Always begin your thank you card by offering the correct greeting like “Dear Clare & Paul”. Many people forget to properly address this when writing the cards.

I would then personalize your thank you by mentioning the gift you received and maybe say how you would put the gift to good use. It is always nice to hear that your gift was kindly received.

To finish the thank you card, I would then maybe mention a past visit such as “I enjoyed seeing you last Christmas at mums birthday party, I was so happy to share our wedding day with you and hope to see you again very soon.” If you do not have frequent contact with the sender, a simple “I think of you often and hope you are well” will suffice.

Say “thanks” once more, “Thanks again for the gift.”

Wrap it up with a pleasant closing that uses words like “Love,” “Warmly,” Yours truly” or whatever suits you.

Review the letter for spelling errors and be sure to attach the correct postage.

Wedding stationery can be an expensive part of your wedding but there are ways to save money if you look around and are aware of a few insider tips!

If you are looking at generic printed stationery then the best advise is to have your stationery printed by thermograph or laser instead of engraved. This will still look nice but cost significantly less.

If you are looking for a more personal handmade invitation and wedding stationery range then there are a few things to think about that will save you considerable amounts of money.

A way for your guest to R.S.V.P to your wedding invitation is essential but you don’t necessarily need to send out costly R.S.V.P cards. You could just as easily add your telephone or email address into the wording of your invites saving the cost of ordering R.S.V.P and envelopes. It will also save on postage costs of sending your wedding invitations as they will weigh less.

Most companies of handmade wedding stationery will make their designs in a variety of sizes and styles in order to cater to all budgets. You could choose a more expensive wedding invitation for your day invites and then a postcard style invite for your evening invitations. This should give you a substantial saving and most companies will co-ordinate their postcard invites to keep in with your chosen theme.

Have smaller invitations. The smaller the invitation (this 3×5 or 4×6) will reduce paper costs and thus the cost of the invitations.

Most wedding stationery companies will offer there range as a DIY kit which again should offer you a good discount when ordering your stationery. Maybe have your main wedding invitations made professionally but make the other items of stationery yourself such as name cards and Order of Service booklets.

Most importantly make sure that you shop around for online discounts many wedding stationery companies will run discounts when in low season. High season is from January to May with low season being from May to August. December is usually the quietest month of the year so good discounts can be found if you order your wedding stationery before the New Year rush.

Transform your wedding day from the standard boring old chairs included in the hire price of your venue by hiring chair covers with organza bows.  Chair covers are one of the priorities when it comes to the bride wanting the venue to look stunning.  Simply imagine your guests immediate thoughts when walk into the venue.

When thinking about how you want your wedding reception to look, a definite must is hiring chair covers.  The chair covers can also be decorated with a coloured bow to co-ordinate your colour scheme.

To truly transform your wedding reception leave room in your budget for chair cover hire. Most wedding venues will have very old dated chairs in a multitude of colours! The majority of which will be blue or green, not the most popular of wedding colours!

There are many companies offering chair cover hire, local companies will offer a service where they come and fit the covers at your wedding venue on the morning of the big day. Most people will go for this option as it is a job that most brides don’t want to think about on the morning of their big day.

The average cost of chair cover hire is £4.50 per chair cover, this price normally includes fitting. Most companies will also collect the chair covers the morning after the event which is included in the price.

There are also many companies now offering a do it yourself chair cover hire service. This is a great way to save some money in the budget and still create that spectacular look at your wedding reception. It is also a good way to get friends and family involved in your big day.  It will take two people around two hours to fit 80 covers, most venues will let you set up the evening before the wedding if there are no prior engagements.

Whoever sets up the venue for you, it is highly recommend to make sure chair cover hire is part of the decoration to make your wedding a truly memorable one.

For more resources about Venue Decoration or even about Wedding Chair Cover Hire please take a look at the chair covers section www.blissfuldesigns.co.uk/chair-cover-hire/.

All bridal couples approach their wedding preparations quite differently from each other. Some couples decide that they would like to give their wedding an ultra-personal touch by doing everything themselves from creating handmade wedding invites to decorating the venue. Other couples prefer to delegate their wedding to experienced professionals in the field while they just supervise the overall preparations to make sure it meets their expectations.

Is any one way better than the other? Not really. Do-it-yourself wedding preparations give the wedding a warm, personal touch whereas professional wedding preparations help you achieve a perfectly coordinated look. Of course, a little bit of both would result in a wedding day that’s perfect in every way.

Meeting the Decorating Challenge

A bridal couple may have the best intentions behind their decision to undertake all wedding preparations themselves but it can be a daunting task indeed. There are innumerable little as well as large aspects to be dealt with and unless the couple has an army of family and friends to support and help them, it can be a herculean task.

This is more so when it comes to decorating the reception venue, which almost always can only be done last minute. A bridal couple who attempts to take on the venue decorating without any help is more than likely to be too tired to even enjoy their wedding day. Adding the personal touches is fine, but it’s best to leave the major tasks to professional decorators. Getting your chairs spiffed up for the occasion is one such task that is best delegated.

Creating the WOW Factor with Chair Covers

Chair covers impact the appearance of the entire room. With tucks and bows in shimmery satin and gossamer tulle, chair covers transform the appearance of a humble chair into an elegant addition to your wedding décor. Given the sea of chairs that are required at any wedding, beautifully decorated chairs can transform an otherwise regular room into a setting of grandeur and sophistication.

Chair Covers - Should you or shouldn’t you do it by yourself?

Chair covers are quite unlike any other decorating endeavor. For one thing, the sheer magnitude of the undertaking can be completely overwhelming. Consider the various steps involved in doing up chair covers- You need to first buy the required amount of fabric and get the chair covers sewn. Though this can be done in advance, dressing each chair individually with the cover, sash and bow can only be done earliest on the eve of the wedding day.

Is it worth doing all this by yourself? Factor in the cost of the fabric for the covers and the sashes, the time taken to sew each cover and dress each chair as well as the cleaning that will have to be done after the occasion. Doing chair covers by yourself could be hugely expensive in terms of time, money and stress.

Advantages of Chair Cover Hire

Most professional chair cover hiring companies will go to great lengths to match the wedding color scheme and will extend a full service that includes co-ordination with all the other parties involved with the reception. On D-Day they will deliver cleaned and ironed chair covers to the venue and will also dress up all the chairs allowing the bridal couple to enjoy their wonderful day without any stress.

Most couples nowadays look forward to having a wedding day that is unique in everyway from the reception venue to the bridal gown. Whatever kind of wedding reception you may choose to host, whether it is barefoot on the beach, a picnic in the park or a more stylish affair in a grand ballroom, you should be as creative with your wedding invitations as you are with the rest of your wedding preparations. Designing your wedding invitations to reflect the ceremony itself is a novel and unique way to set the tone of the reception.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

These days you are apt to see wedding ceremonies as varied as the bridal couples themselves. They run the gamut from ultra traditional church weddings to absolutely modern contemporary receptions and from ultra formal affairs held in state-of the art ballrooms to casual weddings hosted in a shack by the beach.

Here are some factors to take into consideration when designing your wedding invitation to match the tone of your wedding:

The reception venue - If you are planning on hosting a very formal wedding reception, you may want to choose a formally-worded gold or ivory invitation with a subtle design and a matching envelope. A wedding reception that is being hosted in a wide open field full of wildflowers would warrant a more casual and flowery invitation; the tone should stay casual throughout, even in the wording of the invite. A classy white embossed invitation is perfect for a traditional all-white wedding.

The color scheme of the wedding - Most bridal couples go through great lengths to ensure that everything, from the bridesmaids dresses to the flowers and all other decorations for the wedding are in sync with the color scheme of the wedding. Why not go the extra mile and let the wedding invitation reflect the wedding color scheme?

Gold engraved invitations with a decorative burgundy edging and burgundy wordings would perfectly complement a classy evening wedding set in a backdrop of cream and gold. The only thing burgundy could be the bridesmaids gowns and the wedding bouquet.

Cheerful pastel invitations would be more indicative of an informal spring wedding whereas red and white invitations are the perfect lead-in to a Valentines Day wedding.

The Importance of Setting the Tone with your Wedding Invitation

While most family and friends would be aware of the impending marriage, not everyone knows what kind of reception you are planning on hosting. Your wedding invite is in effect the first point of contact between you and your guests. A wedding invitation designed to reflect the reception is like giving your guests a hint of what they can expect at your reception. This sneak-peek is sure to whet the curiosity of your guests and do much to ensure the success of your wedding day.

Your wedding invitations are a vital part of your wedding plans.The invitations can control a lot, primarily is the list of guests you want to attend but they also determine the overall cost of your big day.They are a great way to trim your guest list and keep the numbers down.Remember, you can invite a lot more to the evening ceremony.

The stationery you use reflects on the kind of wedding you are planning.A simple invite will give the opposite effect to an elegant invitation which will tell your guests to expect a formal affair.The colours used on the stationery will also give your guests an idea of what to expect.

Take the following as an idea of what you should consider when choosing your invitations:

The first thing you need to do is analyse your guest list, go over it several times.It is very easy to get carried away and invite everyone you know, but you have to be realistic.Find out how many guests the reception can cater for and use that as a starting figure.Then work out the cost per head and find out what the overall cost will be for the full list.Now you can decide how much you want to spend on your guests and how many you can invite.

Once you have decided on the number of guests you can have, you can now begin to filter your guest list starting with immediate family members and your closest friends.You have to always remember this is your day and you don’t need to invite a whole family.They may have four children who aren’t really interested in attending and it will only cost you more.Remember to only invite the ‘key’ people.

Choosing your wedding invitations will now be a lot easier, you will know how many you need so you can work out how much you will spend per invite.Why not call the stationery supplier and ask them what they can offer for your budget.You may be surprised; you may now be able to afford additional stationery like a table plan or guest book.

The wording of the invitation is very important.The standard practice is to include the date, venue and time. Why not include more details that you may need to give your guests.Directions to the venue or contact numbers if there are special dietary requirements.This is normally included on RSVP cards, but they are your initiations with your wording so include what you want.

While we are on the subject of RSVP cards, why not state on the RSVP to call rather than posting, this will save money to both parties.It’s just as easy to pick up the phone and accept the invitation as it is to respond with the RSVP card.

Finally, if you are feeling creative, why not make the invitations yourself.DIY wedding stationery is becoming very popular; it just takes a little bit of time and patience.Good companies can offer you DIY kits to make your life easier and it is almost certainly cheaper doing this than it is to buy the craft items individually.With DIY, you get exactly what you ask for rather than having to buy in bulk.Personalise your wedding invitations with you own character and flare.

When you have finally made one of the biggest committments of your life and you are happy to be engaged, you now begin the long process of planning your wedding day.  From guests to cars and venue to honeymoon  you have a lot of things to sort out and lots of ideas to think of.  Some say your wedding invitation is one of the most detailed aspects of your wedding, after all its your official announcement to all your family and friends of your big day.

Here we have put together a few thoughts and ideas towards making it easier in choosing the perfect invitation.

The first thing to think about when choosing your wedding invitations is the style and theme of your wedding.  Handmade stationery is the ideal solution to incorperating any style and theme as there are so many amazing materials to choose from. Why choose a mass produced pre-printed wedding invitation that thousands of brides have used before you when you can personalise your design and be involved at every stage of the design and creation process.  Why not use quality hammered card, or handmade paper butterflys to give it that extra impact.  Simple things like this have an amazing impact on your stationery and give the impression of elegance to your guests.

Now you have decided on the card, you need to think about the size, you can have almost any size or shape you can think of, if you have an idea, simply call the stationery supplier and ask if they are capable of producing your style.  Depending on budget, you can opt for a simple postcard style or choose a booklet style invitation.

Designing your wedding invitations is the next step, the options here are endless.  Your wedding dress and venue are probably decorated with ribbons and flowers anb lovely colours all adding to the theme of your big day.  Why stop there? Transform your invitations by doing the same, include paper flowers, ribbon and bows and style your invitations to match your wedding day.

Your almost there, you have the card, style and decorations, all you need to do is create the perfect mix of colours and your ready for your wedding invitations to be made.  There are so many colours to choose from, if you want a specific colour why not simply ask for it?

How are you sending the card should also be considered, will you be sending it in a standard envelope or protecting them with postal boxes.  Postal boxes are an excellent idea to prevent any damage to your invitations when going through the postal system.  After all, you have invested so much time and effort into creating your stationery it would be a shame to have them damaged at the final moment.

The wedding inviation is the first glimpse of you wedding you give to your guests.  It gives them an initial guide of what to expect from your wedding day.  When your guests recieve your elegant stationery, they will admire the detail you have gone to and it will show them how important this means to you.  Don’t hold back, let your wedding invitations make a statement about the big day.

Wedding Invitations are far more than simply asking people to join you at your wedding.  They are a symbol to introduce everyone to your wedding day which they can keep forever.  The invitation itself holds the detailed information you need all your guests to be aware of.  For this reason alone, you should always take plenty of time when writing the content of your wedding invitation.  Think of it as a little taster for your guests of what is to come on your big day.

When you work out how much effort you put into choosing your dress, finding the perfect location, picking an ideal photographer, people can sometimes neglect there wedding stationery and simply order them at the last minute, sometimes weeks before the wedding.  The invitation is not always the first thing on a brides mind, but putting a lot of effort into your stationery can be worthwhile in the end.

The custom handmade stationery on offer is now one of the most popular types of wedding invitations for today’s modern bride.  The old fashioned pre-printed stationery is no longer sought after and the main reason is being able to transform your stationery using colours and crafts which pre-printed can not offer.  Below you will find a quick list of ideas that you may want to consider when deciding on your wedding stationery.

Where will your wedding be held? Is it in a remote location? Is it abroad on a beach or have you chosen the popular civil ceremony at the hotel where your reception is?  This is ideal to find you the type of invitation you are looking for. It may be themed towards sand or shells, or the content of the stationery may not only provide the time, date and location, it may need to provide detailed directions or even a map for those guests who are not from the area.

You can now decide what your colour needs to be, will your stationery match your dress, or your bridesmaid dresses.  Will they be the same colour as your decorated reception?  These are all valid ideas which will not only make your stationery unique but will also give your guests a little taster of the theme.

How long is it until your wedding?  This is a big question to ask as you may need to send out save the date cards if it is too early for the invitations.  You may find your main guests have booked there holiday on your big day which would be upsetting for both parties.

Finally, what is your budget for your stationery, you should be very realistic in deciding this as there are several options to choose from.  If you have a restricted budget, you don’t need to go for the ’supermarket’ stationery, why not choose from a DIY stationery range, you still get the same quality and style but you save money. Alternatively, if you don’t have the time for making your own, you can have the full range designed, handmade and prepared for you. 

Just remember your wedding invitations will be the first glimpse your guests get of your wedding and also the last as they can keep the wedding stationery forever.

Are you worried you may upstage the bride? It is always a good idea to put the bride first and under no circumstances should you try to make a bigger impression.  Theres nothing stopping you from wearing a georgous dress but just don’t flaunt it.