I was chatting with an acquaintance the other day and mentioned I was working on addressing invitations for a large wedding we have in January.  He was shocked that was a service we provide, but commented it was such a valuable service as most people have never and will never have to follow the protocol involved in addressing snail mail.  So here's a behind the scenes look at what we do:

1. We help most of our clients with the actual invite order, get the wording right for their situation and make sure the design is a good introduction to the guests of the look to come on wedding day.
2. Once the invites arrive we open and inspect the paper and envelopes in case anything went awry during printing, packaging or shipping.
3. The first thing we address are the RSVP envelopes. Those are hand-addressed, usually with the brides address but no name.
4. Then the RSVP envelopes are stamped with a first class stamp.
5. Next we hand address the Return address on the back flap of the main invite envelope.  
6. Finally we get to addressing the guest names and addresses on the front of the envelope.  We are usually working off spreadsheets provided by the bride and groom.  All cities, states and street names are fully written, no abbreviations.  Proper names and titles are used.
7. Envelopes are stuffed with the invite, RSVP card tucked under the flap of the RSVP envelope and any enclosure cards.
8. Each envelope flap is sealed with a wet sponge.
9. Every envelope is re-inspected to make sure i's are dotted, t's crossed and none of the writing was smudged.  
10. Then we stamp the main envelope and hand deliver to a post-office for mailing.

All in all it takes between 4-5 minutes per invite, so for this recent shipment of 170 invites we spent close to 12 hours getting them just right!

Kudos to Rachel Fesko for getting one of our beautiful brides a feature in the latest issue of Carolina Bride!  This couple was AMAZING to work with....they were both so easy-going and wanted a wedding that was fresh, modern and fun....Congrats to the Woody's....hope you are enjoying Newlywed-dom!
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/10/10/2680450/youre-the-inspiration.html

I'm so, so sorry for the delay in posting these pics....this was an incredibly beautiful wedding....do you remember the inspiration pics I posted a long time ago for this one?  
Well, it was picture perfect (though don't judge these pics, they were taken with my iPhone....professional pics coming soon!)

Isn't this the cutest rehearsal dinner ever??  This smart couple booked the Pavilion at Latta Park in Dilworth.  Most of their guests had young kids, so the kids were able to play and the adults enjoyed a fabulous dinner (catered by Delectables by Holly!)  We helped the MOG with the decor and color scheme!

I just have to share these photos from our wedding a few weeks ago....it helps depict the many roles a wedding planner assumes on wedding day....we are personal attendant, door-holder and bride anchor (so she doesn't blow away!)  And yes, in case you were wondering, I did do a clothing change....I generally sweat through my first outfit before the ceremony!

I met an oh-so-lovely bride this week and she brought along a whole bag full of inspiration to show me for her fall wedding.  She pronounced herself as liking 'shabby chic' but I quickly determined she was much more 'french country' with her love of chandeliers and the fleur de lis.  So mademoiselle, this ones for you! 

With the addition of cake and cupcake shows on several television networks the baked dessert that was always soon forgotten during a wedding celebration is now coming back into vogue.

The best part is that brides have soooo many options for dessert at their reception.  Some of our brides are opting for the classic multi-tier cake in a variety of flavors.  Others are doing a small cake for cutting and then offering 6 flavors of cupcakes as the end of dinner nibble.  And there are a few of our brides that say "forget cake, bring on the desserts!"  These brides are offering a vast array of goodies (some family recipes) and hope their guests come back for more as the night goes on!

Whatever your preference for dessert think about how you want to cap the end of the meal....if you are serving a traditional plated dinner then maybe shake things up with a fun dessert bar to get people moving around again.  Or did you opt for a heavy hors d'oeuvres menu?  Then why not go traditional with a huge cake + cake cutting ceremony!  No matter what you can't go wrong with the sweets!

We are working on a July wedding at The Mint Museum Uptown.  The bride wants romance....so we are doing a purple and blue color scheme, with lots of luxurious linens and pretty flowers.  Here are some of our inspiration pics:

Tomorrow marks my 7th {!!!} anniversary with my husband.  We both have hectic weeks ahead, so we've had a laid-back weekend.  One thing we said from the start of our relationship was 'no gifts'....but there are exceptions to the rule.  This year my husband upgraded me to an iphone so I found him a cool lamp for his 'man-cave'.  In case you and yours love giving gifts, here is a traditional and modern anniversary gift guide for anniversaries 1-10: