Fabulous Find: Parisian Bridal Gown Cards
Many thanks to Miss Cupcake over at Weddingbee for scoring such a fantastic find. I purchased five sets of these beautiful Parisian Bridal Gown post cards from Crate & Barrel per her post, and I can’t wait for them to be delivered. The best part? They are marked down from $12.95 for a package of 8 cards to $2.95! How can you pass up a bargian like that? There are 8 cards to a package, with four different beautiful photographs of hats, veils and gowns by Suzanne Ermann (photographer is Don Golas). As Crate & Barrel says, these are perfect for thank-you notes to your bridal party and special friends. They would also look beautiful in a welcome basket for out-of-towners, and could be sent in thanks for any wedding or shower gifts you may receive. What am I going to do with them? Well, I plan on reserving them for my special brides. And of course, I’ll frame some to add a little more decor to my office!
7/24/2008 Update: Unfortunately, it seems as though so many brides read about this fabulous find that it is no longer in stock. If you still must have these cards (like me), check your local Crate & Barrel store. Our order is still listed as “back ordered”, so here’s hoping our 5 card sets make it to UPS!
The Thank You Card
When you get engaged there will be a lot of opportunities to send out thank you cards. Throughout your engagement, people will often send you gifts, have get-togethers in your honor, and mail you cards of well wishes and happily-ever-afters. Many people are curious about etiquette involving thank you cards, especially when it concerns marriage and all the opportunities there are during the process to send them. When do you send thank you cards? Do you send them for engagement gifts, attending an engagement party, shower gifts, or what about a thank you card for a card? I believe it is important to send a written thank you, even if it is thanking someone for sending you a card. We all have, at one time or another, sent someone a card congratulating them on something (such as an engagement or a new home) and never heard from them. We’re often left to wonder if our card ever reached its destination.
Since there are so many opportunities to “send thanks” to your loved ones, it doesn’t hurt to stock up on thank you cards. Having them handy is one more step to ensure that they are mailed promptly. If you “collect” stationary, like me, than it also doesn’t hurt to shop around for a variety of stationary. Personally, I like to sort my stationary into classes, meaning, I send my expensive “boutique” stationary to the recipients who notice and appreciate letterpress or card stock, while I send my “mass produced” stationary to the recipient who wouldn’t notice those finer details. I also believe in never sending the same thank you card twice, so it is always good to have a variety on hand for that purpose!
I’ve found some really beautiful card collections at Target which fit my personal style. The thank you card pictured to the right and the cards pictured above are part of three different collections I purchased at Target, and are the primary thank you cards I sent out for the beautiful engagement gifts we received. As I said above, I purchased a variety of cards to ensure that I never sent someone the same card twice. I’ve found that Target has a wonderful selection of formal, traditional, romantic, artsy, modern, and unique cards. The main advantage, along with the stylish selection, is the affordability. Most of their card collections are between $4-10 dollars for 8-12 cards per package.
For those wondering, etiquette mandates that you send a thank you card for engagement gifts as soon as they arrive. You should send a thank you for gifts you receive at your bridal shower no later than 2 weeks after the shower. For wedding gifts, you should send your thank you cards no later than 2 weeks after you arrive home from your honey moon. When in doubt, send a thank you in writing. It is a very personal way to connect with someone, especially when they’ve acknowledged this wonderful period in your life.
Along with Target, there are several online websites you can use to create custom thank you cards and stationary. While national online retailors do offer a great selection, I prefer supporting local businesses in your community. You may want to search google for a local stationiare who sells quality preprinted stationary or offers custom designs.
