While email communication is commonplace in the 21^st century, it is never a mistake to send a handwritten note to someone. In fact, according to David Masello, the “Social Graces” editor of Town and Country magazine, it may be more valued by the recipient.

Textured Note Card

David told the story of a previous boss who kept a file drawer filed with blank notes. Upon returning from a lunch date, she would immediately pull a card out at random, scrawl a fast note of thanks, and put it in her inbox. It is a habit he has learned.

People remember a handwritten, stamped, mailed note. It is guaranteed that what you write will be more heartfelt and memorable than anything in an email or text.

In a recent New York Times interview, Pamela Fiori, editor in chief of Town and Country magazine said: “In a world increasingly uncivilized, it’s important that we have some ties in tradition. And I honestly think that what we are losing with e-mail are our memories.”

What better way to send a note of thanks then with the new handcrafted notecards from Luxury Invitations. Available in boxed sets of 8 using many of our unique textured papers, the notecards can also be customized to your liking. Contact us at www.luxuryinvites.com for pricing and availability.

http://blog.distinctiveweddings.ie/2009/03/19/wedding-invitation-stationery-trends-for-2009/

I love invites! I love sending them, I love receiving them. They are your first glimpse into the wonderful plans a couple are putting into their big day. Friends I mine say, ‘oh they are just pieces of paper – does it really matter?’ I say ‘yes it does!’ Why go to all the bother and trouble of making sure everything matches, coordinates and looks right if the very first impression of the wedding is cheap and tacky!

No I am not saying you need to break the bank, but please don’t just send out poster like print outs that your 3 year old nephew doodled in Paint for you one Saturday afternoon. A little bit of research, perhaps a hand at DIY and you can definatly find or make a stylish first impression for your guests!

So what are we look at for the year ahead? Among the top trend this year are:

Pinstripes: whether they are vertical, horizontal, multicoloured or in a shade of signature hue!Pinstripes are classy, stylish and easily carried through in almost every aspect of your wedding if you chose this as your theme. From sashes on your or the bridesmaids dresses, the the dresses themselves, Grooms and Groomsmens suites or shirts. Your cake and floral arrangement and your table decor too – the sky really is the limit!

Embellishing invitations with small rind stones tiny pearl toned beads or minature Swarovski crystals makes a low key invitation fashionably stylish. Who doesn’t love a little bit of bling!Inexpensive little embellishments can really finish and invite off and transform plain pieces of paper, into stylish and luxurious hand made personalised wedding invites.

Vintage patterns and all over patterns have gained popularity over motifs, this trend is definitely echod through most areas of the Wedding Trends with 1920’s vintage styles coming through in almost every aspect! Pattern, pattern everywhere! I know there are those of you who are a little scared of pattern. Visions of rose pattern wall paper, borders, curtains, cushion covers and woolen throws all in one room have definitely scared alot of us. But when used correctly – in moderation, patterned cards and invites are elegant and stylish.

Couples commitment to the environment shines through with the majority of couples looking for recycled paper wedding stationary. And to save both on the pocket and the environment many couples have decided to make use of email instead of the traditional save the dates cards, we likely to see more simple cost savings initiative like this emerge in 2009. So boys and girls, get your thinking caps on – what can you do to save the environment?

2 layer folio Wedding Invitation

By PENELOPE GREEN

“SOME people spin on their high heels,” Jill Kargman was saying the other day. “I spin on my paper.”

Ms. Kargman, the author of social satires like “The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund,” out this spring, is not only conversant with the phrase “stationery wardrobe,” she has one of her own. It includes miniature raspberry-colored notecards with chocolate borders that say “Jill and Harry” (Harry is her husband), made by the Printery in Oyster Bay, N.Y., a century-old stationer from which she also orders white “empire”-size notecards with red borders and her initials; correspondence cards from Kate Spade printed with her first name; and pale gray sheets of writing paper with a white border from the Grosvenor Stationery Company in London.

“I draw the line at engraved stationery for my kids,” said Ms. Kargman, 35, who has three children under the age of 6, “though I know those that don’t.”

In May, Mrs. John L. Strong, the 80-year-old luxury stationer favored by the Duchess of Windsor, Pat Nixon and Anna Wintour, was shuttered, a victim of the economy and an overly ambitious business plan that called for expansion. Some worried that its demise was the death knell of the hand-written, hand-engraved note, and that thereafter all correspondence would be digital, no longer composed at one’s desk at home, but in that weird placeless zone known as “Sent from my iPhone.”

But for stationery fiends like Ms. Kargman, as well as for social aspirants — the real-life counterparts to the characters in her novels — what are still called “social papers” are thriving, in spite of, or perhaps because of, the prevailing digital culture.

A clarification is in order: real “social papers” are not boxed cards with your initial from your corner stationer. Social papers are made with hand-cut dies, a universe of fonts and stock in shades like creamy ecru, tobacco or artichoke, to name a few of the offerings at the Printery.

It’s a habit that doesn’t come cheap: prices start at $350 for 100 of Dempsey & Carroll’s best seller, the No. 3 notecard; $500 will get you tissue-lined envelopes to match. Dempsey & Carroll, founded in 1878, opened a storefront on 74th and Lexington last fall, in the Upper East Side’s shopping sweet spot, next to Roberta Roller Rabbit, the resort wear purveyor. Its business held steady during the downturn last fall, said Jonathan Arnold, the general manager, and has increased 20 percent since Mrs. John L. Strong folded in May.

Stationery aficionados say the cost is worth it: for the feel of the artisan’s hand — cutting the die, sliding the tissue into the envelope, feeding the printing press — married to the effort of one’s own hand.

“It’s a little flash of character and extra care,” said Celerie Kemble, a Manhattan designer who created a line of limited-edition stationery for Dempsey & Carroll last fall. “Using a card says, ‘You stopped me in my tracks and this comes from my heart.’ ” When you pair that idea with the choice of paper, font and ink — what Ms. Kemble called “a reinforcement of a decorative identity or a kind of personality stamp” — you have a memorable object, a keepsake.

ELIZABETH MAYHEW, a lifestyle expert for the “Today” show, is a paper hound so far gone she has filled a ceiling-high secretary with her collection. She described her stationery wardrobe, which is stocked with basics from Mrs. John L. Strong, Crane and Kate’s Paperie, as an extension of her personal style and design aesthetic.

“When you come to my house,” Ms. Mayhew said, “this is what you’re going to see.” Indeed, her Upper West Side apartment appears to be coordinated with some of her notecards, decorated in the same greens, chocolate browns and creams.

But writing a note, she continued, involves more than “just thinking about my own style.”

“I really think about who I’m writing to and what they would appreciate, and I try to match that stylistically as best I can,” she said. “That process is such a different emphasis from writing a quick e-mail.”

Larry Gordon, a designer at Polo Ralph Lauren, reported spending hours with William Miller, who has been running the Printery since his grandmother left it to him in 1990, working out typefaces and papers and whether or not to abbreviate the word “apartment” in his address. (They ended up doing it both ways.) “My wardrobe of stationery is as diverse as my wardrobe of clothes,” Mr. Gordon said. “And don’t get me started on ink color. I have five different shades of navy.”

It’s hard not to see the product of so much effort as anything but a sincere gesture, perhaps the last sincere form of expression we have. But there are those for whom social papers are simply an expression of economic muscle, or a poignant example of social anxiety.

“We had a bride-to-be complain the bruise was not pronounced enough on her invitations,” said Mr. Arnold of Dempsey & Carroll, referring to the faint impression that appears on the back of an engraved card. Too deep a bruise, he explained, was the sign of a less-than-top-drawer printer. Still, he said, “she wanted people to know she had had her invitations engraved, so she had the 200 invitations all printed again, at her expense.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/garden/02papers.html?pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

Personal Stationery

Ocean Tones

The blues of the ocean are a great inspiration from nature. They are restful and calm. Bonnie Krims, a color consultant, credits blue’s popularity with the current eco-awareness of today.

Plum

Blues are also taking on a more purple tone. The blue of an iris is one of the hottest colors right now. Move a little more purple, and you have plum, which has the makings of the new black!

Solar Yellow

The warmth of the sun connotes energy. The vibrant yellows and oranges in Pantone’s “Solar Energy” palette draw their inspiration from the sun and our eco-consciousness. A soft gray balances the hot colors beautifully.

Touch of Gray

Add a bit of gray into an all white color scheme and you have a new fresh look for invitations. Be sure to vary the textures to add the most interest.

Floral

Violets, pinks and greens are the most natural of flower colors to give your invitation a breathe of fresh air.

Personal favorites

The colors you choose are a reflection of your life and personal style, whether in your home, your clothing, or your event. Express yourself!

Q. We are having a Saturday afternoon reception that includes a cocktail hour and a full dinner. How do I let guests know that it’s not just an afternoon informal brunch? I would like it to be formal attire but not black tie.
A. One of the best ways to let guests in on the fact that the wedding is formal is with the invitations. Get ultra-formal, traditional ones — on white, ivory, or ecru paper, with the wording done in black script, maybe even with a gold or silver border — and that should do the trick. Give your guests the benefit of the doubt, too — if they receive a formal invite from you and read where your wedding is being held, you can probably trust them to dress appropriately.

Q. We are getting married at a local hotel located on the beach. The ceremony will be held outside, with the reception following in a banquet room inside. It seems almost silly to have a separate reception card with the same location, but I have no idea how to put it all on the wedding invitation. Any ideas?
A. All you have to do is add a single line to the bottom of your ceremony invitation: “Reception to follow.” It’s invitation parlance for “The reception is in the same place.” Just make sure your ushers know where to direct guests after the ceremony, so they’re all taking the most convenient route to the reception area.

Taken from The Knot: http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-invitations/articles/wedding-invitations-etiquette.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Preparing the proper lists.

Taken from www.decoratorsecrets.com/color-trends.html

Is it in or out?  If 2008 was the year of lime green, what is the hot color for this year?  What do I avoid so I don’t end up with the harvest gold of the 1970’s syndrome?  Stay tuned for the hot color trends for the 2009-2010 season….

Hope and Inspiration

Not only is it in the White House, but it’s in your house as well.  Yellow is THE color for this year’s decorating  palettes.  “The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “yellow also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”  We imagine this is a hot color that’s here to stay with a sunny outlook for the future.  If sunny yellow is too hot to handle in your home, tone it down to get the look without the heat.

Going Green

Green is not only the environmental word of the day, it’s also a color trend for the year.  Moss green in particular is making an appearance in many of the upscale home magazines taking the place of the kelly and lime greens of yesteryear.  Don’t even think of toning it down to the sage green of the 90’s, that was SO last decade.

The Luxury of Lavender

Lavender is the newcomer on the scene for this year.  Bright purple just doesn’t cut it – it made a brief appearance in the color forecasts and fizzled.   People just chickened out when they saw eggplant and amethyst colors hitting the walls.  Lavender is the must-have color for the bedroom, signifying elegance and luxury in a toned down fashion.

Americans are looking for something uplifting, says Patricia Call, an interior designer and a board member of the Color Marketing Group in Alexandria, Va. – and that translates to purple power.  “Historically, purple is associated with royalty. Now it’s being use for everything from cooking ranges to washing machines,” says Call. “In a bad economy, it gives you a lift to feel royal in the kitchen or laundry.

Going Gray

Slate and charcoal grays are the new neutrals.  Browns and beige are slip sliding away and going gray.  From pewter to ash – place a cool gray with almost any color for a hot pairing.

Aqua Cool

Aqua slipped into the scene in 2008 and has shown some staying power.  Aqua will be hot, hot, hot for the summer, but may fade into the sunset come fall – try it as an accent to make the transition.  

Scared to make the big leap to be a trend-setter?  Accent colors in the hot colors of the year make the grade when watching your budget.  

Exquisite Lavender Invitation Box

As the Emily Post Institute states, “If you think you should be sending a thank-you note instead of an email, then you should.” It is never wrong to send a thank you note, and it shows that you gave of your time in choosing the card, finding the address, mailing it, and you value the person you are sending it you. What a wonderful gift to receive!

Informal Stationery

1. RSVP

From the French, it means “Répondez, s’il vous plaît,” or, “Please reply.” This little code has been around for a long time and it’s definitely telling you that your hosts want to know if you are attending. Reply promptly, within a day or two of receiving an invitation.

2. How do I respond? Reply in the manner indicated on the invitation.

• RSVP and no response card: a handwritten response to the host at the return address on the envelope.
• Response Card: fill in and reply by the date indicated and return in the enclosed envelope.
• RSVP with phone number: telephone and make sure to speak in person – answering machines can be unreliable.
• RSVP with email: you may accept or decline electronically.
• Regrets only: reply only if you cannot attend. If your host doesn’t hear from you, he is expecting you!
• No reply requested? Unusual, but it is always polite to let someone know your intentions. A phone call would be sufficient.

3. Is that your final answer?

• Changing a ‘yes’ to a ‘no’ is only acceptable on account of: illness or injury, a death in the family or an unavoidable professional or business conflict. Call your hosts immediately.
• Canceling because you have a “better” offer is a sure fire way to get dropped from ALL the guest lists.
• Being a “no show” is unacceptable.
• Changing a ‘no’ to a ‘yes’ is OK only if it will not upset the hosts’ arrangements.

4. “May I bring…”

Don’t even ask! An invitation is extended to the people the hosts want to invite—and no one else.

• …a date. Some invitations indicate that you may invite a guest or date (Mr. John Evans and Guest) and when you reply, you should indicate whether you are bringing someone, and convey their name.
• …my children. If they were invited, the invitation would have said so.
• … my houseguest. It’s best to decline the invitation, stating the reason. This gives your host the option to extend the invitation to your guests, or not.

5. Say “Thank You.”

Make sure to thank your hosts before you leave, and then again by phone or note the next day.

17th Edition

This also makes great gifts for moms-to-be!

Hot Pink Sponge Engagement Party Invite