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The Monogram Theme Wedding
By
Blake Kritzberg
Monograms are a huge trend in weddings, to the point
where they feature strongly in some, and in others,
provide the actual theme. And what’s not to like
about monograms? They’re elegant, understated,
versatile, and a dramatic visual reminder of your
new life together.
Ideas for including monograms
You’ll find them popping up in more and more places
throughout the reception, and sometimes even prior
to it. Here are some ways that brides include
monograms:
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embossed, stamped or printed bridal stationary
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custom postage stamps (see
www.funstamps.com)
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stationary seals or stickers
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painted aisle runners
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printed bridal bouquet ribbons
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bridal underwear or garter
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bridal handkerchief
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accent to bridal train, veil or gown
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ring bearer’s pillow
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stamped or printed out-of-town bags
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bridesmaids’ totes
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guestbook
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engraved guestbook pen
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tablecloths
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chair covers
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place cards and menus
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cocktail napkins
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coasters
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centerpieces
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engraved cake server set
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cake embellishment
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wood, wire, metal, chocolate or acrylic monogram cake
topper
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monogram wreaths of silk or real flowers
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fabric wall or door banners
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champagne flutes
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bottled water labels
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“tears of joy” packs
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monogrammed wedding favors: cookies, ornaments, shot
glasses, votive candles, chocolates, petit
fours, notepads, favor boxes
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dance floor “gobo” projections
How do I get a monogram?
You make it! Many brides find they can “roll their
own” using a readily-available software program such
as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. If you’re a graphic
designer or have access to high-end tools, you’d
probably prefer Adobe Illustrator, but Word or
PowerPoint are also fine. If you’ve played around
but don’t like the results, call on an arty friend.
To design your monogram in Microsoft Word:
Choose Insert -> Textbox. Type and format the letter
the way you like it. Do this three times. Now click
on all textboxes and choose Format->Textbox. Choose
Color: No Fill (so you can overlap letters) and
Line: No Line. Select all letters, right click, and
choose Group to lock in the arrangement. You can now
copy your image into Microsoft Paint and save in
several formats, such as JPEG.
To design your monogram in PowerPoint:
You’ll want to use “Word Art” to create your
letters. Click on the blue tilted “A” on the bottom
toolbar for each letter. Format them to your liking.
When you’re done designing, select all the letters,
right-click, and choose Grouping->Group. Now you can
click on your image and right-click for Save as
Image. PowerPoint lets you save directly in formats
like JPEG, PNG and TIFF.
Some more design tips:
The bride’s initial goes first in a monogram. When
the bride takes the groom’s last name, the order is:
bride’s first initial, shared last initial (usually
larger), groom’s first initial.
If the bride keeps her own last name, one option is
four-initial monogram (bride’s first, bride’s last,
groom’s last, groom’s first). Or just join the
couple’s first names with an ampersand (Jenny &
Mike).
Some etiquette tips:
It’s somewhat frowned upon to use your couples
monogram before you’re actually married. So, your
reception’s clearly a green light, but you might
want to skip using it on your invites. The ceremony
itself is sort of a Ms. Manners gray area. Some
brides uphold the spirit (if not the letter) of the
“law” by including the monogram in a not-so-public
ceremonial spot, such as a garter, or inside the
dress.
Of course, these being modern times, some brides
just include the monogram wherever and whenever they
want.
Great places to get the fancy fonts brides crave,
for free:
www.dafont.com
www.chank.com/freefonts.php
www.abstractfonts.com/fonts/
instant.coffeecup.com/content/fonts/
www.1001freefonts.com
DIY monogrammed aisle runner
It’s not hard to create your own monogrammed aisle
runner, and it makes a big splash. If you have a
sewing machine, you can buy and hem the fabric for
next to nothing. Now you just need some fabric paint
in black or your wedding colors, a pencil, an exacto
knife and some cardstock. You also need to decide
where you want to place the monogram. Some aisle
runners feature a monogram at the bottom, where the
procession begins; the top, where the couple stands;
and in the middle.
Print out your monogram and blow it up to your
desired size on a copying machine. (If your aisle
fabric is on the sheer side, you can now trace your
monogram directly onto the fabric with pencil. Fill
in with fabric paint, and you’re done.) Otherwise,
tape the enlarged monogram onto the cardstock and
cut out the shape with an exacto knife. Trace inside
your new template lightly with pencil. Fill in with
fabric paint. Follow the same procedure to make your
own monogrammed table runners or even chair covers.
The dance floor monogram
A
dramatic and memorable way to include your monogram
is to project it onto the dance floor during the
reception. As fun as this is, though, it’s not cheap
and sometimes not easy. To project a monogram, you
need to buy a custom metal plate, called a “gobo.”
Custom gobo manufacturers are easily found online.
The gobo itself usually costs over $100, but once
made, you then need specific lights equipped with a
pattern holder to use the gobo. It’s possible that
your venue, or your DJ, will be able to provide
these lights or help you locate a place from which
to rent them.
A
final tip
Now that you have some ideas for incorporating
monograms in your wedding, remember the essence of
elegance is restraint. It’s easy to overdo
monograms, so mix them up contrasting touches, such
as soft and romantic floral arrangements, to warm up
the monogram’s cool and classic feel.
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