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party
possibilities |
The
411 on Invitations
April 2007 |
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Everyone,
who knows me, knows that I *love* invitations. >From
the most important occasion to the simplest gathering, I
send invitations. Why? Because they provide critical
details about my party (what, when, where), establish
the theme and make a great first
impression!
Inside
this issue of party possibilities, I provide help on
where to buy, what to say and when to mail invitations,
as well as share some alternative ideas and invitation
etiquette.
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Online
FineStationary.com and PaperStyle.com are well-known online specialty invitation stores.
Both have a great selection and offer the option of
printing or buying blank stock. However, my favorite
online store for invitations is paperbuzz.com,
which is a small boutique located in central
Virginia
. They, too,
offer a broad selection of brand name invitations and
the option of printing, but they offer more fun,
modern-looking invitations and offer smaller quantities,
usually sets of 10.
Retail
My
new favorite local store for invitations is The
Dandelion Patch, located in
Vienna
and now, the
Reston
Town
Center
. Like other
stores, they offer a broad selection but because I get
to walk around and see the invitations, I always leave
inspired. Further, they provide outstanding customer
service.
And beyond
Virginia
, but still in the metro
region, I recommend Creative
Parties in
Bethesda
, owned by my
friend, Tracy Bloom Schwartz, CSEP, who is super
talented. She not only provides boxed invitations but
has the creativity to produce custom (award-winning)
invitations.
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Need
a clever message to excite your guests into coming to
your party? Then, I have two suggestions. First, visit VerseIt and use the drop-down menus to reveal suggestions for
any occasion. If you don't find what you're looking for,
then peruse the online invitation web sites and read the
text on their
samples.
Miss
Manners says to send invitations two weeks before the
event. While that's fine advice if you are having a few
couples over for dinner, I suggest more time if you're
hosting a large party. Typically, I advise my clients to
send out invitations at least three weeks in advance and
most people feel more comfortable with a month out,
especially if the celebration is very important (e.g.
milestone birthday or anniversary) and
expensive.
Note
about Postage
Postal
rates are increasing as of
May 14, 2007
. First class stamps
will cost $.41 each and postcards will cost $.26 each
but the cost of sending invitations over one ounce -
like wedding invitations - will go down to $.58 each.
Additionally, the USPS will issue a Forever Stamp, which
may be purchased for $.41 (currently) and may be used
regardless of postage increases.
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Alternative Invitation Ideas
While
I prefer to print and mail specialty invitations, there
are other options for inviting friends and family to
your next soiree. Email and phone are easy alternatives
to get the message out, and in lieu of fancy, sometimes
expensive invitations, why not use normal stationary or
purchase materials to make your
own.
Email
There's
traditional email and better, evite,
which has come along way in the past 10 years. evite
offers many themed templates and an easy-to-use
application, as well as options for driving directions,
adding your event to the guest's calendar and sending
reminder emails. Further, you can search for recipes and
party decor ideas based on your
theme.
Phone
If
you have time, personally calling guests is a very nice
touch. Just remember to speak slowly and clearly and
provide all the event details including date, time,
location and phone number to
RSVP.
Stationary
When
my husband and I were expecting our second daughter, our
neighbors hosted a lovely dinner. Our invitation was
handwritten on a beautiful note card. Granted, Martha
has nice (and really straight) handwriting but it was a
great keepsake for the baby's book and reminded me that
you don't have to go to great lengths to extend an
invitation.
Make
Your Own
Paper
Source, with retail stores in
Georgetown
and
Alexandria
, too, has
the best selection of paper, envelopes and
embellishments to make your own invitations. They offer
a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, as well as
decorative papers, do-it-yourself kits, labels,
stickers, stamps, punches ... you name it. A vist to
their web site or store will truly inspire you - to make
something or take a class to learn. And, if not, then,
they do offer printing,
too.
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Invitation Etiquette
There
are many books and web sites on invitation etiquette.
Most pertain to wedding invitations. I won't begin to
outline all the do's and don't but below are a few that
I use routinely when designing party invitations,
including the one on Rsvp, which I just
learned.
- Avoid
abbreviations
- No periods
at the end of a line
- The first
letter of each line is not capitalized unless it is a
proper noun (e.g. October)
- The date
is written out, without the year (e.g. Satuday, June
16) and the time may be written as 7:00 or 7:00 -
10:00 with or without the
p.m.
- Use 'Rsvp'
instead of 'Regrets only' or nothing at
all
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Parties
are fun to plan on your own but when your next special
occasion requires more creativity, patience and time
than you have to spare, please contact posh
parties, LLC. With over 10 years of party planning
experience, we make entertaining effortless and
enjoyable for our clients!
Ashleigh Dorfman, CSEP
posh parties, LLC
phone: 703.476.6530
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