We just came across this short video that we made when we introduced our in-house printing system in our former retail store, Arabesque, a number of years ago. We still use this system and LOVE it, so we thought we’d pull this video out and share it so that you can get an idea of some of the things we an print for you on the premises, quickly and inexpensively!

Click here to watch!

• We do appreciate appointments wherever possible. We want to be sure you have uninterrupted attention from our staff, and it may sometimes be difficult to accommodate walk-ins. 
• Once we’ve confirmed your appointment, we’ll send you a link to an online Wedding Questionnaire.  This allows us to learn more about you and your wedding so we can be as efficient as possible in our time with you.
• For your first appointment, we’ll reserve two hours for you to meet with a consultant and view our albums. While this may sound long, it can take a while to get familiar with the options, browse albums and begin creating your invitation.  

• When you arrive, you’ll get comfortable in our ordering area, where we’ll review what we’ve learned from the Wedding Questionnaire.  Based on your needs, we’ll share some information and answer any questions. Then, it’s time to browse albums to your heart’s content!

• There are many decisions involved that may seem overwhelming at first. Just work through them one step at a time. Decide on those factors that you can before your appointment (see “10 Things to Know Before Ordering Your Wedding Invitations”).  Then, you can work with our staff to make the right decision for you and your budget.
• Sometimes, our clients fall in love with a particular line, design the invitation and place the order at their first appointment.  Others want to consider all the options and come back for another appointment (or two) to get things finalized.  Either approach is perfectly fine.

• After your appointment, we can accomplish many of the follow-up tasks via phone and e-mail.  We do have clients who live in other places, so working remotely and shipping to your destination is never a problem.

We look forward to meeting you and to helping you create your perfect invitation!

Click here to schedule an appointment

You’ve heard the expression, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Your wedding invitation sets the tone for the day and ensures the guests are excited to be included in the celebration!

Here are 10 things you should consider before your invitation appointment:

1.  Have a clear vision of your dream wedding and your personal style.  When you envision your day, is it a black-tie gala?  A garden wedding?  A barefoot beach affair?  A backyard pig roast?  Will it take place during the daytime or evening?  Will it be close to home or a destination wedding?  Write down a list of adjectives that best describe how you’d like the day to look and feel.

2.  Would you like to include a theme or meaningful symbol?  Will your wedding take place in the mountains or by a lake?  Do you share a love of sailing? Would you like to include a monogram? There are many ideas that can be incorporated into your invitation.

3.  Will you be following a particular color palette?  Perhaps you’d like to incorporate the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses, the reception decor or the time of year…feel free to bring swatches!

4.  Determine the number of invitations you’ll need.  Keep in mind that this is not the same as the number of guests.  Rather, it is the number of households, taking into consideration couples and families.  For example, if you’re inviting 200 people and most are married, you’ll probably need closer to 125 invitations.

And while we’re on the subject:  plan to order extras!  Guest lists have a sneaky way of growing (often at the last minute), and the cost of ordering more with the initial order is significantly less than ordering a small number at a later date. 

5.  Consider the various printing methods.  We can help you understand each of the types of printing, including letterpress, engraving, thermography, embossing and flat printing.  Before your appointment, take note of any preferences you may have, and let us know if you like a particular style.  It’s also helpful to bring in pages from magazines or samples of invitations you like.

6.  Decide what other cards or stationery pieces you’ll need to include.  Would you like to have a reply card with an envelope, or a postcard?  Will you need cards for the reception, schedule, accommodations, directions or web site?  Do you like pocketfolds, ribbons, envelope liners and so forth?  Single or double envelopes?  You’ll want to see a variety of samples to help you decide what you like best.

7.  Have a general idea of your budget.  However, we also suggest that you remain open to learning about the different styles and what the various printing methods cost. We’ve learned that bridal magazines can create unreasonable price expectations by showing luxurious suites of high-end invitations, but then advising you to allow an unreasonably low percentage of your budget for invitations.  We can work with you to create an invitation that you love but is also within your financial comfort zone.

8.  Decide who will be issuing the invitation.  Is it a traditional situation in which the bride’s parents issue the invitation, or are the groom’s parents equally involved and contributing financially?  Perhaps you and your fiancee are doing so yourselves?  In this day and age, there are many circumstances that require not-so-traditional wording.  If any of the parents are divorced, remarried or deceased, we can help you figure out how to properly word things so as to avoid embarrassment or hard feelings.  This will also help to determine whose address will appear on the reply envelope and as the return address on the invitation envelope.

9.  Decide how you would like the invitations to be addressed.  Will you or your family or friends be hand-addressing the envelopes?  Will you hire a calligrapher?  Will you have the addresses printed on the envelopes?  Again, it’s always a good idea to consider ordering extra envelopes to cover any errors in addressing.

10.  Make your decision!  Remember that this should be a fun process, not a stressful one.  Just be sure to give yourself time to look at a number of options before making your purchase.  Trust your instincts…there’s usually one invitation that you come back to again and again.  This is usually “the one!” Ask yourself whether it reflects the spirit of your wedding day…whether it suits your personality and style…and whether it will excite your guests when it arrives.  If it fits these criteria, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice!

Click here to schedule an appointment with a wedding consultant!

In this age of “everything electronic,” perhaps at no time has the traditional thank you note been perceived as something so special.

With people receiving dozens if not hundreds of electronic messages each day in the form of texts, e-mails and social media messages, a personal, handwritten thank you is without question the most meaningful way to convey the message that a gift or gesture meant a great deal.

Yes, we know…writing thank you’s can be a bit overwhelming if you’re unsure of what to say.  However, it really doesn’t need to be complicated.  With these seven quick steps, you’ll be penning like a pro in no time at all:

1. Start with a personal greeting. This may seem like “Basic Correspondence 101,” but it happens more often than you’d think:  a generic thank you message with no greeting.  A simple “Dear Aunt Sarah,” will work just fine.

2.  Begin by stating your thanks. Whether it’s for a specific gift or for a gesture, let them know why you’re writing:

“Thank you so much for the gorgeous silver frame.”

3.  Include a specific mention of the gift or gesture.  Again, it may seem obvious, but it’s important to let the recipient know why you’re writing, and that you indeed received the gift that they intended for you.  Once again, keep it simple:

“I absolutely love the gift certificate to Pottery Barn…it’s my favorite store!”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciated your offer to watch the kids on Saturday night.”

4.  Let them know why you liked it/how you’ll use it. It means so much to the giver if they can envision your enjoyment of their gift:

“We plan to use it to display one of our very favorite photos from the wedding.”

“It seems like it’s been forever since Joe and I had the chance to enjoy a dinner out with just the two of us!”

5.  Make a connection to the future.  Mention a time that you’ll be in touch again, or in the case of business thank you, state the next steps you intend to take:

“I look forward to seeing you at the family reunion in a few weeks.”

“Let’s make plans to grab a glass of wine when you have a break in your schedule.”

“I will follow up with you next week to see where you are in the interview process, and whether I might provide you with further information.”

6.  Thank them again. State your thanks in a different way, perhaps with a new detail:

“Thank you again for sharing this special occasion with us.”

“We will think of you every time we toast with our beautiful flutes!”

7.  End with a closing salutation. The tried-and-true include “Sincerely,” “With love,” “Many thanks” or whatever closing may be most appropriate to the occasion and the recipient. That’s it!  You have crafted a lovely, personal and heartfelt “thank you.”

We will leave you with a final closing thought as you embark upon your note writing: Nice stationery makes an impression.  It may seem easy or adequate to grab a piece of notebook paper and jot off a few quick lines; however, a lovely card imprinted with your name or initials never fails to make a classy impression.

In the case of business correspondence, and in particular during the job interview process, it’s essential to present a professional image with branded stationery. We invite you to call us and schedule an appointment to design your personalized stationery at Shelburne Gift Company.  We’d be delighted to help you choose from our vast selection of options in all price ranges.

You put a lot of time and energy into creating your perfect wedding invitation.  You’re pleased with the way it reflects your style and sets the stage for your event.

Sometimes, it can be easy to overlook some of the other important paper components that can pull together the day’s celebration and truly “wow” your guests.  Here are some of the most popular ones:

Wedding Programs.  Programs are generally distributed at the ceremony as a way to provide guests with the details of the event to come, as well as offer a keepsake of the wedding.  They may be handed out at the door by  members of your wedding party, placed at each seat at the ceremony, or placed in an easily accessible basket or other receptacle at the entrance.

Programs come in all forms and fashions, from a simple printed card to tri-folds, scrolls and more fun or elaborate presentations such as fans, passports or playbills. The contents of the program may include:

• An outline of the ceremony and order of events, including processional music selections, greetings, readings, prayers, exchange of vows, ring ceremony, unity candle ceremony, pronouncement of marriage and recessional music selection.
• A list of those participating in your ceremony, including the members of your wedding party, officiant, readers, musicians and singers.
• Special thank you messages to family and friends
• Tributes to loved ones who are deceased or otherwise unable to attend
• Explanations of the meanings behind any special poems, readings, or religious or ethnic traditions from the ceremony.

How many programs to order?  A good rule of thumb is generally 75% of the number of guests, as couples will in many cases take only one program,  Extras may be brought to reception and placed near the guest book for any guests who may not have received one at the ceremony.

Escort Cards/Place Cards. You may have heard both of these terms…is there a difference?  Technically, yes, though they are often used interchangeably.  Both are small, usually tented cards that help guests determine their assigned seating at the reception.

The subtle difference is that “escort cards” are placed in a grouping at a main table before the entrance to the reception. Each card contains the guests’ names and the table number to which they are assigned.  The guests then pick them up on their way in the door and find their appropriate table.

“Place cards,” on the other hand, are less common and generally used only at the most formal seated dinner receptions. They contain the guests’ names and are placed on the table, at the precise seat at which each guest is expected to dine. As weddings become more and more creative, ideas for quirky, clever and unexpected escort cards and place cards abound.  They may also be incorporated into the design of the wedding favor.

Table Cards.  Table cards are used to designate the number or name for each table at the reception.  As with escort cards, these may be very creative…often, couples will “name” tables based on things or places that are important to them.  These should be large enough to be seen from throughout the room…often, they’re set on a stand or incorporated into a centerpiece for easy viewing.

Menu Cards.  Most commonly used at seated dinner receptions, menu cards may be placed at each table setting to give guests a preview of the meal to come.  While not necessary with buffet-style receptions, some brides still choose to incorporate menu cards into table settings as a decorative element.  Again, menu cards may be as beautiful and creative as you like…they are often adorned with ribbons, flowers or other special touches.

Napkins.  Wedding day napkins personalized with the couple’s names, wedding date and any other relevant details add a special accent to your wedding reception.  Options include beverage/cocktail napkins, dinner napkins and guest towels for the bath facilities. They are available in thousands of designs and colors to match the themes of any decor.

Coasters.  Personalized coasters have become very popular at weddings and may be personalized with the couple’s names, wedding date, and fun themes, motifs or monograms appropriate to the celebration.  They can also be a nice keepsake of the celebration.

Favors.  The sky is the limit when it comes to wedding favors.  They range from the traditional chocolates, candles and soaps to modern gifts like music CDs, picture frames, glassware and the Vermont-y choice of maple syrup bottles.

Nearly any item can be personalized with a tag or label with the couple’s name, wedding date and even a photo. At Shelburne Gift, for example, we can print personalized candy bar wrappers and wine bottle labels right on the premises, as well as favor tags that can be affixed to nearly any gift item you can dream up!

Another favor idea that has gained popularity is the charitable donation in lieu of gifts.  In this case, cards can be printed for each table setting, detailing your gift and charity of choice to your guests.

Party Invitations.  The list of events that go hand-in-hand with a wedding celebration can be endless.  In addition to your perfect wedding invitation, don’t forget that you may need invitations for other parties, as well.  These can include showers, bachelorette parties, bridesmaids’ luncheons, welcome dinners, cocktail parties, rehearsal dinners, brunches and more.

Thank You Notes/Personalized Stationery.  The list of notes to be written in conjunction with your celebration is long!  A set of thank you notes or personalized stationery is an essential part of your wedding stationery wardrobe.  Whether you prefer a folded note (sometimes referred to an “informal,”) a flat card (“correspondence card”) or stationery sheet (“letter sheet”), you may choose to personalize your selection with a monogram or your new married name.

Of course, as with every other wedding “tradition,” there are also many ways to get creative with your thank you’s, including the idea of incorporating photography from your wedding into the note.

Miscellaneous Printed Pieces.  Did you create a signature cocktail or recipe for your reception, and you’d like to describe it for your guests?  Recipe cards at the bar or at table settings can be a wonderful memento of the celebration.  Or maybe you plan to include welcome baskets in the hotel rooms of your out-of-town guests?  A printed card to greet and welcome your guests, perhaps with a copy of the weekend’s itinerary if appropriate, is a lovely touch to accompany the basket.

We look forward to speaking with you and helping you come up with your favorite way to personalize every aspect of your wedding as outlined above!  Please contact us to make an appointment to come in and chat with us about all of your options.