Wedding: Ribbon love

Right before I left to come to the UK, Name Tapes contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing some of their personalised tape - perhaps for using at our wedding next year. Name Tapes provide different ribbon types (satin/woven/sparkling/iron on), colours and widths of ribbon all of which can be personalised to suit your needs. The thing I liked most about the website is that it generates a sample shot of what your ribbon will look like so you can (literally) play around for hours with the different colour/font/symbol/size combinations. In the end I chose a simple Warren & Che on a fun turquoise ribbon.

The delivery of the ribbons were super prompt but unfortunately they arrived the day after I left for London, so they have been sitting in South Africa whilst I have been mingling with The Queen and Big Ben. I asked my folks to send them over because I've  been desperate to get my little paws on them and start creating! In the end my dad ended up sending two different ribbon parcels to two different addresses to me because he was very stressed that it might not make it and I had been harassing him about them for so long. haha.
 

(thanks dad)

The ribbon is really pretty (especially now that i have them in my grubby little fingers ha). I don't want to give away toooo much about what I'm doing for our wedding - but I have been playing around a lot with different colours and textures and I want each guest to feel like we have paid special attention to each and every one of them. Anyway, I have been making a few little "things" and have used the ribbon in little pieces to add another texture/dimension to the things I have been making...  

I really like the idea of using a long strand of personalised ribbon and then snipping it up to use the name elements like I have above. It also makes your ribbon go so much further and I love that there is a different feel - texture wise. When I was thinking (internetting) some ideas and ways of using ribbon at weddings I came across some of the most beautiful things - so thought I would just share some inspiration for your personalised ribbon - 
This ribbon backdrop from Green Wedding Shoes is amazing and so easy to make - long strands of ribbon tied to a horizontal branch or wire. Awesome. (And what a fun and easy project for you to do with your bridesmaids! {or fiance - if you perhaps tie him to the chair with ribbon first}) you could choose some woven cream ribbon from name tapes and strips of tulle to get this effect. 
Also - how gorgeous is this picture taken from W. Scott Chester photography?! I love the different textures in this picture.

I have seen a lot of sweet stations at weddings and I love how the ribbon backdrop of the pic above co-ordinates with the table and candy (found on Style Me Pretty). Imagine some personalised ribbon in there. Very special (and when the ribbon is left this long - you can always re-use pieces of it to tie up your thank you cards. Re-use, Re-cycle. Win). With the Name Tapes , you can order whatever you would like on the ribbon - it does not necessarily have to be your names as I chose. For example, you could get a stash of personalised ribbon in your wedding colours with love is sweet to tie around glass jars as an inexpensive way of creating a gorgeous sweet station.
Alternatively you could use the ribbon for guests to seal their candy "loot bags" (above - This modern romance). Simply punch two holes in brown paper bags and let guests thread through the personalised ribbon. Gorgeous.
 
Even if you are not having a candy station but are still giving away wedding favours, personalised name tapes would be awesome to use when gift wrapping your favours. Name tapes offers the option of including some of their standard symbols  (as I did with the heart, in my pics above). You can also fully customise your ribbon with your own logo or image. If you have had a wedding monogram created or a unique symbol that has been used throughout your wedding stationery - this would be a fab way to tie everything together and bring elements of your wedding stationery into the decor of your big day. The above pic is from Martha Stewart's Weddings - bags of spiced coffee with cinnamon - and the orange ribbon down the centre could easily be replaced and personalised with a monogrammed ribbon like the ones from Name Tapes. 
Ribbons tied to the back of chairs can create very different moods in your wedding reception or ceremony. These soft colours above (Style Me Pretty) give a very dreamy/soft/vintage feel whilst the bright colours in the pic below (The Wedding Community) create a bright and fun atmosphere. Having some custom made ribbon amongst those strands would make it extra personal and unique and no doubt have your guests talking! Name Tapes also offer a variety of different fonts - so you can match the font to the vibe you are going for and the colours you are using. 
Another awesome idea for using personalised ribbon is to make wedding ribbon wands - espeically if you are having an indoor/church ceremony and the venue is a bit more sticky about having to clean up a million pieces of confetti or rose petals - (Michaelhouse - where we are getting married is "NO!" on the confetti - lols) why not make a ribbon wand for your guests to wave as you walk down the aisle - like this pic below (seen on etsy).

There is also a ribbon wand DIY on Hey Gorgeous - they are so simple and easy to make and would look beautiful with your names or the date printed on the ribbon.

My final ribbon-related wedding suggestion - 

Get on this website and order some ribbon - they are awesome!