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The Madison Wedding Guild, your premier wedding professionals,
is here to help you plan the most important day of your life.
From flowers to photography, planners to music, cakes to stationery,
we are here to make your dreams come true.
More than a traditional bridal show, we are your premier wedding professionals —
everything to plan your wedding, all in one location.

Serving the Madison area and beyond.

 

To help you plan the most important day of your life,
please join us for an evening with Madison’s premier wedding professionals.


Admission is free, complimentary beverages and appetizers will be served.
All shows are 5:30 - 8:00 pm.

 

2011 Bridal Show Dates


Wednesday, March 2

The Crowne Plaza Hotel Madison  •  4402 East Washington Avenue  •  Madison  •  608.244.4703

 

Wednesday, May 4

The Madison Club  •  5 East Wilson Street  •  Madison  •  608.255.4861

 

Wednesday, November 9

Madison Concourse Hotel  •  1 West Dayton Street  •  Madison  •  608.257.6000

PHOTO BOOTH
CAKES
ENTERTAINMENT
FLORISTS
PLANNERS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
RENTAL COMPANIES
SPAS
STATIONERY
VIDEOGRAPHERS
Premier wedding professionals for planning the most important day of your life.
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Stop by for an evening with your premier wedding professionals!

BRIDAL SHOW - MAY 4 - THE MADISON CLUB 04.05.2011 by Sugar Pear Design
Bespoke Stationery: Delivering a True Reflection 01.25.2011 by Sugar Pear Design

I often get asked, “How did you come up with ‘Sugar Pear Design’ for you business name? The answer: my very own wedding. My husband and I had a fall wedding and decided to do a harvest theme. To go along with this theme, I sugared miniature Seckel pears for my wedding cake top. To deepen the meaning, Sugar Pear Design started with my own wedding stationery.

Image courtesy of Appleby Photography. Used with permission.

Image courtesy of Appleby Photography. Used with permission.

During my bridal client consultations, I ask a lot of questions to get to know the couple and to help me understand their wishes and translate that personal meaning into stationery. In addition, we also discuss many facets of the wedding planning: What does the dress look like? What type of flowers will be used? Describe the celebration dessert. Why did you pick the location(s) that you did? How do you envision your day?

I learn a lot about my clients in order to reflect, through their wedding stationery, what is important to them. Below are a few examples illustrating elements and details deemed significant translated onto paper.


Buckhorn Inn Bed and Breakfast located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains was the setting for Ashley and Gunther wedding. While they don’t necessarily consider themselves religious, they do consider themselves spiritual. Labyrinths are used as a spiritual tool to reflect on the true meaning in life and to discover new truths. Ashley and Gunther were united in marriage in the center of Rachael’s Labyrinth located in one of the Inn’s meadows.

Since their ethereal views are a very personal, yet very important component of their relationship, a subtle embossed labyrinth with their initials in the center is displayed on the outside of their wedding invitations.

Stationery studio photography by Krakora Studios.

For Leif and Adria, Fireman’s Park in Waterloo, Wisconsin had special meaning to them. It is the home of a nearly 100-year-old C. W. Parker Carousel, which Leif’s grandfather helped bring to the city. A fun, casual representation of the merry-go-round is used throughout their stationery pieces.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Fireworks in October? Absolutely! Fourth of July is one of Stacey and Geoffrey’s favorite holidays. They wanted to treat their guests to the same excitement during their October wedding with a firework display prior to the dance. Firework bursts on the invitation gave their guests a hint what to expect.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Flowers were one wedding detail Amy & Alvin considered important. But being mindful of the environment was equally important. Recycled, eco-friendly handmade paper with pressed flowers and leaves made up the cover to their invitation booklet, which kept all the necessary information together. Their floral centerpieces served as a vehicle to identify the tables and the wildflower seeds/terra cotta pot favors doubled as place cards, eliminating unnecessary clutter on the dinner tables.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Karen and Andy, along with their five combined children went to Costa Rica for their intimate wedding ceremony. Eight months later, they hosted the reception back home in Wisconsin. Karen and Andy viewed their marriage not just as a joining of husband and wife, but rather a union of two families. Since their children are such an important aspect of who they are, they wanted them to be the focus of the reception invitation. A fun photo from the destination wedding (used with permission from the photographer) and bright colors immediately indicated to their guests that they better be ready to party!

Stationery studio photography by Krakora Studios.

On the flip side, Jamie & Thomas wanted a very elegant and traditional wedding. Keeping in mind that the invitation is the first indication to their guest what type of event they are being invited to, I designed a very simple classic letterpressed stationery suite, which fit well with their black and white color motif.

Stationery studio photography by Gregory's Photographic Arts.

Weddings have such a personal meaning and today’s brides don’t want the wedding that their best friend just had. Sugar Pear Design can help bring that distinction forward via wedding invitations and other day-of stationery pieces. Stationery reflecting unique personality and style. Stationery that delivers a true reflection. Specializing in the design of bespoke invitations, announcements and social stationery, Sugar Pear Design offers the perfect complement to any event. BEAUTIFUL. ELEGANT. UNDERSTATED.

Inspired Invitations 12.01.2010 by Your Name
Many married off couples will tell you that they looked through countless books of uninspired invitations, which offered "cookie-cutter" design with limited color and font selections. It's no wonder. There's nothing there to convey the essence of you as a couple in love when an invitation takes a generic approach. In steps the custom invitation where your options are endless and the result is direct.

Here are two recent examples by Sugar River Stationers.

KATEY AND MIKE LOVE TO FISH
Katey and Mike love to fish, so much so, that they'd rather be out fishing together than doing anything else in the world. They took their wedding to a remote lake in Minnesota, and made it a weekend celebration for nearly all of their guests. Sugar River worked with Field & Stream Magazine (Mike is a freelance writer for various fishing publications), to secure rights to incorporate artwork from a circa 1915 issue of Field & Stream depicting a couple fishing on a northern lake. Other details weaved into the design included a favorite lakeside photograph, Mark Twain quote, wood grain patterning, and special monogram design with fishing lure. Vintage letterpress and handwritten fonts further conveyed the theme. The booklet design included a pocket for a map and rsvp postcard. The invitation was finished with a fly-tied jute string and fishing hook. All things speaking Katey, Mike, and fishing of course.


TWO OLD SOULS UNITE
Lindsay and Rich are what some call "old souls". Not only is their craftsman-style home historic, they also share a love for vintage things including a good bottle of vintage vino. With a desire to create a "vintage winery" theme, complete with the use of reclaimed and other reusable materials in their decor, we took inspiration from old-world elements such as vintage letterpress ornament, calligraphy flourishes and patterning. Added detailing came from a small section of the building's facade (part of original building still intact after extensive remodel), which was re-illustrated and fattened so that it could be printed with letterpress. A mixed palette of rich purple ink printed on rust, sage green, and natural colored, 100% cotton and recycled paper offers a rustic look with a reclaimed touch.

While the prospect of a custom-designed wedding invitation may seem daunting and expensive to some, it's a collaborative process that results in something that is truly unique to you and nobody else. Your invitation can be tailored to fit your budget and might drive the design to something really out of the box. Add special details, inject humor, show the beauty of the location, and play it up, because this day is for you to celebrate! Our hope is that when your guests receive a custom-designed invitation by Sugar River, we've captured what you envisioned and that it is like nothing your guests have ever experienced.

Photos by Krakora Studios; ring shot by Nicole Cooke Photography

Next show - Monday, November 15 - Concourse Hotel 10.27.2010 by Sugar Pear Design
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