Depending on your location, our first consultation can be in person, by phone, email, or by Skype. We will discuss your budget, the individual items for your invitation suite, the quantity you will need, and any wedding inspiration you may have. This should be five to six months before your mail out date.

An estimate is submitted to you within a week from the consultation. Upon approval, a deposit is requested to secure your project within our schedule. Cheers! You have now officially begun the design process!

Within one to two weeks of receiving the deposit, a timeline will be created with all agreed upon submission, shipment, and mailing dates.

Conceptualizing the design is an extension from our initial consultation. I love to hear about any inspiring details planned for your wedding, such as flowers or items at the location that can be incorporated into your design. If you have magazine clippings or a Pinterest board, I would love to review it. Your design should reflect your venue and any wedding theme you may have. At this time you will also submit the text.

I will start by creating a few versions of the main invitation, and we will look at different typefaces, colors, and layouts, to pick out what you like best. Together we will pick the best elements from all the initial designs and com­bine them to create the next round of designs. Once you are happy with the main design, we will extend it to include the coordinating pieces of your suite. Colors, paper samples, and embellishments are shown to you for the final design. I generally go through two to three rounds of edits to perfect your design. My goal is create your perfect invitation!

The designs go to the printer! Depending on the printing format (flat, thermography, or letterpress), this process can take two to six weeks. If necessary, rush options may be available. Once the prints are completed, they will be assembled and shipped out to you!

Delivery is typically three to fives months from our initial consultation.

Save the dates are an announcement of your big news and are sent six months before the event. A year in advance is appropriate for destination events to accommodate traveling guests. The Formula ♥ Event Date (Weekday, Month Day, Year) ♥ Names of the Bride and Groom ♥ City and State of the Event Optional ♥ A website to keep guests up to date on details Traditional Please save the date of Weekday, Month Day, Year for the wedding/marriage of Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name City, State Formal invitation to follow Creative We’re getting hitched! Bride and Groom are excited to announce their wedding on Weekday, Month Day, Year City, State invitation to follow www.websitename.com

Invitations are sent six-eight weeks before the event. Two months in advance is appropriate for destination events to accommodate traveling guests. They are sent as part of an invitation suite. The Formula ♥ Who is hosting the wedding ♥ Names of the Bride and Groom ♥ Date and Time ♥ Ceremony Venue ♥ City and State of the Event ♥ Reception Location Optional ♥ A website to keep guests up to date on details ♥ Attire Click HERE to view the invitation wording and etiquette guide for sample wording and useful tips.

A reception card is traditionally included in the invitation suite when the reception is at a separate location from the ceremony. Alternatively, reception information can be included on the invitation itself. The Formula ♥ Time ♥ Venue Name ♥ Date and Time ♥ Street Address, City, and State Optional ♥ Attire Traditional Reception at hour o’clock Venue Name Street Address City, State Creative Dinner and dancing immediately following the ceremony Venue Name City, State

Wedding websites are great for sharing important information about your event and can be included on save the dates, invitations, thank you notes, or even as a card all its own.

An accommodations card is an optional addition to the invitation suite. It can be replaced by a wedding website or combined with the directions and related events information. The Formula ♥ Hotel Name(s) ♥ Street Address, City, and State ♥ Phone Number and/or Website Optional ♥ Map

A directions card is an optional addition to the invitation suite. It can be replaced by a wedding website or combined with the accommodations and related events information. The Formula ♥ Written directions via several different routes to the various locations Optional ♥ Illustrated map of the area including locations of wedding related events ♥ Sites and attractions and/or meaningful locations to the couple

A related events card is an optional addition to the invitation suite, but is often necessary when planning a destination event with various activities. It can be replaced by a wedding website or combined with the accommodations and directions information. The Formula ♥ Wedding Events ♥ Dates and Times ♥ Venues ♥ Addresses Optional ♥ Illustrated map of the area including locations of wedding related events ♥ Sites and attractions and/or meaningful locations to the couple Rehearsal dinner invitations, morning after brunch invitations, and other events with a limited guest list should be handled as separate cards. These can be included in specific guests' invitations or sent separately.

An RSVP (Respondez S’il Vous Plait) card is traditionally included in the invitation suite. The return-by date should be a month before the event, but it is always best to first talk with vendors who may need a headcount sooner. The Formula ♥ Return By Date ♥ Space for guests' names ♥ Accept/Decline Optional ♥ Meal Selection ♥ Space for guests to comment Traditional The favor of a reply is requested before Date. M_________________________________ ______ Accepts with pleasure ______ Declines with regret ___ Beef ___ Fish ___Vegetarian Creative Kindly reply by Date. Name(s) _________________________________ ___Waiting with bells on ___Wish I could be there Message to the newlyweds: ___________________________________________________________________

It is important to hand address the envelopes to personally invite your guests. Handwriting indicates to your guests that they are receiving something special. Hiring a calligrapher (or me!) always adds a nice touch, but it is also acceptable to ask a friend or relative with nice handwriting to address your envelopes for you. Make sure to use a felt tip archival pen instead of a ballpoint. ♥ Use home addresses. ♥ Use the appropriate Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss before a full name. ♥ Children are placed together on their own line beneath the parents. Girls under 18 are addressed as “Miss,” while boys are not addressed as “Mr.” until 18. ♥ Married couples using the same last name are written as "Mr. and Mrs." with the man's first and last name (i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Gary Moll). ♥ Married or unmarried couples using different last names are placed on the same line, in alphabetical order, but using "Ms." to address a woman (i.e. Ms. Deborah Foltz and Mr. Rick Long). Unmarried couples are addressed in the same manner, except each name is placed on a separate line. ♥ Married same-sex couples using different last names are placed on the same line, in alphabetical order, along with titles (i.e. Ms. Madeline Jones and Ms. Tonia Smith or Mr. Matthew Black and Mr. John Stone). If the couple shares the same last name, then refer to them in the plural as "Messrs" or "Madames," followed by the double first name and common last. (i.e. Messrs Matthew and John Stone or Madames Madeline and Tonia Smith). ♥ Women who are widowed should be addressed according to their late husband's name, with "Mrs." as the title (i.e. Mrs. Arthur McDonald). ♥ Unless a divorced woman is using their maiden name, they are still addressed as "Mrs.", but with their first names and former married last name (i.e. Mrs. Jane Cronson). ♥ Medical doctors are addressed by their abbreviated title on the envelope, however guests with PhDs are referred to with the appropriate "Mr.," "Mrs." or "Ms." ♥ Couples who are both medical doctors are addressed as "The Doctors" plus the shared last name (i.e. The Doctors Conley). However, if each uses a different last name, then address them individually as "Dr." plus their full name and in alphabetical order (i.e. Dr. Samantha Conley and Dr. Michael Smith). ♥ Other professional titles used are "Honorable" (judges), military designations, and religious titles. ♥ Guests 18 or older should receive their own invitations.

It is important to bring one fully assembled invitation to your local post office to be weighed and assessed by a post office employee. They will then be able to give you an estimated cost of postage. Envelope size, shape, thickness, and embellishments (like wax stamps) can affect the cost of postage, so this step is crucial in making sure you are purchasing the right postage.

Traditionally, thank you cards are sent within two weeks of receiving a gift or within a month after returning from a honeymoon. The Formula ♥ Thank You ♥ A few words about the gift or how you plan to use it ♥ Accept/Decline Optional ♥ A photograph of the gift in use

Birth announcements are a great way to introduce your new family member and are always best when written with your own creativity. They are sent within the baby’s first six months. For custom announcements, I suggest contacting me a few months before your delivery date to create a design. Once the baby arrives, any details can be sent to me to finalize the design and print. This will ensure that the announcements get into the mail quickly after the bab(ies) arrive. Pre-ordering envelopes to address and stamp before the bab(ies)’ birth can be a great time saver. The Formula ♥ Parent(s)’ Full Names ♥ Bab(ies)’ Full Name(s) ♥ Birth Date ♥ Birth Weight ♥ Length Optional ♥ Time ♥ Place of Birth ♥ Siblings ♥ A short poem, popular phrase, or religious passage. ♥ A personal note to certain close relatives Traditional We welcome with love… Baby’s Full Name Birth Date Weight Length Parent(s)’ Full Name(s) Siblings’ Names Creative Our home has grown by two feet… Baby’s Full Name Birth Date Weight Length Time Place of Birth Parent(s)’ Name(s) Siblings’ Names It's a Girl/Boy! Conor and Brittany have a new baby sister! Our new love (Baby Name)... We joyfully announce the birth of... Look who dropped in! Please share our joy at the arrival of our son/daughter... We welcome with great joy into our home and into our hearts… Twins/Multiples It's Twins! Baby’s Full Name Weight Length Baby’s Full Name Weight Length Birth Date Parent(s)’ Full Name(s) We've been doubly blessed! Two sets of hands two sets of eyes! Twins are such a delightful surprise! We became an instant family of four when we welcomed our precious twins aboard! Adoption Joyfully we announce the adoption of our son/daughter Name Born: Date Placed into our loving arms on Date Weight Length Share this happiness with us! It is with great joy that we announce the adoption of Name …and now we welcome him/her into our hearts Parents’ Names are delighted to announce the adoption of their son/daughter Name Born on Date Adopted on Date (S)He wasn't expected (S)He was selected! Name Born: Date (S)He came into our hearts and into our home on Date We welcome him/her with much love and joy Parents’ Names