ADVICE FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE

Andrea and Brian are getting married on the "green grass beside the barn" on Scully Ranch in Napa Valley California this June. But when their guest RSVP to attend they will have a little homework to do first. Enclosed in the invitation is a card that says "Advice for a Happy Marriage." This couple is asking family and friends in weigh in with there secrets to success in relationship and marriage.

I was touched by their idea of seeking comments from the intimate community that will witness their wedding. It made me think of times gone by when the community helped to nurture newly weds. It was Andrea's idea to do the advice card and fortunately she found an online stationer who was willing to work with what she wanted. So be courageous, outrageous, whimical or traditional with your invitations.

Andrea and Brian worked with MackenzieKate, an online stationer located in Rhode Island. The company is run by a real person named Mackenzie Sala, who is willing to customaize invitations for the bride-and-groom-to-be whenever possible.
Andrea dn Brian chose the invitation package called "Paris".

For more information check out their website: http://www.kenziekate.com/
Or you can email: info@kenziekate.com

Mackenzie Sala says she's always just a phone call away: 718.928.3946.

Do you have any advice for a happy marriage! Send me your advice and comments!

SPRING SEASON WEDDING WISDOM: "GET YOUR LIST DONE"

Spring has sprung and the busy season is just not for the bees. Calligraphers are getting calls for June weddings! Despite the recommended six to eight week recommendation for invitations to be sent out before the wedding, many couples move slowly in getting their list together and this causes undue stress and delay.

Since the list is the major issue for most couples it's time to get ready now so you're not stuck at the last minute trying to make moms, dads and relatives get their acts together.

My advice to is start with your list first, then you can set the standard for how you want the information given. For example, if its a formal wedding set your list up with the appropriate title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc.) Although your Calligrapher will know to spell out abbreviations in addresses , it is better to write out the full words, especially if you are sending invitations to friends and families in foreign countries.

Decide if you want to use the ampersand (&) or you want the Calligrapher to write out "and" instead. Although the formal way is to write out the "and" sometimes there is not enough room. If the envelopes are small for save-the-dates or invitations it saves room to use the ampersand. The invitations will look more beautiful because the letters won't be crowded. And if you have a lot of guests with long names -- like from the cultures of Turkey, India, Greece -- it saves room to use the ampersand.

Don't wait until the last minute to get started. Set a schedule and start off by committing to doing at least five addresses every day. Make it fun! Sit down with a glass of wine or cup of hot tea, turn on some nice music or your favorite TV show or movie and create a joyful atmosphere for the task. I highly recommend that couples do this together to save time and also to have an idea if there are any issues.

If you do decide to use Excel remember that your Calligrapher needs to see the names and addresses as they will appear on the envelope so they can judge the spacing. For example:

Francesca Simon
244 Fifth Avenue
Apartment Number 200
New York, New York
10001

This allows the Calligrapher to better judge the spacing needed. Simply convert the Excel list into a label format in Word. More men are taking the responsibility for making the list and they love Excel

So get busy now and avoid stressing yourself out.