Graduation Etiquette?

Graduation etiquette can be a confusing concept.  There is not a whole lot of literature on it, but our customers seem to have a lot of questions about it.  Even my mother asked me a lot of questions about graduation etiquette when my little brother graduated from high school.  She wasn't sure when to bring a gift and what to bring.

If you have some etiquette questions with graduation season approaching, you may want to read our Graduation Etiquette article.  I wanted to answer your most pressing graduation etiquette questions all in one place.

See something that I missed or did not address?  Feel free to post and I will answer!

Green sale!

"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!""

                    ~Robin Williams

Celebrate spring with IC's Green Sale featuring party invitations, wedding invitations, and birth announcements & baby shower invitations.   Do a good deed for Mother Nature and indulge in the all natural textures of Naturally Ever After, our line of recycled invitations, two of which shown on the right.

Invitations pictured:

Naturally Expressed- Handmade olive green paper is enveloped in a cream colored top layer and is accented by a satin ribbon.

Sweet Flora- Red flowers burst off of the handmade paper and are accented by an embossed swirl design.

Win a $250 Gift Card!

Submit your Unique Engagement Story to Win a $250 towards your wedding invitations!

Today is the day we've all been so excited about. IC is happy to announce our engagement story contest. Submit a tear-jerker, something to make us laugh, or a story that is truly unique to qualify to win a $250 gift card.

How to enter:

• Attach your photo to the e-mail to weddingcontest@invitationconsultants.com (Do not send from online photo sharing programs).
• Include in the e-mail the future bride and groom's first names, wedding date, and your unique engagement story which will be featured online if you are the WINNER!
• Include your contact information. (This information will not be on our website. It will only be used to contact you if you win.)

The winner will be announced right here on the blog on March 14,2008, so stay tuned for contest updates!

Post any questions below, or feel free to email us!

Candy Coated Inspiration

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of the day of love, here are some sweet new items from JeanM designs, from left to right:

Like salt water taffy: Sweet Souffle

All the shades of candy hearts: Saucy Cranberry

Jelly bean hues: Sweet Raspberry Silk

Mocha chocolata truffle colors: Honey Dipped

Each invitation features a bottom layer topped with a printed top layer accented by two intertwined satin ribbons. The color combos make them perfect for weddings of all seasons. Consider Honey Dipped in the fall, Saucy Cranberry for a lightened winter, and Sweet Raspberry Silk or Sweet Suffle in the spring or summer.

Be sure to tune in to the blog tomorrow for a very exciting announcement from all of us at IC!

A Few of our Favorite Things

As consultants, we get asked all the time for our opinion on specific items. Questions like: how do you like the paper? Is the ink bright or matte? This invitation is for a rehearsal dinner, is it too fancy? Is this orange more like Tropicana orange or Sunny Delight orange? There’s a billion things to consider when choosing invitations for an event, and sometimes having a second opinion can help ease the process. All of our consultants have their favorite items, and in my case about 1,000 favorite items, so we present them in our Staff Favorites section.

                        

The selections are as diverse as our personalities. Ashley, an Internet Sales Coordinator, loves Toast of the Town reflective of her fun-loving nature. Katrina, our Vendor Relations Manager, is all natural and free spirited so she is drawn to invitations like Palm Royale. One of my favorites is Grandiflora, because I love wedding brunches and magnolias. There are so many, I could go on forever. Check out our Staff Favorites for more hand picked designs!

The Sweetest of Birthdays in Black & White

Sweet 16th birthdays are the perfect opportunity to express your personality and celebrate your uniqueness with your closest friends! One of the most adorable Sweet Sixteen trends we have seen this year is black and white soirees with an accent color- typically red or pink. On the invitation, many girls like to specify for their guests to wear either black or white, and then they wear a fabulous gown or dress in their accent color. Your party can be as formal or as casual as you like, requesting your guests to wear their party best, or cocktail attire. Choose an invitation that conveys the formality of your party. Shop fun and unique styles for a casual dance party, and sophisticated and high-end for an elegant birthday bash. You should use your imagination when selecting your details for your Sweet 16th, because it will be a magical night when you will create memories to last a lifetime.

If you would like, involve your best girlfriends in the planning. No one knows you better than your BFF. They can help you select music, create a fabulous menu and find the best outfit! Don’t leave out your folks- they may be feeling especially sentimental seeing their little girl reaching such a special birthday. It’s important to gracefully thank the people who make your party happen. Take a moment to make a short thank you to all your guests, either through a toast or by visiting with each and every guest. Then, after your party send a stylish thank you note. Your party will be a success, and you will be the belle of the ball!

From image: Cake from theknot.com, Invitation Natural Flora

Mod Mom Baby Shower!

I was so thrilled when I came across the blog of Pink Cake Box, a New Jersey Company that "specializes in sweet." When browsing their adorable site, I found the cake you see to the right that perfectly coordinates with our Expecting Dress Baby Shower Invitation! Part of our line of modern mom baby shower invitations, this invitation really shows how modern moms have style and grace even when their feet are swollen and their bellies ready to pop!

A mod mom baby shower is easy to create- find inspirations in the personality of the mommy-to-be. Here are a few:

* If she loves movies, consider a Hollywood baby shower. Google for photos of celebrities when they were little and have everyone guess who the famous cutie is!

* Reality TV buff? Play baby idol! Guests get to sing lullabies to the mommy-to-be and she gets to choose a winner!

* If your mod mom is a fashionista, tie in references to her favorites! Is a Kate Spade diaper bag in her future? Make a onesie cake by tying onesies together and stacking them to make a tiered cake. Choose unique onesies that you know your hip guest of honor will love. Can also be done with diapers!

* For a baby shower of any theme, choose a signature non-alcoholic, decaffeinated cocktail in her favorite color.

For more modern mom baby shower invitations, click here!