It seems like there is a whole new vocabulary you need to learn when planning a wedding!  Last month we defined a variety of printing terms for you so this month we thought why not explain some of the other stationery terms that you will, or have, come across in your planning process.

Accommodation Card* - Gives guests information about lodging near the wedding site.  If you have arranged for a group rate, let your guests know the name it’s under and the date the rate is good through.  It’s also nice to let them know what the rates are and any special amenities that might make their stay more enjoyable.

Announcement- Mailed right after the wedding ceremony (or the next day) to “announce” that your marriage has taken place.  These are sent to to anyone that did not get invited to the wedding.  Include the date, year and city in which the wedding took place.  As a general rule, if you receive an announcement, you are not obliged to buy a gift, but sending a card is a nice acknowledgement.

Calligraphy - Artistic hand-inked lettering that adds an elegant touch to envelopes, escort cards, place cards, table numbers and more.

Deckled-Edged - Ragged borders with a torn look that give paper a handmade appearance.

Direction Card* - Provides directions to the ceremony and reception locations.

Escort Card - Directs guests to their assigned tables and is usually positioned in alphabetical order near the entrance to the reception.

Font - A typeface or lettering style.

Informal - Flat or folded card that is typically used as a thank you note.  It comes with an unprinted envelope.

Invitation - We know you all know what this is but remember it should never have your gift registry information on it or in the same envelope!

Menu Card - Gives a course-by-course listing of the food to be served.

Overlay - Paper layered atop another piece of paper that you can see through.  Usually vellum or tissue is used as the overlay, over a heavier type of paper.

Pew Card - Designates special seating for honored guests at the ceremony.  The card includes the guest’s name and pew number, and can be sent either with their invitation or after you receive their reply card.  You do not see these used as often today.  Most times your ushers can have a listing of special guests and which pews to seat them in or you can have a number of the front pews “ribbon-ed off” for family and special guests.

Place Card - Directs guests to a specific seat at their assigned table at a very formal wedding.

Rain Card - Tells guests where the alternate (indoor) location is in the event of inclement weather.  Not used often unless the new location is in a completely different location from the original site.

Reception Card* - Tells guests where the reception will take place if different from the ceremony location.  You can also put this information at the bottom of our invitation if you would prefer.

RSVP/Reply/Response Card - Sent with your invitation, this card is filled out by your guests and mailed back to you, so you know if they will or will not be attending.  It is accompanied by an addressed and stamped envelope and is the most common piece to accompany your wedding invitation.

Table Number - Distinguishes tables from one another.  Can be numerals or words.

Transportation Card* - Lets guests know that you’re providing some type of transportation (bus, trolley, etc) from Point A to Point B on the wedding day.  If you need to know how many guests will be taking advantage of the provided transportation, just add a line to your RSVP card so you can get a head count.

Vellum - Translucent decorative paper, often used as an overlay.

Wedding Program - Outlines the ceremony proceedings.  May include songs, readings, special acknowledgements, and list the wedding party.

Within-the-Ribbon Card- Indicates to guests that they are to be seated in this “ribbon-ed off” section during the ceremony.  You do not see these used very often today as your ushers can be given a list of the special guests you would like to be seated in this area at the rehearsal.

*These cards can be combined on one larger card if you are looking to cut down on your carbon footprint and/or costs.  Try calling it Wedding Details or Wedding Weekend Information.

When planning your wedding you’ll soon discover that there is a “proper” way to do just about everything. Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of brides coming in the store and asking about the proper way to stuff an invitation envelope.  Yes, there is etiquette for this too! So, here is a little “how to” from us to you! 

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What do you include in your wedding invitation suite?  What is a wedding invitation suite?  Wait…. you mean, you need more than just the invitation itself?  Yes, you do.  For the answers…

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Planning a wedding is no easy task and if you have not done so in a while you may have forgotten how stressful it can be at times, never mind expensive!  As an invited guest, there is some basic etiquette that should be followed and with the wedding season in full swing, it seemed like a good time to review it.

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No matter how many pieces we add to our closets there is just no answering the never ending question- what to wear?  This dilemma is even more exaggerated when it comes to special occasions like weddings.  An invitation arrives in the mail and at the bottom you read “Black Tie”, does this mean you have to buy a ball gown? What about “Casual Attire”, can you really get away with donning your favorite pair of worn jeans? From Black Tie to Casual, New and Blue and About.com has you covered! Read more for details. 

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You’ve heard every single cheesy wedding love song there is about 2,654 times… we know. Us too. Time to change it up and pick some more modern songs to play at your wedding or reception! Out with the old, in with:

• Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
• Dave Barnes - More than a Man
• R. Kelly - Happy People
• David Cook - The Time of My Life
• Blind Melon - Soul One
• Jessica Simpson - Be
• Josh Gracin - We Weren’t Crazy Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations on your recent engagement! There is so much planning to do - you probably have no idea where to start. TheKnot.com helps you get your head in the game by telling you the Bridal 10 Commandments:

• You can live without that specific shade of extremely rare and expensive air-shipped flowers from India. As you may or may not have already discovered, wedding can be as big and as over the top as your heart’s desire. But really: Hi Bride, I’m Earth - welcome back. Reality check! You’re getting married! You don’t need to spend your own life savings (plus that of your children and grandchildren) in order to have a beautiful wedding. What will these extravagant extras really add to your day, other than a gigantic dent to your bank account? Save the dough for what truly matters to you most for the wedding.
• Bridesmaids don’t have to look like clones. Yes, it is your wedding. But don’t you want your Read the rest of this entry »

Here at New and Blue, we want to help any way we can… and if that means researching honeymoon locations, then just give us a globe! Here are the TOP TEN ”so right now” honeymoon spots:

1. Paris

2. Venice

3. Rome & Florence

4. New York City

5. Honolulu

6. Barcelona

7. San Francisco

8. Vienna

9. London

10. Prague

Search the web beforehand to find the best places to eat and visit, and you’ll have the time of your life! You should also watch for deals on those websites that do vacation packages.

Or, if you’d like to stay a little more local, also check out Florida, the wine country in California or Oregon, Las Vegas, Aspen & Vail, or Vancouver B.C. All these places also have lots of fun things to do and romantic opportunities - with a much smaller price tag.

We know that when you’re in the midst of wedding preparations - like deciding between white and ecru for your wedding invitations - it’s easy to lose track of what the whole ceremony is actually about. It’s easy to think “wedding… wedding… wedding”, and forget that it’s actually a marriage.

So in order to prevent having to plan wedding number two (I mean, do you really want to have to go through that catering fiasco again?), it’s best to think about marriage number one, before you actually tie the knot. And one good place to start is by tackling the number one stress in marriage - a word not mentioned in polite company. That’s right, money.

I know… who wants to talk about money when they’re madly in love? I mean, it seems so, mercenary. We’ve ditched dowries and bride prices, and most of us were taught that when we found our soulmate, we didn’t need money to live happily ever after. Besides, you don’t want to sound like a gold digger or a tightwad. But in successful relationships, partners are open and honest about their financial expectations up front - it’s what keeps the romance going. It’s hard to be starry-eyed if you’re worried about a roof over your head, let alone worried about your spouse racking up thousands of dollars in high-heeled wonderment or four-wheeled amazement. Conversely, if you have to submit receipts for every stick of gum you purchase, we promise: it won’t be pretty.

Weddings can be budget busters as well as blockbusters, so it’s a great place for you and your fiancé to work on your cooperative financial skills. It’s good to sit down and have the talk… away from all the wedding madness. Money is about several things, including control, expectations, and well, money. So it’s best to get it all out on the table before you’re legally obligated to take on each other’s debts.

1) Unless you two are cousins (hey, it happens), you probably were raised by people with different spending priorities. Maybe your fiancé’s family gladly did without food so they could buy the latest in flat screen TV technology. Or maybe your parents took a second mortgage on the house so they could send you to private school. Whatever it is, both of you will naturally have things that seem more important than others. Yes, sometimes your spouse will want to make a purchase that totally blows your mind, or maybe they balk at your purchasing a totally necessary item. But, together you can make an agreement.

The key is compromise. If your fiancé is a total football buff, you could probably find room in your budget for those front row Superbowl tickets if he agrees to watch all the other games at home (yes, beer adds up if you’re paying $5 a bottle at the local sports bar). And maybe he’ll be more amenable to your big cashmere coat splurge if your closet is not already overflowing with empty Nieman Marcus bags. Whatever it is, both of you need to make adjustments and sacrifices. If your marriage is truly healthy, you’ll be much happier knowing your partner is happy.

2) Financial practicality is also a necessary ingredient for a successful life. If the two of you are both naturally thrifty - then fantastic! You two can fully enjoy your cans of beans heated on the stove (the only heat source in your house, given the price of gas these days), and your children will thank you when they inherit your enormous nest egg. But if both of you take your financial planning motto from Mad magazine (what, me worry?), you’re going to be in trouble. Thousands of dollars in debt can put a crimp in your style, unless you plan on changing your name and moving states every year. (We admit, there’s something romantic about the whole fugitive-from-the-law thing. But unfortunately, prison is slightly less glamorous.)

Whatever your budget, certain things need to be taken care of first - like the water bill. Put aside money for the basics every month before you can even think about fancy dinners or a second car. These include rent/mortgage payments, bills (don’t forget to factor in things like insurance payments and any tuition payments), and basic food and transportation. Call this untouchable money, and put the most responsible member in charge of this. Also, most financial advisors recommend saving at least 20% of your yearly income, if possible. Put this in an IRA or some other sort of high interest fund geared toward saving for your future. Investments can be good ways to grow your capital, but keep at least a portion out in a high liquidity fund, so you can access some cash in case of emergencies. (Yeah, we know some stuff…)

4) Sometimes a cigar isn’t just a cigar. How we spend money often says much more about our personality than we’d like. If your fiancé is a total control freak when it comes to the pocket book, chances are they’re same way in other areas of life. Or if they go out and impulsively drop several grand on a new toy, don’t be surprised when they come home and announce they’ve accepted a new job offer in Nebraska… purely on impulse or excitement. What may be romantic or charming early on in the relationship (all those expensive gifts they bought you) starts to look less cute when you’re the one balancing the check book.

Also, it’s often said that shopping is therapeutic, but we think it can be more a way of indicating you need therapy. Maybe you feel Banana Republic will give you the love your father never gave you, or maybe your mother’s gambling addiction has turned you into a cash hoarder - whatever it is, a good therapist is much more effective at getting through your issues than a MasterCard. Couples financial counseling is also a good route if the two of you don’t see eye to eye, or if your sweetie’s spending habits are starting to scare you. 

5) Remember, spending money is a way of prioritizing things in our life (see #1), and this becomes even more important when you have kids. Unless it’s a shotgun wedding, you should discuss financial issues well before you decide to have kids. Are you going to send them to private school? Do you want to buy a larger house with a yard for them to play in, or do you feel like sleeping in a broom closet builds character? Will you smother them in expensive toys, or do you believe that if a stick and string was good enough for you, it’ll be good enough for them?

Kids aren’t cheap. The mandatory costs - vaccinations, food, clothing, school fees (even for public schools) - all add up. Plus there are things like braces, and don’t even mention college tuition. How much money you spend on your kids is, in part, a reflection on parenting styles. Some parents believe it’s best to provide as little as possible so their kids are self reliant, whereas others lavish their kids with every advantage possible in the hopes it’ll help them be successful. Most people are somewhere in the middle, but it’s best to find out exactly where you and your spouse-to-be fit in before expanding the family.