Hip Tip – Postcard Invitations April 28, 2011

My hip sister requested that postcards be sent as invitations for her bridal shower.  An eco-friendly idea since you eliminate the need for envelopes.  Postcards are more casual than traditional card and envelope paper invitations, but a little more substantial (and practical if older guests are on the guestlist) than an electronic e-mailed invitation.

A few things to keep in mind when sending postcard invites.  First, buy postcard stamps.  It’s a small savings, but it adds up.  Second, you’ll need to buy small labels to use for addressing them, unless you plan to handwrite all the invites.  The side of the postcard reserved for the address is too large for regular mailing labels.  You can print on regular labels and cut them to size, just be sure to measure the margins before printing so they’ll fit on the postcard without any of the text being cut off.  Third, have the postcards hand canceled.  The postmark will go all the way across the top of the postcard and cover any text that you have at the top.  Hand canceling is a small ink stamp that just covers the postage, without blocking any of your text.  Many post offices will hand cancel for free; other post offices will charge 5 cents per postcard for this service.  Finally, be sure to have the post office hand cancel in front of you.  (I paid the 5 cents for 70+ postcards, only to find out that the post office did NOT hand cancel them after I left so make sure they do it while you are there.)

Finally…Fancy Paperless (Email) Invitations July 17, 2009

 

 

We’ve cancelled our subscriptions to catalogues, bring our own bags to the store and have kicked our bottled water habit.  But giving up paper invites sent via snail mail is something many of us haven’t been willing to give up, especially for special occasion events.  An Evite (www.evite.com) isn’t appropriate for every occasion, and you don’t want your guests to feel pressure to come up with a witty response in order to RSVP.  There hasn’t been a good alternative to traditional paper invitations…until now!  I was oh-so-excited to discover Paperless Post (www.paperlesspost.com) in a recent article in the NY Times.  Paperless Post offers a great alternative to paper invitations that can even be used for formal events.  

 

Paperless Post offers many amazing design options – formal and casual styles; traditional, classic or modern motifs; and their paper selection is incredible (including letterpress-look designs).  You must create an account to view the invitation options, but it’s a simple process and there’s no cost.  Be sure to sign in through the link below, which gives NY Times readers 25 free stamps (that’s how you send the invites; this amounts to about $2 worth of free stamps).  

 

Here’s how it works:  Sign-in, pick an invitation style based on the type of event you are having, pick a “motif” (i.e. the invitation pattern you like), customize the invitation with your own words or those suggested for your occasion, pick a font style, specify the event details (date, time, etc.), add guests by typing in their e-mail addresses (which can be saved in an “address book” so they are there for future reference) and “mail” the invitations by purchasing stamps from the site, which cost about 5-8¢ per stamp, depending on how many you purchase.  The invitation that’s mailed to your guests is way more exciting than an e-mail or Evite; a virtual envelope opens and reveals the invitation, much like it would if you were opening it with your own two hands.   

 

Paperless Post is a great value, and it eliminates the process of ordering, addressing and mailing invitations.  There are, however, a few downsides to paperless invitations.  If you are sentimental or like having a nice printed invitation to save, paperless invites won’t give you the same memento.  Also, paperless invites only work if all of your guests have an e-mail address that they check regularly.  I’d say that most people do, but there’s no guarantee, especially if you have older invitees on your guest list.  For a formal events, like weddings, paper invitations are probably still your best option, but I’ll definitely be using these for the next cocktail party, holiday party or baby shower I host.

 

Paperless Post with 25 Free Stamp Promotion:  http://www.paperlesspost.com/access/nytimes

 

NY Times article on Paperless Post:   http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/fashion/11post.html?_r=2&ref=fashion)