Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

This award signifies that Invitations & Beyond stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Invitations & Beyond for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Invitations & Beyond is among the very best within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

The price is great too – 20 tags for $9.99!

Tags are printed on a beautiful White Metallic cardstock with rounded corners on one side. Each measures 2″ wide by 4.5″ long. They have holes punched and include a thin white satin ribbon for attaching to your gifts.

Stop into the store to place your order today … or you can purchase them online through our ETSY SHOP!

Now just imagine all the excitement of a carnival … but this one filled with paper goodies!!!  Stationers from all across the country have banded together to bring you awesome discounts on all kinds of Do-It-Yourself supplies, overstocked items and more.  Throughout the year as we create invitations for our customers, stationers often find their storerooms overflowing with extra cardstocks, papers, envelopes, boxes, ribbons and rhinestones.

You can follow the Paper Carnival by stopping by the Invitations & Beyond Surplus Shop on Etsy.com, and then by visiting fellow carnies Etsy Supply Shops too.  The schedule is posted on the Paper Carnival Facebook Page.  Make sure to “LIKE” us while you’re there, so we can keep you posted with the carnival schedule.

The news is spreading, this awesome event was mentioned on EllyB Events’ Blog.

These are just a few of the items in our Surplus Shop, all at more than 50% off their regular retail price:

And don’t forget to stop by Feterie’s SupplyMe Etsy Shop to continue following the travels of the Paper Carnival!  They have some drool-worthy Japanese designer papers & embossed stocks at a fabulous price.  Aren’t these papers perfect for a fall wedding?

This particular note stopped us in our tracks and I wanted to share it here:

Hi Jessica,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how thankful we are for all of your help. I cannot tell you how many compliments I have gotten on our invitations. EVERYONE is calling me and telling me that they are “the most beautiful invitations” they have ever seen, that they suit my style and personality, and they were just stunning to receive in the mail.

I can honestly say that my experience working with you and Jared has been the most pleasant part of my wedding planning so far. I am just thrilled with the level of fast service and detailed attention I got. The quality of the invitation style, paper, and calligraphy was top-notch! I am impressed, to say the least. I have already begun recommending Invitations and Beyond to everyone I know!

I can’t thank you enough, but hopefully this is a start!

With Gratitude and Respect,
Katie and Michael

Paparte stationery makes the perfect gift for friends, teachers, co-workers, neighbors … just about everyone!  Buy the pieces separately or put them together for a larger more exciting gift. The best news of all is that if you don’t see your name or color combination in store, we can print it for you!

Papartags are perfect for luggage, back packs, lunch bags, gym bags, computer bags, brief cases. We can personalize them with your name or  initial on the front, and fill in your full name,  address, phone number and email right on the back of the tags for you.

Here is a sampling of the designs and items available:

Looking for a holiday themed gift? Paparte stationery & gifts are available in holiday colors too.  They make perfect stocking-stuffers!  Holiday designs are available for all items – travel mugs, tags, note cards, note sheets, and enclosure cards too!

 

 

We are very pleased to announce that Crane & Co. has extended their “Buy 75/Get 25″ Promotion! The promotion includes most Crane & Co. wedding albums.

This is a great time to encourage your customers to purchase stationery for themselves and as a gift in anticipation of the holiday season.

Orders must be placed by Monday September 21st to be eligible.

This occasion was brought to our attention by one of our stationery suppliers, and I wanted to share it with you. Its been a long time since I have sat down and written a letter to a friend … but I fondly remember keeping in touch with pen pals in my younger years. Even through my college days, I wrote letters to friends who attended different colleges. Learning that there’s a month dedicated to this long lost art of letter writing, in a world of email, instant messaging, text messages, facebook and myspace, has inspired me to pick up a pen and paper again for the first time in years!

National Card and Letter Writing Month is April 1st through May 11th. The US Postal Service has a message to everyone who needs to reinvigorate relationships or rekindle romance: “Touch them with a letter they can feel and keep.” The Postal Service is extending this popular campaign by carrying over into May, culminating with the writing and sending of cards and letters for Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 10th.

Postmaster General John E. Potter says it best, “National Card and Letter Writing Month is an opportunity for all Americans to rediscover the timeless and very personal art of letter writing. Both in times of peace and conflict, cards and letters are the most effective way to share and permanently record our thoughts, prayers, hopes and dreams.”

Who will you write to this month?

Another year, another postage increase. When you think about it, 44 cents is not a bad price to mail an envelope any where in the country. But for those planning an event, that small increase really feels like it adds up, huh?

The important date to remember this year is May 11th, when the cost to mail a one-ounce letter increases to 44 cents each. Postcard stamps will go up to 28 cents each.

For those of you with RSVP dates in May, you have two basic options: use a forever stamp, or put the additional postage on your response envelopes. Keep in mind that even if your response date is in early May, it is still possible that your guests may be mailing back their RSVP’s for a week or two after the due date.

If your event is in mid to late July, your typical mail-out date would be after the rate increases … so if you order early and time allows, you may want to consider mailing your invitations the first week of July.

The blog heidzillas.com did a fantastic job of covering all of your options in detail, and with some really creative ideas … so I’ll just link you right to them!

If your local post office does not have the stamps you want in stock, you can always go straight to the source and order your stamps online directly from the post office. Check out their website here: USPS: The Postal Store.

Another option to consider is custom stamps from stamps.com or zazzle.com — but keep in mind that you will pay approximately 2x the postage rate (that’s how they make their money!)

Admission is free, and there are tons of giveaways too … including an awesome vacation giveaway of an 8 day 7 night cruise to the Caribbean, Baja Mexico or the Mexican Riviera!

With more than 50 vendors, its sure to be a great way for Brides & Grooms to research and book vendors all in one place.

Please come by to say hello!