Engagement Announcement Ideas: Luxury Weddings in the UK and UAE

UPDATED FOR 2024/2025

Here at Ananya Cards we absolutely love to hear our couple’s engagement stories, especially those planning luxury weddings in Dubai and the UK, and to listen to the wedding and stationery ideas being brainstormed while at home with loved ones over the holidays!

If you’ve recently become engaged yourselves – congratulations! Enjoy it, as it’s an unforgettable chapter of your stories together. Savour it and be present in this moment: the world can wait an hour, a day, or even a week – don’t feel like you need to tell everyone right away, unless you want to!

Once you’ve decided you’re ready to announce your engagement to your friends and family, we’re here to give you advice on how to spread the love.

Floral Palm engagement cards by Ananya Cards

1. ENGAGEMENT ANOUNCEMENT ETIQUETTE

The big news will have a happy and possibly huge impact on your nearest and dearest, so we recommend taking some time to think about considerate and meaningful ways to share. The traditional order would be tell the couple’s own children and parents first – then close family, like sisters, brothers, grandparents – and then the rest of your circle of family, friends, and work colleagues. Many couples choose to tell their closest loved ones in person, and then send their engagement announcement out to everyone.

While your engagement announcement will hopefully be joyously received by all, do be mindful that you may have some recently separated or single family members and friends – so it’s kind to be tactful and not excessively soppy in the content of the announcement. Don’t feel pressured to say too much about the proposal or your wedding plans – as you’ll feel much more comfortable discussing this in person, and decide what to share on a case to case basis with your friends and family. To learn more about crafting wedding stationery that resonates with your love story, read our article on personalising your wedding invites.

Peacock notecards by Ananya Cards

2. WHAT TO WRITE IN YOUR ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CARDS

Once the proposal excitement settles, and you’ve spoken to your closest loved ones, sending out a formal engagement announcement card to all your friends and family can be really fun! It can also have some practical uses too, such as getting the news out quickly and easily if you have very large groups of friends or co-workers, and also can double as an invitation to your engagement party, if you’re hosting one. Another benefit is that you can start building a relationship with a stationery designer, who can then craft stunning save the dates, wedding invitations, and on-the-day paper goods for your wedding too.

The wording can be as formal or as personal as you wish! Some couples choose to have these formally sent out by their parents, while others send out much more informal and playful  “we said yes!” or “we’re engaged!” cards directly from them. Generally engagement announcement cards include your names, a joyous message indicating you’ll be tying the knot, and – if you know you’ll be inviting all the same people as the ones you’re sending the announcements to – you can also include something along the lines of “Save the dates to follow”. Only include this if you are certain you’ll be inviting those friends and family members though!

Engagement notes by Ananya Cards | Elizabeth Mitova Photography

3. THE DESIGN OF YOUR ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CARDS

Many couples opt to have an engagement or couple portrait photography session, which can be a wonderful way to spend time together and become more familiar with posing in front of the camera. If you click with the photographer and love their gallery, it can also be great way to connect with someone who will be able to shoot your wedding too! If you like the idea of using a photo of you in your engagement announcement cards (and perhaps on your save the dates too!), it’s a great idea to have some images taken and edited professionally. This will ensure the quality and composition looks the best it can! Chat to the photographer about your idea of using one or two images on announcement cards, so that they know to edit a few previews for you as soon as possible – and to shoot in either landscape or portrait orientation depending on the card style you are sending.

When it comes to the aesthetic and style of the engagement announcement cards, don’t worry too much about tying these to your wedding stationery. Most likely, a fair amount of time will pass between your announcements and your save the dates! If you want to make sure everything feels seamless and in harmony, my advice would be to work with the same stationery designer throughout your whole stationery journey – and to keep your announcements fairly minimal and simple in style, so that you can steer into a stronger theme or palette further down the line.

Once you’ve sent the announcements out, do make sure you thoughtfully and graciously thank everybody who’s congratulated you! Remember that these are your nearest and dearest family and friends, and many of them will be the same people who will be bringing their joy and good energy to your beautiful wedding soon!

We hope these tips and thoughts have been helpful, and that you’re excited about sharing your happy news! If you’re looking for bespoke stationery that reflects your love story through every detail - whether for your engagement, wedding invitations, or on-the-day stationery - we’d love to hear from you. At Ananya Cards, we specialise in luxury wedding stationery for couples planning unforgettable celebrations in Dubai, London, and beyond. Let's create something truly magical for your special moments.

Until next time,

Vaishali

Wedding Invitations - 10 Things NOT To Do!

Your invitations are the shop window for your wedding day. When that beautifully crafted envelope drops through the letterbox of your guests, it speaks volumes about the sort of wedding you've planned, the style, the mood, and even the venue. So, it’s essential to ensure your wedding invitations are absolutely right.

It’s not just about perfecting the design; timing, wording, and etiquette all matter, too. For those planning a luxury wedding in cities like London or Dubai, for example, attention to detail is key.

So here's our list of 10 things you shouldn't do when it comes to your wedding invitations.

Photo credit: Valery Studio

1) Not sending a Save the date card

Gone are the days of simply sending invitations a couple of months in advance. With people living abroad, travelling frequently, or juggling busy jobs, Save the date cards have become more important. For destination weddings, especially in luxury hotspots like Italy or Dubai, it’s essential to give guests enough notice.

While it's ideal to send a physical card (matching your wedding stationery style), digital options like e-save the dates are fine. But whatever you do, do give people notice of your wedding date well in advance if you want to be sure that they're going to be free to come.

2) Leaving your invitations until the last minute

While off-the-shelf stationery may seem convenient, bespoke luxury wedding invitations are more impressive and personal. Give your stationery supplier as much time as you can to create your custom invitation design. Allow yourself time to address envelopes, track down where the invitees are living and get the whole lot posted so they arrive about 2-3 months before the wedding celebrations. For more tips on timing, check out our blog Wedding Stationery Timings: A Useful Guide.

Photo credit: Martina H.

3) Not including RSVP details

Always ensure you include clear RSVP instructions. Whether it’s via post with a reply paid card, email, or a wedding website, your guests need to know how to respond and who to contact. For destination weddings, it's especially important to provide this information upfront, as guests may need to make travel arrangements and accommodations well in advance.

4) Forgetting to stamp your envelopes

It does happen! Your invitation may get to its destination if you're lucky but your invited guests will have to pay postage which isn't a good start. Same goes for underpaid postage - check how much it's going to cost for your invitation to reach its destination, bearing in mind its weight, size and how quickly you want it to arrive.

Always check with the post office how much your invitations will cost to mail. Having your guests pay for underpaid postage at their end does not set the greatest first impression of your big day!

Photo credit: Martina H.

5) Not putting guests' names on invitations

People need to know who is invited - can they bring their partner or not? Otherwise they might just turn up with a plus one. In addition, it's correct etiquette to send children over 18 their own wedding invitations - don't just put 'and family' - they are adults now and deserve to be treated as such.

6) Not proofing the invitations properly

Check, check and double check your spelling, capital letters and grammar. Typos or missing information can be disastrous for luxury wedding stationery. Ask somebody else to proofread the invitations if this isn't your forte. Oh and make sure you've included the date, time and venue details. Seriously, people have forgotten this crucial information.

7) Ordering one invitation per guest

It's standard practice to send one invitation per household, not per individual (although see note 5 above re young adults). So you don't need as many invitations as there are guests, although we always recommend at Ananya Cards to make sure you have 10% extra invitations on hand in case of last-minute changes or additional guests.

8) Not mentioning a dress code

Whether you’re having a black-tie affair in a 5 star London hotel or a more relaxed celebration at a Dubai beach resort, always specify the dress code. If you're having a multicultural wedding, different traditions may call for specific attire, like morning coats or traditional Indian dress. It's important to clarify the dress code so your guests don’t feel out of place and won't enjoy your wedding as much as you want them to. If you'd like tips on planning for multicultural weddings, check out our blog on the subject.

9) Addressing the children question

Tricky one this. You may not mind having children at your wedding or you may want it to be a child-free zone. For multicultural weddings for example, different traditions may have varying expectations for children attending. You can politely mention this on your invitations and reach out to guests who might have concerns, inviting their children or explaining that it’s an adults-only event. Consistency is key - don’t allow some guests to bring their children while asking others not to.

10) Thinking you can DIY all your wedding invitations

It's a lovely idea but a real time commitment, especially for larger Indian weddings. Maybe if you're having a small wedding of around 30 guests. But do you really want to be handcrafting 300 invitations yourself. Seriously?

For luxury weddings with 100+ guests, DIY invites can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, entrust a professional wedding stationer to handle the design and print, ensuring the process is smooth and stress-free.

If you’d like to explore your wedding stationery options, whether you're in London, Dubai, or beyond, please feel free to contact us. We specialise in bespoke luxury wedding invitations that will set the tone for your special day, right from the moment your guests receive them.

Until next time,

Vaishali x

Ultimate Guide to Wedding Save The Dates

If the magic of the holidays has come to life in the form of a twinkling engagement ring – congratulations! At Ananya Cards, we absolutely adore when couples begin the new year planning a celebration of their love. One of the questions we get asked most often is to guide couples with their save the dates: this is the first piece of stationery you will order, and it’s this that will let your guests know to mark your wedding date and location firmly in their calendar.

We’ve put together some of our top tips for save the dates, which we hope will be helpful and exciting for you now that you’re engaged!

Marigold save the dates by Ananya Cards

WHEN TO SEND SAVE THE DATES

While researching venue ideas, even before setting your date, it’s a great idea to start browsing stationers’ portfolios on Instagram and online – as they will be the next vendor you’ll want to speak to. It’s a wonderful feeling to connect with a designer you love and to know that, as soon as you have your wedding venue and date, you’re ready to start working together to create save the dates and invitations that will wow your guests. It’s never too early to reach out to stationers and designers to let them know you’d like to work with them, so they can start slotting you in. They can also give you some provisional estimates of costs, design process, and timescales, which can be really helpful in these early stages of planning your wedding.

Once you have chosen your date and venue, the save the dates can be ordered! You can start spreading the word amongst family and friends of course, and then WOW them with save the dates that really tell your story and begin the aesthetic narrative that will thread through all of your wedding styling. Some couples send these as early as 12 months before the wedding, particularly if they are having a destination wedding or if they know their guests need a long notice period to schedule travel or work absences. This is particularly considerate if you are having your wedding in Summer, on a peak date, as it gives guests plenty of time to plan their holidays. On average, most couples send their save the dates 6-12 months before their wedding.

Floral Palm save the date cards by Ananya Cards

WAIT BUT - DO I REALLY NEED SAVE THE DATES?

Although save the dates aren’t essential, they can be a really impactful way of conveying information to your guests clearly and easily, while also giving them a peek at your wedding style you’ll be hosting.

If your wedding is still a long way away and you don’t want to commit to a style or colour palette just yet – that’s absolutely fine! You may also be feeling that you don’t have a sense of budget yet, and so don’t want to over-commit on the stationery spend before having a larger picture of the investments you’ll need to make. There are a few solutions to this: firstly, you can keep your save the dates very simple and minimal, with no patterns or overarching colours, just crisp monochromatic or metallic details, and classic fonts. Another option is to opt for semi-custom, which is where a designer adapts one of their existing house collections for you; this requires a lower investment, and a offers a quicker turn-around too, so may be a good solution for you if you’re wanting a quick, easy, and more cost-effective route. Finally, another solution can be to work with your designer for a bespoke wedding stationery suite but ask for the save the dates to be digital only: this means that they will create something beautiful, elegant, and unique for you that you can send your guests a digital save the date, and which will then serve as the aesthetic foundation on which all the rest of your stationery suite will be built.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN MY SAVE THE DATES

Keep in mind that you can give as much or as little information as you like in your save the date: it can be very minimal, if you’re sending it many months in advance, or it can be quite detailed, if you’re already in more advanced stages of planning. Date and location are key of course, but don’t worry about including ceremony time for example – particularly if you haven’t set this yet or if you have, but it’s possible it may still change. If you already know it will be a certain type of celebration (for example, multiple-day) that’s something you can let guests know now, as it helps them with forward planning – but don’t feel pressured to give too much information at this stage! Do however be sure to include the names of each person invited, as otherwise you may have guests wondering if they should plan to bring their children or a date! Be upfront and clear from the start.

Guests will inevitably reach out to you with comments and questions once your save the dates have arrived, so it can be helpful to include the URL of your wedding website. This gives guests somewhere to go to find out more, and they can also bookmark it and keep coming back to check on updates as the date gets closer. Wedding websites are also a great way to keep costs down for your invitations later down the line, as you can use your website as a place to add travel information, accommodation information, timings, dress codes, and so on – rather than needing multiple inserts within one envelope.

Bespoke save the date design for a destination wedding by Ananya Cards

OK I’M READY TO SEND MY SAVE THE DATES! WHAT’S NEXT?

Once you’ve decided you’ll be sending save the dates, and have chosen a semi-custom or bespoke design, then it’s time to send them out!

Keep in mind that save the dates should only be sent to guests you are sure you will be inviting to the wedding. It’s possible to add more people to the guest list at a later stage, but quite mortifying to need to remove them from the guest list once you’ve sent a save the date!

If you’re ordering physical save the dates, make sure to plan to order +10% so you have some extras in case they are needed. You can write the addresses on envelopes yourself, have them lettered by a calligrapher, or printed directly on the envelope.

Once that’s done, they’re ready to go and spread the love!

We hope this has been a helpful and insightful article for you. For further advice on stationery timescales for your invitations and on-the-day elements, or for other useful hints and tips for your wedding stationery please take a look at the helpful blogs we’ve written.

If you’d like to discuss creating sophisticated, unique, culturally-inclusive stationery that reflects YOUR personality – we’d love to hear from you!

 Until next time,

 Vaishali

A Wedding Planning Guide For The Fridge Door

When you're planning your wedding, it's easy sometimes to feel rather overwhelmed by the whole thing. You might even be waking up in the night thinking "have I told the florist exactly which roses I want" or "did I book the photographer".

Okay, so you might have checklists galore, special apps on your phone and a long-suffering chief bridesmaid/best friend/mother to let off steam to.

The thing is, you're probably doing just fine. And it's important that you enjoy the build-up to your wedding because it's actually a very special time. You've a wonderful day ahead to look forward to, you've found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with ... so don't spoil it by getting over-stressed.

That also means not taking on too much. For example, you may be dreaming of having a DIY wedding and planning to make wedding favours, cakes, decorations yourself. This isn't a great idea because you'll almost certainly underestimate the amount of time all this is going to take you. So work out what is genuinely do-able and outsource the rest.

If you really feel the need for a visual checklist, then we've created these handy two visuals which you can print out and stick on your fridge door so that you can assure yourself you're doing all the right things by the right time.

Look at it month by month and know that you're keeping up with everything (or there are a few things you still need to be thinking about).

For example, you don't really need to have sorted out a florist until about 9 months before the wedding - although if you're choosing one who is particularly popular it's best to sign them up as soon as possible.

Interestingly, one of the most important things to get sorted early isn't choosing your wedding dress, booking your venue or asking your friends to be your bridesmaids. It's actually setting a budget for your wedding day. It's key because it's actually going to affect many aspects of your big day - the sort of venue you can afford, whether you have a wedding breakfast and a dinner, how many guests you have, what wine you serve and of course, what you wear. So set a realistic wedding budget between the two of you and stick to it - you don't want to start off married life in debt.

Get everything sorted calmly and coolly before your big day and you'll see that on the day before your wedding you can actually have a bit of a relax. Help to decorate the venue and enjoy some beauty treatments (a mani-pedi - but don't have a facial the day before your wedding in case of breakouts).

We'd love to help you with your wedding stationery so if there is anything special you have in mind do get in touch.

In the meantime, cut out these two handy wedding planning guides and pin them to your noticeboard or fridge door!

Ideas For A Destination Wedding

Just what is a destination wedding exactly? We'd say that it's really when you get married abroad somewhere. Maybe somewhere a little exotic... a little unusual.

You might be the type of bride and groom who'd like nothing better than to get married on a white sandy beach, with the warm blue sea lapping at your feet, palm trees shading you from the sun and an azure sky up above.

Or maybe you're more the type who fancy a wedding in an Italian palazzo? With picture-perfect mountains in the background. Maybe a lake nearby. Delicious food and warm sultry nights.

Whatever you choose, it's important to get the invitations and save the date cards sent off for your destination wedding as soon as you've decided on a date. Whilst it's lovely for you to get married on distant shores, it probably means that your friends and family will have to make particular plans - and in fact they may decide to make your wedding day the basis of a holiday.

It's elegant if your invitations reflect the style of your destination wedding and we have some sophisticated stationery options for you to choose. Here below are some invitations we created especially for a wedding in Mexico.

Afterwards, you could send out wedding thank you cards with photographs of the two of you together where you tied the knot.

Top Tips For Your Destination Wedding

1.  If you're marrying somewhere hot, you'll need to rethink a heavy, detailed wedding frock and consider something lighter - companies like Dessy have specially designed destination bridal gowns that pack without crushing in beautiful, lightweight fabrics.

2. For your flowers, you'll need to consider what is available locally and what's in season. There'll probably be a wedding planner at your venue so talk about the colours and styles that appeal to you. Alternatively you could consider having a jewelled bouquet for the day - something which is certain to become a family heirloom.

3. You'll also need to think about your hair. A stiff lacquered style would look out of place on a beach - so if you're set on having an updo consider something less structured, less formal.

4. If you're marrying on a beach, ditch the heels and go for manicured toes in flats or even flip flops.

5. A long veil won't really work at a beach wedding - you could however go for a birdcage veil or just accessorise your hair with flowers.

Take a look at the Ananya Cards destination weddings board on Pinterest for some more ideas.

Are you having a destination wedding? Where are you planning on going?

Photo credits: Top image via Couples Resorts. Couple on lake via Best Wedding Away.

Wedding Stationery Trends for 2013

2013 has arrived and with it, come the dreams and aspirations of every bride to have her perfect wedding. So what are the trends for 2013 that will help her create the wedding of her dreams and also one that is a la mode? Below are our thoughts... Glitz, Glamour and the Great Gatsby

Great Gatsby green and black wedding invitation

Great Gatsby cream and gold wedding invitation

With the much-anticipated movie the Great Gatsby finally being launched later this year, the 1920’s fashion has already begun to make an appearance. Translating this retro style into stationery will mean soft and shimmery backgrounds, dreamy and lace-textured looks and floral motifs - all heavily encrusted with crystals. Designs can also be bold and geometric and attention grabbing. Quite simply, a feast for the eyes!

Ombré: Shaded, Faded, Gradient

Ombre shaded wedding invitation

Ombré shaded green and brown wedding invitation

The shaded or Ombré look has definitely caught on, and will continue to be favoured in 2013. The dipped and dyed effect gives the look of colour graduations from dark to light. Often based on a monochromatic colour scheme, three different complementary colours can also be combined. The Ombré look has pervaded clothes, fashion accessories and even cosmetics and will be seen in stationery with dramatic effect.

East Meets West

Bespoke paisley lotus wedding invitation

Bandhani Bliss India inspired wedding invitation

The enduring allure of India and the East is such that time and again, top fashion and beauty houses such as Chanel and Boucheron have been drawn to its multi-faceted heritage for inspiration. This fascination with the East will continue to play an important part in 2013 because of its undying appeal.

Couples are not shying away from choosing strong, dramatic gemstone colours that are rich and exotic, and tones that spell opulence. The designs create a modern interpretation of traditional images and symbols, skilfully harmonising the East and West. Studded with crystal embellishments, they are Bollywood come alive!

Making a Personal Statement

Monogrammed crystal cake topper

Couples will want the stationery to be an expression of who they are. Whether adopting the latest on trend colour or other popular themes, they will want those themes to be intertwined with splashes of their own choosing – wanting the wedding invite to create the right tone – their tone.

Monograms will continue to be highly favoured as a way to express who we are and what we stand for as well as aspects that embrace our cultural heritage. They can also be adapted for use in a variety of ways to suit one’s needs. Monograms can become a work of art when embellished with crystals, adding that special exotic sparkle and shimmer.  It’s no wonder that such gorgeous invitations often become a keepsake – a fabulous souvenir to look back on with pride.

Cool Colour Hot Trend

Mint Modern wedding invitation

Exotic Emerald wedding invitation by Ananya

The soft and soothing colour of mint looks all set to become a hot trend in 2013. After the fiery, passionate, colour palette of 2012’s Tangerine Tango, the cool, crisp and fresh tones of mint will be most refreshing. Emerald, Pantone's Colour for 2013, will also be a very popular choice. Cool and serene or majestic and mesmerising, Emerald can be used as an accent colour to add that all important sparkle or as a predominant colour, as deep and vibrant as the Amazon jungle. The main colour can be carried through the entire suite of stationery with variations on tones.

Fantasy and Fairy Tale

Pink butterfly wedding invitation

Given the uncertain and volatile nature of the events of 2012, weddings in 2013 will be a great excuse to escape from the concerns of everyday living. The stationery will reflect a fantasy world full of magic and beauty. Soft colours, birds and butterflies, layering of designs and a touch of sparkle will create romantic and captivating stationery.

Classic and Always in Fashion

Classic monochrome wedding invitation

For those of us who like simple and understated chic, the classic look will always be in style - a relaxed feel with timeless designs and quiet luxury that speaks volumes. Soft colours, monochromes, monograms, minimal fuss and beautiful.

What are your favourite trends for 2013? We'd love you to share your ideas with us.

Credits: All invitation designs by Ananya

The Lucky Lotus

The lotus is the national flower of India, and is regarded as being the most beautiful and sacred flower in Indian culture. It symbolises divinity, fertility, purity, wealth, knowledge and enlightenment as well as honour and good fortune. It therefore comes as no surprise that lotus flowers can be found everywhere, from clothing to bed linen. The flower is a simple, but beautiful and powerful motif, which can be used on any type of material for any purpose. Many designers have been using the motif in their work, including Ed Hardy, who has a range of clothing with bold tattoo styled lotus prints. Nike has also designed a pair of their “Nike Dunk” trainers with pretty pink lotus flowers.

Bags incorporating the lotus flower are easy to find, such as Amy Butler’s lotus flower clutch, which uses an elegant  yellow lotus pattern.

The Lucky Lotus

Lotus flowers can appear in your home, and light up any room, with Graham and Green’s striking lotus flower ball chandelier, and there are many places where you can find quilts and cushion covers with lotus patterns.

However, it is in jewellery where lotus flowers are at their most prolific. Accessorize has created a pretty turquoise ring while Swarowski recently made a collection of lotus inspired brooches, earrings and pendants. Luxury diamond jewellery company DeBeers have also made their own range of lotus designs, calling it “Enchanted Lotus”. It includes hoop earrings and a bracelet as well as a diamond wedding band, all of which integrate the lotus with a heart shape in a unique design.

Finding the lotus is easy, so why not embrace India’s most famous and auspicious symbol, whether as part of your home, or your look. At ananya we use the lotus flower as our logo because of its symbolic nature and due to its importance in Asian culture. We have also created beautiful stationery using the lotus design, which can be used for any sort of wedding – whether you are having an English or Indian wedding, or it’s taking place in summer or winter. Our lotus designs are stylish, elegant and versatile, and are suitable for any occasion, big or small.

Until next time...Namaste and enjoy ananya life!

The Peacock Revolution

The majestic peacock is the national bird of India. They are regarded as some of the most beautiful birds in the world, with their fabulous iridescent green-blue plumage and distinctive tail feathers. In India they are emblems of beauty, grace, pride and mysticism and throughout history they have appeared in Hindu myths and folklore in various illustrations with gods and goddesses. It is probably their tails which peacocks are best known for, which are made up of a mixture of large and small feathers with beautiful eye-like designs. The male peacocks lift their tails into a fan and preen their feathers to attract females in an ostentatious display of pride and beauty. It is therefore no wonder that the peacock has become a major design motif, as its plumage and colours create a perfect muse for designers. The peacock seems to be everywhere at the moment, with both high end designers and high street shops using it as inspiration for fashion, as well as for household goods, such as bed linen and china, and even iPod covers and other accessories. Peacocks have been spotted on the red carpet; with Eva Longoria wearing a short peacock feather covered dress at Cannes, and actress and Marchesa founder Georgina Chapman wore her own black dress with a gold peacock gilded design at the Oscars last year.

The Peacock Revolution

Last year, designer Matthew Williamson created a collection for H&M which was entirely inspired by peacocks. His own Escape spring 2010 line also featured some bohemian peacock undertones. In China, a wedding dress made of 2009 peacock feathers costing $1.5m was unveiled at a wedding expo. Meanwhile, on the high street, many shops such as Top Shop and New Look have dresses, skirts and t-shirts featuring peacock feathers and the birds themselves.

Peacocks can be seen on bags, such as a fabulous crystal clutch by Swarovski, and other accessories, such as hair pieces. However, it is in jewellery where the designers have gone peacock crazy. In Accessorize there is a whole range of necklaces and earrings (as well as bags) inspired by peacocks, such as earrings with peacock bodies and cascading teardrop charms. Many high street stores are selling earrings and brooches using real peacock feathers, while Spanish jewellery designers Carrera y Carrera have a whole collection of beautiful peacock inspired jewellery using diamonds and coloured stones. MAC Cosmetics is launching the ‘Peacocky’ Collection for Spring 2011, a makeup collection that draws colours and inspiration from the exotic bird.

At ananya, we have joined the peacock revolution by creating a range of stationery with modern looking peacock designs. Peacocks are set to become the hottest wedding trend of 2011 due to the intricacy and richness of their plumage and we believe our new line of wedding stationery reflects this. If, however, peacocks aren't your thing, ananya has a diverse range of different types of stationery.

Until next time...Namaste and enjoy ananya life!