Inner & Outer Envelopes for Wedding Invitations….

When I attend invitation planning meetings with my clients the question about Inner & Outer Envelopes for their wedding invitations often come up. I always like telling them the tradition behind the multiple envelopes. The tradition is as follows. In England during the 19th century wedding invitations were hand delivered on foot or on horseback. The postal system was still forming and the outdoor elements made it very difficult to keep the envelopes clean. The double envelope was for protection. The invitation was placed inside one envelope, then that envelope was placed into a second envelope which was sealed and addressed. When the invitation was delivered, it would be handed to a servant who would remove the actual invitation from the outer envelope in order to bring it to the head of the household.

In modern days, the post office does a great job delivering the mail and keeping the envelopes clean. The green living trend has taken hold and most feel it is unnecessary to have an extra envelope, but
I do still have clients that choose to send outer envelopes with their wedding stationery to ensure that guests receive invitations free from postage marks and other blemishes.

It’s up to you on deciding to use both the inner and outer envelopes but now you know the tradition on why both exist!

Let us know your thoughts…..Are you using both inner and outer envelopes for your wedding invitations?

Crane Invitation

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nkaney, September 13th 2010 | Tags: , , ,
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The +1 Challenge

By Lindsay Howell

As a young bride (I was 22), and the first of my friends to get married, I felt a lot of pressure on who to invite to one of the biggest days of my life. My future husband-to-be and I knew we wanted people who loved us and people who we wanted to include in our milestone events for years to come.

As a young girl, I was raised with the finest of manners that were established not only by my parents, but my maternal grandparents who ate every night on china and used sterling silver utensils for breakfast (and every other single meal). For my wedding, I did not want to disregard my manners, but I did not want to invite everyone under the sun either.  Our wedding vision was an intimate affair with personal touches. With careful discussion, we decided that anyone who was single and did not have a true “significant other” (i.e. not married, not engaged, not in a serious relationship) would be invited as a single and we would not add the “+1” or “and gust” to the invitation. The future husband-to-be and I had discussions with our single friends privately about our feelings, as we did not want to offend anyone, and some were very comfortable and almost elated that they did not have to find a guest worthy of bringing to a wedding, while some questioned our thought process. This method ended up working for us. Our friends had a great time, as we sat all of the “young people” together and they ended up dancing all night long. I think an important note to add is we had a very good balance of single women and men at the wedding. We also allowed a guest for certain individuals who truly had a significant other or if they were coming to our wedding not knowing anyone but us! Side Note: A love match was made that evening and we attended their wedding a few years ago!

Overall, our wedding was beautiful, fun and filled with love. I am proud to say that almost 6 years later, when I look through my wedding photos, I recognize every single one of my guests and still have a relationship with all of them. One of the biggest compliments I received about our “+1” decision was when one of my bridesmaids was planning her wedding; she called me and asked for my advice on how we handled the “+1” situation as she felt we handled it in the best way possible. I was happy to share my experiences and I hope this helps others who find themselves in this situation. Overall, I do not think we did a perfect job on handling this situation and there were some hiccups, but I was very happy with the outcome and at the end of the day, would not have changed our decision.

Photos are by John Revisky

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nkaney, September 7th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
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Sweet Manners – Our Summer Vacation in the South

My husband and I took our first road trip together and it turned out to be a wonderful vacation. Last week we packed the car full of yummy treats and drinks and headed to Georgia. We live in Florida and have some Southern friends but our family is from the Midwest and New York so we have little Southern influences. Sarasota is a tropical beach town so there is no sweet tea and grits served here. Our first stop was at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Lodge in Georgia. It’s been all over the news since Carrie Underwood got married there in July. It’s a beautiful property and I noticed everyone was so friendly there. Of course, the Ritz-Carlton staff is always gracious but this was everyone on the property including the guests. Guest said good morning or good afternoon when passing by. Children were polite and held the doors open. Large families were spending time together and getting along so well. I said to my husband I love being in the South because everyone has such nice manners. Saying hello, a smile and holding the door open goes a very long way!

 Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation

Our second stop was Savannah and the same was true there. It was very busy with tourists and so hot but everyone was still smiling and saying hello. I love the tradition there and the wonderful old squares and homes.

 

Third stop was The Cloister on Sea Island. What an amazing property and place to say. Such amazing class and elegance there. It’s very private and everyone keeps to themselves but the staff is very accommodating and friendly.

History of The Cloister

With the opening of The Cloister in 1928, Bill Jones and automobile magnate Howard Coffin created “a friendly little hotel” on the southern coast of Georgia. In the many years since Sea Island Resorts’ first guest, much in our world has changed. But some things, such as the values of treasuring family, friends, and nature, have remained timeless.

As the resort has evolved through the years, the simple traditions that truly define Sea Island have been carefully preserved.

The same children who once played on the shore years ago now bring their children and grandchildren to play on the same beach. Couples celebrate their golden anniversaries where they first honeymooned. Families reminisce of past vacations, while creating new memories and family traditions.

For more than 80 years, the foundation of genuine warmth and hospitality has remained constant. Between the marshland and the sea exists an island where the world is almost perfect – Sea Island.

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nkaney, August 5th 2010 | Tags: , , , ,
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