Industry News

Ivy Ellen has teamed up with one of the UK’s leading wedding favour and gift suppliers ‘And All Things Nice’ to offer our readers & followers the chance to enjoy a 10% discount when purchasing any items from their website. Simply use the promo code  AATN10IE when shopping at www.andallthingsnice.net and save money!

And All Things Nice are known for supplying quality wedding favours, gifts and decorations for your big day. All items are unique, original and extremely affordable, so if your yet to sort out the finishing touches for your big day visit www.andallthingsnice.net.

Will Apple's Wedding Ticketing system destroy Wedding Stationers?

Apple have applied for a patent on a new ticketing system that could revolutionise the wedding industry and boost wedding photo and video sales. But will it sound the death knell for wedding invitations?

Apple’s iphone, ipods and ipads are changing the way we interact with information and entertainment. Their new ticketing set up (called “Concert Ticket +”), which integrates with itunes, is a natural add on and could be a huge boost to Apple’s sales. Using the barcode based system concert goers may never have to worry about forgetting tickets as long as they have their phones, there are assumed environmental benefits of a paperless system as well as cross selling opportunities of being able to sell tickets to album buyers and visa versa.

One of the additional ticket systems mentions a wedding invitation system where wedding party members could access maps, gift lists, calendar reminders, etc through their smart phones. The exciting cross selling opportunities for wedding photographers and videographers are that the electronic wedding invitation or program may include an option to view or purchase wedding video or wedding photos, to get an audio recording of the toast, or to obtain the playlist of music at the reception.

So what will this mean for wedding stationery suppliers like us? Is this the beginning of the end? Why should people buy beautiful paper stationery over electronic alternatives? At Ivy Ellen, we have noticed a trend towards people communicating certain aspects of their wedding online. For example, instead of using an information insert (or booklet) details like maps, hotels, etc are being posted online and instead of purchasing RSVP’s some people have simply been adding their email on the RSVP line of their invitation.

Far from seeing the end of invitations we believe that there are still good reasons to send beautiful wedding invitations and the environmental argument is not necessarily as straightforward as you may think.

From an eco perspective paper is a natural fibre and is one of the best environmental stories on the planet. For example, did you know that in the forests we source our trees from, for every tree cut down, three to four trees are planted in its place? Paper only accounts for 11% of wood extracted from forests. There are an estimated 25% more trees in the world than 100 years ago and in Europe forests are increasing in size at a rate of 1.5 million football pitches a year. That means that when you buy wedding stationery from us and FSC accredited sources you are increasing the number of trees on the planet.

Compare this with the web, smart phones and computers. All of which use electricity in abundance. With Google, for example, scientists have found that an average search on a PC generates about 7 grams of C02. According to The Sunday Times performing two searches is comparable to bringing a kettle to boil. Although that may not sound like a lot, Google handles in excess of 200 million searches daily. Google’s data centers actually use half the energy of your standard data centre. These data centers are constantly active providing us with the internet, burning through electricity and emitting C02. Also paper has a 62% recycle rate (in Europe), which is far higher than the rate at which computers and phones are recycled. Using an online information system is not adding trees to the planet and may be a lot less environmentally friendly than we think.

We believe there are other profound benefits to using beautiful papers and printing techniques for your wedding stationery in much the same way that listening to an album on vinyl beats the tinny sound of an MP3. Sure both play the same tune, but it is the subtle differences and nuances that you lose. Beautiful wedding stationery has soul. It is wonderful to receive. Just think how many truly personal letters or invitations come through your letterbox each year. How do you feel when you receive them? They are way more special than an email in your inbox or on your Facebook page. They feel wonderful in the hand and often have your friends’ handwriting on them (how often do you see that these days?). When you send your guests an invitation by post you are giving them that feeling. How does that make you feel?

Wedding stationery also supports the work of creative people and craftsman who create something you can keep and hand on to your grand children. Wedding stationery won’t crash, get a virus, be accidentally deleted or disappear because there’s a power cut.

Your wedding stationery can really add a key visual element to your table decorations and tie together your colour scheme on the day with important elements like, menus, place names and table plans all of which would not have the same effect if this information was stored on your guests phones.

Finally, as with your wedding invitations your guests will appreciate a thank you by card more than a thanks by phone or email. It says so much about how you feel about them and their gift which in turn makes them feel really appreciated. It if you want to feel closer to your friends and family, beautiful wedding stationery, well chosen and posted through their door can really help you.

Your wedding is one of the most important and personal moments in your life. You deserve the best and your special day deserves to be remembered always. Beautiful wedding stationery from Ivy Ellen can help you do just that. Good luck with your plans and do call us if you need any advice or help.

Details of Apple’s new patent can be found at patentlyapple.com

Details of Paper’s great environmental story can be found at twosides.info

Still basking in the success of their recent iPad launch Apple are not content with grabbing massive market share of the music, entertainment and mobile phone markets. A recent Patent Application shows that they plan to take a slice of the Wedding Market too threatening jobs and livelihoods.

The Application shows a wedding invitation system where wedding party members could access maps, calendar reminders, gift lists and receive wedding invitations electronically through their smartphones. If brides and grooms and wedding planners start moving over to this new system it could be catastrophic for thousands of creative wedding stationers around the world.

“This could be a serious threat to our livelihoods and our staff’s jobs. We have put our life savings into our wedding stationery business, Ivy Ellen, which launched at the National Wedding Shows in October and recently showed at the prestigious Designer Wedding Show. The irony of course is that much of the artwork for our cards is prepared on Apple Macs, being a Mac fan I’m very disappointed in them,” – says wedding stationer, Jeremy Corner, Ivy Ellen Ltd.

One of the advantages of the new system is that it is could be more environmentally friendly as it uses a paperless system and therefore appeal to the Green Wedding sector.

“Three to four trees are planted for every tree cut down to make the paper for our wedding stationery. Our products actually grow forests. According to The Sunday Times scientists have found that performing two internet searches is comparable to bringing a kettle to boil. God knows what C02 those billions of daily internet clicks are really emitting, but online wedding stationery systems certainly won’t be planting trees like our FSC accredited suppliers are” – says Jeremy

He continues: “I think it will be a real shame if couples move away from traditional invitation sending. It feels so special to receive something personal like a wedding invitation or wedding thank you card through the post. Your wedding is the one of the most important days of your life, it deserves more than an email.”

Read Ivy Ellen’s blog for more http://ivyellenweddinginvitations.co.uk/weddinginvitations/

Details of Apple’s new patent can be found at patentlyapple.com

Details of Paper’s great environmental story can be found at twosides.info

A close friend of the Kate Middleton, Andy Grayson (pictured here skiing in Switzerland with the couple), has revealed that the couple have eloped and married in secret on a recent ski trip to Europe.

There has been mounting speculation in Prince William (27) and Kate Middleton (28) would be announcing their engagement this year, but this will come as a total shock to many. “There will be a lot of broken hearts across the world when this gets out”, speculated Grayson who is a relative of Ivy Ellen. The couple have been an item since 2001 where they met studying together at St Andrews University. It is thought that Kate and William have done this in reaction to continued invasions of privacy by the press and paparazzi. “I think they just wanted something special in piece and quiet, although I hate to think how the Royal family will react to this news,” said Grayson.

UPDATE: This was our APRIL FOOL story for 2010. Hope you all enjoyed it