PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO HELP THE HOST

We offer the following tips to help make your experience easy and enjoyable. These tips come from our 30 years of experience in working to make events large and small a success by starting them off on the right foot, with a quality invitation.

Your Design Made to Order:

We work with you to create the invitation you have in mind. Our many different albums provide a great starting point. You may wish to expand on our work, and we look forward to incorporating your components into your special design. We carry a wide line of accessories for your invitation, but you may have that special item which we can use to make the invitation look and feel just like you. With open hearts and open minds we can make the invitation truly yours.

When to order:

We recommend three to four months before the affair date. This provides the time you may need in invitation design, addressing the invitations, and mailing. You should strongly consider "Save The Date" cards, especially for out of town and overseas guests (see more on this idea below).

FOR RESPONSE CARDS:

The reply date is typically three weeks before the big day. But, increasingly we are seeing response dates of four weeks before the date of the affair.

FOR MAILING:

Mailing invitations six weeks prior to the affair date is proper etiquette, as is sending out almost all of the invitations at the same time. Out of town guests and those coming from overseas should be notified informally months before the date so that they can plan their travel.

Save the Date:

A very popular way to provide out of town or overseas guests with the opportunity to plan to join you, and to look at travel arrangements, is the "Save The Date" card. These are usually sent out four to six months prior to the event. The cards normally state your name (s), the date of the affair, and the city or town and the state where your event will take place. At the bottom of the card is a note that "Invitations will follow" so that there is no mistaking the "Save The Date" card for the actual invitation. Often "Save The Date" cards include accommodation and event itinerary information.

What to Include in Your Invitation:

The purpose of the affair

• Name of the honoree
• Day and Date
• Time
• Name of Place
• Location of Place
• Name of the host

Wording Your Invitations:

• Do NOT use abbreviations
• Days and dates are always spelled out
• Times and years are always spelled out
• Punctuation is not used
• Commas may be used to separate information on the same line
  

Mailing:

RESPONSE CARDS: It's a good idea to coordinate the response cards so that they are identifiable when they are returned. This can be done by lightly marking the back of the card or envelope to coordinate to a guest list you keep. You may also hand write the guests name on the back flap of the envelope. It is also a courtesy to stamp the response envelope for your guests.

STUFFING THE ENVELOPES: With the invitation envelope flap side up and open, the invitation and any accessory items should be placed in the envelope with the printed side up. With the accessory items placed on top (smallest on top), the invitation should be placed on the bottom. For pocket invitations, the accessory items should be placed in the pocket. The response card should be placed under the envelope's flap, not inside of it. The envelope should be preprinted with the mailing address, and should be stamped as well.

TODAY'S BUSY SCHEDULE:

ENVELOPE ADDRESSING: Ordering envelopes in advance is a great way to jump start the task of addressing while the invitations are made.
SEALING THE ENVELOPES: You have a choice of sealing the envelopes with a moist sponge or a glue stick. If you prefer, an adhesive strip can be applied to your envelopes.
PROPER POSTAGE: The weight of your finished invitation will determine the cost of postage. Consult with your local postmaster for exact rates.
SELECTING STAMPS: Find out what's available at your local post office so that you can match your invitation and response envelope stamp.
HAND CANCELLING: You can take your invitations to the post office and request hand canceling. This prevents your invitation from seeing the damage machines can cause and keeps invitations neat.