Write a Great Thank You Note

Found at Weddings Beautiful

I am weird, I love to write cards, letters, send snail mail, write thank you notes. I feel like writing a thank you, is such a lost art. We just send a text or {gasp!} write an email.

But getting a card or letter in the mail makes me so happy, I just love to open a card - maybe it's knowing that someone took an extra 10 minutes out of their life to write something to me and spend almost 50 cents to mail it, means a lot.

So, next time you write a thank you card here's a great thank you note formula to help you.

Happy Writing!

Plexiglass Menu Card

Found via Bernadette Coveney Smith via Luxe Finds

I found these super modern and go with everything menu cards and table numbers and I knew I had to share them with you!

 

Printing on Plexiglass can be pretty cost effective, if you are looking for something different, unique and gives you the ability to express yourself, I think you've found your medium.

 



DIY Stamp Ideas

Stamps are a great way to really put your own personalized seal onto different wedding stationary and other paper goods. For instance, one of our brides used a horseshoe stamp on paper bags that guests could keep to put their shoes in while they danced the night away! It was a super personal and creative way to put her personality into a simple paper bag.

Now you can get even more creative with some awesometastic DIY stamp tutorials we stumbled across at April Foster Events!

This one uses bundled celery to make a rosette stamp and the result is simply fantastical.

Via April Foster Events via Maureen Cracknel Handmade

The other stamp tutorial we thought was really neat shows how to make rolling pendant stamps from a simple piece of cork.

Images Via April Foster Events via A Bit of Pilli Pilli

What an excellent excuse to use up that bottle of wine you have laying around!

Would you use these DIY ideas on your wedding paper goods?

What will your Wedding Say about You?

So I got a package in the mail that totally caught my attention, it was a large brown package with "Mab Libs" style fill in the blank everything! And I loved it! I emailed the owner of the company immediately told him that I loved him, his product, and I wanted to marry him. And thus begins my love affair with Write on Riot. Their website is under construction... so be patient, but their product will have you laughing until you pee yourself.

Fair warning, I wrote the below card on a sample I was sent, this is my handwriting, my words, my reeeedikulousness... don't judge a company by my dorkyness.

Now I'll turn my blog over to Rob Dalton, the owner of Write on Riot.

Chances are, if you’re reading this you’re somewhere between dreaming about your future wedding and putting the finishing touches on the smallest details of your big day.


For most brides and couples, personalization is the most important aspect of the planning process. You want your wedding and reception to be creative, special and uniquely… well… you.

So, what if an element of your reception could truly be one-of-a-kind? What if your guests were part of the creativity and fun? And, what if a reception could be a lot more awesomtastic (word used with permission, 2011 Melissa DiStefano) for not a lot more money? That’s what we asked ourselves when we created our fill-in-the-blank Wedding Reception Wish Cards.

Write On Riot™ is a new company dedicated to celebration, belonging and fun. Our Wish Cards are a way for your guests to tell you how much they love you in their own personal (and often hilarious) way. The header of each card says, To the happy couple, on this special day I wish for you… (followed by) enough ___________ to last a lifetime, a love like the song __________, in-laws that never __________, excitement like the movie _______, good health so you can still _________ when you’re 100, and more.

Every completed card is a unique expression of belonging and love. Your college roommate will fill in the blanks in a completely different way than, say, your Aunt Helen will. The answers are sweet, funny, thoughtful and always personal.

How Wish Cards can start your reception on a fun note: Place one Wish Card at each reception table place setting. (It’s a good idea to buy fresh pens and leave one for every two guests at each table as well.) Most of your guests will fill out their Wish Cards right away because they’re fun and they’re great conversation starters.

Your wedding planner (ahem, hire MasterPiece Weddings) or attendant can collect the cards and pens before dinner is served, and store them for you in a safe place. Make it a keepsake. The cards can be inserted into a photo album made for 4" by 6" photos. Some couples place each Wish Card across from a photo of the guest who filled it out.

Skip the Guest Book and find out what your guests really want to tell you on your special day. Wish Cards cost just $7 for a pack of 25. There are four designs to choose from, and three colors of each design. You can buy Wish Cards at writeonriot.com/wedding as well as our fun, fill-in-the-blank shower invitations.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

(PS - Be on the lookout for a giveway and a discount code exclusive to MasterPiece Weddings!!!)

MasterPiece Weddings was in no way compensated for this post, we just love this company and wanted to share the awesomeness with you. Because we like to share cool things with our readers not because we were compensated in anyway.

Sweet Deals Continue!

There are so many ways you can personalize your wedding, unique favors, beautiful custom invitations, gorgeous floral arrangements, or a super awesome monogram to use on your invitations, seals, your cake, napkins, thank you cards, a bazillion different ways, and you know how I love me some monograms!

Leslie Vega Invitations and Stationary is giving away a free custom monogram!! Head over to her blog and comment here and you could win your own custom monogram!!!

And Guest

When you get an invitation to a wedding, do you even think about what the inner envelope says? This is a problem as of late. People don't think about it.

These are the people that are invited to the wedding, the people listed on the inner envelope. And if there isn't an inner envelope, it's the people listed on the outer envelope.

That means that if it just says Tammie Jones, Tammie is the only one invited to the wedding, not her boyfriend or her kids.

If it says Tammie Jones and Billy Joe, that means that Tammie and Billy are invited, not their kids or their kid's kids.

Don't try to bring or invite a guest if it doesn't say "and guest" on the invitation, the bride and groom (or her parents, his parents, whoever is paying for the wedding) is paying a good chunk of change for you to attend their wedding. Don't force it.

It's just not good etiquette, its not fair to put the bride and groom in that situation.

Casablanca Photoshoot- Details

There were so many amazing details for the Casablanca Photoshoot, two of my favorites were the place cards, menu cards, and the invitations, those were done by LV Studio.

And the cake, it was so perfect!! All thanks to KB Kakes. A Moroccan themed gorgeous cake, don't ya think?

Photography: Verve Studios

Florals, Decor, Linens, Propping: The Event Divas

Paper Party!

There are just a few more available spots for the Paper & Sweets party tomorrow night at our studio! Please join us for Dragonfly Sushi, Ms. Debbie's sweet confections, and gorgeous florals by Dan Hathcock at Unforgettable Events and Photography by Verve Studo! And don't forget the music stylin's of Jarad from Gyn-s Entertainment!

And of course some amazing invitation designs, place cards designs, save the dates, logo and monogram designs. By the incredibly talented Leslie Vega!

Invitation Shots

With everything a bride has to remember on her wedding day, it is no surprise that bringing along a copy of her invitation isn't usually high on the priority list. But, it should be! That extra copy may not last forever, but having photos of it taken on your wedding day will. And, why wouldn't you want to preserve that first piece of paper that started it all? Plus, while you have your photographer contracted to be with you and taking photos for you anyway, why not have them snap a few of your lovely little invite? Still not convinced? Check out some of these beauties.

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Contest Alert!

How would you like a $100 Gift Certificate from Wedding Paper Diva's!!! All you have to do is leave a comment below!

We know that the cold winter months can be, well cold. So to provide a touch of inspiration during the cold winter months, we are sponsoring a “destination wedding” invitation contest!

The conntest will run until December 21st at midnight - and you can win a $100 gift certificate from Wedding Paper Diva's!

Just leave a comment below and we'll randomly select a winner- anyone can enter! If you love paper - what are you waiting for, a $100 gift certificate can be yours!

Tell your friends, your neighbors, your dog!!!

I heart LetterPress!!

While we are on the subject of stationary {okay, go with me here....} you know that us MasterPiece Weddings girls are Stationary Whores. Self professed of course.

But when I saw this video I knew I had to share it with you! We love LetterPress, we all think it's gorgeous and romantic and beautiful!

But watching the video shows what a true labor of love LetterPress really is! Each piece is hand fed, hand designed. Truly incredible!

Thank you BirdDog for showing us, we heart you!

Postage...

I know this has been talked about on this blog before, and every bride thinks about how much her invitations will cost and how much will they cost to mail.

But you never know until those bad boys are actually in your hands. Don't assume that just becasue they measure properly for a .42 stamp that they actually will weigh properly for a 1 ounce stamp.

Wait until you have them and then bring them to the post office, have them weigh and measure them - then you will know the proper postage amount. You may even want to bring two, just in case.

{Really beautiful invitation picture from Unique Designs}

Letterpress Love!

As I am sure you already know, MasterPiece Weddings, loves Letterpress, we actually love all things paper, but Letterpress is something that we literally drool over.

So when a care package came from our friends at Erickson Designs, informing us that they have started a new division Lambert Letterpress, I literally jumped up and down!

The stock is unbelievable! {Their business cards are seriously thick, are made of lettra, so they are tree free!!!} The designs are like nothing I've ever seen before, the details... well, let's just say we are swooning over them!

I'll take some pictures of the samples that they sent me, and show you, they are truly amazing!!!

Invite Etiquette 104

This next question has do do with liquor at a reception and offering a cash bar. I feel quite honestly, this is completely unacceptable. Try really hard not to have a cash bar, if your budget is that tight, just don't have alcohol. Or limit the alcohol to beer and wine only - take a peek at this great post by my friend Saundra.

Here is Invitation Consultants take on having a cash bar at the reception:

• How should I indicate that there will be a cash bar at the reception?

What Emily Post would say…any references to food or drink should not be included in the invitation wording (however, it is of course acceptable to include the menu options on your RSVP card).

What we have to add…Your best bet would be to put this information on a reception card if absolutely necessary. Otherwise, again, this is great information to include on your wedding website and to be spread via word of mouth. Other examples that fall into this category would include if you want your guests to know you are having a dry reception.

I hope this information will help you navigate the sometimes bumpy road of wedding invitation wording etiquette. Please feel free to post any questions or comments. And visit our blog for more fun invitation facts!

Thanks so much to Melissa for giving me the opportunity to post this week, it sure has been fun!

Invite Etiquette 103

This next question has been a very touchy issue with lots of brides. Although I think everyone already knows the answer, for some reason durning the planning process our minds get all foggy with mis-information. Let's see what Invitation Consultants has to say about gifts. And have you seen their blog?

• How do I let everyone know our registry information?


What Emily Post would say…it is NOT acceptable to list gift registry information in your wedding invitation wording. Traditional etiquette would have you avoid mentioning gifts at all, even to say “no gifts, please.”

What we have to add…Save the date announcements and bridal shower invitations are meant to be informal, so it’s more acceptable to indicate registry information there. Just as with attire inquiries, guests will want to know where you have registered, so including your wedding website in your save the date or bridal shower invitation enclosure would be really helpful.

However, if you have any specific requests such as wanting monetary gifts only, please do NOT notate this request anywhere on invitations, save the dates, or enclosure cards. Requests for specific types of gifts should be limited to being spread by word of mouth or listed on your wedding website.

Invite Etiquette 102

Today Invitation Consultants tackle attire... this is a question I ask of all of my brides, what are they expecting their guests to wear. You can very easily accomplish this task by the formality of the invitation.

• How do I notate what attire is requested/required?

What Emily Post would say…you only need to notate the dress if the reception and wedding are held at the same location. Also, if the event is Black or White Tie, you’d want to indicate so in the bottom right corner of your reception card (or invitation if applicable).

What we have to add…for non-formal weddings, consider using the word of mouth or wedding website approach. Although you don’t need to notate the dress on your invitations, a lot of guests may ask you what they should wear (I had a beach wedding, and a LOT of people were unsure of the appropriate dress). This could save you some phone calls, which is always a plus. Please also make the distinction between requested and required. For example, if the country club is requiring jackets and ties from the gentleman for entry, then say so. However, if you are requesting costumes, then you can indicate this, but you cannot require it of your guests.

Check out Invitation Consultants Blog!

Invite Etiquette 101

Recently we've recieved numerous invitation questions, and for those answers, I turned to our old friends at Invitation Consultants. This week we are going to be tackling those invitation etiquette concernts. So without further ado, I bring you Dawn from Invitation Consultants.

Hello, adventurous readers! My name is Dawn, and I am a consultant with Invitation Consultants. Although our consultants answer questions on our products and the ordering process, we also receive a lot of inquires regarding invitation wording and etiquette. Most brides have never done this before, so all the intricacies of wedding etiquette can be a bit (or sometimes a lot) overwhelming. Sometimes clients will apologize for their not already knowing the answers to the questions they ask, but let me just tell you, I did not know a THING about this topic until I started working in the wedding industry. Try not to be hard on yourselves; this is for the most part all new information. If you, like me, were not all born with the inane sense of Emily Post perfect etiquette, the following is a list of common invitation etiquette questions and our suggestion for how to answer them:

• How do I request adults only for my wedding and/or reception?

What Emily Post would say…it is simply not appropriate to write this request (no matter what the format) on the invitation or enclosure cards. The most tactful way would be to address the invitations only to members of the family who are invited. So, for instance, you would address them to “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith” instead of “The Smith Family.”

What we have to add…never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Your request can start from the bridal party or your mother/mother-in-law and spread from there. Also, a lot of brides and grooms have their own wedding website, which can be created at no cost at many different websites (listed below in “resources”). You can list this request on the website as backup. If you insist on writing the request, we recommend doing so on the either the reception card (preferably smaller at the bottom) or within the RSVP wording, such as “___ out of ___ adults will attend.” If you have a lot of guests with families traveling from out of town, it would be a really nice gesture to consider hiring a couple of babysitters (or enlisting teenage family members/friends). It’s a lot cheaper to buy pizza for the children than to have them attend event, and it will make everyone happy!

Don't worry there is lots more to come this week from Invitation Consultants!

Have you heard the Buzz?

Can you hear the Buzz tonight?

Dare to b Unique the motto of Unique Designs... I had such a blast chatting with them! It's nice when you meet someone that you click with right away, and are able to chat about anything. I've had the best two meetings with Giovanni and Kenya from Unique Designs!

They are so much fun - have such great spirits, and are willing to do or try anything! Oh, did I mention they are do invitations!! My favorite subject lately... paper! You should check out their site, and then in the next month when they unveil their Couture line, you can swoon and drool with me!

I Heart Paper {Diva's}!

Recently, we had a chance to work with Wedding Paper Diva's - and their work is really beautiful and very affordable. One of the many reasons to work with Wedding Paper Diva's is that they offer a Free Proof of your order, which is fantastic, because seeing really is believing.

They have a new LetterPress Invitations which is out-of-this-world-beautiful, if you haven't had an opportunity to take a peek, there are so many options and it's really gorgeous!

They also have a new Cultural Wedding Invitations, which adds to their already expansive line of beautiful stationary!

When you have a moment, head on over and take a peek.

Let's Give her a Hand!

Hand Canceling that is... Having your invitations Hand Canceled just looks so much prettier!
Here is an example.

Machine Canceling:


Hand Canceled:

It's just a much more clean look. Although... not all post offices do it. You must inquire in advance, find out if you need to do the stamping or if they do.. and if you need to show up right as the post office opens- there are more rules.

But I totally think its worth it.