Here are some helpful tips from choosing the right invitation, what to include, and how to get it out. Choosing the right invitation: Everything about your invitation should match the style of your event from the invitation design, the wording, what information is necessary and when to send it out. Your invitation provides the details of the celebration as well as what to expect at the party. Remember to consider your guests and what they will need to do to attend the event in every aspect of your invitation. When to send out the invitation: Obviously, the sooner you notify your guests the better. Consider what your guests may need to accomplish in order to attend your event. You'll always have better attendance with more notice. WEDDINGS & FORMAL EVENTS: Eight weeks is advised considering travel and lodging issues and, of course, finding the right dress, tux, and present for the event. CORPORATE PARTIES: Four weeks. The guests may need to clear their schedules or find baby sitters, as well as consider travel and lodging arrangements. CASUAL PARTIES: Three weeks. Again, guests may need to find baby sitters and with more notice more guests will be able to attend, especially around holiday times. SAVE THE DATE CARDS: If you know you're having a party that is several months away, but have not yet found the invitations or finalized all the details, consider sending a Save the Date card. It's a simple flat or folded card informing your guests of the upcoming event and the date preparing them for the following invitation closer to the date. Save the Date cards are almost a necessity for events around the holidays and events requiring travel and lodging arrangements. What to include in your invitation: • Name of the host(s)/ hostess(es) or parent(s) giving the party. • The purpose of the invitation: A birthday party, a wedding, a holiday open house. • Name of honoree - the birthday person, the mother-to-be, the bride and groom. • Day and Date of the party - Saturday, August 23rd or if it is formal, Saturday, the twenty-third of August. Check your calendar to make sure, as in the example above, the 29th of August is really on a Saturday. • If a formal event, include the year and spell it out - two thousand four. • Time - 6:00 p.m., or for formal events, spell out the time - six o'clock in the evening. • Name of Place - Chez Andre's Restaurant. • Location of Place - street address, city and state if inviting out of town guests, but no zip code. • Appropriate attire if it is an issue with your party. Do not use on formal invitations-the event should be the clue as to the appropriate attire. • Proof read the invitation several times for spelling and detail accuracy and have a friend proof read it too. Wording your invitation: • All the phrasing should be in the third person. Example: John and Sally announce the birth of their son... • Do not use abbreviations. Example: Spell out words such as Road, Street, and state names; Massachusetts. • Days, dates are always spelled out. Example: Monday or October. • Times and Years should be spelled out on wedding or formal invitations. Example: Six o'clock in the afternoon / Two Thousand Four • Punctuation is not used at the end of the lines. (no commas, periods, colons., etc.) Example: John and Sally invite you to join the fun (leave off the period) • Commas can be used to separate information that appears on the same line such as: Example: November 14, 2004 or Rochester, New York • It is socially incorrect to mention "no children allowed" or to mention gifts or where you are registered on invitations. These rules should be strictly followed on formal invitations such as black tie or wedding invitations, however, on informal invitations have some fun; anything goes. You can always inform your guests of any important details when they RSVP to the invitation. Envelope Etiquette: RETURN ADDRESS: Return addresses do NOT use an apostrophe on the proper name. The Clarks is the plural tense meaning more than one person in the Clark family: The Clarks 123 Walnut Anywhere, USA 12345 The Clark's means possessive as in something that belongs to them. The Clark's car was green. Be sure to take the time to put your return address on your envelopes. If there is a problem with them, you want the post office to return them to you, not throw them away. ENVELOPE ADDRESSING GUIDE: Perfectly spaced straight line addressing is as easy as 1-2-3 when you use the handy guide below! 1. Print out this page on thin white paper. Cut the guide to fit your envelope. (Cut straight or your lines will not appear straight when inserted in the envelope.) 2. Insert addressing guide in the envelope to be addressed with the dark lines facing the front of the envelope. Once inserted, the dark lines below will become visible. Position the guides lines to the area you wish to address and choose the lines that look best for your envelope and the number of lines in your guest's address. 3. Write the address on the envelope using the appropriate lines as a guide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADDRESSING THE ENVELOPE: • Envelopes should be handwritten with black, blue, blue-black ink. Black is generally used. • It is traditional to use a complete, formal name and address. Do not use any abbreviations except for Mr., Mrs., Ms. Dr. or Jr. • Names should be completely spelled out such as: Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Gene Smith instead of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Smith. If you know the full middle name, use it, if not, no not use initials, simply omit it. • First names (without Mr., Mrs., etc.) or the phrase "and family" are not proper. • If there are children under the age of eighteen include first names as: Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Gene Smith Ashley and Michael 123 Walnut Anywhere, USA 12345 • If children are living at the same address as their parents' invitation is going to, they should receive separate invitations: Adult daughter: Miss Kathy Smith Adult son: Mr. Ron Smith Adult sons or daughters at the same address: Messrs. John and Keith Smith Misses Marie and Joan Smith STUFFING THE ENVELOPE: • Insert the bottom of the announcement or invitation into the envelope first with the printed surface up so that when the envelope is opened, the printed side will be seen first. • If you have included an RSVP card, it is traditional to place a postage stamp on the envelope. • The invitation and enclosure cards are placed in the envelope in order of size and importance. The largest enclosure cards are placed closest to the invitation. When more than one enclosure card of the same size is used, the card that is the most important for your guest to see would be placed closest to the invitation. Order of pieces layered from bottom to top (printing facing up): 1. Invitation 2. Reply Envelope 3. Reply Card (tucked under reply envelope flap) 4. Reception Card Tissues: Tissues are a sign of classy invitation. Once a practical necessity so the ink would not smudge, tissues are now optional. If you choose to use tissue, place it over the printed text of each item prior to assembling the invitation. Use the largest tissue for the invitations, smaller for the reply cards and other enclosures. Postage: It's always best to bring an assembled invitation and envelope before sending to the post office to calculate the exact postage needed. Square and large envelopes require additional postage even though the weight may be within the usual guidelines. |
| COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
| INVITATIONS: |
How is the best way to word an invitation if there more than one host for an event? For a business event list the hosts in order of rank. The CEO's name first, the President's name second, the Vice President, Chairman, etc., the Board of Directors underneath that. If it's informal and the hosts are of equal status list them alphabetically. If it is at one of the hosts home, you would put her name first and then list the other hosts alphabetically. Is it rude to put an end time on an invitation? Not at all. People need to know that so they can arrange dinner dates, pick up times for the children, everything. It's helpful for everyone. And plan to turn the bar off 30 minutes after your stated end time otherwise it may never end. Should I use Regrets Only or RSVP on my invitation? Use RSVP but don't word it as "Please RSVP", that's redundant. Just RSVP with a name and phone number or email to response to. Regrets Only is negative and unhelpful to you in planning your party. People are not always good about responding and you're likely to receive even less responses with "Regrets Only". With an RSVP you'll get to hear the good with the bad and get excited about your event. |
| HOLIDAY CARDS |
I am worried about offending friends of different faiths by sending my Holiday cards. Look for cards that have neutral messages with no reference to religion such as Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays. There are so many options available nowadays you shouldn't have a problem. Of course, you could always have two sets of cards, one with a religious message for your close friends and family and one with a neutral message for business acquaintances. How wide a circle of people are you expected to send Holiday Cards to? Wide, very wide. Holiday cards are a wonderful way of reaching out to those you have not seen or spoken with during the year - why limit the number of lives you can touch? And further, in tough times, you should triple your holiday card order because you may not be able to afford gifts for everyone. So send those people a card. If you've given them a gift every year, they are going to expect one this year. So you send them a card around December 4th or 5th, and say I'm terribly sorry we're tightening the budget this year, no gifts but I had to tell you we send you our love and best wishes for the season, etc. etc. So a handwritten note on a Christmas card or Holiday Greetings card will take the place of the gift. Is it necessary to sign each and every card? Yes, absolutely! The only time a holiday card should arrive with a printed name is if it is from a business. It can be a very simple message such as "Best wishes, Love Harry" or simply your handwritten name. When should I plan to mail out my holiday cards? Order your holiday cards by mid-September, early October, get them inscribed and sealed the week before Thanksgiving and send them the day or two after Thanksgiving but not before. They're appreciated when they come early and the first Christmas cards always get everyone excited about the holidays. Cards really should be sent not later than the day before Christmas but up until January 1st is still OK. Is a thank note always necessary and how soon should thank you notes for holiday gifts need to be sent? A handwritten thank note is always necessary and should be sent out as soon as possible after receiving the gift not matter what the occasion. An email thank you is only acceptable if it's business related and impersonal such as a key chain with a logo from your accountant or bank. But if Kitty, who handles your account, sends you a case of Florida oranges, you should send her a handwritten thank you note. Thank you notes can be just two or three sentences acknowledging the gift and kindness. Otherwise one never really knows if your gift was received and it always feels a little embarrassing to ask. |
| THANK YOU NOTES & STATIONERY |
When is the appropriate time to use letter sheets versus note cards versus flat cards or calling cards? It really depends on how much you have to say and what the formality is. Flat cards or calling cards can be used for a variety of purposes; as gift enclosures, for a thank you note, for an invitation, or even as a postcard by sticking a stamp in the corner. Folded notes are primarily for thank you notes for wedding gifts, traditional gifts, Mother's Day gifts, etc. Use a letter sheet, when you want to write a letter i.e. have a lot to say, an update on the family or the like. When is the latest you can send a thank you note? It's never to late to say thank you. Of course, the sooner the better, but if you're going to be late, anywhere from a month to even a year late, write a clever sentiment note. How old should children be to write their own thank you notes? Children should write thank you notes as soon as they can write even if it's a slightly legible scrawl and parents should write them for them before that. In order to instill good thank you note habits, one should help their child until it becomes second nature to them. Make a point of setting aside an hour the day after the party. Gather together everything you'll need; stamps, note cards, envelopes, pen, addresses and the list of presents and who they were from. Then, just sit down with your child and get it done. Chancing are they'll be completed before the hour it through and by the time the child is 12 you won't have to ask if they have written their thank you notes. It'll be an automatic response the day after. Make sure you have boxes of note cards and stationery accessible and available without asking. It's always nice distort a tradition of giving all your children thank you notes, stationery and a nice pen for Christmas. They'll have it to use all year. When is the appropriate time to send a sympathy note? Immediately, or as soon as you hear the news even if it's a year later. It's never too late to extend your condolences and reach out to someone. Sometimes the loneliest times are months after a passing. |
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