2 wedding shows and 260 competition entries later we are pleased to announce the winner of our spring competition…

And the winner is… Emma Dugdale!

Congratulations Emma - all you need to do now is to let us know which handmade wedding invitation design you wish to choose, and what wedding invitation wording you wish to use.  The Designer Card Company also offer a wide choice of fonts for your luxury stationery suite.

Emma is getting married in September 2011, so has plenty of time to make a decision regarding her stationery design choice.  However, NOW is the time to send out the Save the Date cards, so that is the first priority!

We spoke to Emma earlier on today, and needless to say she was over the moon at having won the competition.  (The “OH MY GOD” response somewhat gave away her excitement!!)  Emma and her husband-to-be Gareth have only just booked their venue however, and Emma would like to find her bridesmaid dresses before coming to a decision on her stationery design.  Being a Birmingham City supporter, Gareth wants the themed colour of their wedding to be blue!

For those of you who weren’t so lucky on this occasion, we will be holding the same competition again in the autumn, and again the competition will coincide with the National Wedding Show at the NEC on 8th, 9th and 10th October 2010.

We will look forward to seeing you there!

We are pleased to announce that The Designer Card Company will be exhibiting at The National Wedding Show at the NEC, Birmingham this Friday, Saturday and Sunday 5th, 6th and 7th March 2010.  The show is from 10am - 6pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am - 5pm on Sunday.  The show is always jam-packed with gorgeous dresses, bridal bargains and amazing catwalk shows, so this is one NOT to be missed!  We would advise that is you are able to attend on the Friday that would be best, as it does get very busy over the weekend, with up to 10,000 visitors per day!

We will be bringing a wide selection of gorgeous designer wedding invitations along with a matching suite of handmade wedding stationery for every design, including: Save the Date cards, luxury wedding invitations, evening invitations, Order of Service / Order of the Day, Menu Cards, Place Cards, Place Tags, Table Numbers, Table Plans, Favour Boxes and Thank You Cards.

All items are available in matching designs so that you can carry your theme and colours through to all aspects of your wedding day.

AND we will be offering 10% off to all customers who order three or more different matching items, so for instance, if you order your wedding invitations, a table plan and some place cards you will receive 10% off your order, and better still, your guests will be really impressed that all of your items match perfectly.

PLUS, we will be holding a competition to WIN an entire suite of matching wedding stationery in a design of your choice!  We will be announcing the winner on Friday 12th March 2010 on this blog, so keep reading!  The lucky winner will receive Save the Date cards, Wedding Invitations, Evening Invitations, Menu Cards, Place Cards / Place Tags, Favour Boxes, Table Numbers, a Table Plan and Thank You Cards all to match.  What a great prize!

The fashion shows will be taking place throughout each day, and we were lucky enough to have a sneak preview of the show - it is fantastic and not to be missed!

We will really look forward to meeting you.

See you there!

All items are available in matching designs so that you can carry your theme and colours through to all aspects of your wedding day.

AND we will be offering 10% off to all customers who order three or more different matching items, so for instance, if you order your wedding invitations, a table plan and some place cards you will receive 10% off your order, and better still, your guests will be really impressed that all of your items match perfectly.

PLUS, we will be holding a competition to WIN an entire suite of matching wedding stationery in a design of your choice!

The fashion shows will be taking place throughout the day, and I have heard a rumour that the dresses on show are GORGEOUS!  So don’t miss the shows!

We will really look forward to meeting you.

See you there!

Debenhams is introducing a divorce gift list service to cater for the growing numbers of people saying “I don’t” rather than “I do”.

The high street retailer said its Divorce Gift List service was being launched today amid a reported spike in couples deciding to divorce after the festive period.

The decision to launch this controversial service has been fueled by the popularity of “congratulations on your divorce” greetings cards and divorce celebration parties complete with divorce cake, famously held by celebrities such as Jordan, Gail Porter and Heather Mills.

Peter Moore, head of retail services at Debenhams, said: “With so many couples now living together before they marry, the Wedding Gift List concept is now regarded as more of an upgrade service, rather than stocking up the first home with the basics.

“However, a divorce means that one partner will be leaving the marital home and therefore be left without any essentials in their new dwelling.”

The retailer said items expected to be popular included: cookware, cutlery, crockery, glasses, bed linen, towels, small electrical goods such as toasters and microwaves as well as non-iron shirts, large plasma screen TVs and computer games.

Mr Moore added: “Divorcing can be an expensive time and registering for a Divorce Gift List means that family and friends can help the newly separated begin their new life.”

The retailer has run its Wedding Gift List service for more than a decade. The average couple includes 120 items on their list, totalling £1,500.

Here at The Designer Card Company we’re sticking to the happy occasion of marriage!  We will continue to offer a stunning range of handmade wedding invitations as part of a fantastic range of designer wedding stationery, including Save the Date Cards, Luxury Wedding Invitations, Menu Cards, Order of Service Cards, Place Cards and Place Tags, Table Plans, Table Numbers and Thank You Cards.

But before we do, a HUGE thank you to everybody who visited The Designer Card Company’s stand at the NEC last weekend.  We all had a fabulous time peeking at all of the lovely wedding dresses on offer (and weren’t those children on the catwalk sweet?)  We certainly all think that the show more than lived up to expectations and it was a fantastic opportunity for brides everywhere to gather ideas for their perfect wedding day.

So who is the lucky winner?  Chosen at Random, the lucky winner is… CHARLOTTE DALMAS.  Charlotte is getting married in September 2011, and although she has not yet decided on her colour scheme she is quite certain that she will choose the Chic Square wedding invitation design with a square diamante buckle.

Charlotte will enjoy having her designer wedding invitations, evening invitations, order of service and menu cards provided absolutely free!  We wish Charlotte all the best for her forthcoming wedding.

For any other brides who were not lucky enough to win the competition, perhaps you are working to a budget and were really wanting to win?  We’re sorry there can only be one winner, but can we suggest that you go for our DIY option?  They are sent with full instructions for you to make them yourself, and there is a significant discount for the privilege!  And the best part is that you get to boast to everyone that you made them yourself!

A gleaming diamond ring on supermodel Kate Moss’s ring finger has fuelled speculation that she is engaged to her rocker boyfriend Jamie Hince.

The couple were said to have looked “totally loved-up” on a recent romantic weekend in Paris where Kate was seen wearing the ring.

Jamie took her to the stylish La Maison Du Caviar restaurant for a romantic lunch. A number of people apparently noticed the ring on her engagement finger but she didn’t say anything.

This follows lots of previous rumours that the celebrity couple plan on tying the knot.  In fact, earlier this year Jamie had said: “I want to marry Kate. She’s all I want. She’s all I need.”

A friend said: “If Jamie asks her properly she’ll definitely say yes.”

The 35-year-old model began dating Jamie in 2007, just months after she ended her engagement to troubled Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty. She was also previously engaged to actor Johnny Depp.

For handmade wedding invitations that are as gorgeous as you are, look no further than The Designer Card Company - experts in personalised wedding stationery design.  A whole matching suite of designer wedding stationery is available, so what are you waiting for?

According to a report in The Sun, Apprentice lovebirds Philip Taylor and Kate Walsh are engaged. Viewers of The Apprentice detected a spark between the two while they were on the show.

Philip’s flirtation contributed to his demise on the show - on a task set in Liverpool and Manchester, when he spent more time flirting with Kate than selling. At the end of the day the couple had sold nothing and both ended up in the board room to face Sir Alan Sugar.  Estate agent Philip apparently plans to leave his native North-East to be nearer the licensing development manager, and Apprentice runner-up, who lives in the south.

The pair were photographed outside a jewellers in London’s Hatton Garden where they’d been ring-shopping. A couple of months ago, a friend of Philip’s told The Mirror that he’d said: “I have definitely fallen for Kate; she is the most amazing girl. Not only does she look stunning, but she is sharp as a tack and has a brilliant sense of humour.”

This follows a joke made by Sir Alan Sugar on the final ‘The Apprentice – You’re Fired’ show where he said “We could have our first Apprentice wedding here!”

For handmade wedding invitations that are as gorgeous as you are, look no further than The Designer Card Company - experts in personalised wedding stationery design.  A whole matching suite of designer wedding stationery is available, so what are you waiting for?

If you’re soon to be married make sure you don’t miss this spectacular wedding flowers show, held at Hampton Court Palace.

This historic royal palace plays host to the largest flower show 
in the world, featuring around 50 inspiring display gardens and stunning floral marquees filled with hundreds of the UK’s best nurseries. The show runs from 7-12 July and tickets cost from £17.
 Call 08442 091810 for more information or to book tickets.

For handmade wedding invitations that are as gorgeous as your wedding flowers, look no further than The Designer Card Company - experts in personalised wedding stationery design.  A whole matching suite of designer wedding stationery is available, so what are you waiting for?

The couple had asked for cash or vouchers from their 160 guests, which they planned to put toward a honeymoon.

They apparently first realised something was wrong when they received a pile of gifts all in the same shaped box.

When Mrs Linley began to open the presents she was baffled to find that each one was a Tesco white 2-slice toaster.  Then it emerged the “coincidence” was actually a joke conceived on Mr Linley’s stag party in Ibiza.  The 31 year-old said “The boys were asking me what I wanted as a wedding present, and I said either money or vouchers because I didn’t want to end up with a million toasters.  Then one of my friends took it upon himself to tell everyone to buy us a toaster.  On the morning when we came to open our presents I knew something was going on as I had had about 15 text messages asking if I was having toast for breakfast.”

The couple, who married at Howden Minster, East Yorkshire, last Saturday, have now returned 23 of the toasters, but decided to keep one.

Mrs Linley, 31, an estate agent, said “When we went to open our presents and saw all the boxes were the same shape I thought, ‘this is quite strange’, and then we began to open them and it was toaster after toaster after toaster.  It was hilarious really. Most of them were from Tesco and when we took them back to the store the staff couldn’t stop laughing.  We did make beans on toast for lunch when we got home though.”

For handmade wedding invitations that are as gorgeous as you are, look no further than The Designer Card Company - experts in personalised wedding stationery design.  A whole matching suite of designer wedding stationery is available, so what are you waiting for?

Reverend Alex Brown, 60, was charged with conspiring with Vladymyr Buchak, 32, to breach immigration laws.  Brown was held on Tuesday at St Peter and St Paul C of E church in St Leonards, East Sussex, where he had been a vicar for 18 years.

Prosecutor Jeremy King told magistrates in Hastings “Since 2007 more than 180 marriages have been conducted there.  “The vast majority comprised of non-EU nationals marrying EU nationals. A majority of the non-EU nationals had no right to remain in this country.  The marriages let them remain in this country.”

Brown was bailed until July 17 while Buchak, accused of using a false Estonian passport, was remanded in custody.

A notice has been placed on the church doors stating ‘All meetings and events have been cancelled until further notice’.

Local church goers expressed their surprise at Brown’s arrest.

For handmade wedding invitations that are as gorgeous as you are, look no further than The Designer Card Company - experts in personalised wedding stationery design.  A whole matching suite of designer wedding stationery is available, so what are you waiting for?