Well this will begin a series of blog posts on the inside scoop of some of the great places that our invitations are named after! If you hadn't realized, all of our wedding invitation designs are named after cities in the great US of A.  Don't worry if you don't see your city as a design, we are probably cooking one up right now!

I'm a Las Vegas girl, I have lived there pretty much my whole life. So obviously when I got the choice of which city to start with it wasn't very hard to pick one!

Mindy Bean and her husband Doug are local photographers in Las Vegas that love capturing special moments in the unique city of Las Vegas!

Here is some Mindy Bean's Photography on the The Las Vegas wedding invitation from Basic Invite!

Don't gamble on the design of your wedding invitation; it's your day, and this invitation makes your announcement stand out!

Growing up in Vegas was a blast! There is so much more to do than just the strip. Here are a few insiders activities next time you are in Las Vegas.

Helicopter Tours

Instead of gambling on a game of poker, you could have a 100% chance of winning with a helicopter tour! Everyone has seen Vegas... from the ground! These amazing tours can take you to the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, or even a leisurely stroll down the strip at night. All Las Vegas Tours has great tour options and great rates. Any route you decide to take I can promise it will be something you won't soon forget!

The Springs Preserve

The Springs Preserve is fun for the whole family! It has a little bit of everything. From interactive science and nature exhibits, to botanical gardens, hiking, bike trails, and live animal shows. Is is one amazing place to hang out for a day. The craziest part is you will forget that there are casinos five miles away. The scenery and nature of the desert landscape are beautiful and educational!

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

Which one is the real Fergie?! Walking through Madame Tussauds will have you wondering if the stars are actually standing in front of you. Pose with you icon John Wayne, hang out with Hugh Heffner, or box with Muhammad Ali. It is such a blast to walk around and goof off with some A-list stars.

I hope your next trip to Vegas is a new adventure for you!

Thank you to Mindy Bean Photography for  the beautiful photographs.

The Las Vegas wedding invitation

Colors; Black, Poppy, and White

There are some wedding traditions that are just never going to go out of style. Everyone wants to remember who shared in their special day with them. Guest books are a great place for people to sign in and leave kind words for you as you embark on a new chapter of your life together.

If "traditional" just isn't your style, here are eight very untraditional ways of spicing up the age old tradition!

The best part is, these are easy DIY (Do It Yourself) ideas!

Rather than signing a traditional guest book, guests are given postcards with the bride and groom's address printed on the back to fill with good wishes during the reception and drop mailbox displayed in the lobby. The cards are to be mailed the next day by a friend of the couple so that the newlyweds will return from their honeymoon to a brimming mailbox.

In lieu of a guest book, guests are asked to write on squares of linen, which will be sewn into a keepsake quilt to adorn the newlyweds abode.

This guest book is made from large sheets of paper that were cut, folded, and then stitched together. Miniature envelopes in light blue, muted gray, and ivory were adhered to the pages with double-sided tape, so that friends and family could slip personal notes inside of them and then seal the envelopes with stickers in contrasting colors.

At this wedding, the guest-book table was decorated and  family and friends could express their hopes for the newlyweds as well as receive a written wish from the couple. Guests wrote their notes on coral cards and placed them in apothecary jars. In return they could draw a wish from another jar!

This couple followed a Japanese custom by asking guests to tie their sentiments to tree branches with ribbons. Here, branches are adorned with crepe-paper buds and blossoms and placed in a porcelain vase. Expressions like "Prosperity" and "Good Marriage" were written in Korean and Japanese and hung ahead of time to decorate the branches.

File this under A for adorable. Instead of a traditional guest book, use cards from an address file. Our set, by Lovely Design, contains handmade ones from vintage papers, so each is unique. Set cards on a table with a sign asking friends and family to jot down messages; once they've penned their notes, they can file their card alphabetically, leaving you to merely flip through all the warm wishes that range from A to Z.

Set out an old-fashioned typewriter with long sheets of paper for guests to write good wishes to the bride and groom as the feeling strikes. Look for inexpensive vintage machines online or at thrift stores or flea markets; they come in colors to go with any palette. After the wedding, tie into a scroll with ribbon.

Thought-provoking guest books that pose single, specific questions serve as dinner table icebreakers at your wedding -- and turn into keepsakes you'll want to display in your home and reread on every anniversary. Notebooks, Start Here; "Adventure" paper, by Nat Geo, from Eastern Mountain Sports; "LePen" pen, by Marvy, from Lytha Studios.

Thank you to Martha Stewart for the great inspiration and the best of fun when creating the perfect touches to your wonderful day!

It's February, you know what that means…. love is in the air! Time to "Spring" into wedding season. This adorable stylized  engagement session was taken by Simply Bloom Photography. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be just another holiday, it can encourage you to show your love for your significant other.

Let Cupid "shoot" you with a little bit of love this year!

Thank you to Simply Bloom Photography!