October 2014 archive

Save the dates for your wedding – San Antonio Wedding Invitations

Congratulations! You’re getting married and you now want everyone to know about it, right? Save the dates are the perfect opportunity to do this and let your guests know well in advance about your wedding date so they can start planning accordingly. My invitation online stores through Royalty Event Parties, carry a huge selection of save the dates and is the perfect starting point in your stationery wedding needs. Click here to see more! save_the_date_chalkboard

Here are some pointers about save the dates:

  1. They should be fun! Show your personality and style with the look you choose. Even if you are having a formal wedding you don’t have to show so much formality in your save the dates! Magnets, chalkboard designs, fold out notes, etc. are really popular!
  2. Send them out six to eight months prior to your wedding. There should be no excuses for those guests to not plan on coming! This will give the out of town guests time to plan for destination wedding & holiday travel.
  3.  It is ok to select a style different than what will be on your invitation. Most of the time you won’t have your invitation picked out 8 months prior so go with maybe a style that incorporates the same colors of your wedding or image (rustic, traditional, modern, etc.).NYSS-Booth_20x36_4-2014.indd
  4. Do I need to put the venue location on them? No. The important information is your names, the fact that you’re getting married, the date and city in which your wedding will take place and that there will be a formal invitation to follow.
  5. You need to make sure that whoever you send a save the date to will also receive an invitation. That would be kinda rude if you didn’t. How awkward for the next time you saw them too.
  6. There is an advantage to sending out save the dates…you will get a feel for the turnout of who will and won’t be able to attend. However, even if your guest says they will not be able to attend you must send them an invitation.
  7. DO NOT send Evites as save the dates! Yes, this might be a cheap way of doing it but I feel that the proper & formal way is the traditional way, through the mail. Your guests will appreciate it more too.
  8. Don’t forget to mail save the dates out to everyone including your wedding party and parents. You’ll also need to decide on which of your guests can bring a plus 1 if they don’t have a significant other before mailing them so you address the envelope the proper way.101_5520

I hope these tips about save the dates has helped you with your wedding planning. If you would like to order save the dates or if you have any other questions for me please do not hesitate to contact me. Remember, you’ll receive 10% off orders and 15% off orders if you are using me for my consulting services as well. The code for Printswell is 10%OFFSPECIAL (Carlson Craft automatically takes 10% off). 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com, http://www.RoyaltyEventParties.com.

What to know about vendor wedding contracts

Recently, I met with a potential bride for my initial consultation for wedding coordinating. She pulled out her Ipad and showed me 38 questions she had for me. I was pretty impressed that she was being so thorough with her vendor selections. I spoke about all my services and what I had to offer and at the end I asked her if she had any additional questions. I had pretty much covered all her questions except for a few. So, after all the questions have been answered and you feel confident this vendor is a perfect fit for you what’s next? You’ll sign a contract. Your wedding is going to be one of the most important days of your life. It is very important that you pay great attention to all the legalities of all your wedding purchases…the contracts!

Tips

DSC_0149Make sure you get every business transaction in writing. This is very crucial! I had a bride, in the past, that hired a mariachi band for her ceremony and cocktail hour. I asked her for the contract so I could review it and she hadn’t signed one. They said they were good for it. WRONG! I insisted she get something in writing from them. They put together a vague one page sheet and guess what….they couldn’t do the ceremony at the last minute. It ended up working out after she said she wouldn’t use them at all if they didn’t come to the ceremony. However, their contract didn’t outline each and every location of service. She asked for a more detailed contract and could never get one from them. Be sure all specifics are laid out in the contract in writing! If they don’t offer you a contract then walk away!

Write everything down. This includes:

  •  When deposits and payments are made (write it at the top of the contracts to keep track of it).
  • When you arrange for a service (write down the name of the person you spoke to and the date along with the order plans). You would hate to be charged double!

wedding_vendor_contractRead the fine print. Inquire about additional fees they might be trying to sneak in. If you do not agree with them then ask that they be taken off. Most vendors will want your business and be open to this. Also be sure that all the details of their service and what was agreed upon is stated in the contract. I had a bride attend a bridal show and sign a lengthy & well drawn out contract that day so she would receive the show special, a free keg. The day of the wedding there was no keg and I asked where it was. They were not aware of the keg because they had failed to mention the show special on the contract and had forgotten it. They ended up running to the store and bought canned beer instead.

Don’t rush into signing a contract before you can take the time to thoroughly read it. Ask if you can take the contract home with you so you can review it at your leisure.

Just like the bride who came prepared with 38 questions for me, do the same with every vendor. Look online for, “Questions to ask your caterer, venue, cake vendor, etc.” You want to make sure the vendor you work with has experience, a good contract, shows professionalism and can answer your questions. Here’s a link to my Wedding Tools page on my website. If you have any additional questions about what to look for in your contract, contact Trudy Scott, Professional Wedding Consultant, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com.

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How to save money on your wedding invitations

The first and most important way to save money on your invitations is to purchase them through me, Royalty Event Parties (in person or through my online storefronts). I am currently offering 10% off all printing orders (except Disney), which includes invitations (engagement, bachelorette, showers, wedding, birthdays, graduations, etc.), save the dates, programs, menu cards, place cards, stickers, note cards, napkins, coasters & more! If you use my coordinating services you will receive 15% off!

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Other Money Saving Tips

1. For a casual or semi-formal event you can put the reception information on the invitation instead of using a separate reception card. If it is a formal event then of course, you would want to purchase a separate reception card.

2. A popular and less expensive way of printing is thermography. Thermography will give you a raised look and feel for much less money. Carlson Craft offers raised printing as a standard option on most invitations.

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3. The paper, artwork, size of invitation, added pictures or monograms, type of printing (i.e. letterpress, foil, flat, thermography), & added embellishments all add to the cost of the invitation. The simpler your design, the cheaper it will be. Carlson Craft offers a fantastic all-in-one invitation/response card postcard that is their most affordable style. I have had many budget brides, who thought they couldn’t afford Carlson Craft, pleasantly surprised when I showed them this option!

4. Don’t over purchase! Be sure to count your A & B list carefully and instead of creating a separate B list response card have the RSVP date a little earlier so you have time to mail out to the B list as you receive regrets. Be sure to stay on top of this and send out to the B list right away. Also, don’t send out extra invitations to the same household (family members).

4. Something that you may forget to think about is the postage. If you have several layers to your invitation including double lined envelopes, the response card with envelope, tissue paper, reception card, hotel/website card, &/or map card, it can get pretty pricey. You need to think about the size too. Large square invitations cost more to mail out. Use non-lined envelopes since the weight of the lining can increase the price too. One tip I also recommend is sending out postcard response cards, you can save up to 12 cents each on the stamp.

101_5509I am here to help with any kind of wedding, on a tight budget or not. I can show you a wide variety of styles and options. Please contact me today to schedule an in-person, one-on-one appointment. I’m an established wedding consulting company in San Antonio, Texas. You can also visit my online storefronts to get ideas there as well. 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com.