The Calyx

PinkCalyx.com tries something new for a change.  How about our first sponsored wedding?

The idea came about at a wedding I recently attended. As I sat there at table 17, wondering what to do with that little chotcke the bride and groom so carefully selected, I wondered how I could ever thank them for the little glass trinket they gifted me.  I looked around at my equally befuddled table mates to find one shaking the doodad hoping to hear a sound while another desperately tried to unstuck (unstick?) her finger out of the darned thing. A mother scrambled to pull one out of her babe’s ear while the rest of the guests exchanged awkward looks.  And here it comes… The moment every bride has been dreading:  the commentary, the sarcastic smiles, the post-event appraisals from the guests.

We’ve all been there and seen it happen.  It’s easy to opine your two cents worth when you’re a guest at someone else’s wedding, but its not so easy when you are the one planning and paying for the whole thing. Take it from someone who has been there and done that, planning a tasteful wedding on a tight budget is nightmare. You have to meet everyone’s expectations and still make the event your own.

Hmm, I mused… If only things weren’t so… On one hand, it is only proper to thank the guests for partaking in one’s big day, on the other, how does one show one’s deep appreciation with a budget of $1.99 per gift?  For most brides, a wedding is the most important day in her life, and she wants to impress- the challenge is how to do so creatively and without braking the bank.

And then I had my excellent idea!  How can PinkCalyx- the venerable wedding jewelry retailer extraordinaire, partake in a couple’s most important day without the unsavory innuendos of an overtly commercial gift??? Does anyone have to know that the gift was not paid for by the bride and groom? I think not…

Enter the Pink Calyx Gift Certificate.  A gift worth $50, obtainable for the price it costs to print the certificate on elegant, sophisticated card stock. The bride simply pays the cost of printing, selects a customizable gift message, for example: “Tina & Mike, June 2009″ or “Compliments of Mr. & Mrs. Tom Eckhart” and two weeks later, she is delivered enough gift certificates to impress every guest.  Imagine, finding your seat at Table 17, and finding a gift a guest can actually use!

Having sponsored one or two wedding so far, I have found a few creative ideas from brides who have taken me up on this offer.  One asked if we could match text colors of the certificate to her wedding colors and after a couple of tries, we came pretty close. She then tied the certificate with a simple ribbon matching her wedding color and tada! , a fully customized wedding favor!

Another creative diva turned the certificates into a place card. She printed the blank white envelopes that come with the gift certificates with the guest’s name and table number, and placed them on the card table. The certificates served a double purpose and she killed to expenses with one stone.  How’s that for creativity?

So, now that I am inspired to sponsor more weddings, I would like to use this page as an idea exchange on how to creatively use the certificates.  Post your wedding photos and show everyone how you have used your certificates! For brevity sake, please post one photo of the couple, one photo of the gift certificates as they were presented to the guests, and some ideas for other brides.

Don’t want to wait to see if you get picked for the “Sponsored Bride” giveaway? You can purchase gift certificates from PinkCalyx.com here.

Yours Truly,

The Calyx