You are cordially invited,

Invitations look so innocent. It's just a few pieces of paper telling guests where your wedding is, right? Yeah, not so much.

Many brides are shocked when it comes time to start pricing out their wedding invitations as they have no idea how this can be so expensive. But think about it from this perspective for a second: when you go to a gift shop or a drug store to buy a birthday card for a friend, how much does a nice card cost you? The cheapest and flimsiest ones are $3.00. A nice one costs $5.00-6.00 and handmade ones are higher than that. And that's just ONE card. A wedding invitation normally has: the invitation, envelope, response card, response card envelope, directions or map, and another insert such as a next day brunch or accommodations. This is MUCH more complex than a greeting card, yet many brides expect to pay less than a greeting for their invitation set.  I don't blame brides for thinking this though, because there are quite a few big online invitation companies that advertise that you can get invitations for as low as $1.45 each. Um, kind of...


I asked one of my vendors, Diana, from Emily Rose Papers to tell me a bit of what goes on behind the scenes when brides are dealing with invitations from one of these big companies. This is what she told me:

"Prices listed on online sites that say "as low as" is not necessarily the actual price that you are paying when you have your set chosen.  So, don't fall for the low price, until you have added up the "additional charges", such as proofing charges, charges for extra lines of text, additional envelopes to allow for addressing mistakes and additions,  shipping charges and sales taxes.   

Paper quality and printing from low cost suppliers isn't always reliable.  Unless the couple has the option to order a sample or color swatches, it's not always certain that the color seen online it accurate.  Also, invitations are tactile: the weight of the paper denotes it's quality and some sites use lower quality stock, which is fine if you intend to mount it to a more substantial card stock, but otherwise it might end up feeling "flimsy".  And, when invitations are printed incorrectly there can be "gripper marks" from where the printing press grabs the paper.  Quality invitation companies will trim the gripper marks off, but most online suppliers do not.

Customer service that rarely includes advice. Most of these sites are set up to make bulk sales, so they have limited customer service.  Wording for invitations is intensely personal, especially since the wording and font style help set the "tone" of the invitation.  So, even though online sites have etiquette sections, it's doubtful that the customer service representative will put very much thought into considerations that are important to the couple, or guide them through any special needs, like how to word their RSVP so that they get the information that they need for the caterer or venue. 

In an effort to save time, couples will make the assumption that if they shop online, it will save them time.  In some cases, it's easy to spend a lot more time looking for the "right fit"  that will coordinate with the decor at the wedding.  This can take up valuable time in their overall timeline, which can result in rush orders and avoidable mistakes.  Plus, on most of these sites, there are so many designs available, it can be overwhelming.

In an effort to save money, couples will decide that if they choose to "DIY" it will be a savings in money.  In reality, by the time the cost of adhesive (or printing if the couple is just buying paper stock) ends up being the same or higher than some of the pre-designed invitations available.  This is especially true when someone is new to "DIY" and forgets to plan for some loss due to human error or the papers needed for the set up for printing.  Plus, with some paper only suppliers, they don't explain well what types of printers to use or the specifications for printing.  For example, some card stocks, like the metallic papers, aren't always suitable for inkjet printing and may curl or get stuck with the average color laser printer, designed for home use."

The moral of the story? Expect to pay more than $1.45 per invitation. And seriously consider dealing with a human being that specializes in invitations. It will save you tears, time, and potentially money. 

photo by Next Exit Photography

Random Wine Blog, it's February already?!

This random wine blog is dedicated to my former clients Derek and Angela Z., who got married in October 2008. That sounds like much longer ago than it feels. It's dedicated to them not because they gave me the bottle of wine that I'm enjoying tonight (which would have been awesome) , but because Derek is one of my Facebook buddies who enjoys a good wine and my wine blogs. So he told me about a great deal on www.klwines.com and told me to buy some. So I did. And then I told him I'd dedicate this blog to him. Anyway, tonight's blog is courtesy of a 2006 Havens Merlot from Napa Valley. It's thick and heady without being too oaky the way Merlots sometimes are. It's lovely.

On to the Randomnes:

• My husband and I put away our coffee pot probably three years ago (and our microwave...that's another blog)  and devoted ourselves to our sassy red tea kettle in its stead. For some craaaazy reason, he drinks tea with 3 or 4 tea bags in it and so I estimated that we go through probably 120 English Breakfast tea bags per month. That is insane. 
• I hate grocery shopping, but I love, Love, LOVE Trader Joe's. It's like Joe knows me and knows that I'm overwhelmed by an aisle solely devoted to fluorescent colored canned goods, so Joe only gives me two options of black beans instead of 18. When the husband and I cook, I joke as we sit down to eat that we're thanking God and Joe for our dinner.
• Now that it is February, we are in My Birthday Month. Not only is it My Birthday Month, but it is also the year that I turn 30. Expect narcissism to the fullest for the next 24 days. 
• Speaking of birthdays, my husband asked me what I want for my birthday? I told him I can't decide between a skydiving excursion or a Roomba. That's aside from the trip to Paris that I'm taking with my sister, of course. Oh! But, get this: so while I go to Paris for one week, he is going to Laos and Cambodia for two. My Thunder has totally been stolen. Remember when I talked about narcissism? Yeah...
• My new website ROCKS!
• Twenty-ten (I'm still pushing for people to say that, instead of two thousand and ten) is going to be a fabulous year. It's only February 3 (well, now it's 4 because it's 12:20 AM) and I already have as many weddings booked right now as I did the entire year of 2009! And currently, all of my clients are all incredibly kind and lovely people. And really good looking. Not sure how that happened, and it's probably inappropriate to say, but my clients are quite attractive. Not that my previous clients weren't good looking.....oh, nevermind. 
• Chronicles of Nathan update:  my older brother, who is living on a 20' sailboat with a stray dog named Mattie, has made it to the Gulf of Mexico (all the way from Arkansas, y'all!). He has recently discovered, after a near death experience in a storm, that to brave the wide blue yonder, you need at least a 50' sailboat. So he's hugging the coastline as he sails up the eastern seaboard. 
• I'm loving the show "Community" (starring Joel McHale!) on ABC lately. A few weeks ago they had Luke Wilson and Jack Black make guest appearances. If they would only have Jason Bateman on the show I could die from geeky-funny-guy overload. 
• My poor geeky-funny-guy husband has been sick today so I need to go tend to him.

This made me smile today

The raw emotion captured in this surprise proposal is just so beautiful. Love is a splendid thing.

Casey proposes to Amy from One Small Instrument Pictures on Vimeo.

How to Get Married 2.0

Back in December I wrote a blog called How to Get Married. It talked about the process of getting your marriage license in SoCal, Los Angeles County specifically. Well, now that it is February 1, 2010, the rules have changed again. As of February 1, the fees jumped from $70 to $90 and the hurdles to jump through increased even more. 

INSTRUCTIONS ON MARRIAGE LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE

• Both the Bride and Groom are required to appear with either a valid driver's license or a passport.

• The counties in California below to NOT require blood tests to obtain a License.

• Payments can be made in cash or by check or money order made payable to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk or RRC

• Processing time is approximately 20 to 40 minutes.  Afternoons and Fridays are the busiest times and the processing time is likely to be longer.

• There are two kinds of marriage licenses, Public and  Confidential. The Public marriage license can be purchased at any county clerk/registrar recorder's office in California and the couple can get married anywhere in California. The Confidential license must be purchased in the same county where the ceremony takes place                                                                                                                                                 
• IMPORTANT: After you get married, either you or your officiant files the Marriage License with the county. Once your License is filed, then you are legally married. The county does not send you a copy of your Marriage Certificate unless you send in the following paperwork with your Marriage License:

o     A check for $14.00 made out to the   Registrar/Recorder Clerk

o    The Certificate of Identity form, which must be notarized (this paragraph pertains to  LA and OC)

o    The Application for Public Record Form

I you are one of my clients, I give you all of these forms at a meeting, if you're not one of my clients, you can obtain all of these forms HERE.

Amber Events featured expert on "Survive Wedding Season"

Today, an article I wrote about affordable wedding gifts, is featured on the website "Survive Wedding Season" . Enjoy!

Expert Survival Tip: Wedding Gifts That Won’t Break The Bank

Ah, wedding season! The invitations start rolling in, each more beautiful than the one before! You RSVP yes, mark your calendar, and then ask the Maid of Honor where the happy couple is registered. Nordstrom? Of course; the place where the cheapest pair of socks is like $12.99.

If the question foremost on your mind this season is how you are going to afford to give nice gifts, then this article is for you. Each gift listed below is under $30.00.

Bridal Shower Gift Ideas

Vintage Handkerchief

Every Bride should have a cloth hankie to use when she walks down the aisle. For $6-12 at an antique store you can find clean, gorgeous, white handkerchiefs with handmade tatting or lace trim. Many times they are monogrammed and you can find one with her initial or the initial of her new last name. Take it a bit further and embroider her wedding date on one corner in either white or pale blue thread. Even if you can’t sew, just Google “embroidery stitch” for step-by-step instructions.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE