RSVP Dates + Giveaway Contest

This week it seems we have truly entered the wedding season. I've been talking to a lot of brides about invitations and I've been thinking back to how fun and exciting wedding planning can be. Yes, it takes over your life, and yes you get worn out by it, but it is nice to look back once the big day is over and remember how all that effort turns into a day you will remember forever. Above is a photo from a few years ago of me with my mother who helped me plan my big day and who was ever so patient with me. God bless her - I was so nitpicky about everything that I would have driven most people crazy!

I've had a lot of questions from brides these past few weeks about how to pick your "RSVP by" date. Here is my simple rule: for local weddings, at least one month before (and for destination weddings, one to two months before (or earlier, depending on special travel requirements, etc.).

You'll want a month's notice for a variety of reasons:

• The coordinator at your venue (reception hall, country club, hotel, etc.) will need to order food for your event at least two weeks before your event, and will probably want confirmation of your final numbers. Asking invitees to get back to you a month before gives you lots of time to figure it all out.

• Not everyone will reply, let alone reply on time. Yes, in a perfect world all of your invited guests would have manners like Emily Post - but in the real world you'll be lucky if 50% of your guests answer you. Be prepared to make phone calls to track people down and see if they are coming and if they are bringing a guest (if invited). A month gives you the time to sort the non-responders out!

• The earlier you get your RSVPs, the earlier you can figure out seating for your reception. "Meh...", you say, "I can do that the week before the wedding". Why stress yourself out? Get started early. I have a friend who left it until the night before her wedding day and stayed up until 2am trying to get everyone organized – not a good idea. Besides, you know Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Mike can't stand each other, and the groom's parents are divorced and shouldn't be within earshot, and someone needs to sit beside Grandpa to make sure he doesn't help himself to too much vino, and...You get the idea.

• Knowing how many people are coming earlier in the game will also allow you to figure out how many favors you will need, how many programs and menus to print, and you can get a head start on place cards and other details.

If you are hoping to book for letterpress wedding invitations for this summer, I strongly urge you to contact the studio as soon as you can to avoid disappointment. We are currently booking press time into March 2009 with a turnaround of 3-4 weeks.

LETTERPRESS GIVEAWAY CONTEST!

I have a few items from our ready-to-wear stationery line ready to be given away...All you need to do is leave a comment below and list a gift/stationery/florist or other retail store in your area (anywhere in the world!) that you would like to see carry Sunlit Letterpress products. We are trying to build our retail network and I am looking for suggestions of stores that would be a good fit. Please leave the name of the store below (and website if you know it!). Bonus points (extra giveaway stuff!) if you know the name of the store owner :)

Contest closes Friday February 20th 2009 at 12 PM Pacific time!

Happy letterpressing!