With the holiday season in full swing and thoughts of parties galore, it’s time to start thinking about invitation and other stationery items. But there’s no need to stress out – that’s what I’m here for! I’m going to help you choose the perfect pieces to communicate exactly what you want. Make sure you have a party theme in mind while we go through this process and it will be easy. Need help with unique theme ideas? Just Ask!
When you’ve decided on your theme for your party, it’s time to create a “Save the Date”. This can be as casual as an email message, to a computer-generated message to a hard-copy one that you send via snail mail.
After your save-the-date goes out, be sure to choose an invitation that goes along with your theme. An invitation sets the tone of the party, so take time in your thought process. I recommend going to your favorite stationery store, or even creating your own online if you’re a master at pop art or clip art. There’s also a great online stationery store that I commonly use called Tiny Prints. They have a slew of ideas and sample invites to choose from. These can then be printed with your desired text and sent to your doorstep for mailing with personalized address labels, which you can choose from online at Minted.com.
If you’d prefer to send your invitations via email, there are some great companies that I’ve used such as Evite, Celebrations (formerly knowns as Pingg), Paperless Post or even a stylish email database company like the one I use called, myemma.com. Of course, store-bought invitations are always another option if you’re short on time.
When you’ve styled your invitation to perfection, remember to also order thank you notes in the same theme and colors. A written thank you note is an intimate way of expressing your thanks. Emails and online thank you’s are fine as well, but there’s nothing like envisioning that person writing YOU a thank you note. It’s just more special in my opinion.
When sending save the dates, invitations and thank you notes via snail mail, don’t forget about stamps! Thematic stamps can be found at the post office and online. I recently found some fun and fashionable ones for a Harry Potter birthday party and a Janis Joplin stamp for a rock-n-roll party. Be creative and fun and weave your theme all the way through to that last moment when you press that stamp in the corner of your envelope. Online invitations also give you the opportunity to add a cool stamp.
I have a handy tip for you: Take your invitations to the Post Office and request that they be hand-cancelled. This will just mark the stamp without those messy machine print bar codes. This keeps the invitations neat!
Your invitation says a lot about your personal style so take time in creating the perfect invite! And if you need any help with what type of font or creative wording to use, Just Ask!
