If you dont see your etiquette question answered below, please feel free to e-mail it to: etiquette@enchantedenvelope.com.au. We will respond to you personally within 48 hours, and may add your question to this section.
For more ideas and specialised advice, visit our friends at www.horizontalhostess.com.au Whether you are having a party for two, ten or fifty guests we all know you should be sharing in the food, drink, and good times, and not stuck in the kitchen. They'll give you tips on how to do this - and still look gorgeous at the same time!
Wedding Related Stationery
Ive got my eye on the Wedding Dress by Sarah Le Clere card for our Save the Date. When is the right time to send Save the Dates?
If youre planning a destination wedding or if your wedding is to be held over a holiday weekend, its a good idea to give your guests ample time to request time off work and make travel plans. For these special circumstances, sending a Save the Date up to 18 months in advance is perfectly acceptable.
Even if the wedding doesnt fall in either of those categories, todays brides have found it a smart idea to send Save the Dates. Theyre not only a thoughtful gesture that allows your guests to plan ahead, but they to set the tone for the celebration and generate excitement! They may be sent up to 3 months before the wedding. The actual wedding invitations should be sent out 6 8 weeks before the wedding.
My parents, who are both contributing financially to our wedding, are divorced, and my mother is remarried with a new surname. Ive found the wedding invitation of my dreams on your site, but have no idea how to word it. Help!
Not to worry. Todays families take many forms, and we suggest the following wording for your invitation: Mr. John Evers and Mrs. Richard Moore request the honour of your presence(or invite you to the marriage of their daughter, etc.) The point is to treat all parties in a way that is respectful and inclusive.
My fianc and I are paying for the majority of our wedding costs, but our families are very supportive and involved in spirit. Do we still need to include our parents names in the wording of the invitations?
We suggest starting the text of your invitation: Together with their families, Elizabeth Lee Venice and Carl John Waldheimer invite you to join in their wedding celebration (orrequest the pleasure of your company, etc.) This wording frames the marrying couple in an independent light, but still includes their families in a celebratory way.
I absolutely love the Sarah LeClere retro blue mixer invitation and want to send it out as a shower invitation for my best friend, whos getting married. What information should I include on it?
In addition to the essentials of Who not only in whose honour the shower is being given (at the beginning), but who is hosting it (at the end), What what type of shower, for example, you would indicate youre throwing a kitchen shower or a lingerie shower, When date and time, and Where address. Be clear as to whether its a couples shower or a girls only type shower for the bride. Then include the name or names of the host(s)/hostess(es) - this is the second part of the Who and state clearly how guests should RSVP. On an informal invitation, it is perfectly acceptable to include a phone number and/or an e-mail address to which guests should respond.
Since you are the brides friend and the whole point of a shower is showering the bride or the couple with gifts, including the couples registry information is not only acceptable, but helpful for shower guests. You may want to include information about where the couple is registered. For instance, Todd and Angela are registered at David Jones and Wheel & Barrow. It is not proper etiquette, however, for registry information to be included on a wedding invitation itself.
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Baby Showers and Birth Announcements
Is it considered proper etiquette to throw a baby shower before or after the baby is born? If the gender of the baby is known, should it be included on the invitation?
These are both good questions, and issues to talk about with the expectant mother in whose honour the shower will be thrown. Generally, throwing a baby shower before the baby is born helps the mother-to-be feel surrounded with love and support and generates a cache of useful gifts to start using as soon as the baby arrives. One exception to this may be if your friend is Jewish and holds the belief that its bad luck to have a baby shower before the baby is born. Her preference should, of course, be honoured.
It can be especially fun if the gender of the baby is known and shared, because you as the hostess can choose a pink or blue invitation, word a specifically clever invite (or have Enchanted Envelope do it) and all of the guests may choose particularly girlie or boyish gifts. Then again, there is great mystery in not knowing and there are plenty of wonderful gifts that could be for either gender baby. Again, a conversation with your friend will reveal her preference.
My husband and I have recently adopted a baby from overseas, but as she is not a newborn (shes 18 months), is it still OK to send out birth announcements?
Absolutely! Congratulations on your new daughter. How you choose to share your joyful news is exactly as you please. We suggest that you simply state that your baby girl has arrived, and then list the babys name, birth date (and location, if you wish):
Were over the moon
to announce Jennifer Sun
Born July 6, 2004 in Shanghai
Arrived in Coogee January 5, 2006
Proud Parents Rachel and Jerry Archer.
Im crazy for the blue Baby Sleeper card for our sons birth announcement, but I have a question about wording. Our son was born prematurely and was quite tiny and underweight. Hes fine now and Id rather not make a fuss about it. Is it OK to send out birth announcements and leave out the length and weight?
Yes, thats absolutely fine. Celebrate all the positives either by stating the name, date and time of birth, and parents and siblings if desired. You can do a simple just the facts or something like the following:
Tiny yawns and sleepy sighs
Nursery rhymes and lullabies
A brand new life has just begun
Oh, what joy to have a son.
Proudly announcing: Simon Alexander
October 29, 2005
7:33 a.m.
Parents Emma and Mark Landers
Big Sisters Lily and Claire
Thank You Notes
After a job interview, is it better to send a hand written thank you note or will an e-mail do?
From the way that youve worded your question, you clearly already know the answer! Do you think that someone looking to possibly hire you is looking for someone who will do?! Etiquette experts and career counsellors unanimously agree that a hand written thank you note shows graciousness and persistence and definitely makes you stand out above other candidates. Its a smart idea to have a multi-purpose box of thank you notes on hand for both personal and professional situations.
I know that ideally a thank you note is written soon after a gift or hospitality is received, but I could never find any any that were my style. Now that Ive found chic TY notes on your site, Id really like to send out some out for birthday gifts received last September and for some helpful career information someone gave me last October. Is it too late?
Youre right the sooner the better is a good motto to follow with thank you notes. However, it is never too late to express your gratitude. In fact, you can use the time that has passed to tell your note recipients how much youve been enjoying wearing the beautiful earrings, or carrying the elegant key ring they gave you, or how the career information resulted in a successful project or perhaps a promotion. As long as you are sincere, people will truly appreciate receiving your expression of gratitude. You will be perceived as classy and thoughtful and you will be.
My children (5 and 8) are lavished with presents from our extended families both at Christmas and on their birthdays. This is on top of the gifts they receive from their same age friends, and Im concerned they will become grabby and materialistic. Id really like them to get into the habit of writing thank you notes, but Id like it to be something fun and not perceived as a chore. Any suggestions?
What a great Mum you are! Yes, Mara Mi has come up with ingenious fill-in-the-blank thank you notes for kids which instil the importance of gratitude in a fun way. The holiday thank you notes are in the form of polar bears, and year round thank you notes feature soccer playing dinosaurs, sweet little girls, ice cream cones, mermaids, rocket ships and more. The child simply fills in the recipients name, the gift, and his or her own name. All come with brightly coloured envelopes and will be much appreciated by the gift-givers.
We applaud your recognition of how important this issue is. Your children will thank you down the line.
Party Invitations
How far in advance should my partner and I send out invitations to a cocktail party? Should we say RSVP or Regrets Only?
Two weeks is usually enough notice for people to secure the date, find a babysitter, etc. except during an especially busy time or if people will be travelling to attend your party, then three weeks would be better.
We prefer RSVP from the French for respondez sil vous plait (please respond) over people only calling or e-mailing to tell you theyre not attending. Why stress the negative? Plus, their positive response gives the two of you a chance to communicate about the party. They can enquire about dress code if it hasnt been stated on the invitation, and they will probably ask if they can bring anything. You can share with them who else is attending and let them know you will be be outside on your lawn so not to wear stilettos.
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