your future spouse and decide that a small elopement and party is better for you both, then go for it! Not everyone wants to push their plans for their wedding and their future off in order to accommodate a large wedding, and that’s okay. External pressures can be hard to ignore, but at the end of the day your wedding is about you & your fiance. Do what works for you, and what makes you happy!
A non wedding point we want to make is this – life can be really hard right now. As much as I’m beginning to hate this phrase, these “unprecedented times” are taking it’s toll on everyone. If you need some time to yourself to figure things out, that’s okay. We’re all learning to navigate this new world together, and that process is different for every person. Whether it’s going to the gym, reading a book, or just sitting outside for a little while, make sure you’re taking some time out of your day to take care of yourself. We never knew that this pandemic would last into the fall, and we’re all in the same boat. Life will eventually get back to normal, but for now just do you best!
Last but not least remember that we are here for you. We can be a resource for your planning and postponement questions, or a shoulder for a short vent session if you need one. We know what you’re going through as a wedding vendor, and as people and want to help you in any way we can. As much as postponing was not what we wanted to do, we’re happy that we have this experience that we can pass on to our clients (and non clients.) It’s our wish to make this as easy as possible for anyone else that needs to go through this ordeal. Don’t hesitate to send us an email, a text, or a phone call if you need us.
Welcome back to yet another, JKS blog post! Thanks for taking the time to check out our latest post and keep up with what we’re up to! Today we’re talking – assembly options! All the different ways you can take your invitation & put it together in a beautiful way!
The first step to designing your invite is to choose the style of invite you want to work with! The options are almost endless, if you think of it, we can make it work. Here are a few basic options we have to work with!
Flat Cards
A flat card invite is exactly what it sounds like – it is one piece of paper with all of your wedding information printed on it. You can still opt to have additional cards added to this such as a details or RSVP card. You can also add layers to spruce it up, by mounting the printed piece on a piece (or two!) of metallic or glitter colored paper for a pop of color!
No mounted layer, single layer & double layer mounted invites
Pocket Invites
Pocket invites are good for when you have many cards and want to keep your invite organized, or if you just like the look! It is also another way to add color to your invite. You can choose between a folded pocket, which has a flap to cover the invite, or a panel pocket, where the pocket is on the back of your flat card style invite. Both of these options can be made with layers like the flat card option for some extra pop!
Traditional pocket & panel pocket
Assembly Options
After you have chosen your invite (flat card or pocket) it is now time to start thinking about how you would like your package to be assembled. Below we’ll discuss the many options we love!
For the folded pockets, closing with a paper seal or a seal with a belly band is a great option! The belly band can be whatever material you choose (vellum, glitter, solid Color, or custom designed & printed). The point of the belly band is that it wraps everything together and keeps the pocket closed. It is also a fantastic way to add a pop of color to your invitation package!
Mounted circle seal & belly band w/ mounted seal
For a Flat card (with or without layers) a belly band will work for that as well! Stuffing invitation, inserts and rsvp into belly band keeps it snug and makes it so you don’t lose anything as you lift if out of the envelope. You can even add a decorative seal to that as well! Seals can be cut to almost any shape you’d like, our most popular are the classic square or circle!
Belly bands over flat cards allow you to slide all your cards seamlessly in the back
Another great way to keep everything together and organized would be to use lace, twine or ribbon. This has the same effect as the belly band, keeping everything snug, adding a pop of color, and in this case, texture and depth! With the ribbon you have a second option, instead of a tie you can add a decorative seal to that as well, similar to a belly band style!
RIbbon, twine, and lace assembly over a flat card
Another way to make you invite stand out among others is to incorporate a wax seal! A wax seal can be used to close your folded pocket, or to hold your ribbon or twine in place on the front of an invitation. Fun fact: you can opt to use scented wax for a wax seal! How fun is that??
Lastly, don’t forget about your envelopes! Be sure to consider adding a solid or custom designed envelope liner to your package!
Wax seal over a flat card & pocket Solid vs custom envelope liner
With all of these options (and more,) we can work up the perfect invitation for ANY event! We also offer all in one, clear acrylic & vellum invites! I have a feeling you’ll see some blog posts about these options over the next few weeks if you’re keeping up with our social media pages! If you’re new to our page (first of all hello,) don’t forget to follow all our social media accounts, or drop us a line to discuss your invitation needs!
Wow – 2019 has come to an end. At the beginning of this year, we were just three coworkers who had chatted casually about starting a small business. & now here we are, business owners reflecting on our first year in business. This has definitely been a year for the books, and we wanted to take some time to look back on all that we’ve accomplished this year.
The most obvious of these accomplishments, and the one that we’re all most proud of, is just starting the business. We spent so much time talking about what we would do if we started our own business. About how much fun having our own side business would be. And one day we just finally said – what are we waiting for? It was time to put all our fears behind us and jump head first into this new and exciting challenge.
When we “officially” started back in April, we asked ourselves what we were looking to get out of the business. We’re all very goal oriented, and having a list of things to work towards was very important to us. Here is the list of things we wanted to accomplish this year:
Participate in 3 bridal showcases
Work with at least 5 new customers
Break even & pay ourselves back for all the start up costs for the business
Total spend at Merlin Printing (where we work full time and do most of our business meetings,) = $5,000.00
It is with great pleasure that I can happily say that we accomplished EVERY SINGLE GOAL ON THIS LIST!!!!! We are beyond proud of ourselves. The work we’ve put in over the last few months has been immense, but it’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that we’re living out our dreams, that we wouldn’t change it for the world!
But, it wouldn’t be fair to say we got here on our own. So a huge thank you to everyone who placed an order with us, to all our friends and families, to anyone who liked our social media posts, anyone who has taken time to read or share a blog post (yes that means you literally right now,) to all those who bought our t-shirts when we were just starting out, and to anyone who has mentioned or referred us to a friend of family member. And a special shout out to one of our biggest supporters the president of Merlin Printing (AKA the owner of the company we work at full time.) It’s not every business owner that would support the idea of three of his employees starting a side business. But he has guided us, answered every question we’ve asked him (believe me when I say there were many,) and even invested in us before we had any proof that we were going to make this business work. Our gratitude towards him, and to all of you is immeasurable, and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!
When I think back on the beginning of this year, I’m reminded of this quote:
The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward
Amelia Earhart
Starting this business has been the most challenging thing we have ever done. But knowing what we know now about what we have been able to achieve, our advice to anyone who wants to do something new is: DO IT! Take that first step towards accomplishing your goal. YOU CAN DO IT! We are living proof that with enough hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to!
Once again a huge thank you for reading out post and following everything we do! Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2020. We have a feeling that 2020 is going to be a fabulous year!
Hi Everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and 2020 started out amazing! This blog post is a bit different from our usual posts. This week our blog post is coming to you from our graphic design intern, Nicole! She’s been providing some fantastic designs & ideas for us over the last several months. We asked her to write a bog post for us, and she delivered! Check out what our intern Nicole had to say about being an intern at JKS:
“When I tell someone I have an internship, I receive a mixed feedback. Some are enthusiastic to hear about it, and others-well others reflect their negative internship experience and assumptions onto me. What the latter doesn’t know is my personal experience being the Graphic Design Intern for JKS Designs feels nothing like an internship. Allow me to explain!
When Sam asked if I would be interested in being an intern with JKS Designs, I was thrilled. I am very passionate about graphic design, but I feel that with school and my job, I don’t really set aside enough time for me to work on fun projects. I love getting my weekly assignments from the JKS team, and also having the creative liberty to show my ideas to them. I really feel involved, especially when I join their weekly meetings. The meetings are always fun (we obviously get down to business) & it’s nice knowing I also have a personal relationship with them. It’s very motivating being apart of something you feel welcome in.
When I first started with them, I knew little-to-nothing about InDesign, but I have learned so much from what Kayla and Sam have taught me. During our meetings, I get honest opinions on my weekly work, and it’s so nice to hear what they have to say. From Kayla and Sam’s graphic design knowledge, to Julia’s “Wow! That is so pretty!!” (She’s the numbers/business person, but her feedback also helps). I admire these girls so much, and being able to work on something so big with them makes me feel like I’m contributing to something important. Knowing that my work is shown to clients validates that what I am creating is special, especially when I get to personally hear what they thought about it. All in all, I hope more people start to realize that internships are great, especially this one!”
Who doesn’t love the look of shiny gold! A beautiful gold foil wedding invitation or save the date is sure to catch the eye of all your guests. It gives your card the extra “WOW” factor. I mean just look at this save the date we printed for one of our clients. The gold touches are the perfect addition:
There’s nothing we love more than a nice touch of foil. But gold foil isn’t the only way to get a hint of gold in your printed cards. The printer we work with (if you’ve been keeping up with our blog pots we have mentioned them before,) Merlin Printing – has the most up to date technology in the printing industry. Their Xerox Iridesse printer can print METALLIC colors! & they are the ONLY printer on Long Island that has this printer with these capabilities. We are so lucky to be able to work with them and put this technology to use! Although it doesn’t have the exact same look as foil, it allows us to offer a modern, sleek metallic sheen to your cards (& it’s cost effective for anyone on a strict budget!)
Look at the pictures below. The one on the left is a close up of the save the date in the photo we shared above. The one on the right is a close up picture of some metallic printed table numbers we printed for another client:
Gold Foil
Metallic Printing
Both methods are a beautiful way to add a little shine to your cards. One cool thing about the metallic printing is it can be ANY color, and you can use multiple different metallic colors on your invite. We’re currently working with a bride who is having metallic silver and metallic burgundy on her invitation package. We can’t wait to share the final product from that package! Keep an eye out on our social media pages for some sneak peeks of that package very soon!
Thanks for checking in, and remember to follow us on Instagram & Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest and greatest from the ladies of JKS!
Hey Everyone! Thanks for taking some time to read our latest blog post. This blog is a fun one – it’s all about the JKS holiday card!
First comes the idea: A JKS Holiday card. I mean we’re fully into holiday card season (we’ve done several already,) and we all LOVE the holiday season. So why not do one for ourselves?
Next came the photo: Someone had an amazing idea – we all wear PJs! I mean who doesn’t love spending and entire Saturday in your pajamas? So we got together on a chilly November Saturday, in our pajamas, to take the JKS Holiday card photo.
Then came the props: Add in some garland, a tree skirt, some other Christmas decor & mini pies and we were ready to go!
After what felt like 500 takes (who blinked, who moved, who didn’t make in before the self timer went off,) we got a nice photo together. Please enjoys this gallery of our (many) failed attempts:
The one where the mailman came to the door
The one where Kayla told a funny joke and could not stop laughing at it
The one where Julia did not make the self timer
We can’t wait to show off the 2019 JKS holiday card. The plan is SUPER cool and will showcase a ton of features we loooove! If you’ve placed an order with us or referred someone to us, you may even be on our Christmas card list. Check your mail as the holiday’s get closer.
As always – keep up to date with us on social media & we’ll check back in with you soon! Enjoy the holiday season!
