Archive for April, 2009

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Wedding Wednesday – Destination Weddings

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

When you’re getting married, all that matters is love and being with that one special person that you’ll be spending the rest of your life with. On this ‘Wedding Wednesday’ I thought I’d share a little bit about destination weddings and their growing popularity over the past few years.

A destination wedding can be a whole week long event for the bride, groom, their family and friends. The bride and groom will pick a favorite or interesting location for their wedding and typically will honeymoon there after. This also gives your guests a vacation after the wedding too! When planning a destination wedding, keep in mind that depending on your guests budgets, this may be a minimally attended event. However, the most important thing is to celebrate your love with your closest family and friends. You can always have a separate reception upon your return for the guests that could not attend your event.

The best thing to do is send a save the date card about 8 months prior to your wedding. This save the date should include your wedding info, location and any travel information you have gathered. Many brides and grooms will include a separate card with their save the date with a wedding website, hotel and other accommodation information. The more information you can give your guests ahead of time the better chances they will be able to attend. When choosing a save the date card, choose one with a theme that matches your wedding and destination, like palm trees, mountains or a city background. Many couples are even sending fake luggage tags to guests with their wedding details on it!

When planning a destination wedding it is a great idea to have a wedding planner assist you in the location where you are having your event. This way they will be informed about the area’s cultures, customs, marriage license rules and vendors in the area. They can be more of a liaison for you and your vendors. When planning your finite details like the cake, flowers, decorations and dress try to be consistent but remember that you don’t have to go over the top. If your scenery is beautiful, you can go simple with the decorations. Also remember that if you’re in 110 degree weather a huge princess dress may not be the most practical (and you will have to take it on the plane)! Remember to hire a local photographer who can really capture the essence of your day and location…they will be treasured for years to come.

Tags:destination wedding, destination weddings, luggage tages, planning a destination wedding, Save the Date Cards, save the date inserts, Save the Date Invitations, wedding ideas, Wedding Invitations, Wedding Planning
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Vendor Spotlight – Cloud b

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

One of the most important necessities for baby development and healthiness today is sleep. One of our vendors promotes just that – a way for your baby to achieve a safer and calmer sleep. Introducing…

Cloud b products are designed not only for babies, but their parents as well. Their products are designed to provide your baby with a tranquil and peaceful sleep that will not only allow your tired baby to rest, but give the parents a much needed break as well. Cloud b has received awards for their products, such as the Gold National Parenting Award and iParenting Award.

Their unique products include Sleep Sheep, Lullabags and Twilight Constellation Turtles.

Sleep Sheep
Four unique sounds will lull your baby to sleep with this soft and cozy Sleep Sheep toy. The sheep is designed to allow for comfort and effortless sleep for both babies and adults. Four soothing sounds include a mother’s heartbeat, spring showers, ocean surf and whale songs. The sheep even has a Velcro tab to attach the sheep to the outside of your baby’s crib. Sleep Sheep comes with a removable sound box with adjustable volume control. The sound time can be set to either 23 or 45 minutes. Batteries are included.

Lullabag
Let your baby snuggle up at night in this comfy-cozy wearable blanket. The LullaBag blanket has arm openings for ventilation and a continuous dual-headed zipper to allow for partial or complete opening – great for those late night diaper changes. The blanket also includes a zipper guard to protect your baby’s face. The outer part of the blanket is made from 100% cotton and has a super-soft cotton knit blend inner lining. The top of the LullaBag is adorned with a Sleep Sheep & Friends character.

LullaBag promotes longer and safer naps for your baby and reduces risk factors associated with SIDS. Your baby will go to sleep in their everyday night-time clothing and then will be placed into the LullaBag right before going to sleep.

Twilight Constellation Turtle
The Twilight Constellation Turtle is not only a fun toy for your little one to play with, but also a learning tool for all members of the family to enjoy. The Twilight Constellation Turtle is the first and only plush constellation night light created.

The turtle’s hard shell will turn your baby’s room into a planetarium by projecting a starry sky onto the room’s walls an ceiling. Twilight Turtle comes with three starry sky color options: green, blue and amber. Each starry sky comes with adjustable brightness levels to create the perfect skyscape for your child to enjoy. The star patterns display eight different constellations which can be identified with the Twilight Turtle Star Guide. Batteries are included.

Happier, healthier babies make happier, healthier moms and dads. Why not give your child or loved one the gift of a peaceful night’s rest…

Tags:Baby Blankets, Baby Sleep Aids, Cloud B, Constellation Turtles, Lullabag, Sleep Sheep, Travel Sleep Sheep, Turtles
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Vendor Spotlight – Bonnie Marcus Invitations

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Simple. Modern. Chic. Classy. You’ll find all of these elements in our vendor’s contemporary line of stationery, graduation and baby announcements and invitations.

Introducing Bonnie Marcus…where fashion meets paper.

bonnie marcus logo

Featuring trendy silhouettes, stylish clothing forms and brightly colored designs – all hand drawn to perfection. It’s the most elegant way to invite your guests to your upcoming event or thank a loved one for their most generous gift.

Invitations – Set the tone for your upcoming event with these trendy and chic designed invitations. Choose from a sultry silhouette, gift scene, clothing form, shopping girl and more! Need an invitation for the mommy-to-be in your life? Bonnie’s StylePress features delicate designs with carriage silhouettes in pink and blue hues – the perfectly designed cards to announce or celebrate your new bundle of joy. Whether you’re celebrating your sweet sixteen, graduation, 21st birthday bash, an upcoming wedding or a baby shower – Bonnie Marcus has the perfect invitations to coordinate with your event. You can even go the extra mile and purchase matching thank you notes that directly correspond with your invitation.

bonnie marcus invitations

Stationery – Printed on high-quality 80 lb. card stock, these side fold notes are the perfect way for you to express gratitude for your gifts from your most recent bridal or baby shower, birthday or graduation gift. The front of the stationery is ordained with a unique design while the inside is blank to allow for a personal handwritten message.

If you like trendy and classy designs, Bonnie Marcus is certainly the line of stationery, invitations and announcements for you! Contemporary designs with great quality and at an affordable price – what more could one ask for?

Tags:bonnie marcus, Bonnie Marcus Invitations, Bonnie Marcus Thank you notes, Bonnie's Style Press, chic stationery, invitations, modern invitations, modern stationery, stationery, thank you notes
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Mother’s Day is Coming…May 10, 2009!

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our mom and mommy-to-be shoppers out there…whether you’re 22 or 82!

Mother’s day is a day when we all take time to remember and celebrate the woman in our life who has given us so much over the years and who continues to give to us every day. Whether you’re planning breakfast in bed, a surprise visit, a trip to her favorite restaurant or maybe just a drawing from the kids…take time to make her feel extra special this year.

Mother’s Day is on May 10th this year, so if you haven’t planned your gift yet, it’s time to start browsing! InvitationBox.com has a multitude of items that your mom will enjoy from personalized stationery to GUND stuffed animals, baby brag books, stickers, notepads, list tablets and more. Take a look at some of the great items available below…

Whatever gift you choose for your mom, make sure it is something that shows her that you thought of her unique personality and style and shows her that you took time and care in planning the gift.

Tags:Mother's Day, Mother's Day Gift Items, Mother's Day Gifts, Mother's Day Ideas, mother's day stuffed animals, personalized stationery sets for moms, stationery sets, teddy bears
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A Guide to Moving Announcements

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

The boxes are slowly being packed, moving arrangements have been made, new job is aligned and now all you need is a way to let everyone know – YOU’RE MOVING!

A moving announcement can be something as simple as listing your new address to friends and family on a small piece of stationery, or be an elaborate creation including your address, phone, email and family members’ information. Whatever route you decide to go, your moving announcement should reflect your personality and the reason for moving. If you’re moving for professional reasons, you may want to tailor your stationery and wording to a more mature audience. If you’re packing up the kids and moving cross-country you may want to send a more fun announcement with some humor or cartoon graphics. The main element to your moving announcement should be purchasing something that is to the point yet memorable.

Moving announcements should be sent anywhere from one week prior to one month after your move. Be sure to order your moving announcements 2-3 weeks before you want to send them. This will allow for your order to be processed and give you time to address your envelopes before sending them. As hectic as moving can be, you may not have time to send the announcements the day you move, so be prepared early.

Announcements should be sent to all family and friends, co-workers, neighbors, teachers, etc. – anyone you’d like to keep in touch with after you move or with whom you would like to have your new contact information.

Traditional moving announcements have your new address, phone number, email address and the names of any family members moving along with you. A more modern moving announcement can double as both a going away party invitation and a moving announcement. You may even want to start your own website and post pictures of your new home and move for long-distance friends and family to see.

Whatever the reason for your move, your friends and family will appreciate the fact that you remembered them and want them to have your new contact information. They will remember the creative way you announced that you were moving for years to come.

Tags:Announce your Moving, Housewarming Invitations, Moving, Moving Announcements, Moving Invitations
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Wedding Wednesday – Wedding Invitation Inspiration

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

I’m starting a new trend during this wedding season to help our newly-engaged-and-still-planning couples out at least once a week…It’s called Wedding Wednesday! So brides, get ready to be inspired with this unique collection of color palettes.

We all know it can be a daunting task to choose your wedding colors, or maybe just choosing a coordinate color after one color has been chosen. Your wedding doesn’t have to be matchy-matchy, however finding complimentary colors is essential in portraying a look of elegance on your big day.

This week’s inspiration comes directly from our Embossed Graphics Orchid Wedding Invitation Collection. This is one of our most popular EG wedding invitations, which comes at no surprise. This photo realistic invitation pictures vibrant purple orchids against a onyx (black) shimmer background paper which is layered atop of an ivory shimmer stock. This invitation is made from 145 pound card stock and all text is printed in white thermography (raised) ink. Just by picking the invitation first, take a look at all you can do with the vibrant colors and textures in this invitation…

Incorporate the orchid theme into your flowers and cake to recreate the actual flower. Have the groomsmen and bridesmaids wear purple or black accented clothing with maybe a single flower adorning it. Too “together”? Try going for simple black and ivory table linens and then just adorn each table with an orchid design or flower.

Stay tuned for more inspirational hues in upcoming weeks…

Tags:Choose your wedding colors, Orchid Wedding Invitations, Wedding Color Inspirations, Wedding Colors, Wedding Invitations, wedding invites
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Naming Etiquette

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Whose name goes first?

One of the most common mistakes when choosing the text for the front of your note card or even written on a formal invitation is the order in which a married couple’s name appears. Below are a few examples of the correct and incorrect way to write your married names:

Correct: Mindy and Alex
Incorrect: Alex and Mindy

*A bride’s name should always be printed before a groom’s name, as well as a wife’s name should always be written before her husband’s. The reason for this is that she is “given away” to her groom and thus should be first.

Correct: Mindy and Alex Johnson
Incorrect: Alex and Mindy Johnson

*A man should never be separated from his last name. Thus when you write “Alex and Mindy Johnson”, the “and Mindy” part is separating “Alex” from his last name “Johnson”.

Correct: Mr. and Mrs. Alex Johnson
Correct: Mr. and Mrs. Johnson

Incorrect: Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Mindy Johnson
Incorrect: Mr. and Mrs. Mindy and Alex Johnson

*If using “Mr. and Mrs.” for titles, only the man’s name should follow the titles. The first incorrect example does not work because it breaks the rule to never separate a man from his last name. While the names are in the correct order in the second incorrect example, the names do not match up with the order of the titles. For example, “Mr.” would be matched with “Mindy” and “Mrs.” would be matched with “Alex”. It is best to simply use both titles with the man’s first and/or last name.

What is the correct use of Junior?

Correct: Jonathan R. Turner, junior
Correct: Johnathan R. Turner, Jr.

Incorrect: Jonathan R. Turner Junior
Incorrect: Jonathan R. Turner, jr.

*There are two ways to write “junior” after a man’s name: either “junior” or “Jr.” if using the abbreviation. Both versions of “junior” should be prefaced with a comma after the last name. The word “junior” should not be capitalized and the abbreviation “Jr.” should not be lower cased.

Happy writing…

Tags:addressing envelopes, How do you write names, names on envelopes, proper use of junior, Stationery Etiquette
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Vendor Spotlight…Paper so Pretty Invitations

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

We have so many vendors it can be hard to view them all in just one visit to our website. I thought I’d make things a little bit easier for our readers and browsers with a weekly spotlight on one of our top vendors…enjoy!

Known for their bold colors, adorable designs, glitter cards and famous “Wigglers”, one of our most popular vendors has the perfect invitations, holiday cards, stationery and laser paper to add a little pizzazz to your upcoming event! Introducing…

What makes this vendor so unique is that they really have a knack for designing invitations for every stage of life, any personality style and any type of party. Look below to get a preview of their outstanding one-of-a-kind products:

The Famous “Wiggler” and “Glitter” Cards:

Imagine an invitation that’s so eye-catching that it actually pops out at you and then wiggles, jiggles and dances! These funky invitations have die cut top cards that are attached to the bottom card with a spring that makes the die cut move. Some of the wiggler top cards are even decorated with glitter for an added pop. You’ll be certain to receive kudos on your invitations with these cards!

Everyday Collection:

Invite your friends and family to your upcoming event with these unique and fun invitations. Choose from a flat card, die-cut or even a fold-up invitation that compliments your party’s theme. Whether you’re hosting a fiesta, cocktail hour, baby or bridal shower, sleepover, pool party or luau – there’s sure to be a design to coordinate.

Designer Paper:

Designer paper is a great idea for an invitation, menu, certificate, annual holiday letter – or more! Browse through the many whimsical designs and themes – be it a fiesta, holiday party, birthday, bachelor or bachelorette party, laser tag, Mardi Gras or racing car theme.

Paper So Pretty has such a vast array of fun, colorful and energetic designs, die cuts, bobble heads, jewel embellishments and more. Their designs are perfect for children, teens and adults and will warm their way into your heart!

Tags:Die Cuts, Fiesta Invitations, Glitter Invitations, graduation invitations, Paper so Pretty, Paper so Pretty Invitations, Paper so Pretty Invites, PSP invites, sweet 16 invitations, Vibrant Invitations
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Choosing the Correct Stationery Sets

Friday, April 17th, 2009

So you’ve decided to take a step up from the typical department store generic note card and use something special, personal and as thoughtful as the reason for writing the note. Now you just need to thumb through the thousands of options out there, and choose the right type, color and size note card that reflects you as a person.

Women:
As a rule of thumb, women should use a small folded note – typically about 3.5 x 5 inches in size. Traditional etiquette would suggest having the woman’s name centered on the middle front of the card, perhaps with a motif centered directly below the name. More modern stationery would have the name bottom centered or on the lower right corner of the card. Your hand written note should go on the inside lower portion of the note card. Or, if you have a lot to write, you may write on the inside top portion or the back portion of the note card. Traditional note card colors include white and ecru, yet with modern times, many more colors and varieties are becoming available. You should choose a note card that best reflects your personality and the message you want to convey to the recipient of the note.

Men:
Men should use a flat card rather than a folded note. The standard size for a flat card is approximately 4 x 6 inches or larger, if needed. Men’s flat cards are typically larger to accommodate larger hand writing. They should be adorned with the man’s name printed across the top of the card. Motifs on male note cards are not seen as often as on women’s note cards, but are certainly acceptable. White or ecru is the standard card stock color used, however a charcoal or slate blue flat card would be a more contemporary alternate choice.

No matter what type of stationery you choose for your note cards, thoughtfulness is shown when you take the time to write someone a personal note. With the growing popularity of email, texting and instant messaging, the traditional hand written note is becoming less common. In this day and age of hectic schedules, a hand written note shows the recipient that you care enough about them to take a moment to personally communicate your thoughts to them.

Tags:corporate stationery, flat stationery, folded stationery, men's stationery, note cards, notecards, stationery, top fold stationery, women's stationery
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1st Birthday Invitations

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Your baby is learning to giggle and play. He’s taken his first steps and is approaching his first birthday! This milestone in your baby’s life is one you will want to share with family and friends. From the decorations, food and guests, to the cake all over your little one’s face; this event will be something you will remember for years to come.

Choosing the type of party you will host may depend on your budget and your invitation list. If it is primarily a children’s party, you may want to have a themed birthday party with your child’s favorite Disney character or toy as the main focus. If more adults will be invited, you may want to have a more casual event with vibrant colors and great food.

When choosing the date and time of your event, remember to think of your child’s daily schedule. If the baby takes a nap from 2-4 p.m. daily, you do not want to schedule the party for 3 o’clock as this would make for one cranky baby. Also, pick a date that works well with your schedule, as well as your attendees. Planning a mid-day party during a weekday may make it hard for some working parents to attend.

After you have chosen your party theme and planned out the occasion, the next step is to find a 1st birthday party invitation that will compliment your event, as well as thank you notes to express gratitude for your guest’s contributions. Many of the invitations available have matching thank you notes if you would like to use matching items. You have many varieties to choose from which will vary by color, formality, theme, size and shape.

Below are a few examples of some of InvitationBox’s most popular 1st birthday invitations:

Be as creative as you like with your wording on the invitation. You may want to create a poem or rhyme or use jargon from the character that matches your theme.

Below are a few examples of 1st birthday invitation wording:

I’m learning walk, I’m learning to play
Won’t you please join me to
celebrate my first birthday?

a Birthday Party for
Rachel Lee-Robertson

Sunday, August 5, 2007
3 – 5 p.m.
224 North Main Street
Boston, MA

Please tell my mommy you’ll come!
(555) 555-9985

. . .

Emma Banks is turning ONE!
Please come join us for all of the fun!

Pizza, cake & ice cream

Sunday, August 5, 2007
3 – 5 p.m.
224 North Main Street
Boston, MA

RSVP by August 1st mommyB@email.com

. . .

Come on, Vamanos – and Join the Fiesta!!

Laura the Explorer is turning one!

Please join us for a Birthday Party of Adventures
and a special visit from Dora the Explorer!!

Sunday, August 5, 2007
1 – 3 p.m.
224 North Main Street
Boston, MA

Por favor respuesta 555.555.5569

Your baby’s first birthday party will be an event you will remember for years to come. Take many pictures, let the baby get messy with the cake and frame the invitation as a keepsake.

Tags:1st Birthday Party, 1st Birthday Party Invitations, 1st birthday party invites, baby party invitations, invitations, kids party invitations
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