Never, Never, Never, send a preprinted thank you card.

When you send a preprinted card, you are telling the person receiving the thank you that their gift didn't mean enough to you to even receive a mention in your note. A warm personalized, handwritten note, regardless how brief, tells the guest how much you appreciated the gift and how it will be cherished for years to come. Handwritten notes express sincerity.
Be sure to send thank you notes to friends and relatives who arrange showers and parties for you. It is appropriate to thank them for the party or shower in the same card you send thanking them for their gift.

When you receive more than one gift from someone, each gift must be recognized with its own thank you card. If you receive a shower gift from a friend or relative and then, three weeks later, receive a wedding gift from the same person, it is not appropriate to thank them in one card. Shower gifts should be acknowledged within ten days of the party and wedding gifts within two weeks after returning from the honeymoon. Wedding gifts arriving in advance of the wedding, should be responded to immediately, so that an extended period of time does not pass between receiving the gift and it's thank you.
Be sure to put your new return address on all thank you cards. Your guests will appreciate having your current and correct address.
Although colored ink is readily available in your favorite stationery store today, it is still more appropriate to write your notes in dark blue or black. It is more easily readable.
When writing thank you notes, never start the note with "I." Always use "you" more than "I" or "me" in the note.

Suggested Wording Ideas for Thank You Cards

1.When writing to a close friend or relative:

Dearest Aunt Mary:
It's beautiful and we love it!!!!! How thoughtful of you to give Keith and me such a lovely family treasure. Grandmas' hand-crocheted bedspread will be my most prized possession. We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Love and Kisses,
Stepanie

2.When writing to a person you don't know very well:

Dear Mrs. Monnie,
Mother just gave me the beautiful crystal cake pedestal you left and I couldn't wait to tell you how lovely it is. Keith and I will think of you each time we use it. Thank you so very much.
Yours truly,
Stephanie Hall

3.When writing to a group of friends who have gone together on a gift:

Dear Friends:
Thank you all very much for the place setting of sterling you so kindly have given to us for our new home. Keith and I now have a service for eight and are so looking forward to using it for every special occasion in our life. What a thoughtful idea. You are such a great group to work with and I appreciate each one of you.
Affectionately,
Stephanie Hall

If less than ten people have gone together on the above gift, then a personal note to each must be written. If more than ten have participated and signed the enclosure card, such as in the case of coworkers in the same office, one note, placed on a bulletin board is considered proper etiquette. Be sure to speak to each person individually as the opportunity arises and express your gratitude.

4.When writing a thank you note for a gift not really cared for:

Dear Mike and Mary,
Thank you so much for the gum ball machine. We'll be sure you're among our first guests to visit, so don't forget your pennies! Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Stephanie

5.When writing a thank you note for monetary gifts

Appreciation for monetary gifts are expressed in the same way you would thank a friend or loved one for a purchased item. If you have a particular item you intend to buy with the money, you can share that with them. Example:

Dearest Aunt MaryKevin and I want to thank you so much for the check you sent for our wedding. We have been saving for a down payment on our first home andhave added your gift to our special account. It was so thoughtful of you. Someday soon, we will be inviting you to our housewarming!!! Can't wait to see you and Uncle Ted again.Love, Sarah

It’s easy to see why the Pocket-Fold style of invitation is a top choice among today’s brides.

With all the “extras” that go along with pulling off an organized celebration, all the necessary add ons can now be stored in a useful yet creative manner, without sacrificing style.

There are quite a few possible combinations you can choose as appropriate inserts of your pocket invitations, depending on your needs.



Response Card (RSVP)

Along with the actual invitation you should include a response card (RSVP) along with a stamped response card envelope.

This is how your guests will let you know whether or not they’re coming and if they are coming exactly who is coming with them.

There is often confusion when it comes to filling out the response card. The guest should start by writing all the names of the guests that will be attending on the line that starts with “M.” For example that line would read “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith or Ms. Jane Smith for a single person, if children are included it would read Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, Suzy Smith, James Smith.”

Reception Card

If your reception is being held at a location separate from your ceremony you should include a reception card. The reception card should include the name and location of the reception venue and often will include driving directions from the ceremony location to the reception location.

Accommodations Insert

Some couples include an accommodations insert with their invitation. The accommodations insert will usually include hotel accommodations recommended by the bride and groom and often include information on a special rate they have secured for their guests.

Map/Directions

A map or directions insert is also common. Often the bride and groom will provide directions to the ceremony and reception location and any special parking arrangements they may have made.

Additional Event

Many couples now choose to have a “wedding weekend.”
Often times guests are coming from far away and the couple plans additional events so that they can spend time with their guests and so that guests can get to know other guests.

Picnics, barbecues, cocktail parties, and golf tournaments are just an example of additional events the couple may have planned.

Sometimes they will include this information in with the wedding invitation but I usually recommend against that.

There is a fine line between the right amount of information and too much information all at once. If you aren’t already including several additional inserts with your invitation than a small insert with additional events information would probably be o.k. But if you’ve already got several other inserts included with your invitation I recommend sending the details of additional events separately.

You may even want to wait until guests have responded that they will be attending and then send them the additional events information. Too much information at one time can be confusing for guests.

Recipe Card

This is a fun, untraditional, addition to the pocket fold inserts. You can have recipe cards made up to match in which family and friends, young and old, can share their favorite recipes and kitchen tips. This is a very thoughtful addition that will help you stay connected with your guests.



With the pocket fold style of invitation comes the abilty to encapsulate the theme, style or feel of your wedding celebration. Such as in this "Destination" style invitation. There will be no quetions about where this wedding will be held or even what they can expect as far as attire and decor.

The band that holds the pocket together, called the belly band, is where all the pop and creativity will begin before your guests open up to the style you have chosen.

As alway...If you have any questions or ideas I love to hear your feedback!

Sarah

Often times a wedding consists of shifting guests from one place to another in order to culminate this day of celebration. If you are a thoughtful bride looking to make these transitions as easy as possible I would like to introduce you to a wooden sign maker experienced in the customization of such a dilemma.

Many signs for weddings that you see are flimsy paper signs. Not the case with her artistic flair and touches of old world innocence. Hers are, made to order, wooden signs that come in a wide variety of designs and colors. They add to the overall decor of a wedding with tasteful elegance and are sure to last you many years as a token from this momentous day.

She can make it possible for you to display your wedding sign in any way you may need to.

Whether you need it staked to mark a turn off, ribbon to hang, or even propped in a key location; she is able to make these delightful signs into quite resourceful additions to helping your day run smooth.

With special care always taken in the upmost consideration of each, individual, customer.


“I answer emails and convos within 24 hours (usually right away!) and like to communicate often if necessary with my customers so I know exactly what they want.”

To reassure you of what you have placed an order for photos of the finished product are taken before it is shipped out so the customer can see it and there won't be any surprises.

“I offer full customization. You can match the color of a sign to a bridal party's colors. “

Want something a bit more detailed?

She is able to add special touches such as attaching mirror hooks to the backs so a bride can add ribbon to coordinate with her colors and use it for easy hanging.

Also able to paint the backs as well as the fronts of all of my wedding signs because you never know where they will be displayed and I like to cover all bases. It's nice to have the backs have a finished look as well as the fronts.

“I recently made a sign for a bride who is getting married in Hawaii and wanted a tropical look. I added a starfish to one end of the sign for her and we kept the tropical beach theme going for her wedding."

As anything customized from a store can often be a bit unfriendly on a budget this is not the case with her. Prices are reasonable and very fair! To include reasonable shipping prices.

"Most signs I ship using FedEx which I find to be very and I've never had a problem with then.”

A tip If I May:

Thread ribbon through the hooks I provide on the backs of the sign for easy hanging. Coordinate the ribbon with the bridal party's colors. Signs can be hung on hooks, trees or sit elegantly on either a short or tall easel. For a staked sign add a big bow just under the sign where the stake and sign meet. It looks gorgeous!