The Shower Gift that Keeps on Giving!

I heard the best idea last week and right when I heard it, I said to the person "I should blog about that"! So, here it is: my customer was looking for a pre-printed paper that she could put in with the invitations she was sending out for a baby shower. The invitation stated to return the enclosed card with a note on it for the baby. Here's the neat part -- each guest was assigned a year and the baby will get one card per year until they are as old as the number of guests invited.

I thought that this would be a splendid idea for a bridal shower or couple's shower as well -- they could open one card on each anniversary and receive a wish, blessing, prayer, poem or funny story from a dear friend. Depending on circumstances, it may be from a friend that they have lost contact with, or a person who has passed away. I just think that is the neatest idea.

Another customer of mine did a similar thing for her mother's 90th birthday party. They did not want for people to bring gifts, but they knew how much their mother enjoyed receiving cards from friends. So, they provided 4" x 6" cards to each guest to write their favorite memory on and put them together in a photo album that was presented to her at the event.

Ornament Shower or Holiday Shower Theme

Since the holidays just past, I was reminded of one of my favorite shower themes: The Holiday Shower. This could be done at any time of year. Here is how it works - your guests are issued an invitation that has some really cute wording. Something like this:

Each and every holiday is special for different reasons
Let's shower Angie with gifts to celebrate the seasons

Please join us for a
Holiday Shower
in honor of
Angie Willis
Sunday, March 17, 2008
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Amy Cox's Home
129 Woodland Cove Drive
Monticello, Florida

Please bring a gift for __________.

(Fill in the blank with different holidays that the honoree recognizes -- Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, etc).

If you really want to go the extra mile, you could go to a stationery shop that has a good selection of invitations and pick out a couple of each holiday and coordinate the paper you use with the holiday they have been assigned.

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Another idea is the ornament shower. This shower has been incresingly popular in my little town of Elba, Alabama in the past couple of years and is always held in November or December. Since we do live in a tiny town, one of the local shopkeepers will decorate a tree with selections that the bride picked out to decorate "her" tree. The invitation reads something like this:

Please join us for a
Christmas Ornament Shower
in honor of
Miss Meredith Lowery
on Sunday, November 21, 2010
at the home of Amy Cox
129 Woodland Cove Drive
Monticello, Florida

~ Hostesses ~
Christina Hopkins, Pamela Smith, Susan Miller,
Valerie Moorehead and Lynn Robbins

~ Registry ~
The Lowery-Jones Tree is on display at the Strawberry Patch.

How to Word a Traditional Wedding Invitation

Invitations and announcements are usually issued by the parents of the bride, or the surviving parent. If the bride is without parents, invitations may be issued by the closest relative. The accepted order of kinship is as follows:
1. Elder brother
2. Elder sister
3. Both grandparents or surviving grandparent
4. Uncle and aunt
5. Guardian
6. Bride and Groom issue invitations themselves
7. Groom's family

Generally, the parents of the groom are not mentioned unless they are splitting the expense of the wedding.



If the bride's father and mother are issuing the invitations, the conventional form is:

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dean Cliett
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Laurie Anne
to
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
on Saturday, the twenty-first of March
Two thousand and ten
at six o'clock in the evening
Fellowship Presbyterian Church
Tallahassee, Florida

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent issues the invitation:

Mrs. (or Mr.) Larry Dean Cliett
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her (his) daughter
Laurie Anne
to
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
on Saturday, the twenty-first of March
Two thousand and ten
at six o'clock in the evening
Fellowship Presbyterian Church
Tallahassee, Florida

If the father or mother is deceased and the surviving parent has remarried, the remarried mother would use her present husband's name, but the remarried father would use the conventional form:

Mrs. David Lee Carson
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of her daughter
Laurie Anne Cliett
(etc...)

If the bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older, unmarried sister or brother:

Mr. Thomas Allen Harper
requests the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
(etc...)

If the bride's parents are deceased and the invitation is issued by an older married brother or sister:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert David Thornton
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of his sister
(etc...)

If the bride and groom issue their own invitations, the conventional wording would be:

Miss Laurie Anne Cliett
and
Mr. James Walter Chapman, Jr.
request the honour of your presence
at their marriage
(etc...)

The proper way to word an invitation when the bride's parents are divorced is to list the names of the bride's parents at the top of the invitation. Her mother's name is on the first line and her father's name is on the line beneath it. The lines are not separated by "and". If the bride's mother has not remarried, she uses "Mrs." followed by her first name, maiden name, and married name.

Mrs. Sally Jones Harper

A divorced father who issues the invitation uses the conventional form:

Mr. Matthew Ellis Harper

If the groom's family issues the invitations:

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Allen Lee
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of
Miss Anne Haley Harper
to their son
Mr. Michael Samuel Lee
(etc...)

Love Poems, Quote and Bible Verses...

Brides will often ask me for a poem, quote or Bible verse that would be appropriate for them to use on their invitations or programs. So, I thought that I'd post my list here, for all the world to enjoy! I have compiled this list from a variety of sources including wedding books, the internet, the Bible, and from some things that brides have given to me to use. Enjoy!

~Laurie

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Two Loves
By Father Abram J. Ryan

Two loves came up a long, wide aisle,
And knelt at a low, white gate;
One—tender and true, with a shyest smile,
One—strong, true and elate.

Two lips spoke in a firm true way,
And two lips answered soft and low;
In one true hand such a little hand lay
Fluttering, frail as a flake of snow.
One stately head bent humble there,
Stilled were the throbbings of human love;
One head drooped down like a lily fair,

Two prayers went, wing to wing, above.
God blest them both in the holy place,
Long brief moment till the rite was done;
On the human love fell a heavenly grace,
Making two hearts forever one.

Between two lengthening rows of smiles,
One sweetly shy, one proud, elate,
Two loves passed down the long wide aisle
Will they ever forget the low white gate?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No speed of wind or water rushing by
But you have speed far greater. You can climb
Back up a stream of radiance to the sky,
And back through history up the stream of time.
And you were given this swiftness, not for haste,
Not chiefly that you may go where you will,
But in the rush of everything to waste,
That you may have the power of standing still-
Off any still or moving thing you say.
Two such as you with such a master speed
Cannot be parted nor be swept away
From one another once you are agreed
That life is only life forevermore
Together wing to wing and oar to oar.

-Robert Frost-

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Love is like an eternal flame,
once it is lit,
it will continue to burn for all time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A life of sharing, caring
A love of endless giving together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two souls with but a single thought,
two hearts that beat as one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is only one happiness in life,
to love and be loved.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new day
A new life
Together

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two lives, two hearts
Joined together in friendship
United forever in
Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are:
The smile on my face
The beat in my heart
The light of my day
The dark of my night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are:
The dreams I dream
The passion I possess
The soul I adore
The one I love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You bring into my life
a sense of oneness,
shared by two.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I think of my love for you,
it can only be compared to the
greatest feelings of love in the world
And that is God’s Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Dove of Love has touched my Heart
Sprinkling purity each day that I start
Faith, Hope and Love is the way I shall be
Forever yours eternally

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are my best friend and soul mate
May the Love that we have for each other
Last forever in our hearts and soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My love I do give to you,
more than words can explain.
That's why I thank the Lord for you,
each and everyday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For on this day and every day after,
I plan to fill your heart with love and laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just for you
I give my heart
For years to come
'Til death do us part

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My gift to you is my love
Given from deep within my heart
It is the best I have to offer
And it's yours until this earth we depart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all my life
I have never known
someone like you who
makes me feel so complete
in everyway.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two lives, two hearts
Joined together in Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whoever lives in love
Lives in God…
I John 4:16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This day I will marry my best friend,
The one I laugh with,
Live for, dream with and
Love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love knows no limit to its endurance
no end to its trust,
Love still stands
when all else has fallen.

1 Corinthians 13:7-8

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I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love you today
As I have from the start,
And I'll love you forever
With all of my heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do believe that God above,
Created you for me to love.
He chose you from all the rest,
Because he knew I would love you the best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
who makes me whole.
You've captured my heart
and touched my soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
that stepped out of my dreams,
gave me new hope and
showed me what love means.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You alone are my reason to live
for the compassion you show
and the care that you give.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You came into my life
and made me complete.
Each time I see you
my heart skips a beat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are the one
God sent from above
The angel I needed
For whom I do love

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All I ever wanted was to be part of your heart,
And for us to be together, to never be apart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one else in the world can even compare,
You're perfect and so is this love that we share.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have so much more than I ever thought we would,
I love you more than I ever thought I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I promise to give you all I have to give,
I'll do anything for you as long as I live.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In your eyes I see our present,
our future and past.
By the way you look at me,
I know we will last.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope that one day
you'll come to realize,
how perfect you are
when seen through my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I asked God for a flower, he gave me a bouquet
I asked God for a minute, he gave me a day
I asked God for true love, he gave me that too
I asked for an angel and he gave me you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forever is what I want with you
For the search is at an end
Our hearts have found each other
As lovers, as soul mates, as friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our lives entwined to be as one,
Upon this journey we’ve just begun.
Where you and I will find no less,
Than eternal love and happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Meaning of Love
Love is patient, Love is kind.
It does not envy, It does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
But rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
Always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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Across the years
I will walk with you,
in deep green forests
on shores of sand.
And when our time
on earth is through,
in heaven too,
you will have my hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two souls fused by commitment,
Two names written in the stars above,
Two lives intertwined by God,
Two hearts joined by the purest of love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As You Marry
On this your wedding day
May angels smile upon you
For a single heart now beats
Where once there had been two
The Lord has brought you to this day
Through all of life's confusions
To come full circle all the way
To bless your wedded union
May your days be filled with laughter
And your nights be filled with peace
As you grow old together
Sharing happiness and ease
For a man shall be a woman's heart
And a woman be a man's
Til the oceans cease to flow
And deserts lose their sands
"This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

Song of Solomon 5:16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"God has poured out his love into our hearts."

Romans 5:5 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Only through Christ will we find true oneness in marriage, the kind He created for us from the beginning."

1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Love is patient and kind, always trusts. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

I John 4:12 (NIV)

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"Love yesterday, today and forever."

Jeremiah 31:3

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"The two will become one."

Ephesians 5:31 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So they are no longer two, but one.
Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Matthew 19:6 (NIV)

Selecting your perfect invitation and saving money along the way!

I've been selling wedding invitations for over seven years now and I can honestly say that I love what I do. I enjoy meeting wonderful young ladies and help them plan for the single most important day of their life. Finding the perfect wedding invitation is critical as it is the first impression your guests will have of what type of wedding they will be attending. Sure, the wedding dress is super-important, as is the wedding cake, and the wedding music, but your guests can't take them home and hang them on their refrigerator for weeks!

So, how do you find your perfect wedding invitation? The first thing that I ask a bride when I sit down with her is if she already has something in mind for what she is wanting. Some brides will already have their mind made up, so my job is made really easy.

For those that are less decisive, I then ask them what type of wedding they are planning - what their wedding dress is like, where will the ceremony be held, what time is the wedding, what are the plans for the reception, what is her budget like... This allows me to find out her style and her financial situation -- is she traditional or trendy, plain or fancy, upscale or casual? From there I can pretty well figure out which invitation will fit her perfectly.



For the traditional bride on a budget: I usually suggest something simple with black ink. The price to change the ink color is very minimal, so don't let those of you who are budget-minded worry about that. However, black ink is the traditional standard. That being said, there are several other colors that will still give off the "formal" feel that aren't black. You can also dress up your invitation by adding an inital or design to the top.

Usually, I start brides off in the thermography section of my wedding invitation books. Thermography is a finishing technique applied after printing that raises the ink and gives the effect of engraved printing. It looks like a genuine engraved invitation, but without the extra expense. The only visual difference between the two is that if you turn them over and look on the back side, you will see a dent on the genuine engraved invitations (a "bruise") that will not be visable on an invitation printed in thermography. In the engraving process, they actually make a metal plate that is pressed into the paper to raise the letters.

Now, for those brides that are traditional and money is no object, then I have no problem selling them genuine engraved if that is what they want! I just feel like I'm ripping off people when I sell them, because it just doesn't make sense to me to spend all that money. But, I also understand when they tell me that they can't settle for anything less than the best, so I'll let them have it!



My husband likes to pick on me and tell me that I'm too honest to be in business. What he means, is that I will tell a bride when she's getting ripped off, even if it means that I'm going to make less money. I have always given 25% off the book prices from the national wedding companies that I represent (Carlson Craft, National Engraving, Regency Thermographers, McPherson's, and NuArt). I feel like I am helping out my customers by saving them a wad of cash and in-turn I get more business because they recommend me to their friends. It's worked for me for over seven years now, so I guess I'll stick with that philosophy!

Then, there are the brides that are more trendy and want something that will make a statement and won't be forgotten easily. For them, I usually start by finding out what colors or theme they will be using with on their big day. If their wedding day is in December, I may recommend a holiday-inspired invitation. If the ceremony is to be held on the beach, a simple invitation with a nautical feel may be the ticket. If they are doing everything red -- they are in luck! There are some exquiste invitations in red these days -- red ink, red paper, a red border, red ribbons...so trendy and so cute!



There are those brides that are into the "fru-fru" invitations (myself included). These brides may be drawn to the invitations that are matched with a vellum overlay or adorned with a coordinating bow. There are tons of precious invitations that fall into this category, but beware -- they more "stuff", the more money!

For the bride that is only concerned with saving money, there are many beautiful invitations for you too!!! Nothing upsets me more than the fact that Wal-Mart sells do-it-yourself invitations. To all of those who have gone that route: TAKE THEM BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! They cost MORE than some of the high quality invitations printed in thermography (raised lettering) that you can get from a professional printer. They make you think that since they are from Wal-Mart and you have to do them yourself you are getting a good deal. What they don't want you to know is that they usually don't include double envelopes (which is standard on most any invitation from any of the national companies) and that they are only selling you 25 or 50 at a time. If you need 50 invitations or less, then that is the only case in which I can make sense of buying your invitations from Wal-Mart! Ask for the "Tempo" book at any Carlson Craft retailer -- it's full of beautiful invitations and has outstanding prices.

When trying to save money here are some tips:
* Don't order an envelope liner (no one will notice, I promise!)
* Stay away from invitations that have bows, vellum or the "pearlized" stuff on them -- they are beautiful, but they cost more.
* Include your reception information at the bottom of your invitation rather than buying a separate reception card.

Whatever your budget and style, you are bound to find something to fit the occassion. Just keep in mind that with this single piece of paper you are setting the tone for your entire day, so make sure that it is appropriate to your situation. Happy shopping and let me know if I can help you in any way!

The Wedding Day Emergency Kit

You have spent weeks, months and (for some brides) years planning for your big day. It may be small, but something is bound to go wrong, no matter how much forethought you put into every detail. So, we have come up with a list of things to include in an "emergency kit" that you can put together before the big day and then assign someone to keep up with throughout the event for you. This will virtually guarantee you a stree-free day where you will be left to enjoy the experience instead of worrying about any problems that may arise!

Putting together these items for a bride and presenting it to her at a shower is a WONDERFUL idea too!! This would make a great gift from a group of hostesses to provide to the bride. You could go the extra step and put it in a great basket, a toolbox, a sewing basket, or a monogrammed bag that she can use forever -- whatever it is, make sure that it will holdup and withstand multiple handlers and a very busy day! You could also do "his" and "hers" kits.



MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR BRIDAL PARTY LOOK YOUR BEST!
* Static-cling spray
* Sewing kit, safety pins, scissors
* No-sew fusing (so you can iron a hem back together if it falls out)
* Extra pairs of pantyhose for the girls and socks that match the men's suits (some of them are bound to show up in blue socks and a black suit)!
* Spot/Stain remover
* Two bottles of nail polish -- one for your nails and one for your pantyhose!
* Nail clippers, file, tweesers
* Makeup: lipstick, foundation, powder, blush, mascara, eye shadow, whatever else you use...
* Lotion
* Deodorant
* Hairbrush, comb, hairspray, curlers or curling iron, hair dryer, bobbypins
* Iron
* Extra backs for your earrings
* Extra Glasses, contact lens solution, lens
* Eyedrops that will reduce redness
* Kleenex or handkerchief
* Cotton Balls, Q-tips, Brushes and whatnot to apply makeup with
* Baby wipes or moist towelettes
* Golf Umbrella -- in case of rain -- you will be able to keep most of your dress dry with one of these as opposed to a regular umbrella.
* Straws -- for drinking without ruining your makeup!
* Lint Brush
* Shoe Polish

MAKE SURE YOU'LL FEEL YOUR BEST
* Tylenol and Advil (some people can't take one or the other...)
* Antacids
* Gas Relief Pills
* Allergy Medication
* Cold Medicine (NON-Drowsy for sure)
* Throat Lozenges/Cough Drops
* Ace Bandages
* BandAids
* Perscription Medicines (for yourself!)
* Feminine Hygiene products: pads and/or tampons
* Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Mouth Waste, Floss, Mints, Toothpicks
* Mirror (if there isn't a bathroom nearby, or one in the dressing area)

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY
* Bring an extra copy of the scriptures, poems, readings and songs that are going to be used in the ceremony
* Pen, Paper or Notepad, Tape, Stapler, Scissors
* Fully-charged cell phone (make sure it's turned OFF during the ceremony if it will be close enough to be heard).
* A lamintated list of all of your wedding day service providers and their phone number(s).
* A laminated list of your entire weddding party and their phone number(s).
* Clock or Watch

EXTRA STUFF YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE
* Snacks
* Bottled water
* Camera (for those priceless candid shots)
* Double sided tape, Masking Tape, Duct Tape, Medical Tape
* Antibacterial Solution
* Sunscreen
* Matches/Lighter
* Loose Change (for vending machines, parking meters, etc.)
* Glue gun and glue sticks; super glue

How do I create a proper Monogram?

Marriage Monogram
The proper way to create a personalized monogram for the married couple is as follows:

* Wife's First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial in the middle
* Husband's First Name Initial on the right

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Personal Monogram
The proper way to create a personalized monogram for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial in the middle
* Middle Name Initial on the right

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Block Letter Monogram
The proper way to create a block letter monogram (or a monogram where all of the letters are the same height) for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Middle Name Initial in the middle
* Last Name Initial on the right

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Two Letter Monogram
The proper way to create a two letter monogram for an individual is as follows.

* First Name Initial on the left
* Last Name Initial on the right

Your Wedding Guest Lists

So, it's time to start compiling the guest list for your showers, parties and the wedding itself. I will admit, this is one of the hardest parts of getting married, but I'm here to try to help make the process a little easier. There are a million ways to go about doing this, but I thought I would offer a few suggetions from my experience to help make things easier on you.


First of all, you need to get organized. I recommend using Microsoft Excel to accomplish this. When I'm typing in a list for a bride, I start with these column headers:

For the name, I type in these column headers:
* In cell A1: "Titles" (Mr. and Mrs. -- Doctor and Mrs. -- Miss -- etc... )
* In cell B1: "First Name" (his name only if it's a couple)
* In cell C1: "Last Name" (if there is a salutation, I enter it here as well -- for example 'Chapman, junior')

Ok, at this point, you may wonder why I don't combine these all into one field. I separate it out this way because Excel has a "autofill" feature that will complete your entry for you based on what you entered in the field above, so instead of typing "Mr. and Mrs." 500 times, you type it once and accept the default all of the other times. Also, I usually type in "Mr. and Mrs." once and then copy that all the way down and just change the ones that are different.

During this step, it's importat to remember to spell out certain titles, such as: Doctor, Reverend, The Honorable, etc..... I'll address the proper etiquette for all of this in the future.

I separate the first name and the last name into two columns so that I can use Excel's sort feature to arrange the entries alphabetically by last name, so that it's easier to see if there are any duplicates in the list, and to make it easier to find an entry.

For cells D1 I enter the "Address" and for cell E1, I enter the "City, State, Zip" (you may need to also include an "Apartment" or "Second Line" column.

Now, I know you are wondering if I choose to separate out the name, why would I combine City, State and Zip all together? It's so that I can use the autofill feature again... This works especially well if most of your guests are from small towns where each town has one zip code. If you are from a big city, you would probably be better off separating out "City, State" and "Zip". What I mean is that if you type "El" it will pop up "Elba, Alabama 36323" assuming you have already entered that previously and don't have anything else that starts with "El".

If it's a big list, I usually have to add an "Apartment" field and/or a "Second Line" field. For the second line field, I type in either and apartment #, or another guests name -- roommates, children, etc...

The last headers you need to enter are for F1 "Inner 1" and for F2 "Inner 2", etc...

This is where I put what I want to print on the inner envelope. For example:

Inner 1 would read: "Mr. and Mrs. Chapman" and
Inner 2 would read: "Brooke and Bradley"

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Once you have your headers in place, you need to think of who you want to invite... The best way to do this is to go through all of the different areas of your life: family, work, church, clubs and organizations, high school, college, etc... If you are worried about omitting someone accidently, it may be helpful to ask a recently married friend or relative for a copy of their list so that it will help jog your memory. Additionally, if your phone book isn't too thick, it's not a bad idea to flip though it to make sure you've gotten everyone.

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Once you have everyone, you need to think about how you are going to gather addresses. I use www.switchboard.com to gather addresses. It's not 100% perfect, but it gets most of the addresses correct. There are other online phone books, such as www.whitepages.com that are helpful. Occassionaly, I will need a zip code that I'm having trouble verifing, and I use zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp. This is also a helpful site if you are wanting to include the entire "zip + four".

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You can add fields for what different people are being invited to. I usually label these what they are: "brunch", "shower", "rehearsal dinner", "wedding", etc..., then I change all of the fields below the 1st row to the font "wingdings" and use the "L" on the keyboard to mark the cells that are to be marked with a dot. This is really useful when you use Excel's sort feature, where you can sort by whichever event and get a list of only those people that are invited to that event.

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Hope this helps you to get organized for your big day! Feel free to email me with any questions.

More Basket Shower Theme Ideas

I thought of some more great themes for a basket shower. See my previous post for the initial list. Here are the new ones:

* Grilling Out: tools for the grill, mitts, secret family recipes, spices and marinades, grilling-specific cookbook

* Wine & Cheese: wine, cheese, barware....

* Kitchen Linens: washrags, dishrags, sponges, etc.

* Chips & Salsa: chips, salsa, dips, recipes, a great chip & dip dish set.

* Power Outage: batteries, flashlights, candles, matches, gas lanterns, weather radio, etc.

* Entertainment: movie tickets, board games, deck of cards, puzzles...

* Spring Cleaning: Use a mop bucket for your basket, mop, broom, floor cleaning solution, wood cleaner, window cleaner, etc.

* Rubbermaid: all kinds of containers in a big rubber container

* Drinks: Pitchers, drink mixes, glasses, cups, disposible cups

* Kitchen Gadgets: spatulas, big spoons, tongs, etc...

Wedding Basket Shower Ideas

I had a customer come in today wanting some invitations for a "Basket Shower" that she is hosting for a bride that is a friend of hers. I thought that this sounded like a lot of fun and got on the internet trying to help her find some ideas for different themes for her "Basket Shower". We came up with a cute invitation with a bunch of different baskets at the bottom (see the picture). In case you don't know, a basket shower is where each of the guests brings a basket filled with gifts that go along with their assigned theme.

I came across the following article:

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Wedding Basket Shower

By Dionna Sanchez

I love unique ideas. If you have a friend who is getting married and don't want to do the normal run-of-the-mill bridal shower, here is a superb idea. Throw your friend a "basket shower." Each guest will bring a basket of goodies that has a theme to go along with it. It will help the new bride get well-stocked on supplies as well as fun items. Here are a few themes to get you thinking. Be creative and have a blast discovering all the themes ladies come up with!

*Home Organization Basket - notepads, calendar, organizer, folders, clock, phone...

*Honeymoon/Romance Basket - negligee, perfume, lotion, Throw Blanket, hot chocolate or sparkling cider with 2 mugs or glasses, picnic basket....

*Gourmet/Kitchen Basket - pasta, fancy dressings, crystal pitcher, apron, hot pads, ice cream maker....

*Gardening Basket - seeds, flower pot, water can, gardening gloves, garden tools, lawnchairs....

*Mrs. Fix-It Basket - small tool case, scissors, sewing basket, hammer....

*Homemaking Basket - laundry basket, pillows, blankets, dustbuster, air freshener....

*Memory Maker Basket - photo albums, picture frames, guest book, journals....

Find many more unique and fun ideas at Emphasis On Moms

http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com/

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After racking my brain for some more good basket themes, I came up with the following list. Some of these are take-offs from the ones mentioned above.

* Beach Bum Basket -- use a small ice chest for your "basket", fill with towels, sunscreen, some drinks, a float...

* Holiday Baskets -- assign baskets that have a holiday as a theme. For instance a Christmas Basket could be filled with ornaments for their tree, or an Easter Basket where the basket itself could be the gift

* Pampered Pet Basket -- if the couple has a beloved critter, a pampered pet basket would be ideal! Fill a large dog bowl with a collar, doggie treats, some balls, doggie shampoo, etc...

* Honey-do Basket -- fill a toolbox with screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers, nails, screws, picture hangers, etc...

* Sugar-n-Spice Basket -- fill a basket with all kinds of spices and seasonings

* Medicine Cabinet Basket -- fill a large rubber container with first aid type items: band-aids, Tylenol, Advil, bandages, tape, Pepto Bismol, etc...

* Sewing Basket -- find a really cute sewing basket and fill it with thread, buttons, a pin cushion, pins, tape measure, patches, and some craft-related magazines for inspiration.

* Laundry Basket -- fill a hamper with laundry essentials including detergent, dryer sheets, stain remover, bleach (be careful with this one!!), sizing/starch, an iron...

* Junk Drawer/Bill Payment/Home Office/Organization Basket -- fill with office supplies including this such as pens, pencils, stamps, tape, scissors, hole puncher, stapler, hi-lighters, folders, calendar, calculator...

* 'Let There Be Light' Basket -- fill with lightbulbs of varying sizes (flood, indoor, etc.), some small lamps, and a couple of trendy lamp shades.

* Day at the Spa Basket -- sure to be every brides favorite! Fill with bubble bath, lotions, loofa, exfoliant scrubs, masks, fingernail maintenance kit, certificate for a manicure, pedicure, or massage...

* Romance Basket -- dinner gift certificate, massage oils & accessories, book of "romance coupons", champagne or sparkling cider, toasting flutes, etc...

* Movie Night Basket -- personalized popcorn bowl, movie tickets, salt, microwavable popcorn, etc.

* Bakery Basket -- common ingredients used in baking (flour, oil, sugar), baking pans, non-stick cooking spray, timer, etc.

Have fun with this and e-mail me your ideas: lauriechapman@charter.net