Unique Wedding Invitation Ideas

wedding invitations

Wedding invitations are beyond important in making your wedding day as special as possible! This is how you communicate with all of your guests and friends about your wedding. These invitations need to be as memorable as possible so your guests will remember all of the details. Many couples have fun with these items and incorporate elements of their personalities in their invitations. Below are some unique ideas for invitations to have some fun with announcing your big day officially! Illustrations Instead of using actual photos, you can include illustrations in your invitations! This could include fun sketches of the bride and groom dancing together, or you could include a painting of the venue, the cake, or the bouquets! This allows for guests to get a little sneak peak of the wedding before they even get there! Picking out a certain art style can help show a couple’s personality. Maybe even, if one of the couple is artistic, they could draw the illustrations themselves! This is especially inviting and intimate and so much fun for the guests! Magnets By putting your invitations on a magnet, no one will ever be able to lose your Save the Date! Everyone can throw your invitation onto their refrigerator and will see a reminder of your wedding every day and at every meal! It will boost excitement for your day and they will be reminded that they get to celebrate your love very soon!  Baby Photos Perhaps one of the most fun ideas comes in using photos of the couple when they were babies! This can be so cute and hilarious! Using these photos will remind your guests that you and your soon to be spouse are meant to be together. You are tying together two beautiful lives and the people who love you will want a reminder of this. Many of the people that you invite may have seen one or the other of you in different parts of your lives and have supported you. It will be a reminder of their contribution to your life and success. Puzzles If you’re a puzzle lover and your guests will be up for a bit of a challenge, you should order your wedding invitations as little puzzles. It is a fun way to engage with the invitation and it will bring everyone together to assemble your invitation! It will bring excitement and joy to your guests and they will be able to reassemble whenever they would like! You can include paper wedding invitations as well, to act as a guide for the puzzle. Our event staff and preferred planners and vendors are full of ideas for all aspects of your wedding. If you would like a tour of The Fennec event spaces, give us a call. We’d be happy to show you around and help you get ideas for your big event.

The Best Event Color Schemes for Each Person

Pastel Wedding

Perhaps the most fun part of planning any event is picking out a color scheme! It sets the tone for every other decoration and decision surrounding the event. At The Fennec, we are all about helping you express yourself throughout your special day in ways big and small — from the event space, complete food & beverage, tables, chairs, linens, valet, to audio visual — our on-site events team works to make it all special. Our preferred vendors enjoy helping you get just the right look and feel for the celebration. Picking a color palette is a foundational choice and one you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Color choices are important when it comes to setting the tone for the event and expressing your personality in your wedding reception. You can see the event coordinator’s skill and creativity in incorporating your choices in the decorations — making the event that much more special. Obviously, it is important to get your color scheme just right!    Pastel Rainbow Right now, pastels are IN! And it looks fabulous as a color scheme. There are so many different ways to go about this, but the best way to show your personality is to pick colors from all over the color wheel! This could mean doing pastel greens, yellows, blues, and pinks! You can mix all sorts of colors together. Because they are pastel, it is easier to mix and match and no color will outshine another. It is the perfect way to incorporate a rainbow into your event. Having multiple colors to choose from will also help picking decorations such as table cloths, napkins, and centerpieces much easier as there is a bigger selection!   Tan, Beige, Yellow, and Greens One of the most natural looking color schemes that you can pick for an event uses tan, beige, and various greens. This color scheme is not in your face and gives a very relaxed vibe to the entire event. It is absolutely beautiful, and most of the decorations for this event are usually straight from a garden. You can fill a room with beautiful plants and vines, with stunning bouquets and soft colored napkins and tablecloths. It would be a fun way to show off a sunny personality and bright environment.    Blue and White Blue and white look absolutely stunning together. It invokes beautiful feelings as the blue stands out well from the white. They contrast very beautifully and allow for intimate details to stand out. With blue and white, you can have incredible patterns which are incredibly eye-catching. Using this color scheme on plates and name cards creates beautiful photos and aesthetics.  Blue and White are classic colors and the pictures from your event will be timeless and classy. These colors are the perfect mixture of strong blue and soft white with their contrast and allow for some really creative decorations!   If you are looking for a full-service event space for your reception, or any celebration, in the heart of downtown Birmingham, please give us a call (205-382-8013). We would love to show you around our Parkside location and explain how we can help you have a special event that will be enjoyed by all and remembered for a lifetime.  

Details NOT to Miss When Wedding Planning

Here at The Fennec, we know that wedding planning can be extremely stressful. Life never seems to slow down and getting all of the plans together can feel overwhelming. There is only so much that a person can do, and finding ways to stay ahead of the game can relieve stress in the long run. There are so many little details that a bride and groom might miss if they are not careful about it, so we’ve put together a list that will help you feel more relaxed and confident heading into your big day. Wedding Day Emergency Kit We would recommend putting together a Wedding Day Emergency Kit with any and everything that you could think of to throw in. This could include: band aids, bobby pins, Chapstick, tampons, chewing gum or breath mints, pain medicine, eye drops, floss, sunscreen, bug spray, nail file, lipstick, tissues, tweezers, and a sewing kit. I am sure that there are many things that could find its way into this kit. You should start building this kit early, and add to it as you think of issues that may arise. It will put your mind at ease knowing that you have a bag full of things that you may need on the day of your wedding. Collecting Addresses Lots of brides have recommended starting this task very early. It is not as easy as it used to be to acquire all the physical addresses of the people in your life. Starting a list early will help you narrow down your guest list and provide an easy process when you start to send out invitations. You definitely do not want to be scrambling at the last minute to address hundreds of invitations that need to be sent out the following day! One bride recommends sending out a Google form to all your friends with questions about how many guests they might want to invite — including their names and addresses. Enlisting your friends and family to help gather this information makes sorting through registries, addressing invitations, and guest planning MUCH easier! Gift Collection Speaking of gifts, you will be receiving lots and lots of gifts on your wedding day. This can also add a lot of stress to the couple’s plate as they try to sort through and transport all of the presents! Many brides have recommended having a designated “Gift Coordinator.” When you ask someone to do this job, make sure that they are willing to organize and collect gifts, write down which gifts came from who, and transport all these gifts to a location that the bride and groom can pick up from later! This will make the day so much smoother and make writing Thank You notes to all the wonderful people who gifted you presents a more simple task. Make sure that you trust the person who you ask to do this job. It is not an easy job, but it is a very important one! Thank You Speech As sad as it is, the reception will come to an end and before you and your partner head out of the venue, the people will want to hear from you one last time! Having a Thank You Speech already written will allow for the couple to enjoy the reception without having to worry about saying goodbye to everyone. Saying thank you to all the people who love and care for you will wrap up a beautiful day and a wonderful wedding. In the speech, make sure to include all of your wedding party, your families, and the people who helped plan the wedding with you. The Happy Couple This detail comes last, but definitely not least. Make sure that on the day of your wedding, that you spend time with your partner. This is the first day of the rest of your lives and you should feel joyful and in love. Prioritize this when you are wedding planning. Find little moments that you can spend with your spouse, whether if it is a minute alone after the ceremony or if it is a private dinner in the Bridal suite. Hopefully, the list above will allow you to prioritize your own peace of mind and enjoy one of the most special days of your life. If you liked this list, you should consider The Fennec as a venue for your wedding as we prioritize joyfulness and peace of mind for your wedding day, doing everything that we can to make it the most exceptional day of your lives.  

6 Ways to Leave with Your Lover

At The Fennec we love weddings! Weddings are a time of joy, celebration, and love surrounded by closest friends and family. From the ceremony to the reception, every detail is carefully planned to make the day special and memorable. One of the most important moments of the wedding is the Grand Exit, as the newlyweds make their way out of the venue and into their new life together. While traditional exits will always be a classic choice, there are endless possibilities for creative, unique, and unforgettable ways to leave with your lover.   1. White Rose Petals A white rose petal wedding exit is a classic and elegant choice that adds a touch of romance to any wedding celebration. As the newlyweds make their way down the aisle, guests shower them with delicate white rose petals, creating a stunning visual display. The gentle fluttering of the petals as they fall to the ground creates a magical atmosphere, and the sweet fragrance of the roses fills the air.   2. Biodegradable Confetti Bombs A confetti bomb wedding exit is a fun way for couples to end their wedding celebration with a bang! As the newlyweds make their grand exit, guests launch colorful confetti cannons into the air, creating an explosion of vibrant colors that rain down around them. This type of wedding exit is perfect for couples who want to add a festive touch to their special day, as it creates an energetic and celebratory atmosphere.   3. White Ribbon Wands A white ribbon wand wedding exit is a whimsical way for couples to make their grand exit. As the newlyweds walk down the aisle, guests wave white ribbon wands in the air, creating a magical atmosphere that feels straight out of a fairytale. The waving of the ribbons as they move through the air creates a soft and romantic ambiance, and the simple elegance of the white ribbons complements the wedding décor beautifully.   4. Glow Stick Exit Weather not cooperating? A glow stick wedding exit is a modern and exciting way for couples to exit their wedding reception. As the newlyweds make their way out of the venue, guests wave glow sticks in the air, creating a vibrant and colorful display that lights up the night. This type of wedding exit is perfect for couples who want to add a playful touch to their celebration or for couples who are having outdoor weather problems the day of. With glow sticks, guests can create intricate patterns and designs in the air, which will also look cool in photographs!   5. Getaway Car In addition to fun throws for a grand exit tunnel, a getaway car for the happy couple is always a fun touch! A fleet of fun cars are available for rent in Birmingham or a couple may have a special car in their own garage–either way it can be dressed up with florals and offer another touch for their special goodbye!   6. Hot Air Balloon Floating on cloud 9 after the big day? Keep that momentum going and choose this one-in-a-lifetime send off! A hot air balloon wedding exit is a dreamy and adventurous way for couples to make their grand exit from the ceremony. As the balloon slowly ascends to the sky, the couple can enjoy breathtaking views of scenery and get a birds-eye view of all their family and friends waving them off from below. For an extra surprise, the bride can do the bouquet toss from the basket! “The two most spectacular exits I’ve seen were a surprise helicopter exit and, many years ago, a hot air balloon from a country club reception,” says Isam Culver of Events by Isam. And hey, it is not just weddings we love here at The Fennec. We are pleased to help with the miriad of opportunities to celebrate that surround weddings including rehearsal dinners, post toasts, bachelorette events, bachelor get-togethers, and after parties downstairs. Please, let us help you create a memorable event regardless of the size or occasion.

7 Ways to Spend Your Birmingham Bachelorette Weekend

Bachelorette Weekend -photo by Paris Photographer

Birmingham, Alabama may not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning a bachelorette weekend, but this vibrant southern city has plenty to offer for a memorable and exciting celebration. From delicious food and craft cocktails to live music and outdoor adventures, Birmingham has something for everyone. Grab your girls and get ready to experience all that this city has to offer! Pedal Bike Tour The pedal bike bar crawl is a unique way to see the city and visit local establishments, as the route can be customized to include different neighborhoods and bar scenes. The ride typically lasts for a few hours, and participants may have the opportunity to take breaks and explore different areas of the city on foot before getting back on the bike. Bar crawl stops around the city include Good People, Paramount, Pilcrow, Atomic, Carrigan’s Pub House, Queen’s Park, and many others. Art Museum A typical day at the Birmingham Museum of Art might include exploring the museum’s various galleries and exhibitions, which showcase a wide range of art from different cultures and time periods. You can browse the highlights of the museum’s collection, which includes works by renowned artists such as John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt, and Henri Matisse, among many others. The museum also has a gift shop where you can purchase art books, jewelry, and other items inspired by the museum’s collection, as well as a café where you can grab a bite to eat. Botanical Gardens The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a 67.5-acre public garden featuring a wide range of plant collections, including native and exotic species, and are designed to showcase the beauty and diversity of plants from different regions and climates. Some notable sections are the Japanese Garden, the Southern Living Garden, the Dunn Formal Rose Garden, and the Kaul Wildflower Garden. Spa Day If you’re looking for a relaxing and rejuvenating spa day in Birmingham, you’re in luck! The city boasts a variety of top-notch spas and wellness centers, offering everything from luxurious massages and facials to holistic therapies and beauty treatments. One of the most popular spas in Birmingham is The Spa at Ross Bridge, located in the beautiful Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa. Here, you can indulge in a variety of spa treatments, including hot stone massages, body wraps, and organic facials, all while enjoying stunning views of the nearby mountains. Another great option is the Spa at Grand Bohemian, located in the trendy Mountain Brook neighborhood. This European-style spa offers a variety of treatments, including aromatherapy massages, reflexology, and deep cleansing facials, all in a serene and tranquil atmosphere. Shopping Birmingham is a shopper’s paradise, offering everything from upscale boutiques and high-end department stores to quirky local shops and bustling flea markets. One of the most popular shopping destinations in Birmingham is The Summit, a sprawling open-air mall that features over 60 retailers, including popular brands like Apple, Lululemon, and Sephora. For a more eclectic shopping experience, head to the historic Avondale neighborhood, where you’ll find an array of independent shops, vintage stores, and artisanal boutiques. Here, you can browse unique handmade jewelry, locally crafted ceramics, and one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories. If you’re looking for a bargain, head to one of Birmingham’s many flea markets and antique stores. The Pepper Place Saturday Market, held weekly in the trendy Pepper Place neighborhood, is a great place to find locally grown produce, handmade crafts, and vintage wares. Hiking Hiking at Oak Mountain State Park is an exhilarating experience that promises stunning views, fresh air, and the opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. With over 50 miles of trails winding through the park’s rugged terrain, there’s no shortage of paths to explore, whether you’re an experienced hiker or a beginner. The 1.8 mile Peavine Falls Trail will take you through the forest leading to a breathtaking waterfall that cascades over 60 feet into a pool below.  For a more challenging hike, the 7.2 mile Yellow Trail takes you over a variety of terrains with surrounding views of hills and valleys. Along the way, you might spot some of the park’s resident wildlife, such as deer, foxes, and a variety of bird species. And if you need to take a break or refuel, there are several picnic areas and rest spots scattered throughout the park. The Fennec Last, but certainly not least, bring your girls to The Fennec to enjoy delicious food, live music, and cocktail hour during the day. Our new patio seating is perfect to enjoy the beautiful weather outside or find a table inside with fun lighting and multiple entertainment screens. Stay to experience our late-night scene with performing DJs, dancing, and drinks!

The Fennec, Birmingham, AL – The Bryans

The Bryan's Wedding

Emily and Phil Bryan are FULL of life and love! Seriously, look through their photos and you will immediately know what I mean.. you can tell that they are not only so in love, but are truly best friends. And their wedding was the perfect picture of this: Emily getting picked up on a chair, The Fennec as their fun venue, light up shoes and glow sticks, it really was all things party and happiness! Source: Eleanorstenner.com

1630 2nd Avenue South
Birmingham, Alabama 35233

205-994-9284