Wrapsody Invitations is a premier wedding invitation studio in El Segundo - convenient to Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and the South Bay.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sending Save the Dates for your wedding
 A question I am asked frequently . . .
Save the Date cards, what are they, do I need them, how do I word them, and when do I send them? I'll answer these questions and more, to help you make a knowledgeable decision. I have also included at the bottom of this blog, a few photos of some of the Save the Dates we carry.
This photo is from a current Save the Date order from our studio. It is one of my favorites over the past 13 years. I love the layout, lettering and most of all, the photo. I would like to thank Lacey our bride for allowing me to share it with you it in this blog.
What is a Save the Date?
One of the newest and increasingly popular wedding trends has been the use of Save the Date announcements. The purpose of these cards is to let your wedding guests know farther in advance about the date of your wedding so they can start making plans to attend. You might think of them as a pre-invitation.
It should be noted that a Save the Date is just that. It's doesn't do double duty as an engagement announcement to everyone you know, and therefore should only be sent to those people you will absolutely be inviting to the wedding itself. Do not send a Save the Date to anyone who will not be receiving a wedding invitation. Remember, everyone who receives a Save the Date also receives a formal invitation, so try to have your guest list finalized prior to sending them. You can however, always add any guests you forgot or decide to add, later.
Are Save the Date Cards Necessary?
You do not have to send out Save the Dates to your guests, but we highly recommend them. They are increasing in popularity because everyone’s lives have gotten so busy. Save the Date Cards are announcements that inform your guests of your future wedding in order to keep your special day free. They allow your guests plenty of time to make arrangements to share in your special day and they are especially helpful to those guests who will be traveling to attend your wedding.
Do I need to send a Save the Date to all my guests?
No, you are not required to send a Save the Date to everyone on your guest list. Many brides cut costs here by sending Save the Dates only to those guests who will be traveling or who will likely need to make arrangements far in advance. The benefit of sending a Save the Date card to every person you are hoping will attend is that you are increasing the likelihood that they will reserve that date and will, in fact, be able to attend your special day.
Should you decide on a destination wedding, such as Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, Las Vegas, etc., sending Save the Date cards will give your guests the chance to schedule vacation time and make travel arrangements. But don’t think Save the Dates are unnecessary for those guests who are not traveling to your wedding.
I frequently hear the comment, since my wedding is local, my local friends and family do not need a Save the Date, I only need to send them to those who will be traveling. I personally disagree. Save the Date cards can help you achieve more positive RSVPs to your wedding invitation. With everyone's busy schedules to consider and with your guests increasingly busy lives, I believe everyone you would like to attend, should receive a Save the Date. Since your actual wedding invitation will only go out 8 weeks before the big day, your potential guests may have already made other plans by the time they receive it. If they know the date for your wedding in advance, they can make sure not to schedule anything else that day.
If, for whatever reason, you do choose to send Save the Dates only to a select number of guests, there is just one rule to follow. Make sure they are sent to all people who have any reason to interact with each other. Hurt feeling can occur when you send a Save the Date to select guests only and other guests you plan to invite do not receive one.
We recommend including your personal wedding website, to provide your guests with additional information to help facilitate their planning such as airline, car rental, hotel, information on things to see and do in the area and surrounding areas, and a very important item, your registry. Go the extra mile and acquire about group discounts on the above items. Watch for our future blog about personal wedding websites.
When should Save the Dates be sent?
Think of your Save the Date cards as a preliminary invitation to your wedding. If you are having a local wedding try to send them out no later than 6 months in advance. If you are asking guests to travel a great distance, take time off work, or travel during peak seasons or holidays, the sooner you can let them know the better. Under these circumstances. you should consider sending out your Save the Dates eight to twelve months in advance. In these situations, your guests will likely be thinking of your event as a vacation and will appreciate having the time and information to plan accordingly.
Types of Save the Date Cards
As you can see from the photo’s below, you have many styles from which to choose. Have fun with your Save the Dates, there are no rules and no etiquette, so your Save the Date cards can be unique and imaginative. They can reflect your personalities, time of year you plan to get married, wedding destination, bold colors or just about anything you like. It's your chance to grab everyone's attention.
I am personally not a fan of the typical Save the Date magnets. Not only have they have been around for a long time, they are too small to fit the necessary wording. For those who like the idea of Save the Date magnets, I recommend you order Save the Dates you like, go to your local office supply store and buy sheets of magnets that you can cut and apply to the back of your Save the Date cards so your guests have something nice to display.
Wording Save the Date Cards
Regardless of the tone, the cards need to include basic information: the name of the bride and groom, the date of the wedding, the city, state or destination where the wedding will be held and your personal wedding website address. If room allows, try to include “invitation to follow”.
Email Save the Dates
Never use email as a source of information for your wedding unless you are answering a question someone specifically emailed you. Remember, regardless of the style of your wedding, your wedding is a formal occasion and should be treated as such. Photo credits:
Arabella Papers, Ceci New York, Elum, Smock, Dauphine Press, Page, The Lettered Olive and Tag & Co.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
December 16, 2009
We are excited to announce the kick off of our new series of wedding blogs at the end of December, stay tuned. Until then enjoy the following recipe during this festive holiday season. HOMEMADE HOT COCOA
INGREDIENTS
2 cups half-and half
2-½ cups whole milk
2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-tablespoon sugar
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1-teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder (optional)
whipped cream, cinnamon sticks or marshmallows to garnish
PREPARATION
Heat the milk, the half-and-half and the vanilla beans in a saucepan
on medium heat to just below the simmering point.
Be careful not to boil. Remove the pan from the heat, remove vanilla beans
and add both kinds of chocolates. When the chocolates are melted,
add the sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso or coffee powder
and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and serve immediately
with a generous dollop of whipped cream, or
use a cinnamon stick or marshmallows to garnish each serving.
Warmest Holiday Wishes,
Monday, August 10, 2009
It seems only fitting to pay tribute to my life for the past 12 years, my retail store. After 16 years in the event and catering business I opened my first retail store in November of 1997 in Marina del Rey. The store contained two businesses in one location. A retail store with gifts, greeting cards, and fine stationery and an invitation studio where although we did custom stationery, holiday cards, invitations and announcements for every occasion, we specialized in wedding invitations. After 10 years in Marina del Rey we moved the store to Plaza El Segundo in the city of El Segundo. It was a beautiful store. We called the shopping center home until the end of May this year. This difficult economy has personally affected so many people and our retail store was no exception. Although our invitation business is booming, our current economy could no longer support our 1600 sq ft retail store. On May 31st I closed that chapter of my life and closed my “retail” store. On June 1st we re-opened Wrapsody Invitations at our new store front location in downtown El Segundo. We love our new home. Downtown El Segundo although a very quaint small town, is becoming known as a hot, hip little area with great restaurants and small businesses. As a resident of El Segundo for the past 17 years, I am excited that I found the perfect location for Wrapsody’s new home in a town I love. Closing the store was a happy yet emotional time. It had been 12 years of both ups and downs of which both there were many. With all of the joys and stress that owning your own business can bring I must say there was so much joy. I loved what I did. The biggest reason was because I love working with the public. I was very fortunate, these past 12 years I have had the best customers any store owner could possibly ask for. My customers became my friends. Now that the closing of our retail store is behind me, I look forward to the future. I could not be where I am today if I had not been where I had been. The retail store helped me build my invitation business over the past 12 years. I am excited about the new studio, all of the new brides I am meeting, and our old customers that are continuing to bring us business or just come by to say hi and visit. I would like to thank all of my customers over the past 12 years for bringing so much joy to my life, their constant support and their business. Now I look forward to my future in our new invitation studio and doing what I love the most, working with brides and grooms on their wedding invitations and being lucky to be involved in one of the most important days of their lives. Until next time . . .
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