Traditionally, response cards were not included in wedding invitations. Guests were expected to write a note on a sheet of their own stationery letting the hosts know if they would be attending or not. Eventually, bride's started to include a response card with their invitations to encourage guests to reply. These cards were blank or printed with one sentence such as, "the favour of your reply is requested by June 1st.) In more recent times, reply cards have become standard. These cards are basically fill in the blank style and ask guests for their name, whether or not they are coming, how many people are coming and potentially may even ask for entrée selections.

In the last couple of years we are starting to see another shift in the response card trends. Many couples, in their desire to be eco-friendly, are doing RSVP postcards or skipping the insert altogether and asking guests to reply online.

As I mentioned in the last article, I think that what you do for your reply cards is up to how strictly you want to follow etiquette. I would suggest that if you plan to have guests reply online, that you have at least a small number of traditional style reply cards to include in the invitations going out to your less tech-savvy guests. If you choose to do a reply card with an envelope or an rsvp postcard, make sure to stamp them!

Here are a couple of answers to questions that I am frequently asked about rsvp cards:

We don't want children at the wedding, how can we politely let our guests know?
The correct etiquette around this questions would be that you would address your envelopes only to those people who are invited and your guests should know that if a child's name was not listed, that the child is not invited. If that is not realistic for your situation, I would recommend including a "number attending" line on your reply card. This way, if you have invited 2 guests and they reply that 3 are coming, you can address the issue before the wedding. Alternately, you can put a small statement on the reply card such as, "due to space limitations, no children please."

Who should the rsvp card go back to?
The correct etiquette answer would be that whoever is hosting the event would receive the reply cards. These days I am seeing a lot of Bride and Grooms who want the cards to return to them, even if their parents are technically hosting (paying) for the wedding.

What does RSVP mean? What does the M stand for?
RSVP is French and stands for Responde Sil Vous Plait which means please respond. The M that comes before the line for your guests names is where they would put in Mr. or Mrs. If you don't like this, you could alternately put Name:________

Wedding Invitation Etiquette is such an interesting topic to me. There are some very specific etiquette rules around invitations but that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to follow every single rule! I think one of the most important considerations when determining if you will follow etiquette guidelines is to think of your guests and what makes the most sense to them. Really, this is the most important rule in etiquette, in general, if you ask me - make sure that everything you do is gracious and helpful to your guests! If you come from a family that knows etiquette guidelines and will be offended if you don't follow them, then etiquette is for you. However, if you come from a family that is much more laid back and may not be aware of the subtle guidelines of etiquette (such as knowing that only the people named on the envelope are invited) then you may want to step outside of etiquette guidelines to make the process more simple for your guests. The other consideration should be how formal of a wedding you are planning. If you are having a formal wedding, you will generally want to follow etiquette guidelines more closely to start setting the scene for your formal wedding.

In the coming weeks I will share with you some fun and helpful information on etiquette and let you decide what is best for you. If you are lost and need help - come see us! We love helping you word your invitations and address your envelopes.

Paper Fling was honored to be featured in two different articles of this month's Seattle Bride Magazine. For the first article, Erin Lindeman of Lindeman Weddings and Events asked us to collaborate with her on a two page spread featuring amber and teal as a color theme. We created a 7x7 invitation that featured a fun Envelopments brand patterned paper and envelope liner as well as matching menus and place cards. Judy Tallant of Tallant House created mini cakes using the Envelopements pattern - we love the way these all tied together!


The second article featured a wedding that we provided place cards, favor tags and table numbers for. This couple had a super creative wedding with a dinosaur theme!

As we are getting back into "wedding season" I thought I would share some information on wedding invitations with you. I am often asked about proper timelines for sending out wedding stationery. Here are some thoughts on the different pieces:

Save the Date cards should be sent 1 year - 6 months prior to your wedding. These are particularly important if you are having a destination wedding, if your wedding will take place on or near a holiday, or if you have a lot of out of town guests.

Wedding Invitations should be sent out 8-12 weeks prior to your wedding. (If you have sent a save the date, you should be fine sending it closer to the 8 week side.)

Reply By dates for your response cards should be no more than 3 weeks prior to your wedding. (I know, I know, you can't wait to get your guest count nailed down and would much prefer to have your reply by date be a couple months before the big day. If you do this though, you will find that many people are unable to let you know that far in advance and end up not sending back the card which leaves you in a big mess - yes, I am speaking from experience!)

Thank You Cards can be sent as soon as you receive a present and should be sent no more than 3 months past the date that you received the gift. Ideally, you should send the thank you card out as soon as you receive the gift - it is so much easier this way than letting them pile up and having to write 100 thank you cards all in one sitting.

Come celebrate the holiday season this Saturday with the annual tree lighting and arrival of Santa Claus at Country Village. will be staying open until 8:00 for all of your holiday shopping needs. (There's still time to order your Holiday Cards!)

Check out www.countryvillagebothell.com for more details.



Photo courtesy of Chapters Photography

Do-It-Yourself Holiday Card Classes are back by popular demand! Last year we had a great time in our little studio helping you design and make your own beautiful holiday cards. We are so excited to get the party started this year with our new and improved assembly studio in the bigger and better Bothell location!

Here's how it works...
Sign up for one of our DIY Holiday Card Class times to come in and get your card designed and your paper ordered. Come back 1 week later (at a time of your choosing) and use our equipment and guidance to get them put together. This is a lot of fun as well as a great value! 10.00 reserves your space and then just pay the cost of the paper you choose - we'll throw in the printing and assembly goods for free!

Available classes are:
Sunday November 22nd 11:00 am or 3:00 pm
Monday November 30th 6:00 pm
Saturday December 5th 11:00 am
Thursday December 10th 6:30 pm

Call the store today to reserve your space - classes are limited to 4 people/class so sign up soon to get your first choice of times!

Beat the rush and order your holiday cards by November 15th and we will reward your excellent planning skills with a 10% discount off of all customized holiday cards! We have a great selection to choose from including Photo Cards and Customizable Cards and Invitations. Check out some samples here: www.paperfling.com/Holiday and then stop in today to get your order placed!

If you prefer to make your own holiday cards, you will definitely want to check out our DIY Holiday Card classes! They offer many different styles and options plus the ability to use our studio and equipment for assembly. Check out the class schedule here: www.paperfling.com/Classes Make sure to sign up soon as classes do fill up and re-registration is required.

Come trick or treat at Paper Fling this Halloween! Country Village will be holding their annual "safe halloween" trick-or-treating from 4:00 - 6:00 this Saturday. It will be great fun for  kids of all ages! Caleb is really looking forward to dressing up like a penguin and seeing all the other fun costumes you all have. I am still trying to decide what to dress up as. Let me know if you have any good ideas!

See you on Saturday!

Did you know that Emerald Downs hosts weddings and events? This month the Washington Branch of ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants) met at Emerald Downs and checked out their facility. We had a great time seeing the different locations that one could host a ceremony, reception or party. The main event facility that they offer is the Emerald Room. This room is easily divisable into two sections by drapes so that you can host both a ceremony and reception. There are also suites available which are perfect for an intimate party or for use as a dressing area for the Bridal Party. You can also get married out near the paddock next to the horses - what a perfect location for horse lovers!

The ABC event was a lot of fun. Emerald Downs hosted a mock race since their racing season ends in September. I bet on "Dark Charmer" and lost - but had fun cheering him on! The meeting was planned by Stacy Gavino of Cherishing Moments. She did a great job of bringing in some unique vendors. Red Carpet Valet provided parking. Absolute Music provided MC and DJ services. The Prop Gallery, Choice Linens and AA Party provided rentals. Jack Young provided photography. Creme de la Creme provided printed cookie favors. Extra Hands Catering provided drink service. Paper Fling provided menu cards. And finally, Clowns Unlimited provided a photo booth as well as a Charicature Artist which we all had fun with! (Check out my photo booth picture with Dixie Duncan from Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom Magazine.)