Addressing Etiquette and Assembly

Now that you have selected your beautiful invitation ensemble and they are in your possession, it's time to assemble those invitations and get them in the mail! The first thing you want to do is take a completely assembled invitation, including enclosures and the envelopes, to the post office to get it weighed for mailing. Most invitations will cost at minimum $1.05 to mail and can require additional postage do to weight and shape. This amount will include the outer envelope postage and the reply card envelope postage, so remember to include this cost in your stationary budget.

Now you need to get your best girlfriends together and plan an "invitation assembly" day...the more help the merrier! If your invitation suite contains the following components - outer envelope, invitation, reception card, reply card and envelope - they should be assembled in the following fashion:

From top to bottom
Invitation
Reception Card
Reply Card (tucked under the flap of the reply envelope)
Reply Card envelope (and don't forget to adhere postage)
Additional inserts such as Direction or Accommodation Card
...Then place these components into the INNER envelope
...Finally you will place the stuffed inner envelope into the outer envelope flap-to-flap and adhere postage.

Rather you are hiring a calligraphist to address the outer envelope or using labels or writing them your self, there are certain rules of etiquette that you should consider:

• Avoid nicknames or abbreviations unless you are using the following salutations - Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, Dr., Rev., Jr., Senior, Roman Numerals, etc.
• Use full titles when addressing the military
• It is okay to use a First initial if you do not have the full first name
• City, State and Numbered Streets are spelled out
• Avoid the phrase "and family" but instead list everyone who is invited in the household on the inner envelope
• Both the names of two unmarried people living in the same household should appear on the envelopes
• Your return address should appear on the back flap of the outer envelope

Until next time...WEDologize!

Dress Up Your Envelopes

I've written a couple of blogs about wedding invitations, but this time we are going to focus on the outer envelope and postage. I ran across a company called Perfect Postage and have began following their Tweets. With permission, I have posted one of their informative articles below...

You may have already seen one show up in your mailbox. If not, you will soon. Personalized wedding stamps add the "wow" factor - and brides across the country are taking notice.

Since the Post Office allowed customized stamps, thousands of brides across the country have stamped their invitations with their own personal touch.



So where do you find great wedding stamps?

Listed on the USPS website are several wedding stamps - the 44 cent wedding rings and the 61 cent wedding cake stamp. With this ring ... Here is the 44 cent stamp with two gold wedding rings. Photographed by Renée Comet of Washington, DC, the rings rest on a small white pillow united by a slender ribbon of white silk. 3 tier Wedding Cake Stamp -


The 61 cent stamp features a wedding cake with intricate scroll design on the fondant. Sure to add a touch of beauty and romance to wedding correspondence, the 2009 Wedding Cake stamp is being issued at the two-ounce mailing rate in order to accommodate the heavier weight of an invitation.
You should be able to find these at your local post office. If not, call toll-free at 1-800-STAMP-24 or shop online.

If these don't suit your taste, you do have options.

Create your own or choose a pre-designed stamp from thousands on the web. When choosing a custom stamp, you'll pay a bit more. A sheet of 20 1st class 44 cent stamps from the post office is $8.80. A sheet of 20 custom stamps from Zazzle runs about $18.00 when you buy in bulk (10 sheets or more). If you buy only one sheet, the price goes up to anywhere from $19 to $22. If the cost of custom postage for ALL your invitations is out of reach, you can purchase just one or two sheets for special wedding guests. (Note to scrapbookers: one sheet of stamps fits perfectly in a standard scrapbook page.)

There are thousands of beautiful postage designs available - one sure to match your colors, flowers, monogram or even destination! Many graphic designers will work with you personally to create that special look that will make your envelope pop.

Colorful calla lily love from Perfect Postage is one example of customized postage. This vibrant gold, orange and red calla lily bouquet make a dramatic postage stamp. No matter what your theme, colors or design, you can have the "Perfect Postage" for your wedding correspondence.



Read more: http://www.perfectpostage.com/

Until next time...WEDologize!