The Stationers Guild

Wedding etiquette specialists of late have experienced renewed controversy on whether or not the gift registry information may be printed on a wedding invitation. The easy and proper response is: “Of course not!” One seasoned stationer who alleges to have worked with countless young couples to make custom wedding invitations asserts that “not one has chosen to add a bridal gift registry or website on their wedding invitation. It’s tacky, offensive and simply poor etiquette.”

Proposing a gift item or financial contribution in your wedding invitation diminishes the importance of the celebration. Although many believe that it is “convenient” to provide bridal registry information on the wedding invitation, convenience is no substitute for proper etiquette and good taste. Why don’t you just pick-up the telephone, call the parents of the bride or the bridal pair and extend your best wishes then simply ask where they’re registered. It is simple, quite personal and it has worked effectively for many years.

In a great many instances, bridal couples will send a save the date announcement which might include things like travel and lodging suggestions. If you plan to create a wedding website, it is now thought to be suitable to add the website address within the save the date card or within the supportive wedding papers.

Many will argue that this protocol or etiquette is old-fashioned. Quite the opposite, good manners is never out of place. When we continue to stress “convenience” and “efficiency” in orchestrating our interpersonal relationships, we strip the enjoyment and majesty from these milestone occasions within our lives.

To put it briefly, including gift registry details in your wedding invitation isn’t recommended and, indeed, numerous guests are likely to consider doing it vulgar and inappropriate. There are plenty of ways to bypass that problem with good planning.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about wedding invitations in the New York Metro area and Save the Date Cards.

Engaged couples browsing for wedding invitations often tend to assume that paper quality is probably the most substantial price consideration when searching for an online wedding invitation. While the fine quality of the paper is very important, other things to consider like the printing method, amount of ink colors and additional touches frequently play a much more significant role in determining the end pricing of your personalized wedding invitations.

Many quality printers utilize cotton fibers, high-grade wood fiber that’s been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council or a combination of both cotton and wood-based fibers. Even though these papers tend to be of a superior quality than re-cycled papers that a great many promote as “tree-free, these high-quality papers frequently cost a tad bit more but are certainly worth the nominal premium. In addition, these papers are typically far more “environmentally-friendly” and substantial than most papers sold online that claim to be “green” or “tree-free.”

Factors that tend to increase the price tag of printed wedding invitations are paper weight, colored papers and the number of ink colors used in printing the invitations.

Paper weight: Lots of wedding papers offered on the net are printed by commercial printers. Generally speaking, paper with a weight beyond 120 pounds can’t be sent by way of a commercial printer or ink-jet printer. Consequently, a weighty wedding invitation can only be printed using engraving, letterpress or, in some circumstances, with thermographic inks. This old fashioned printing method is likely to increase overall costs, but will generate a substantially more beautiful invitation.

Paper Color: Nearly all wedding invitations are printed on white or ecru colored papers making sure that ink colors resonate. Having said that, there is a movement in the direction of bold-colored papers. In these cases, only using a higher priced printing procedure like engraving seems to work to acquire the proper resolution between ink colors and darkly-colored papers.

Ink Colors: Whilst flat-printing, lithography and digital printing is effective with papers less than 120 pounds in weight, more old-fashioned printing procedures are necessary for more substantial papers. In such cases, each color needs to be applied in a separate press run, thus escalating prices.

When browsing locally for wedding invitations, it really is best to confer with an experienced stationer who will help you select the finest wedding invitation styles and papers for your expense plan.

The holidays are a most popular time for couples to get engaged. If you have decided to say “I do!” then it might be a wise idea to settle down early in the new year and plan your wedding. Found below is a short video highlighting some of the latest save the date cards and wedding invitations from Crane & Co.

For more information, visit a qualified stationer in your neighborhood of visit Crane online for additional information.

The emergence of letterpress wedding stationery, letterpress save-the-date cards, birth announcements and letterpress stationery over the last ten years is not surprising. Affordable second-hand letterpress printers have helped a lot of gifted artisans and designers to apply their creativeness to produce beautiful wedding invitations and stationery using this very old printing process.

Similar to the printing process used for engraving, letterpress makes use of polymer or metal dies to “press” ink into soft papers, principally cotton. Each and every ink color is applied with a individual press run, which calls for persistence and much skill to have the close registration needed to accurately align colors and design images.

Each May for the National Stationery Show in New York City, new letterpress vendors take center stage to market their latest styles. While letterpress was considered to be somewhat of a novelty some a few years back, the vast majority of recent letterpress printers and designers simply do not have the good taste, uniqueness and, in many cases, the talent and expertise to create pleasing letterpress invitations. The truth is, most of the “new” designs offer little that’s completely new. To be honest, the stationery marketplace is over loaded with letterpress.

Letterpress printers with deep traditions in the profession, including Julie Holcomb, Elum, Oblation, Press New York, Page and Real Card Studio are able to innovate and their firm hand and passion for the craft continues to raise the bar for letterpress printing.

While a few letterpress printers have migrated online, the majority of letterpress artisans market their product through knowledgeable retailers across the United States. Quoting pioneer Julie Holcomb, “If you are like most people, you have never ordered any kind of custom printing prior to ordering your wedding invitations. You can benefit a great deal from the experience of your local stationer, who orders all kinds of custom printing, from many vendors, all the time. They’ll help you make sure you’re covering all the bases and making decisions you’ll be happy with for a long time.”

Julie’s advice is truly worth following. If you’ve got your heart set on letterpress for your wedding invitations, it is wise to consult a highly skilled stationer in your area.

Sheila P. May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair, a stationery store located in Greenwich, CT. A native of Texas, she writes frequently Philadelphia Wedding Invitations>.

Early indications suggest that the 2012 wedding season appears to be one of the strongest in history. Although the economy continues to be weak, bridal couples who have postponed their wedding seem to be saying that 2012 is when they finally decide to get wed.

With this in mind, wedding companies are beginning to introduce new designs and styles in anticipation of the wave of new weddings which will begin in early January. Top printing company and designer William Arthur is kicking off 2012 with a bang with two renewed wedding albums and also the upcoming release of Vera Wang’s new wedding invitation designs. Color, striking new styles and designs and shower invitations that incorporate both classic and modern designs are conspicuously featured in William Arthur’s wedding invitation line.

Most importantly, William Arthur features many invitations that may be printed in letterpress, engraving or thermography. These options provide the customer the choice of deciding on a printing style that reflects their needs and price range.

William Arthur offers many unique designs at good prices and definitely ought to be on every bridal couple’s short list of “must see” wedding invitations. Also, they have a wonderful collection of save the date invitations and personal stationery.

See a William Arthur dealer in your town to view their line in person or visit them online.

Those seeking to design a singular wedding invitation to commemorate that wondrous event quite often view countless wedding invitation samples and printing options before deciding on their unique invite.

Previously there seemed to be a definite regional bias in the selection of printing. Wedding couples from the West Coast tended to favor letterpress printing and those from the East Coast generally prefered engraving.

Although this regional bias still continues, both printing styles continue to appeal to discriminating wedding couples who take pleasure in the refined colors and modern types of letterpress printing and also the unforgettable opaque colors of engraved wedding invitations.

The increase in letterpress wedding invitations has been powered from the appearance of accomplished artists that can acquire inexpensive presses to produce his or her wedding invitations and fine stationery. A serviceable press may be bought for anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 and a gifted artist using Photoshop can create spectacular designs then transfer those designs to polymer dies that are used in the printing presses.

Engraving is a similar printing method, but metal dies are produced by submerging light-sensitive coated copper die plates into an acid bath to create the dies. Both engraving and letterpress are usually more costly since each wedding invitation is hand-fed through the printing press. Given that each and every ink color is applied through a separate press run, the quantity of colors in the invitation elevates labor costs and, therefore, the total cost of your invitation.

Even though letterpress and engraved wedding invitations are usually the most memorable, those on a budget frequently seek more cost-effective solutions that mimic the creativeness present in letterpress and engraved invitations. The utilization of thermographic inks is an affordable alternative to engraving and also some flat-printed designs are appealing and capture the significance of the event.

Working with a highly skilled stationer in your area is perhaps the easiest way to craft a wedding invitation that meets your objectives and is also affordable. There are only a handful of online wedding invitation printers that have the design and printing capabilities and, above all, the service quality to make wedding invitations that will make you pleased.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about wedding invitations and save the date invitations.

When planning a wedding ceremony your wedding invitation should take the lead. But nevertheless, there are several other wedding events that often call for a particular invitation. For instance, save the date announcements, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and bridesmaid teas almost always call out for a unique invitation. If you are in need of inspiration or just merely at a loss as to where to begin, the solution to your wishes has just arrived at top stationery stores across the United States.

Crane & Co. recently published its great new Social Occasions Album, an album that contains numerous examples of Crane’s amazing wedding stationery designs showcasing the firm’s superior workmanship. This amazing invitation collection signals a welcome change in direction at Crane as it gets back to its rich traditions of making fine personalized stationery and custom invitations.

The new Social Occasions Album contains many samples of wedding invitations, save the date cards, Bar Mitzvah invitations, anniversary and company event invitations and a huge collection of reply cards, menu cards and personalized correspondence. Several of the samples are engraved, but Crane’s gifted designers and craftsmen are both equally skilled with letterpress along with other kinds of impressing.

For individuals arranging a wedding, Crane’s Social Occasions Album is definitely worth a look. Even though certain invitation designs are probably not designed for your wedding and reception; the wording or your invitation, typeface styles and ink colors can all be custom made to mirror the theme of your wedding event.

With a little imagination, virtually all invitation samples for significant birthdays or sweet sixteen celebrations can easily be a template design for a wedding reception, bridal shower or some other wedding celebration. Engaging an expert stationer in your town who carries Crane’s new Social Occasions Album allows you to design your own unique custom invitation design.

Reaching deep into its roots in the time the American Revolution, Crane has produced an amazing assortment of invitations, reply card sets and engraved correspondence that’s breathtaking in its design and imagination. See your local stationery store now or visit Crane & Co. at their online store.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about regional wedding invitation trends and the importance of save the date cards.

Stationers recently have noticed renewed discussion on whether the gift registry information may be printed on a wedding invitation. The easy and proper answer is: “Of course not!” One knowledgeable stationer who alleges to have worked with innumerable bridal couples to design unique wedding invitations affirms that “no one has opted to include gift registry information or website to their wedding invitation. It really is cheap, offensive and simply poor etiquette.”

Suggesting a gift or monetary contribution on the wedding invitation diminishes the value of the celebration. Though many insist that it’s “convenient” to provide bridal registry information within the wedding invitation, convenience is no substitute for proper etiquette and good taste. Why don’t you just pick-up the telephone, call the parents of the bride or even the bridal couple and extend your best wishes then ask where they’re registered. It’s easy, personal and has worked proficiently for many years.

In a great many instances, bridal couples will send a save the date announcement that may contain travel and hotel suggestions. If you plan to build a wedding website, it’s considered acceptable to add the website address within the save the date card or within the supporting wedding papers.

Many will argue that this protocol or etiquette is dated. Quite the contrary, good etiquette is never out of place. If we carry on and stress “convenience” and “efficiency” in dealing with our personal relationships, we take away the enjoyment and majesty from these milestone occasions within our lives.

To put it briefly, including gift registry details in your wedding invitation is not advised and, certainly, many guests are likely to consider the idea vulgar and inappropriate. There are lots of of ways to bypass that small problem with good planning.

Sheila May is the owner of Therese Saint Clair and writes frequently about wedding invitations in the New York Metro area and Save the Date Cards.

Save the date invitations are proving to be quite beneficial in helping to coordinate weddings. In the past, a save the date announcement was often useful to give your guests a “heads-up” when your wedding date was planned near significant holidays, destination weddings or just after Labor Day when quite a few were coming back from family vacation.

These days, the save the date invite has grown to be far more important in setting the stage for a wedding. People’s lifestyles are considerably more complicated and your wedding guests truly appreciate and, sometimes, expect to have advance notice to schedule very important events. Save the date wedding invitations sent six months prior to the wedding ceremony are rather usual and many experienced stationers are convinced that announcements are regularly sent a year ahead of the wedding event.

With a little bit of advance planning, a well-orchestrated save the date invitation can be a highly effective organizing resource. Specifically, lodging and essential travel information is generally included in your save the date invitation. This valuable advice is likely to energize your wedding guests who prefer to lock-in hotel reservations as well as advance airplane bookings to save on air fares. Having the proper information at their fingertips will be appreciated.

There’s a common misconception that the save the date invitation must be coordinated with the wedding invitation. This just isn’t the case. The majority of qualified stationers recommend utilizing an announcement that sets the mood for the wedding day. For example, a seaside scene for the island destination wedding, colorful leaves for a New England Fall wedding or possibly a rodeo for any southwestern-style wedding party.

The wedding announcement needn’t be expensive, even a sweet postcard will work, but it is a useful chance to help include much needed logistical information your guests may find helpful. Planning ahead and creating a save the date invitation that sets the mood for your wedding can provide a sense of excitement well before your guests receive their wedding invitation.

Sheila P. May
Therese Saint Clair

Online research is usually a handy and speedy strategy for finding advice. Even so, the amount of available information and facts are so vast it’s hard to evaluate what results are helpful. For illustration one can find well over 20 million results of the search phrase “wedding invitations” online. Exactly how many of these search results are relevant? Can you actually determine whether the content you’re getting is informative or merely a sales hype?

Found listed below are simple strategies which you might wish to consider before purchasing your wedding invitations on the internet.

Online Wedding Invitations Tips to Save You Money and use Your Time And Efforts Sensibly

1. Tighten Your Search with Qualifiers: Instead of making use of a simple search phrase like “wedding invitations” try something which reduces the range of the search. For example, “unique wedding invitations,” or “destination wedding invitations” will substantially decrease the quantity of search results and perhaps lead you toward better selections for finding the wedding invitation of your dreams.
2. Use a neighborhood Search Qualifier: There really is a widespread perception that doing a search online will produce far better tips that may help you design your wedding invitation. This is simply not the truth: search results for a product as custom-made as wedding invitations are often skewed in the direction of those internet marketing firms that did a superior job optimizing their site for web search. The previous CEO of Google refers to the internet to be the “cesspool of information.” One method of countering this deceitful information and facts are to introduce a zip code qualifier. For instance, if you live in the New York City area, enter in the search keyword phrase “New York wedding invitations” in the Google search bar and you’ll find local area stationery shops in your neighborhood specializing in custom stationery and personalized invitations.
3. Look for custom invitations that are also made available through independently owned local stores: One strategy for rather quickly determining whether you are dealing with a reliable firm on the web is whether they also market by way of well-known independent store dealers. Printing companies that distribute their goods through independent retailers are more likely to possess an established name in the industry and offer their potential customers the ability to shop in your neighborhood or online. This is an unmistakable sign that you aren’t going through a novice printer.

Whether you want to search locally or buy online, make certain you think about the options very carefully. If you would like a truly special wedding invitation, it is often best to go with an expert stationer where you live.

Sheila May is a founding member of the Stationer Guild and writes frequently about save the date card trends and the perils of online shopping.