Event Planning

We've had a flash of inspiration here with our wedding stationery...when it comes to save the date magnets - think pink! We love to inspire brides and grooms-to-be by showcasing ranges of wedding stationery which we think will appeal. Maybe it's all the Macmillan coffee mornings that we are seeing to support cancer charities, maybe it's just our girly side coming out, but we just love stashed of pink special occasion stationery! Our 'think pink' range is meant to really inspire your wedding planning. From traditionally classic and formal to modern and funky - we try to showcase all sorts of styles and ideas. Our aim at The Card Gallery is very unique. Our aim was to build a website where all of your special occasion stationery needs were taken care of. As well as some great products at affordable prices, we offer help and advice in our comprehensive customer service centre. We take pride in our gorgeously designed stationery and we hope that brides and grooms enjoy shopping with us. So, if you're ready to think pink, check out our range here!

If you're looking for cream wedding photo albums, then look no further than The Card Gallery. Here are some of our favourite designs:

The Card Gallery have a great range of save the date cards available online. Here's just some of our favourites...

Australian star Holly Valance married her billionaire fiancee in a lavish three-day ceremony last weekend - and it was a beach wedding with a bang! This was one occasion where no expense was spared, and a reported £2 million was spent on creating Holly and Nick's perfect day. It was, naturally, completely OTT from beginning to end. The bride’s dress was a mix of dove-grey and ivory, with the bride's (ahem) famous assets on show for all to see. The dress apparently cost £35,000, and included a positively regal 15 foot veil in shimmering white lace - Kate Middleton-style. Just in case the gown wasn't enough of a show-stopper, Nick hired Katy Perry as their wedding singer (of course, who else?) which is rumoured to have cost around £1.2  million for the 45-minute set which she performed. Then there was a £60,000 flower bill, with blooms stood in huge columns, and included the bride’s very modern bouquet of ‘black magic’ calla lilies. But all of that was nothing compared to the cost of the weekend of festivities laid on for guests, which included the serving of thousands of canapés, mounds of sushi, two pre-parties (why would you just have one, when you can have two!) and two barbecues to boot. And just when you thought it couldn;t get any more extravagant...the cast of Jersey Boys were flown in specially, as Holly loves the musical! Phew, we're tired just thinking about it! If you're planning a beach wedding (a little less elaborate!) then why not take a look at the beach wedding stationery range from The Card Gallery. There are lots of gorgeous designs to suit all tastes and budgets!

Parenthood is not without its ups and downs, but mums and dads often complain that the experience of bringing up youngsters is over all too soon. Babies quickly turn into toddlers, toddlers into children, children into teens and then, within what seems like the blink of an eye, they’re all grown up and making their own way in the world. With this in mind, it’s important to celebrate the landmark occasions in those early years in style. Of course, the birth itself is the most important event and this is closely followed by any christenings or baptisms that take place. To help make these celebrations even more special, you can send out cute christening invites.

Memories

Handing out cards and keeping a record of these ceremonies by investing in photo books and other items can help ensure you’re able to relive the memories of the event clearly for many years to come. Meanwhile, research carried out by Citroen recently revealed that the experience of travelling home from hospital with a newborn is one of the most memorable driving experiences for parents. The firm polled more than 1,000 parents aged between 25 and 75 years and found that the cautious trip from the maternity ward to the house was the single most memorable car journey for 26.9 per cent of all mums and dads.

More stats

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the trip to the hospital for the birth was also high up there on the list. It came in second position, with 18 per cent of parents identifying it as their most memorable car journey. Meanwhile, the first family holiday was the most treasured car trip for 14.6 per cent of respondents. Other journeys that featured included dropping kids off on their first day of school and driving the family to collect their first pet. Thankfully, it’s now easy to collate snaps of these events in special photo albums for future reference.

Common ground

Responding to the findings, communications director at Citroen UK Marc Raven said: “The family car is an important touch point to some of our most treasured life experiences. “Families come in all shapes and sizes, and go through so many individual experiences, but the results of this survey show just how much in common parents have with each other and the significant role the family vehicle plays in our lives.”

How we can help

If you want to celebrate the christening or baptism of your little one in style, you can come to us to source superb christening invitations and other items of stationery. By taking a look around our website, you should quickly find products that tick all of your boxes. We also sell photo albums, cards, personalised plaques and disposable christening cameras. To see all our items, including our christening cards, just take a look around the relevant section of our online catalogue. You might well be surprised by how easy it is to order products in this way and by how inexpensive the products we sell are.

The nature of true romance can be hard to reflect, but when it comes to arranging weddings, you might want to do precisely this. These events provide you with a chance to demonstrate to the rest of the world the bond you and your partner share. One of the most important things to bear in mind is that when it comes to planning the perfect nuptial celebration, the devil is in the detail. Love is a multi-faceted phenomenon and successful relationships are the sum of many parts. So, as well as focussing on the major priorities for your big day, such as the venues you will use and the outfits you’ll wear, it’s also important to pay attention to the smaller issues. For example, you’ll need to think about the stationery you order, including your wedding invitations and save the date cards.

Going that extra mile

One man who seems to appreciate the importance of detail is Graham Gunn. The father-of-two recently popped the question to other half Angela Rettie during a tour of Scotland in his beloved Volkswagen Beetle, the Scottish Daily Record reports. He drove onto a beach near to their home town of Thurso, Caithness before handing over a ring designed like the lidded headlights of the distinctive car, which he has named Sylvester. The quirky ring clearly did the job, as Ms Rettie agreed to get hitched to the 45-year-old Scot.

We love a good wedding fayre, and get to see quite a few in our line of work. I don't know what it is about them which makes everyone (apart from grooms-to-be it seems) a fan. Maybe it's the anticipation in the air that all the lovely ladies milling about the hall are about to experience one of the best days of their lives. Maybe it's the free cake! Whatever it is, I do enjoy attending as many of them as possible and seeing the ones which work well and the ones which are a bit of a flop. One of the ones which falls firmly into the first category is the etc Wedding Show which took take place yesterday in Darlington. Held at a five-star hotel, over 250 brides-to-be turned out to view everything on offer for their big day. It was the second time that the event has been held this year, and was a huge success. So, what made it a good fayre? Well to start with, there were thirty handpicked exhibitors - some shows go overboard and cram as many companies in as possible. This just means that you have loads of the same stalls advertising the same things and it can get boring - as well as creating a rubbish atmosphere among stallholders who are all competing for the same business. The stalls were relevant to the industry - I visited a wedding fayre a couple of years ago were a lady was exhibiting her crocheted tea cosies...I kid you not! The fashion show was great - all styles and budgets catered for, not just overpriced designer dresses which nobody could afford. There was also a men’s formal wear section which isn't always catered for at events such as these. The icing on the cake (pardon the pun!) was a goodie bag and glass of champers - surely a staple of the wedding fayre circuit, but not always done. And let's not forget the organisation of the event (including table plans to let you know where to find everything). It's a must so please don't forget it if you are organising an upcoming event. Wedding stationery is one of the areas not often catered-for at Wedding Fayres, so if you're like to shop for your wedding stationery (including table plans) in the comfort of your own home, take a look at The Card Gallery for beautiful designs at great prices.

Deciding what sort of wedding to have can be tricky. Your big day might be one of the most important of your life, so it’s important you celebrate it in style. However, exactly what sort of ceremony to go for might not be obvious. Perhaps you’ll opt to have an understated nuptial union, or maybe you’ll decide to go all out and throw an extravagant bash. The good news is, whatever you go for, you’ll be able to find the perfect wedding stationery to complement the occasion.

Keira Knightley is undecided

One woman who is as yet undecided about what sort of wedding she will have is actress Keira Knightley. The sultry brunette is set to tie the knot with beau James Righton. However, no date has yet been agreed and it seems as though the actress hasn’t had much time to consider the details of the event. Recently, rumours began circulating that fashion legend and Chanel frontman Karl Lagerfeld has offered to create her wedding dress. When asked about this, she told Vogue.co.uk: “Well, that would be pretty generous of him. He is an incredible designer.” However, she added: “Would I say yes? To be honest, I’m working on another film straight after Anna Karenina, which finishes after Christmas. Then, maybe I’ll start thinking about the dress and the guests and the venue.”

Casual or classic?

It seems as though Knightley has not yet made up her mind as to whether or not she will have a lavish, traditional ceremony or opt for a more relaxed and casual approach. Talking about the potential Lagerfield dress, she remarked: “It really depends on what sort of wedding I decide to have - if I go with a jeans and T-shirt option, then maybe it wouldn’t be quite right. I haven’t decided on anything yet.” Take your pick Here at the The Card Gallery we know that every wedding is different and we go out of our way to offer an impressive range of stationery items that can suit all occasions. Whether you opt to have a beach wedding with a select few guests, go for an extravagant bash with a formal theme or choose anything in between, you should be able to find all the items you need. For example, you can take your pick from traditional wedding invitations and contemporary wedding invites.

Making your life easier

As well as benefiting from excellent choice when you come here to get your nuptial stationery, you can also make the most of total convenience. You can sit down at a time and place that suits you and, within a matter of moments, order all the items you need. Getting this aspect of your wedding planning out of the way may come as a big relief. After all, you’ve no doubt got lots of other things to organise before your big day! To find out more about what we have to offer, just take a look around the rest of our website. You won’t be disappointed by the selection on offer.

When is the best time to send out your save the date cards? It’s a question we get asked all of the time and the answer is usually the same – as early as possible!

We understand that every wedding is different, and will run to different timescales: some brides will be engaged and planning for years and others will have just a matter of days or weeks between saying ‘Yes!’ and walking down the aisle. Sending out a save the date card or magnet isn’t designed to give people the specifics of your wedding day - asking guests for their menu selections a year in advance doesn’t quite work! Instead, you are just informing them of the day of the wedding and asking them to kindly try to plan around that day so they are free to be a guest on your big day. We’ve had a few brides who have still not been sure of the actual date but have the weekend or week earmarked as a possibility. This isn’t ideal as it blocks out a large chunk of time in your guest’s diary, but it’s still acceptable if you cannot confirm until nearer the date. More and more couples are choosing to tie the knot abroad and it is in these circumstances that you should give as much notice as possible and send out your save the date cards very early. This is because people need to make extra arrangements to attend your wedding such as booking a flight, hotel, or time off work. The same goes for if you are having a wedding in this country but have guests flying in from further afield – flights tend to be cheaper in advance and your guests will thank you for it later! For any weddings which are a little different, you could give your guests a heads-up way in advance of your wedding date. For example, if you are having a specific theme to your wedding and require guests to wear particular clothing, or if the wedding takes place on a national holiday or during the working week which might make it more difficult for people to attend. You can also advise in a save the date card if children are included/excluded from the day as some people may need to make additional childcare arrangements. So, in answer to the question we get asked the most - when is the best time to send out your save the date cards? We say, as soon as you confirm that date!

Martine McCutcheon has married her singer-fiancee Jack McManus in Italy! The actress has finally tied the knot with her singer beau Jack on the shores of Italy's Lake Como. The wedding took place last week, and was kept very hush-hush until Martine's Twitter update where she exclaimed: "Hello all! Ive been quiet as I've been having the best few days of my life in Italy Marrying @jackmcmanus Im so happy to be Mrs McManus!x." Martine, aged 36, and Jack, aged 28, arrived at the gorgeous ceremony on a speedboat which has featured in Ocean's 12. Martine is reported to have worn a vintage-style Pronovias lace gown with a long train and veil. She has previously said of Jack: "We are best friends as well as lovers and totally supportive of one another. We feel that we can conquer anything the world throws at us as long as we have each other - and that's a rare thing." We wish the newlyweds all the very best for their future lives together. And, if this has got your in the mood to order your wedding invitations, then check out our very latest ranges here. We're sure to have the perfect invites for your special day so have a browse and order your wedding invitations today!

Getting hitched is not cheap and you might be struggling to arrange your wedding within the budget you have set aside for the occasion. After all, while you no doubt want to enjoy a special day that’s one to remember for all the right reasons, it may be hard to justify huge expenditure. The good news is, there are ways in which you can minimise your spending without compromising on the quality of your wedding. For example, by making sure you source superb and at the same time great value wedding invites and other items of stationery, you can help to control your costs.

James Cordon ties the knot

TV and stage funny man James Corden recently got married in style. The 34-year-old comedian and actor tied the knot with Julia Carey earlier this month after engaging to her on Christmas Day 2010. The pair, who had their first child together in March, looked content as they said their vows in front of their selected guests. Julia is reported to have worn a stunning lace dress and the wedding took place in Somerset.

No expense spared

In true celeb style, no expense was spared and the celebration reportedly cost £250,000. It was staged in a luxurious private members club called Babington House and guests were even treated to a performance from Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, as well as ex-Radio One DJ Chris Moyles and singers Rizzle Kicks, the Daily Mail revealed. Meanwhile, a host of famous faces were in attendance, including David Walliams, Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr and Peter Jones. The celebrations are said to have kicked off the evening before the ceremony, with guests meeting up at the 32-bedroom former stately home.

A stag do to remember

It should come as no surprise that Corden’s stag do ahead of the wedding was also out of the ordinary. The West Ham fan was treated to a kickabout on the pitch at Upton Park and West Ham player Mark Noble and former Tottenham and Liverpool star Jamie Redknapp joined the game.

Doing it your own way

When you read about the rich and famous getting hitched in lavish ceremonies, you might feel a little daunted, but there’s no need. Even on a tight budget, it’s possible to organise fantastic celebrations. By paying attention to the small details and making sure you source the best deals, you can create a great impression without going bust in the process.

We’re here to help

Here at The Card Gallery we go out of our way to provide excellent value wedding place cards and other accessories that can help make your big day extra special.

Our full range

Meanwhile, our product range doesn’t end there. We also provide stunning christening invites, baby gifts and much more. So, to see our full selection of items, you can take a look around the rest of our website. You will not be disappointed by the variety on offer and our prices should bring a smile to your face.