Wedding Details: Escort Cards

Details aren't just about placement of decor and the colour you choose - they are also about logistics and flow.

When planning your wedding you have to take into account how you want your guests to move around your event. You give them an invite so they know what time and where to show up. You give them a ceremony program to help guide them along through the nuptuials, and you lay out escort cards to direct them to their seats.

Escort Cards:

Sometimes your Invitation Specialist can produce a package for you that includes all the stationery items you need for your wedding: save the date, invites, menu cards, programs, escort cards and thank you notes. You can have the escort cards hand written (by you or a calligrapher) or typed in the same font as the rest of your pieces.

We like it when we see different and unique escort cards. Like these:

Wooden airplane cards



Winery Wedding? Use corks!

Image from the Knot.

Spice Rub Escort Cards + Favors courtesy of Ruffled

How are you planning on tying your theme, colour and style of your wedding into your escort cards?

This is a detail where you can have fun and creative! This is also a detail that all of your guests will see....as there are plenty of details that they simply won't see or notice.

Need ideas for your escort cards? Visit our Friendor page and shout out to one of our recommended Invitation Specialists. They'd be happy to chat! Be sure to tell them we sent you!

 





The 3-Day Response Rule & Promptly saying Thank You

Did you know that according to proper wedding etiquette, you are to respond to an invite within 3-days? I’ve got to admit that even I haven’t been that quick with responding on more than one occasion.

Sometimes you take longer than 3-days to respond because…
A) You’re not sure if you’re available/can get the time off work, etc
B) If you’re single, you’re not sure to respond as a single or a duo
C) If it’s a destination wedding, you’ve got to factor in vacation time and money into your response decision.

Figuring out any of those options in 3-days is perhaps to some, a little unrealistic - but, etiquette, like any good manners, have rules. Sadly, in today’s society, rules are more likely to be ‘rule of thumb’ rather than proper protocol.

So whether you’re invited to a wedding, bridal shower, bachelorette party or rehearsal dinner, I suggest you do your best to respond quickly – at least within the week you received the invitation – 2 weeks maximum, but definitely before the RSVP due date! It’s unfair that hosts (mainly Brides) have to call their invited guests to confirm their attendance. As a guest, you’ve been selected among many and welcomed to take part in a joyous life event - the least you can do is let the host know that you’d be honoured to attend…or not.

My take on RSVP…. Respond Sincerely & Very Promptly. (This also means if you respond yes, keep your promise and go. No one likes to be blacklisted as the person/couple that didn’t show. Empty seats at a wedding are a big no-no.)

So now that we’ve ‘lectured’ or rather ‘informed’ the guests on proper etiquette – what about the Bride & Groom? They must have some rules to follow too, right? Of course!

Promptly saying Thank You to your guests for everything and anything that they do for you is a must. Some family and friends do more than just ‘show up’ to your event – they give you heartfelt gifts and cards, they offer to help you with DYI details and other wedding/event logistics and sometimes even if they aren’t invited to the wedding they offer to look after your pet and or your house while you’re at your wedding and your honeymoon. Any nice gesture needs a thank you.

It’s most manageable to write and send out Thank You cards as you receive gifts before your wedding. This way it doesn’t feel like you have a whole stack of cards to personalize and sign either before or right after your big day.

Thank You cards should be sent out no later than 6 months after your wedding, anything longer than that is simply distasteful. Plus, if you have a Bridal Shower (or sometimes 2 or 3), you should really strive to have Thank You cards for those gifts sent out before your wedding day. Usually guests give you a gift for your shower, and for your wedding, thus equalling two Thank You cards for two separate gifts – one from just you, the Bride and the other from both of you as a happily married couple.

Images from www.prettypaperinvitations.com
Post based on article found on www.weddingaces.com - "RSVP Today If You Please"

When it comes to stationary....

When it comes to stationary, I like to refer clients to professionals.

If you're not the DYI type and want to have someone else manage this task, then I suggest you check out Cheri from Invitations by SanSheira's. Cheri works with The Bride's Butler and is very creative and fun to work with. She makes all of her invites by hand, and dedicates her time to every couple.

When you meet with your stationary specialist, it's best to have your wedding colours and theme chosen. Knowing the style and feel you want for your wedding helps formulate the perfect invite. The invitation is the first thing from your wedding your guests see - so it helps set the mood and tone of the event.

Is it a formal affair? More casual? A candle light ceremony, or a bunch vow renewal? Weddings come in all shapes and sizes - and so do invites! Try to bundle your invitation order to include all pieces like the RSVP card, direction card, accommodation note and all envelopes. You may also want to order thank you cards along with your invites if your photographer doesn't offer it in their package. One thing to remember when choosing and ordering your wedding stationary is that it should all be consistent with one another. All pieces should reflect the same image/style/feel, etc of your wedding.

Will you be picking your invites based on your theme, cultural background, or just simply by your budget?

Work together with your Wedding Planner and your Stationary Specialist to create your own unique
and personalized invites. It's one of the many tasks in the planning process that is very fun and allows for creativity.

Shown is a Thank You card done by Veronica of Cinnamon Saturday who works with Cheri. This is a cute and whimsical way to take a wedding picture and make it unique.

How will you choose to inform your guests of the style and theme of your wedding? Colours? Textured paper? Ribbons or Jewels?

It's up to you....and your fiance too of course. :)