Wine and (no) cheese please!

So  you’re hosting an event and it’s based on a theme. Fun! Now, how do you keep it from getting “cheesy”? Seems that most parties, showers, etc. that are coordinated based on a theme easily cross the border into Tacky-land and get…well, a little cheesy. Kids’ parties are different!  In fact, the cheesier the better. Quite frankly, giving kids a theme will ramp up their excitement about the party and spur their imaginations, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that! But let’s talk about grownups… And brides in particular.

A few years ago, I was asked to design an invitation for a wine shower. Instead of gifts, guests were asked to bring a bottle of wine for the new couple’s wine collection, as well as a recipe that included cooking with wine. There were “guess how many corks in the jar” and wine tasting activities for the guests, wine accessories for shower favors and naturally, wine served with dinner. But there was no cheese. At least, not in the invitation design.

Two wine glasses clinking together – the universal symbol of celebration – adorned the front of the square, gate-folded card. Inside, a merlot coloured background added drama and elegance. A coordinated recipe card was attached to the back, collected from the guests at the shower and presented to the bride in a commemorative box.

Simple, elegant, and dairy-free. Sometimes in the world of invitation design, it pays to be a little lactose-intolerant. Save the cheese for the hors d’oeuvres.