Wedding Invitations Unveiled

The love of your life popped the “big” question, you said yes, and now you find yourself in the middle of Bridalmania.  Venues, dresses, flowers, catering, and photographers oh my.  So much to do, so many decisions to be made.  

Our specialty lies with your invitations, which will be the first impression you give to your guests.  They won’t only announce your wedding, but will give subtle hints about the style of your wedding- formal, informal, casual etc.   So keep a few things in mind when choosing your invitations:

• Keep them appropriate to your theme.  Your invitation should complement your day.  A backyard BBQ celebration would not call for a formal invitation with script writing, but rather a more relaxed invitation.  A formal ceremony and evening cocktail party should not be announced with a whimsical cartoon drawn invitation.  So your first step is to make sure that your invitation coordinates with your setting.
• Many brides like to choose invitations that coordinate with their wedding colors, but keep in mind depending on your colors, this can get tricky.  If you have chosen wild colors or a rainbow of colors to use for your decorating, go with a simple, classic White or Ivory invitation with black or gray printing, which will lend an elegance to your announcement.      
• Make sure to allow plenty of time to choose your invitations, have them printed, addressed and mailed so they arrive 6 weeks before your Wedding Day, 8 weeks if your Wedding Day falls near a holiday as many travel at those times.
• Avoid sending your invitations out too early just to announce the date.  If you have been engaged and are planning your wedding for a future date, consider sending a ‘Save the Date’ card 12 months before your Wedding day so your expected guests can mark their calendars.  However, don’t get so excited that you send ‘Save the Date’ cards to everyone in your address book prior to making your guest list.  A major faux pas would be to send a ‘Save the Date’ card to someone who doesn’t get an invitation to the big event.
• Lend an elegant personal touch to your invitations by hand-addressing them. If you don’t have the nicest hand-writing, consider hiring someone to address them for you.  Either in a fancy script or calligraphy style. or someone whose penmanship you admire.  A hand addressed envelope adds a very personal touch for that first impression of your big day. 

June brides, it’s almost time to start the invitation process, so stop in soon so we can lend our expertise to your wedding planning.  We have been specializing in Wedding invitations for over 25 years, and our team of experts will make sure that your invitations reflect the spirit of your day.  From the very first announcement of ‘save the date’ to the final thank-you note, we will make sure you have set the tone of elegance with all of your wedding communications.

Diana Dee’s 

Are New Years Cards- Necessary?

Sending a New Year’s card certainly isn’t required, but a nice gesture.  Keep in mind if you are a “Last Minute Lucy” and have arrived at January 1st and still haven’t mailed your Christmas cards, ditch them and send a New Years card instead.

Skip the explanation of how busy you are.  Believe it or not everyone is busy at the holidays, yet many still find time to prioritize and organize their holiday tasks allowing their cards to arrive in plenty of time.    

However, if you aren’t one of them, take this opportunity to wish your recipients good health and fortune in the coming year.  They will appreciate the gesture.  A Christmas card that arrives after Christmas, and even worse, into the New Year carries the message that the recipient was a mere afterthought, so re-group and opt for a nice New Years card instead.  But, don’t delay, they are best received BEFORE the end of the first week of January.  So stop reading this, and head down to pick up a card and get it in the mail! 

Diana Dee’s 

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New Years Resolution – Bring Back Letter Writing

When did we lose the fine art of letter writing?  We seem to have evolved into an age of high-tech gear.  Younger generations are “plugged in” to everything these days.  If they’re not texting, they’re on a computer [although far be it from me to criticize, I wouldn’t be able to write this and get it out to all of you without the good ‘ol computer].  However it makes me wonder sometimes if younger generations even know how to compose a letter.

And what about ’emails’ taking the place of actual written correspondence?  Nowadays everyone seems to turn to the quicker, easier way to get through such ordinary tasks.  I do believe the one thing that misses with a quick email, is the feeling that you give  the person on the other end.

Take for instance, a hostess who just threw the largest party of the year for her closest friends and relatives.  She labored for months over what to serve, who to invite, who to have cater the affair etc.  The evening finally arrives and it’s over in what feels like an instant.  Now imagine the thrill she gets when a beautiful hand-written note arrives just days after her party, letting her know that her efforts did not go unnoticed.     Or perhaps the teacher, who has gone above and beyond for her class, receiving a note from a parent commending, rather than criticizing her for her skills.

The fine art of letter writing is one that is slowly slipping away, and yet doesn’t impose such a heavy burden on the one writing the letter.  Perhaps we should all try to ‘pay it forward’ or ‘pass it on’ this year by taking notice of the positive that surrounds us and commending others for their efforts.  You just may be surprised at the outcome.

So if you’re looking for a New Years resolution that might fill others will a fabulous feeling, commit to sending 1 letter a month to someone who has made a difference.  You will both be filled with joy, and continue to keep our US Postal Service in business.

From all of us at Diana Dee’s-

Have a Happy & Healthy New Year!

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Christmas Gifts & Thank You Notes

I know exactly what you’re thinking, the day after Christmas and you can finally relax as it all came together so perfectly.  Now it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a much-needed rest, right?  Wrong!  Time for those “thank you’s”!

It has always amazed me how the majority of people never send a thank you note.  So what is the rule of thumb, and is there one?  Is a thank you necessary when the person giving the gift is in your presence?  Is there a certain dollar amount that justifies a hand-written thank you?  Are thank you’s necessary when a family gift has been given, rather one to each person?

The answer to all of these is YES!  Imagine how much time and effort you put into choosing and buying each and every gift you gave.  Some with far more creative energy than others, but effort nonetheless.  Now picture each person who actually gave you a gift choosing and buying those as well.   Many hours to decide WHAT to give, then the time to go and actually find it.  Not to mention the wrapping and bow making etc.

A gift is an expression of one’s feelings and fondness for another.  Whether the gift was from your parents, your big brother or your great Aunt Jenny, they each deserve a nice hand-written thank you.  Imagine the surprise and the special feeling you will give them when they receive it, especially if you’ve never written them before.

So make this the year that you sit down and spend an hour of your busy post-Christmas time to send thank you’s to those who blessed you with their gifts this year.    Don’t forget to mention what they gave you and take the opportunity to say a thing or two about it.  No need to write a novel,  just a simple “note” will do.    When you know the fabulous feeling on the other end, you’ll be happy you did.

Stop by Diana Dee’s for a fine selection of Thank You notes ready for your personal touch.

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Family Holiday Newsletters- Appropriate or Not?

Holiday time….time to reach out to those you haven’t had the chance to keep in touch with all year-long.  The annual Christmas cards, e-mails, and for many, the dreaded holiday newsletter. 

Holiday newsletters are fine, but stick to the highlights.  Friends will be happy to hear that you survived an illness, but they won’t want to read the daily demands of all your volunteering.  As proud as you are of your children, remember that this is a time to send “good wishes” to others, not to boast about your children’s accomplishments throughout the year.  Avoid becoming “Betsy Bragger”, and simply let others know that the children are doing great in school and keep it to that.  No need to list off every grade they’ve gotten since September or every award they’ve been given.

An Emily Post Institute survey showed that people have mixed feelings about receiving newsletters: 53% like them and 47% do not.  With that in mind, only enclose newsletters in cards to those you think are interested in hearing your family news.

A few tips for your Holiday Newsletter:

• Avoid rambling, and keep your letter to one page or less.
• A hand-written personalized salutation {Dear John & Mary} is always more personal than receiving a computer generated generic “Dear Friends”.
• Include the newsletter IN a card, not in place of one.
• Keep your letter positive if you’re going through a divorce, or have recently been laid off work, don’t drag your situation into your holiday letter.  Keep it light and joyful.

Newsletter, or not, get your holiday wishes out in plenty of time to let your loved ones know you were thinking of them.

                 

Christmas Card Etiquette

In this fast paced, technology driven world that we live in, one tradition still rings true at the Holidays- the annual Christmas card.  Make sure that your ‘one correspondence a year’ with those you rarely see, will make a statement.  Follow our Do’s and Don’ts for sending the perfect Christmas card that will leave them smiling right through the New Year.

• Choose an appropriate card for your recipient.   Don’t send a Christmas card to a Jewish friend, but rather choose a Hanukkah card for them instead, or a generic ‘Happy Holidays’ sentiment.
• Mail cards early.  The ideal time for mailing Christmas cards is the first week of December.  A card that arrives on Christmas Eve sends the message that the person may have been forgotten or the card was an afterthought.
• ALWAYS hand-address your Christmas cards. Nothing screams GENERIC card louder than a printed font on a pre-pasted label.  If you want to practice proper Christmas card etiquette, the recipient’s address must be hand-written.
• Don’t send E-cards as substitute for real cards.  It is perfectly acceptable to send an E-card but ONLY when you are responding to one sent to you.  Never send an E-card instead of a paper card.
• Hand-write a note. If you have a few extra minutes, handwrite a short note on the inside.  This gives your cards a personal touch and speaks volumes to the recipient that you took the time to give each card attention.
• Always include your return address.  This is Christmas card etiquette 101.  This will ensure that the recipient has your current address, and it makes it handy when they may want to send a card back to you.
• When signing your cards, use the rules of etiquette.  If it’s a family card, always start with the Father’s name first, followed by the Mother’s then the children in descending order of age.

Christmas cards should bring joy and cheer.  Set aside a couple hours the first week of December and add a little personal touch to your cards.  The result will be a warm feeling on the other end when they reach your family and friends.

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