Winter Wedding Promotions

William Arthur Engraved Invitation, Photo courtesy of William Arthur

Every time I turn around these days I seem to be getting an email or fax with yet another incredible promotion from one of our great wedding invitation lines so I wanted to make sure that I shared them all with you so that you (or someone you know!) could take advantage of these ridiculous savings and cross yet another item off your never-ending wedding to list!

William Arthur Weddings Volume I & II, Vera Wang On Weddings & Rita Renning Weddings: Order 75, get 25 free through March 28th


Vera Wang Zinnia Invitation, Photo courtesy of William Arthur

Crane’s Classic Weddings, Crane’s Bliss, Crane’s Letterpress, Kate Spade Weddings & Martha Stewart Weddings: Order 50 & get free return address printing (or free engraving or letterpress dies) through April 12th


Martha Stewart Peony Wedding Suite, Photo courtesy of Crane's

Prentiss Douthit: Free return address printing on all orders through March 31st

Smock Letterpress: Free Save the Dates with a Wedding Invitation order OR Free return address printing on outer invitation envelopes through December 31st


Smock Rhon Letterpressed Invitation, Photo courtesy of Smock Paper

Checkerboard A Marry Occasion & Blue Moon: Order 25, get 25 free through March 28th



Checkerboard Thermographed Invitation with Ribbon, Photo courtesy of Checkerboard

The Perfect (last-minute) Valentine’s Day Gift

Some people say that I can be hard to shop for because I’m, well, let’s just say ‘particular’...but these beautiful prints & mini wood blocks that just arrived from Kari Herer Photography would undoubtedly be a Valentine’s Day homerun in my eyes! Even though many of Kari’s works already adorn the walls in my own home, I always seem to find something new to go crazy for every time I look at her prints. So what’s my new favorite, you wonder? The ever so simple yet stunning white Anemone 2045. This one will surely make its way into my living room one way or another (ahem, hubby, I hope you read this between now & Sunday!).




However, you could make this year’s Valentine’s Day one to remember with one of these free-standing 4”x4” mini wood blocks ($18.95) or one (or maybe even a couple!) of the 5”x5” prints ($13.95). Happy Valentine’s Day!

Wedding Invitation FAQs, Part 2: Timeline

Happy Friday everyone! Hopefully you all found Part 1 of our Wedding FAQs helpful so here is the second installment - Timeline. We are often asked about the timing of invitations from when to start looking, to when to mail Save the Dates, and when to order & mail invitations so we hope the FAQs & Timeline below will be helpful to you in your planning for your big day! Enjoy the weekend!

Q: When should I start looking for wedding invitations?
It is best to begin browsing for invitations early—the earlier, the better. Casually browsing through an array of albums will help generate ideas and allow you to “see what’s out there”. However, before you start browsing it is good to have a general idea of the type of event you are having (formal vs. casual), the location of the ceremony/reception, the number of guests and a general color-scheme.

Q: When should I order my invitations?
Once you finally select an invitation, an additional appointment is generally necessary to place the order so that you will have a sales associate’s undivided attention. Filling out our Wedding Invitation Worksheet in advance will make the ordering process go smoothly and also provide us with all the pertinent information. Our knowledgeable staff will provide you with guidance regarding proper wording and etiquette during this appointment.

Q: When should I mail my invitations?
A: Invitations should be mailed 6-8 weeks in advance of your wedding day. The enclosed reply card should request guest’s replies somewhere between 2 and 4 weeks before your wedding day.

Timeline
6-12 months before: Begin browsing for invitations, gathering ideas and price quotes. Simultaneously, look for Save the Dates (usually sent 6-9 mo. in advance of your wedding date).

4-6 months before: Narrow down your invitation selection and make an appointment to place your order. Once an order is placed, proofs are generally received within 2-5 business days. Upon proof approval, orders are usually shipped within 7-10 business days for flat printing and thermography or 2-4 weeks for engraving and letterpress. We generally recommend allowing 3-6 weeks to complete the ordering process.

8-10 weeks before: Upon receiving your invitations, take one to the post office to be weighed and purchase the proper postage including postage for the reply envelope. Address & assemble your invitations.

6-8 weeks before: Mail your invitations. Finalize orders for ceremony programs, tablecards, menus, placecards and favor packaging, if applicable.

2-4 weeks before: Keep track of responses as they are returned.

Photo courtesy of Studio Olivine.

Annual 20% off Sale

If you are a bargain shopper like I am then you are going to love our Annual 20% off Storewide Sale* going on this Friday, February 5th & Saturday, February 6th. And it only gets better - we are joining together with Blanche & Mimi, a great home, bath & baby store just around the corner on Middle Street. So once you are done loading up on goodies at Papier Gourmet you can mosey on down the street, grab a cup 'o joe on the way & enjoy a 20% off storewide savings at B&M as well! The perfect opportunity to find that special gift for your Valentine! We hope to see you soon!

*Discount does not apply to the purchase of gift cards/certificates at either store. At Papier Gourmet, discount does not apply to special orders, current promotions & in-house printing services.

Designer Spotlight - Smock Paper

If you are a lover of all things letterpress, like we are, then you are going to go ga-ga over our Designer Spotlight this week: Smock Paper. Based in Syracuse, New York, this new letterpress line combines all of our favorite things – sustainability and gorgeous, fresh design - into one truly beautiful invitation line. Smock believes so strongly in being sustainable that they’ve gone the extra mile to not only include using renewable materials (bamboo paper & soy-based inks) and recycling at their offices but by also doing things like providing bus passes for their employees and donating a percentage of their profits to environmental organizations. Their luxury bamboo paper is so soft & supple that you’ll want to stop in just to feel the beautiful samples for yourself! From floral & graphic designs, patterned pocketfolds, printed envelope liners, printed back patterns and hand-calligraphy, all of which are completely customizable, Smock has something for everyone! And as if we couldn’t love this line enough already, Smock is currently offering two incredible offers for 2010 – free return address printing on outer invitation envelopes OR free Save the Dates with a wedding invitation order (WOW!!!) I think we’ve died and gone to letterpress heaven! So, contact us soon to set up your bridal appointment so we can show you the full Smock invitation line in person. We promise you’ll be as head over heels as we are!







All images courtesy of Smock Paper.