quick tip: remember to order extras

Just sending a little reminder to be sure to get extras when ordering invitations for your wedding or event! Invitations will often come in packages of 25, so even if you're planning to send out 75 invitations, for example, be sure to ask for that extra package anyway so that you end up with 100.

Why?

There are a couple of reasons for this:

- Last-minute additions. If your family or future in-laws decide to make a few last-minute additions to the guest list (sometimes this is inevitable), you'll have the invitations on hand without scrambling to obtain more at a moment's notice.

- Your friendly calligrapher will thank you. - Professional calligraphers should be seasoned at hand-lettering without making many mistakes, but we are only human after all, and ink flow issues occasionally happen. Supplying plenty of extras "just in case" will allow you to be sure everything gets done correctly. You will undoubtedly have leftovers, which will be returned to you.

Happy Friday, everyone!

what to do with the inner envelope...?

One of the questions clients often ask with regard to their invitations is "do I need to address the inner envelope?" The answer to this, as with many aspects of your wedding or event, is "it's up to you"! With all the creative and custom invitation styles that are becoming popular these days, such as
pocket-folds, inner envelopes may not be necessary. However, addressing the inner envelope for a traditional invitation can be very useful, especially in the following cases:


When you are inviting families with children. According to standard etiquette, the outer envelope is addressed to the heads of household only (for example, the Mr. and Mrs.) with the mailing address. What if they have 4 children, you ask? Ah...this is where the inner envelope comes in. Addressing the inner envelope will make it clear as to who exactly is invited from that household - including children or not. In cases where children are invited, the inner envelope would read as follows:

                                                                   Mr. and Mrs. Smith
                                                             Jack, Jake, Emma and Rose
     
When you are inviting singles with a guest. Many times, you will want to invite your single family members and friends to bring a guest, even if they are not dating anyone steadily or engaged. In this case, the "and Guest" part of the address would traditionally go on the inner envelope, again to clarify that the person is indeed invited with a guest:

                                                                 Mr. Jones and Guest

When going the informal route... Many people also opt for addressing the inner envelope informally, with just the first names of the invited. This is acceptable too:

                                                               
                                                                    Robert and Anna

Hope this helps clear up some confusion and aid in the decision on whether addressing the inner envelope is appropriate for your event. Read this older post for more envelope etiquette tips, and feel free to ask any other questions!

wedding trends: still in vogue, or passe?

My good friend Michelle is getting married to her college sweetheart, Steve, in the beautiful state of Connecticut this summer. Since she was here in Orlando for a trade show last week, my husband Stephen and I got to meet up with her for dinner on Friday night. During the course of the dinner, we talked about her upcoming nuptials and she commented on the fact that wedding blogs are *everywhere* and that as soon as she got engaged, she was bombarded.

Later she posted this article on wedding trends, and I wanted to get the thoughts of my readers, too. Are these trends still in vogue, or are they going out of style? Do you agree with the assessment of any of these?

Let us know what you think!

Pinterest and some wedding ideas

I've recently joined Pinterest (the online pinboard), and so far it is proving to be as addictive as everyone says. It's also a source of inspiration for the home, personal style, and of course, weddings. In my navigations I've stumbled across some interesting ways to display escort / place cards that are beautiful as well as fun:

From Martha Stewart weddings - heart-shaped cards with the name and table number written on one side. What a great thought!

From dauphinepress - make your guests feel like celebrity VIPs with these personalized escort cards that look like admission tickets!

Finally, also from Martha Stewart weddings - a neat alternative to the traditional guest book. Guests write little notes for the bride and groom and put them in envelopes for them to open.

If you aren't yet on Pinterest, check it out for lots of ideas! :)

photos capture memories

Last month I had the privilege to write an article about calligraphy as a guest blogger on Mark Moberg's site, After I Said Yes. It was great to get the word out about the value and personal touch of hand-lettering, specifically for weddings - and hopefully to dispel some myths in the process.

As I skimmed the older posts to get an idea of how the blog was structured and to get familiar with some of the contributors' thoughts, I was struck by this entry in particular. It gave a personal account of how years down the road, people revisit their wedding photographs (in this case, on the occasion of a 50th anniversary) and remember vividly and fondly the time, place and people who were there.

Photographs do the same thing for all of us. For example, when I was in high school I had an elaborate Sweet Sixteen celebration (similar to a quinceanera in Hispanic cultures). Not all families do this, but I was glad to be surrounded by relatives and friends and it was a wonderful night. The other day, as I looked back on the photo album of that evening, I was reminded of a beloved uncle, and a very special great-aunt - a family matriarch - who are no longer with us and the photos really capture the essence of their personalities. I know that in years to come my wedding album will have the same importance, not just as a memento of the day, but as a way to share the moments that make friends and loved ones live on.

So don't take this lightly when hiring! Be sure to invest in the work of an artist who can truly capture the special moments of your event. The memories will last, not only for a lifetime, but for generations to come.