Thank you!  Thank you!  We are thrilled to have been voted the Best Gift & Stationery Store in Charlotte in the Best of Citysearch 2009 polls!  We love what we do, especially since we get to work with such fabulous customers who we consider friends.  A huge thank you to everyone who voted and posted comments.  Your support is very much appreciated.

I just saw this fabulous article from The New York Times about fine stationery and the importance of having your own signature stationery wardrobe.  Here’s a snippet from the article:

“It’s a little flash of character and extra care,” said Celerie Kemble, a Manhattan designer who created a line of limited-edition stationery for Dempsey & Carroll last fall. “Using a card says, ‘You stopped me in my tracks and this comes from my heart.’ ” When you pair that idea with the choice of paper, font and ink — what Ms. Kemble called “a reinforcement of a decorative identity or a kind of personality stamp” — you have a memorable object, a keepsake.

You can read the full article here.  The friendly associates at Salutations stand eager to help when you are ready to create your personal stationery wardrobe.  Just give us a call, stop by, or visit us online!

Photo courtesy of Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times

As the saying goes, “You only get one shot at a first impression.” Your wedding invitation is often your guests’ first impression of the event that awaits them and you want to get it right.  Since ordering wedding invitations is not something you do everyday, the process can feel daunting.  Here are some tips that should help make it a pleasant experience and not an ordeal to be endured.

1.       Start the process early

“The early bird gets the worm” . . . and the most beautiful wedding invitations.  Allow yourself enough time to define your tastes, learn about proper etiquette, and design the perfect invitation that will set the tone for your special day.  By ordering early, you will also avoid being forced to settle for an invitation just because it can be delivered in a short amount of time.  You will also save on rush fees and expedited shipping rates.

2.       Find a good stationer

The importance of this cannot be stressed enough.  A quality stationer will play an important role in creating your perfect wedding stationery.  Such a stationer will educate you, save you from errors, help you to create a truly unique invitation that is reflective of your personality, show you ways to save time and money, and become one of your biggest allies throughout the wedding planning process.

3.       Define your style

Review wedding magazines and wedding blogs to get a feel for the huge array of invitation styles available.  {Style Me Pretty is one of our favorite resources!}  Pay attention to the designs you are repeatedly drawn to and tear out those magazine pages.  Decide whether your tastes tend more toward classic and traditional or more contemporary or design-oriented.  Decide the tone you’d like to set for your day ~ is it one of classic elegance or one of fun and whimsy?  Bring this information with you to give your stationer a feel for your tastes.

4.       Have a good idea of your guest list

While you by no means need to have a final guest list before ordering your wedding invitations, you should have a very good idea of the number of guests you would like to invite and the number of invitations you will need to order.  {Remember that 200 guests does not equal 200 invitations, as most of these guests will not be single individuals.}  Be sure to get input from all parents as to the guests they would like invited.  Always order more than you think you’ll need so you’ll be prepared for the inevitable guest list creep.  The cost to order 25 or so additional invitations at the outset will be far less than the expense of ordering a small number of invitations later, plus the shipping and rush fees that would be required.  {Trust us on this ~ we’ve seen it happen far more than you’d think.}

5.       Be realistic about your budget

The bridal magazines are filled with multi-page layouts featuring the most incredibly gorgeous wedding invitations, usually in multiple colors that are engraved or letterpressed on high-quality card stock.  Brides fall in love with these invitations and then flip to the wedding budget worksheet in the back of the magazine, which all too often suggests ridiculously low amounts for wedding stationery that would not even cover the reply cards for those featured wedding ensembles.  Remember that you get what you pay for.  A good stationer will help identify ways that you can save money and still achieve a look and feel that you are going for, but they cannot create “a champagne invitation on a beer budget.”

6.     Understand printing methods

Your stationer should be able to explain to you the differences between flat or offset printing, thermography, engraving, and letterpress printing ~ and show you samples of each.  {If they cannot, run the other way and reread #2 above!}  The method of printing can dramatically change the look, feel and color of an invitation, not to mention the cost.

7.     Understand wedding wording etiquette

Etiquette guidelines often dictate the way that a wedding invitation should be worded ~ and the way that it should not be worded.  {Believe it or not,  whether you request the honor of someone’s presence or the pleasure of their company is not based on your personal preference as to which sounds better.}  Again, your stationer should be able to help you compose the wording of your invitation, based on your individual circumstances.  While it may seem like you’re sharing a lot of personal information, you should be prepared to share with your stationer the details of who is paying for the wedding and whether there are any sticky family issues that may need special handling.

8.     Decide how envelopes will be addressed

It is best to know before ordering whether you will be hand-addressing the envelopes, having them addressed by a calligrapher, or having them printed by your stationer.  Calligraphers may charge more for certain envelope papers or ink colors, or a stationer who is printing your addresses may need to request heat-resistant thermography inks, for example.  In any event, always order at least 15%  extra envelopes to allow for the inevitable mistakes in addressing.

9.       Understand the etiquette of addressing

Rules of etiquette dictate the way in which wedding invitations are addressed.  For example, did you know that an invitation to an unmarried couple who is living together should feature each of their names stacked without being separated by the word “and”?  Again, your stationer should be able to advise you as to the proper way to address your invitations.

10. Consider ordering accessories at the same time

The best wedding stationery ensembles are those that carry the same look and feel, color scheme, and theme throughout.  While your menu cards do not need to exactly match the typestyle and ink color of your wedding invitations, it is best to have a cohesive set of paper accessories that help create the tone you intend for your day.  For instance, if you have a custom monogram or duogram, or a seashell motif, these elements should be carried through your accessories such as the wedding programs, menu cards, escort cards, table cards, place cards, welcome booklets, and favor tags.  For this reason, you may want to at least identify your choices for these wedding accessories when ordering your invitations.  Often, stationery manufacturers will offer a discount for coordinating items ordered at the same time as the invitations.

{Tip: While you will likely not be prepared to order your wedding programs at the same time as your invitations, you can order a coordinating program cover and then have the inserts printed by your stationer as you get closer to your wedding when more details are finalized.}

Crane & Co. has extended their popular Buy 75/Get 25 Free promotion through June 30th.  Purchase 75 or more pieces of Crane’s personalized (engraved, letterpressed, thermographed, flat printed or embossed) products to receive an extra 25 free. This promotion applies to Crane and Kate Spade wedding invitations, birth announcements, and personalized stationery.

Father’s Day is June 21st ~ you still have time to surprise Dad if you hurry!

Sweet Pea Designs has two great promotions running right now.  The “Twice as Nice” promotion doubles your order when you order 25 or more notes or gift enclosures, or when you order a book mark or bag tag.  And, for a limited time, you can receive 15% off your order of invitations or birth announcements.

The new Mindy Weiss invitations and note cards are here and we are so excited!  Inviting Company and Mindy Weiss, one of the world’s most sought-after wedding planners, have collaborated on a special new invitation and stationery collection.  The designs are fresh and retro-chic.  Perfect for bridal showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, and many are great for any occasion.  Here are a few of our faves:

In need of some wonderful stationery to inspire you to write those thank-you notes?

Through February 28th, receive free return address printing on orders of 100 or more notes, correspondence cards, or letter sheets from William Arthur.  January is the perfect time to refresh your stationery wardrobe, and William Arthur offers a wide array of designs and options to choose from.

Go to our online Photo Gallery of William Arthur stationery for a sample of some of the many options available to you.  Our friendly and helpful stationery designers can work with you in one of our stores or we can work with you by phone and email from any location.

Through February 17th, receive free custom engraving dies (a $96 value) OR free thermography of your envelopes (a $58 value) when you purchase 100 or more Crane’s notes, cards or letter sheets plus envelopes.

Crane’s annual Signature Event is the perfect opportunity to create your signature style through your choice of paper, ink color, typestyle and monograms.

See our Photo Gallery of Crane & Co. stationery for many examples of items offered by Crane.  Our pleasant and professional stationery designers can work with you in one of our stores or by phone and email no matter where you are!

We just launched a Facebook page for Salutations.  If you are on Facebook, please join us on our page.  If you like what you see, you can become a fan of the Salutations page to receive news of updates, promotions, and new products.  We’d love to hear your thoughts - post them on the Wall!

Everyone loves to host a party, but wouldn’t you love it even more if you didn’t need to clean your house, provide refreshments, and hope that you can find a time when more than a few people can attend?  And, how does free merchandise sound?  Now you can host a Salutations Web Soirée™ and earn merchandise credit!

Here is how it works:  You send us an email (help@salutations.com) to let us know that you’d like to host a Web Soirée and the date that you’d like the party to begin.  We will email to you a customized invitation and a soirée code that you can email to your guests.  {We don’t require you to submit your friends’ email addresses to us.  If they want to share their email with us, they can register for our Inspirations newsletter.}

Web Soirées last for 10 days, during which your guests can shop on Salutations’ website and receive 20% off of their purchases using the special soirée code.  At the end of the 10-day period, you will receive a merchandise credit worth 20% of the total of purchases made by your guests using their soirée code.

You can even include a theme for your Web Soirée (e.g., Pajama Party, Girls Night Online, etc.).

Get started compiling your list and send us an email today to let us know the date you’d like to reserve for your Web Soirée!