45 Romantic Backgrounds

In a few weeks my honey and I will be celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. It hardly seems like any time ago really that we stood in front of family and friends and declared we would stay together through thick and thin.

In our shared life we have raised four terrific kids and sat emotionally side by side as they made the same vow we did those decades ago, to the loves of their lives. While their big days are as memorable to me as my own, so too are the months of preparation leading up to them.  Oddly, in retrospect, mine seemed calmer, but then again I don't believe I put the same kind of pressure on myself as they did. Especially my girls.

From the beginning they had a very clear image of the type of wedding they wanted, right down to the invitations, which would be as much a reflection of their day as every other aspect. Actually,  this piece of stationery makes the first statement about your event so you want it to be perfect. Or at least your version of perfect.

Tastes and styles vary among us. What appears to be a silk purse to one, is a sow's ear to another. So finding something that truly suits you, but will hopefully appeal to others can be a challenge.  Both my girls decided that the only way to ensure  they had done all they could to find that balance was to design their own invitations. The results, having heard comments from more unbiased invitees,  I can safely say achieved both goals.

The starting point for both was to find the perfect background — something that suited the mood of the wedding, their personality, and had lots of aesthetic appeal.  A collection with plenty of variety was the way to begin the search. Here's a random sampling of great romantic backgrounds from iCLIPART.com

Here Comes the Bride in These Clipart Collections

She was a vision in off white — charming in a simple but elegant dress, perfectly suited to the understated class of this young woman.  Not one to enjoy being the centre of attention, she shyly stood before the assembled group thanking them for their presence — and their presents.

The bridal shower is her prelude to the big event. It is a time when all eyes are on her, not quite to the extent of the ceremony, but on her nonetheless. She is the one expected to meet and greet, she is the one taking centre stage for the opening of gifts.

As a harbinger of the attention to come, it can be a little overwhelming for the non-attention seekers, In making her speech, the bride, becoming a tad emotional, joked about making it through the ceremony, referring to herself as a "not very good bride."

On that she is wrong. She is grace and elegance, bliss and happiness. She is loving and loved. She is the picture of a perfect bride.

If you're looking for illustrations of beautiful brides for your projects here are some wonderful collections:

iCLIPART.com

Clipart.com

Acclaim Images

Swirls and Flourishes for Your Handmade Wedding Stationery

Such a lovely weekend I just had. Time with a new friend, an afternoon with childhood ones, quality time with some of my babies and a few hours honouring an adorably sweet bride to be.

Spring is known as the season of love, a time for young couples to be feted at events prior to their nuptials. There are engagement soirées, showers, buck and does, bachelor and bachelorette parties. People are mailing out save-the- date cards and invitations for the pre-wedding events,  as well as ones for the big day.

If, like my daughter, you see the value in, as well as enjoy the challenge of, creating your own stationery for special occasions you will be busily searching for special illustrations to enhance your bridal-related projects.  A great starting point is a decorative flourish or swirl, such as those featured in this collection from iCLIPART.com