Please write a little note so we will know you were here, we will save these messages for years and years, as your thoughts are always very dear!

Hope this helps!
Thank you for contacting Creative Parties.
Happy Birthday, Tracy

Congratulations!

Thank you for contacting Creative Parties, Tracy

We recommend that when you send the invitations for the wedding you include as insert, sort of like a reception card that also invites people to the local reception. I think you will be surprised that many people may want to go to the destination wedding. It is a vacation for many people that you have done the planning for them and they will be able to spend time with family and friends. Many people will come to both events.

Think through what you want the evening to be, and that will determine the appropriate start time.

Thank you for contacting Creative Parties, Tracy

We recommend that when you send the invitations for the wedding you include as insert, sort of like a reception card that also invites people to the local reception. I think you will be surprised that many people may want to go to the destination wedding. It is a vacation for many people that you have done the planning for them and they will be able to spend time with family and friends. Many people will come to both events.

It you give people all of the options upfront, they can choose or they can have a conversation with you.

Hope this is helpful.

Thank you for contacting Creative Parties, Tracy

Thank you for contacting Creative Parties, enjoy, Tracy

What you should do is state at the bottom of the invitation, along with the request for a reply:
Estimated cost per person will be: $20

If you can work out something with the restaurant, it would be good to create a limited menu for your group. This would allow you to get an actual cost that would include tax and gratuity, rather then an estimate.

Also, you can add a comment with the reply: Party for the kids. Please plan for pick up at 4pm.

Congratulations, Tracy

We suggest that you word the invitation some thing like the following: Make special note that I have stated a start and end time. For most adult parties, unless it is an open house, we only give a starting time. Only giving people a starting time tells that you want them to come on time and to plan to stay for the evening. If you give a starting and an ending time, it is clear to come on time and they are told when the party ends. With children, this is expected. Stating "pick up" is an indication that the children should be left and that is when they should return for pick up. You could also say "Drop off" at ... Check it out:

(first line - the invite). Please join in the fun
(next line - tell them what it's about) as we celebrate John's 7th birthday
(next line - what will be happening) games and ice cream and cake
(next three lines - date,time and place - the time line is one place you can clarify kids only)
Saturday, november 6th
Starting at 2pm - pick up at 4pm
The xyz studio, 123 main street
(next line - signature). Your name
(final line - smaller font) please respond 301-654-9292

Also, you can add a comment with the reply: Party for the kids. Please plan for pick up at 4pm.

Hope the helps, thanks for contacting Creative Parties, Tracy

But, here are my thoughts on two lines to consider.

Though we appreciate all you may have to give,
Remember it is a tiny place in which we live!
We have lots of books and things for play,
Teddy bears and dolls just get in the way.

Good luck,
Tracy.

Happy Birthday to your husband. Thank you for contacting Creative Parties.

Tracy.

If you clearly state that it is a birthday celebration, people should bring gifts. Many will call and ask you what he wants, allowing you to direct them to his favorite stores. But, most respectfully on your part, you should say nothing unless asked.

Happy Birthday to your husband.

Tracy.

With that in mind, we recommend you have some fun! We suggest a cute poem or phrase to get the message across, everyone seems more comfortable with directions if they are in rhyme!

For instance:
We appreciate all there is to give, but we have most of what we need to live.

A gift card or check would be supreme, as we can begin to plan for our big dream.

Just a thought, Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

As you move toward making your decision you should find out who is actually coming and who not.

The simplistic answer is you should consider sending the invitation with a generic host, for instance - The family of Carol and Bruce Jones (your parents.), your name would be given as reply name, and your Uncles name should be given in the lines with the location, at the home of John Smith. This way you are the contact and people will know for sure you are involved. Or the invitation could start with the Family of Carol and Bruce Jones invite you to their 50 Wedding Anniversary Celebration.

Hope that helps.

If you want to get the message across that the party activities and food will only be for the kids, you should tell them generally what you are doing and what you are serving. It should be a clear message that the food is for the kids only. I have created a sample below, you would have to change it based on your type of event and what you are serving.

Please join us for great fun with games and more just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with cake galore as we celebrate Sally's turning four!

This would be followed by: (Do not actually write the words, Date, time and place.)

(Date) Saturday, September 10
(Time) 11 am until 2 pm
(Place) Our home
8011 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda

Hope that helps.

Don't loose sight of the beauty of your getting married!

Another thing we find common is to ask for gift cards to the stores where you like to shop. It is great if you can just have your bridal party spread the word. For showers and other events when people plan to give gifts, make sure the hosts know your choices of stores and to request gift cards. You can then consolidate them to get the true items you want.

The funny thing about registering for gifts and spreading the word is that it is considered rude to tell people where they should shop and what they should buy. But, once they have the information, people are mostly happy to know they are getting something the bride and groom will be happy with. So, just know it is only managing the process that is tricky, not the gift giving itself.

Married couples (with different last names): Connect the names with an "and." You can choose to use titles or not use titles depending on how formal your reception is. Example: Mr. Samuel Johnson and Ms. Mary Hanson or Samuel Johnson and Mary Hanson. Note, though Ms. is not a proper form of etiquette, if you write Mrs. Mary Hanson it is an indication that she is divorced. And, to keep things complicated, she wouldn't be Mrs. Mary Hanson, she would be Mrs. Mary Johnson.

Non-married couples: Eliminate the "and." Example: Mr. Samuel Johnson (on the next line) Ms. Mary Hanson. Again, choose to use titles or not.

• Save the ribbons for your "bouquet at the rehearsal." There is an alternative to this old tradition, there is a sweet lace umbrella, about 10 inches in diameter with decorative ribbons, each of your guests can sign a ribbon. It makes a much more elegant "bouquet" than with the ribbons from the presents!
  
  
• Use "Cake Pulls" Each of your guests can pull a small charm from a cake. Each represents a good wish, wealth, children, security, travel, next to get married, and more.
  
  
• Open Presents!

You may include a gift at any time, however, make sure to note where the reply is being sent - often the reply goes to the parents so it is preferred if the greeting/gift is separate and sent directly to the bride and groom. If you do not know the address for the bride and groom, put an envelope (money gift) in with the reply with a request to forward that along to the bride and groom. If sending a physical gift, you may also request the parent forwards this along.

If you say The Smith Family, or Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Family you are opening the invitation to all members of the family (children or others who are living in the household)

We realize many people will bring children and/or guests no matter what is addressed on the envelope.

In response to this situation, some of our clients have chosen the following options:

• Add a foot note or an extra small card that states, "Invitees only please"
  
  
• Invite the guests for "cocktails" or a specified activity that it is not something kids would participate in.
  
  
• Include an extra card that says something like, "We hope to include your whole family in another event, this is for the adults only." You may also exchange adults for invitees.
  
  

Again, "proper" etiquette is addressing the invitation to whom it is you wish to attend your event and recipients of the invitation responding accordingly.

I wish I could find a clever way to tell you this, but it is inappropriate to put registry information on a wedding invitation, or in the wedding invitation envelope. Although this has been done, we would recommend the following other options.

• Letters and Invitations: If you are sending any of the following correspondence a mention of a registry is appropriate.
  
  
• Save the Date - in advance of the invitation for your guests to reserve the weekend of your wedding.
  
  
• Friends and Family - with details about travel to the wedding and other related wedding events, or outings.
  
  
• Shower or other invitations.
  
  
• Personal web sites. These are now very popular and your guests will appreciate being able to access this information.

You can also use these communications to tell people you just bought a home and a little bit about your plans. People love to feel included and to know your plans. Sharing the information will assure that people feel involved and will have a sense of where their money would be going. They will then be more likely to give gift certificates to Home Depot or where ever you request.

Remember when you write your thank you notes, especially to those that give a gift certificate, tell them what you used their money for. Even if you combined multiple gift cards to buy one new kitchen sink, they only need to know what their money paid for. People feel good about thinking there is an item in your home they bought or contributed to. It also can make thank you notes easy, you can send the same message to almost everyone that gave you a gift certificate, in reference to what you bought. Well, be careful with family, they may compare notes...

We wouldn't usually recommend sending a printed invitation to an event where you expect people to pay their own bill. This should be a verbal invitation with a discussion about anticipated costs. Due to the nature of such a special occasion you want to announce the graduation and invite people to share your day with you.

We recommend that you keep the invitation special, important and simple without including a lot of additional items such as direction cards, menu cards and other extraneous information. So, we would recommend you include the menu and simply put in the bottom right corner of the invitation, See enclosed menu for your anticipated costs. And on the left, the reply.

Additionally, please call the restaurant ahead with a reservation and prepare them with your plans for everyone to pay their own bill.

If there is information on the graduation ceremony that is relevant to attendees be sure to include that.

If your wedding is on a holiday weekend, you should send it out at least 6 months in advance, we would encourage earlier.

The following details must be included: names, the date and the city.

Additional details may include some or all of the following: All of the weekend activities, rehearsal dinner, bridesmaids/ladies lunch, golf matches, luncheons, sunday brunch.

The more you have going on and the more you share that information the more likely people are to come. Some of these items are: Area hotels, Airport info, Transportation (if they will need a car or if you are handling it). If you are arranging any transportation you want to let them when, where from, where to.

You can include registry information in this document as well.

Finally, you want to give contact information. Be sure to include phone, email, and physical address.

If you will bear with my wording here... Typically following the ceremony is a one hour "reception." This is when the bride and bridal party take pictures if the bride is not seeing the groom before the wedding, or when there is a reception line for congratulations. Drinks and appetizers are served then and there is often a trio or small group playing background music. Many times the band will have a few of their members play the extra hour for a small additional fee. Following the reception is the "party" or sit down dinner, whether served or buffet style. Taking your group into the second space gives the wait staff time to set up the tables and space to move the ceremony chairs around the tables. Guests are usually understanding of being told where to go. Hopefully, you have friends or help that will take that responsibility ahead of time so they are ready and can quickly get to work making the turnover happen.

Following the "M" you should write the full name representing you and your husband, or who ever you may be taking. So "M" r. and Mrs. George C. Scott, Jr. You should include the full name or the name as you and your husband like to have your name written. If you are taking a guest it would be: "M"s. Sally Smith, Mr. Jonathan C. Doe. You only use an and between the names if you are married.

If that is not an option, then communicate your change in plans as soon as possible. They may be able to still cancel the costs related to your attending (i.e. dinners, favors etc.)

Good luck with your decision.