Monograms are a very popular choice when it comes to choosing your wedding “logo.” If you and your fiancé have decided that you want to add your monogram on all of your wedding details there are some “rules” you should follow.

Etiquette dictates that you don't use your married initial until after you are actually married. That means you should not use your married initial on any wedding stationery guests will see before the ceremony, including your save-the-date card and invitation. Some people will use their married monogram during the ceremony because it symbolizes two people becoming one, so while some etiquette experts will say don’t use your married monogram at all until after you’ve actually said “I do,” I don’t think the etiquette police will come after you.

Once you've tied the knot, you can use your married initial on any and every detail at your reception including your wedding favors, cake, menu cards, place and seating cards and any other items you are planning on having.

The invitation above is the Larson design from Abby Jean Press and is available in a rainbow of colors.  The coral and white combination is shown here.  You may be familiar with Abby, she's the author of the popular (and beautiful) wedding blog, Style Me Pretty.

Dave and I received a wedding invitation last week and in the lower left corner the phrase “Black Tie” was printed. So we took Dave’s tuxedo to the cleaner and I started to see if I have a formal gown to wear.

Then, yesterday Dave saw some of the other guests and somehow the wedding came up in conversation. He mentioned that he found a tuxedo in the back of the closet, and was relieved that he didn’t need to rent or buy one.  To which one guy replied, “You don’t need to wear a tuxedo.” It turns out his girlfriend called the bride and asked if a tux was mandatory, and she was told (by the bride) that a black suit was fine. A tuxedo was not mandatory.

After hearing this, Dave’s friend said that they should have printed “Black Tie Optional” so guests knew that they could wear a suit instead of a tux.  (I have to admit, I was impressed that he knew this bit of wedding info.)

My point: Before you print your wedding invitation really think about what type of attire you want your guests in—Tuxedos (Black Tie), tuxedos or suits (Black Tie Optional), suits (don’t print anything)—and have the appropriate phrase printed, or left blank, on your wedding invitation.

You already know that the invitation – to any event – will let your guests now what type of party they will be attending: formal or casual, beach or ballroom. While you want to make a statement with your invites, sometimes it’s hard to find a stylish and affordable one.

Pingg, a new online invitation company, offers beautiful e-vitations for free! Yes, that’s right, for free!

It’s so simple: Pick your occasion and then choose from hundreds of designs for the right image. (Their photos are beautiful.) Simply add your event details, guest list and click send. For a small fee you can send the e-vitation by text message. Your guests can RSVP online and there’s an event Web page to help you keep track of them. You can also add a link to your registry and upload photos and video.

While I’m still a fan of sending a more traditional (read: tangible) wedding invitation to your guests for the big day, I think Pingg e-vitations are a great source for invites for every other wedding-related party: engagement party, the shower, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid luncheon and post-wedding brunch.

Since last Friday we’ve been going through all of my grandmother’s things and we found the invitation to my wedding as well as the program, dance card and her seating card.  I couldn’t believe it.

I was reading through each piece, which I haven’t done in almost five years, and I think I found a typo.  In the program, after everyone’s name in the order that they were going to walk down the aisle, I listed the song that would be played and the author.  For some reason, there isn’t a song and author listed for my grandparents, which gets us to the point of today’s post.

Always have someone other than you and your fiancé review any stationery you’re having printed – invitations, reply cards, direction cards, programs, menus, favor tags – everything. 

At the time of my wedding I was working at Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and asked the magazine’s copyeditor to review all of the elements for me.  I can’t believe we missed something.

So when you get a proof of anything you are about to order – and you want to get a proof of everything – after looking over it yourself, ask a friend or relative to review it to see if they find a typo you may have missed.

 

 

Don't forget to stamp the RSVP envelopes you send with your wedding invitations.  A colleague of mine stopped by my desk the other day and asked me if the RSVP envelope she received with her friend's wedding invitation should have come with a stamp already affixed.  And the answer is yes it should have.

 

 

Martha Stewart’s new Occasions line is absolutely beautiful.  The collection is divided into several themes – seaside, water lily and floral cake - so you can coordinate all of your wedding day details from your invitation to your wedding favor.

 

And in addition to being pretty, everything is really affordable.  A set of 24 Water Lily Place Cards (above) retails for $12.99 and the Seaside Favors (below), which doubles as a place card is $19.99 for 24.

 

The complete line is available at MarthaStewartCrafts.com and at craft stores, like Michael’s.

 

 

 

And if you’re looking for unique ideas for your wedding, pick up the new Martha Stewart Weddings Collector’s Edition, filled with 270 of their favorite ideas.

If you’re still searching for the perfect invitation, and you live in Connecticut, you should definitely stop by stonington design+paperie’s atelier at The White Dress by The Shore in Clinton, CT tomorrow, Thursday, May 29^th or Thursday, June 12^th. 

An open studio will be held from 5:30 to 7:30p.m. where you’ll be able to view their beautiful invitations, as well as get ideas on how your ideas can be brought to life on paper.

If you already have your invite, stonington design+paperie can help you create paper details for your wedding, including: programs, menu cards, seating and place cards, favor tags and coasters.

In addition to browsing paper ideas, they’ll also have champagne and sweet treats for you and your guest (mom, hubby-to-be, maid-of-honor) to enjoy.

To RSVP please contact rachel@stoningtonpaperie.com. Space is limited so please reply early to reserve your place on the date of your choice.

If you don’t live nearby, or can’t make the event, make sure to visit the stonington design+paperie Web site when you begin to shop for invitations and paper accessories.  Their modern designs are lovely.  My favorite are the fondue dessert tag and coasters.

 

Have fun! 

I know I already mentioned that I was looking forward to the Stationery Show, so I thought since I’m there today, a stationery-related post was appropriate.

 

I actually didn’t see this product at the show, but at the Mrs. John L. Strong stationery section at Barney’s New York, and it’s also available at the Ms. John L. Strong Web site.

 

If you’re not familiar with this brand, it was founded in 1929 in New York City and has set the standard for hand-engraved stationery ever since.  Their clientele include American Presidents, royal families and prominent personalities and celebrities.

 

I just loved their Engaged Box, a set of 3 tablets (notepads) named: "Wedding-to-do", "Lucky in Love", and "Blissful Bride".  Isn’t this a great gift for a newly engaged bride?  Brides always need a notebook with them to jot down ideas and information they come across.  The set of 3 tablets in a wooden crate is $98.  You can order the set through the company’s Web site or visit one of their boutiques.  The flagship store is on Madison Avenue in New York, but they also have locations in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Seattle, Washington, DC and Westport, CT.

Are you familiar with the online wedding shop, Estilo Weddings?

 

They carry a variety of wedding accessories, including: favors, paper accessories, fashion accessories, ceremony accessories and a great line of products for showers.  One of my favorite features is their Get Inspired section, featuring ideas for four different wedding styles: Classic, Modern, Global and Organic.

 

 

I came across the site because I was looking for a store that sold fancy cupcake liners and they have a variety of styles.  Some even coordinate with themes – beach, garden or butterfly, stars and palm trees.

 

I just loved these liners and thought they would be great for a shower, or a wedding if you were serving cupcakes instead of a wedding cake.  The liners are sold in packs of 12 for $12 or packs of 50 for $46.

There’s a countdown clock on my desk and it’s not to my upcoming 5^th anniversary.  It’s the countdown to the National Stationery Show held in New York once a year.  It is my absolute favorite trade show. (The Fancy Food Show is a close second).

 

There are hundreds, if not thousands of designers from around the world showing their save-the-date cards, invitations, personal stationery and other paper items.

 

When I was a bride, I was able to go from booth to booth to see every designer’s collection and find the perfect one for me.  Brides without access to the show have to run from store to store and Web site to Web site looking at different samples.  But wouldn’t it be nice to have some of the top stationery designers in one place?

 

Well, now there is!  A new online stationery Web site, Minted,  offers brides and grooms a chance to check out designs by some of the stars in the biz.  You can also create a custom invitation and stationery accessories for your wedding through the site.

 

The list of the designers includes:  Blonde Designs (two former Martha Stewart Weddings art directors started this line), Cat Seto, CECI New York, Dauphine Press, Egg Press, Louella Press, Mia Carta, Mr. Bodddington’s, Oblation Papers & Press (eco-friendly), Paper + Cup, Peculiar Pair Press, Prentiss Douthit, Seraph, Tag & Co., The Happy Envelope and Wiley Valentine.

 

The best feature on the site is Minted’s invitation search engine.  You can select a color(s), style(s), price point and printing method and they'll find the perfect invitation(s) for your wedding.

 

As for the Stationery Show, I’ll be taking tons of notes and collecting samples so you’ll know what wonderful paper items and invitations will be coming to a stationery store near you.

Over the course of your engagement you'll probably collect pictures, paint chips, fabric swatches and a million other details.  You can either store everything in a box or bag in your parents' basement, or you can create a wedding scrapbook with the highlights of everything from the moment he proposed till the moment your plane touched down after your honeymoon.

Finding the perfect wedding invitation is not an easy task.  You want to find something that represents both your color palette and theme as well make sure that the style and formality comes across to your guests. Remember, your wedding invitation will be the first detail your guests will see.

 

Many wedding stationery companies have posted their wedding collections on their Web sites so that no matter where you are, you can look through their “book” and find the right invitation for your wedding.  When you find a design you like online or in a magazine, print or tear it out and add it to your wedding organizer.  Take these pages with you to your local stationer so you can show him or her what ideas you have in mind.

 

My original post for today was going to share with you the news of a new line that I just know you’ll love.  Wedding Paper Divas and William Arthur have created a book of beautiful letterpress wedding invitations and accessories (3 of which are pictured above) that I think are some of the most beautiful invitation designs I have ever seen.

 

While clicking through the Wedding Paper Divas’ site I came across their blog, Diva Dialogue.  Filled with stationery etiquette tips and planning advice, as well as invitation designs and stationery trends, I think this blog is a great resource for brides still trying to pick not just their invitation, but also their color and wedding theme.

 

When shopping for your wedding invitation, you will be asked which type of printing method you want to use:  Engraving, letterpress or thermography.  And if you’re not 100% on the difference between the three printing styles you should ask the stationer what the stylistic difference is as well as the difference in price.  Here’s the basic information you need to know:

 

Engraving is the most traditional of the three printing methods, and the most expensive.  The words on an engraved invitation are raised because they are pushed through the back of the page.  Crane & Co. and Mrs. John L. Strong are two companies that carry beautifully engraved invitations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letterpress, the oldest printing technique, has become the trendiest in the past 10 years.  Using modern - as well as vintage - motifs, stationery designers have made letterpress invitations very popular among brides and grooms.  The images and text on these invitations are pressed into the page.  Dauphine Press, Snow & Graham and Hello Lucky are three of my favorite letterpress stationers.

 

 

Thermography, the least expensive printing method, looks very similar to engraved stationery with the difference being that the words are flat on the page, and not raised.  If you are wondering if something is engraved or not, run your fingers across the paper to feel if it is flat.  If it is flat, then you know the printing method on the invite is thermography, if it's raised then the invite was engraved.  Thermography is a great way to get that classic wedding invitation look at an affordable price.  FineStationery.com and PaperStyle.com both carry a wide range of invitations printed using thermography.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*The invitations to the side of each printing method definition was designed, or is available, at the company in bold lettering. 

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you’ve probably noticed that my spelling and grammar skills aren’t topnotch.  So, to help me get better at writing I’ve started listening to Grammar Girl podcasts.  While listening to a few on the subway the other day I was pleasantly surprised when the topic turned to the proper grammar and wording for wedding invitations and announcements, and I thought I’d share her tips with you.

 

A groom called in to ask how he should have the year (2008) printed on their wedding invitation as well as the use of British English (honour) vs. American English (honor) on invites.

 

The general explanation is that we – the American public – tend to think of British English as a more formal language, and therefore it is appropriate to use the British English spellings and year on an invitation, which you may want to feel more formal than an invitaiton to say a backyard barbeque.

 

Click here to read, or hear, what Grammar Girl had to say about correct grammar for wedding invitations.  You can download the podcast for free.

 

 

While I usually start themed weeks on a Monday, this one is starting today and will run through next Tuesday.

 

The first piece of wedding stationery you shop for is your save-the-date card.  A save-the-date card is not a required element of your stationery wardrobe, but many brides and grooms like sending them because they can be a fun way to notify guests of your plans.  Save-the-date cards were initially intended to notify guests who have to travel to the wedding location what’s the best way to get there and where they should stay.

 

A save-the-date card is not an invitation, and that’s why many couples choose to write “Formal invitation to follow” at the bottom of the card.  I think several of Dave’s friends after receiving our save-the-date mentioned to Dave that I forgot to include an RSVP card with the “invitation.” 

 

While there are save-the-date cards that can coordinate with your wedding invitation, program and other paper elements, you may not know what your wedding colors and theme are at this stage of planning.  So be creative and create or find a card that really expresses who the two of you are.

 

Many couples like to include a photo of the two of them on their save-the-date, but if you don’t like the ones that you’ve taken and don’t want to hire a professional photographer, I’ve got the next best thing.  And actually, I think this is more fun.

 

 

Pose Prints will create an illustration of you and your fiance for your save-the-date card.  There are tons of options for you to choose from – hair style and color, eye color, lips, your outfit and hair accessory.  You can choose the background and personalize the text.  If you want something more customized you can work with Denise and Jen to create something really specific.

 

They also have bridal shower and bachelorette party designs, so if you’ve already ordered and mailed your save-the-date cards you can still get an invite with your photo on it.

 

For the month of April, Pose Prints is offering readers of the From “I Will” to “I Do” blog an additional 10% off their order - just enter the following promotional code when you checkout - will2Ido.

 

So as you know we're moving offices this weekend.  After changing my email signature so it includes my new address in Englewood Cliffs, I started thinking about traditional moving announcements.  

I don’t know if I made this term up, but I like it.  A Wed-site is a wedding-related website, and it can mean one of two things:

 

1 – a website a couple creates about their wedding plans, including pictures, date and location information

 

2 – a website about wedding planning

 

For this post I’m talking about the first definition.

 

Creating a wed-site for your wedding can be both fun – a creative outlet for you – as well as informational - for your guests.  There are a lot of companies that offer wed-sites with a variety of features.

 

I just learned about a new wed-site company, Nearlyweds.com, and I have to say, their features are really cool.  In addition to the basics – telling your story (how you met, got engaged), adding photos and a guestbook – you can also create your own wedding blog, an online contact list and have guests RSVP through the site. (I do not recommend having guests RSVP to your wedding via email, but for an engagement party, bridesmaid luncheon or rehearsal dinner it’s fine.  These are more casual events.)

 

The templates on the site are awesome.  Very modern, and since they were designed by some of the most popular wedding invitation designers – Wedding Paper Divas, Rock Paper Scissors, Feterie – you can even order your invitations to match your wed-site template.  If you’re all about everything matching this is right up your alley!

 

You can sign-up for a free trial for 2 weeks, and then the charge is $49 for two years.

Save-the-Date cards are a lot of fun to shop for because they can be very creative and informal. There are so many great designs out there, but I really like magnet save-the-dates because they help organize my cluttered refrigerator. I have magnet save-the-dates from years ago that are holding up this week’s grocery list.

I got very excited the other day becasue I came across a company that designs really cool looking save-the-date magnets.

Cluu Cards has a great collection of designs you can choose from, including “fairytale” and “Vegas Baby” featured above. You can also customize a design that fits your theme and personalities. There are destination themed and calendar magnets in the collection on her website.

Designer, Cindy Luu, also has a great selection of bridal shower invites that your ‘maids can order for your shower. With a magnet invite, no one will forget where to be and when!

Wedding Planning Tip: Remember that if you send a save-the-date card to someone, you HAVE to invite that person to your wedding, so review your mailing list a few times with your fiancé and parents before mailing them out.