Posts by JosephHanibar2312:
Graduation Invitations: Modern Vs. Traditional
March 31st, 2009Today, the amount of graduation invitation choices can be staggering, especially if you aren’t sure whether you want to choose a traditional or modern invitation style. Learn about the message each style may send to your recipients to choose the one that suits your style best.
Modern Graduation Invitations
Modern graduation invitations give you more options in terms of color and format. They can be casual or formal, but don’t have to reflect your school colors. If you have chosen a theme for your graduation party, then you might extend this theme to your modern graduation invitations to achieve a cohesive look and inform guests of your theme.
For example, your school colors might be navy blue and orange, but you have decided to throw a luau-style graduation party. Thus, you can choose bright turquoise invitations with a hibiscus flower border and a lei around your party information.
Another way modern graduation invitations differ is in your choice of format. You could choose a single pane invitation with the wording on the front, but you could also choose a bi-fold, tri-fold, z-fold, or even a photo invitation to create some excitement. Photo invitations have really climbed the popularity ladder in recent years, especially since you have the freedom to choose which graduation or non-graduation picture you want to include. It also makes it less expensive to give relatives and friends a recent photo versus ordering extra photos from a professional photographer.
Traditional Graduation Invitations
Traditional graduation invitations adhere to stricter guidelines and are usually formal in appearance. They are typically printed on heavy white or ivory paper and can feature a border, swirled design, or other formal flourish, like a monogram, printed or embossed in the school’s colors.
For example, if your school colors are navy blue and orange, your graduation invitation might feature a navy blue and orange entwined border with a centered swirl at the top of the page. Your invitation information would appear inside the border, usually written in a black script or block font.
Choosing the Right Graduation Invitation
There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing graduation invitations. Your choice will depend largely on your taste and the style of your graduation. Some people naturally gravitate towards tradition and want to choose a style that speaks to the importance of graduation as an achievement.
Others, while still recognizing the importance of graduation, want more freedom to choose a graduation invitation that reflects their personality. Choosing a modern graduation invitation doesn’t mean you are throwing tradition out the window or even that you must choose a casual style; it simply means that several elements won’t be in line with traditional invitations. For example, you could choose a tri-fold style in a shimmery silver paper with a burgundy ink color to reference your school’s colors. The design is modern, but the idea of using your school’s color is traditional and the overall feel is still formal.
Whether you choose modern or traditional, or even combine the two into a formal yet fun graduation invitation, your special day is sure to be remembered no matter what style you send.
Your graduation invitations should reflect your accomplishment and personality. For ideas on how to send the perfect graduation announcements and host a great party visit MyExpression.
Baby Shower Invitation 101
March 31st, 2009If you are planning to host a baby shower, there are many elements to consider, such as budget, theme, location, and date. Most importantly, the celebration starts with a baby shower invitation. With a few easy tips, you can choose the perfect invitation for ringing in the special event.
Why Baby Shower Invitations are Important
Baby shower invitations set the tone and theme for the party, as well as the degree of formality, based on the stationery’s design and presentation. For example, if you’re hosting a more formal tea at a nice restaurant but send very casual baby shower invitations, some guests will attend in blue jeans when everyone else is dressed in their Sunday best.
What to Include on the Invitation
It is essential to include all of the details on the baby shower invitation to ensure there is no confusion about the date, time or location. You should clearly state the fact that the celebration is a baby shower for [insert name of mother-to-be]. If you omit the honoree’s name and most of the guests don’t know you, you are likely to have very poor attendance.
If you’re planning a couple’s shower, then the husband’s name should also be included in the title of the baby shower invitation. You should also clearly indicate that men are invited as well.
Then list the date, time, and location with address, plus your name (or all the hosts if there are more than one) and contact information with a RSVP deadline.
Baby shower invitations need to be mailed four to six weeks before the shower to ensure that recipients have ample time to put the event on a calendar. When choosing a RSVP deadline, select a date two weeks prior to the party, which ensures you have enough time to contact the guests who fail to respond.
Baby Shower Invitation Options
There is a baby shower invitation to suit every budget. If you are working with a limited budget, you might consider fill-in invitations or printable baby shower invitations. These options can still incorporate just about any theme and will still look fantastic without costing you a lot of money. If you order fill-in invitations, consider asking a friend with excellent handwriting to fill them in and always buy extra because you will most likely make errors.
If your budget has more room, you could choose custom baby shower invitations. These give you room to choose your paper, ink color and font, message, and design. Not all custom invitations are expensive, although they will cost more than a printable one, for example. If you can order custom baby shower invitations, you might consider a shape like a baby bottle if the shower will be casual. For a ritzier celebration, consider a tri-fold, z-fold, or pocket-style format.
Finally, you could choose a photo baby shower invitation, which tends to fall in the middle of budget ranges. If you have a nice photo of the honoree, you might want to create the invitation around her glowing face, especially if you’re planning a surprise baby shower. Whatever type of invitation you choose, it will be a keepsake for the mother-to-be!
Whether you are planning a casual or formal celebration, be inspired by the creative array of baby shower invitations that are available online. Consider matching the birth announcements to the invitations to create a unique theme surrounding your special baby.
Choosing Kids Birthday Invitations For A Boy’s Birthday
March 28th, 2009Young boys have active imaginations, abundant energy, and a love for games. Once combined, these ingredients create an active and memorable boy’s birthday party. Start the party off the right way by sending kid birthday invitations that are just as fun and energetic as your son.
Choosing the Right Kids Birthday Invitations for a Boy’s Birthday
Even though your guests will be children, it is still important to send kids birthday invitations that denote the type of party you’re hosting. Young boys especially like to be active, and if the invitation portrays a theme designed for a boy’s birthday, you are likely to have a full house on party day.
When planning a boy’s birthday party, choose a theme that gets your son excited. Does he love trains, planes, or fire trucks? Does he constantly run around the house dressed like a superhero?
Choose one of his favorite activities as inspiration for his birthday party theme and send matching boys birthday invitations. With so many creative kids birthday invitations for a boy’s birthday, ranging from “wiggling” fire trucks to dynamic superhero cutouts, chances are that his friends will enjoy his interests too.
Boys Birthday Invitations for a Planes, Trains and Automobiles Theme
If your son has countless toy airplanes and cars, perhaps a train set or two, then you might choose to incorporate these into a planes, trains and automobiles theme. You could choose kids birthday invitations featuring a sky background with planes flying across above an open train carrying different types of cars on the ground below. Of course, if your son is mostly interested in one vehicle, you could simply choose a boy’s birthday invitations featuring fast cars, a conductor on his train, or airplanes zooming through the clouds.
Kids Birthday Invitations for a Superhero Theme
Whether his favorite superhero flies, leaps tall buildings or drives a fast car, he probably wears a stylish costume and saves the world. Instead of focusing on one superhero, you could invite his friends to dress like their favorite superheroes for the party. Then, you might send boys birthday invitations with a red background and the words “Superhero Birthday Party” written in black across the top. In the background, there could be various crime fighters, such as Superman, Spiderman, and Batman to inspire recipients.
Kids Birthday Invitations for a Boy Who Loves Science
If you have a local science museum, consider hosting the birthday party there. Usually, museums have hands-on exhibits and birthday party options to give kids an educational yet fun experience. You could send kids birthday invitations with a picture of the museum on the front to get everyone excited about attending.
Another option is to host a forensics birthday party and order a crime-solving kit or hire a party planner that offers this type of birthday party. A crime will be committed, and the boys must figure out “whodunit” by participating in a series of science projects, such as fingerprinting. You could send kids birthday invitations featuring a large magnifying glass, with the words birthday party in the center.
Remember to choose kids birthday invitations for a boy’s birthday that complement your chosen theme. This will ensure there is no confusion when guests receive the birthday party invitation. You might even frame his themed birthday invitation as a keepsake, or place it into your scrapbook. As long as your theme is as unique as your son, his birthday party will be a success.
If you are planning the ultimate boy?s birthday party, be inspired by the vast array of available kids birthday invitations and choose unique boy?s birthday invitations that reflect your son?s fun side.
Choosing Silver For Your 25th Birthday Party Invitations
March 28th, 2009Your 25th birthday should be celebrated in style, denoting a quarter century milestone. Steal a page from the 25th anniversary playbook and make silver your signature birthday color.
Why Choose Silver Birthday Party Invitations?
Silver is a versatile metal that is used on casual jewelry, as well as formal silverware, serving ware and picture frames. For these reasons, it is also a versatile color that can signify a formal or casual gathering, making it a perfect choice for 25th birthday party invitations.
Your 25th birthday is the quarter-century anniversary of your birth, and stretching the silver anniversary theme to include your birthday puts a fun twist on the theme.
Selecting 25th Birthday Party Invitations
If you decide to have a silver celebration, it’s essential that you prominently display this on the 25th birthday party invitation. This will allow guests to dress appropriately, as well as perhaps silver-themed presents for your celebration.
Silver birthday party invitations do exist apart from anniversary invitations, ensuring that your choices will not be limited. You could choose to print your 25th birthday party invitations on silver paper with black lettering, mailed in a black envelope with silver foil lining, especially for a more formal gathering like a cocktail party. A casual silver birthday party invitation could have a colored background, such as light turquoise or dark green, combined with silver lettering and accents like a silver striped border.
Planning a Silvery 25th Birthday Bash
If you want to host a large party, you might consider an outdoor party or renting a venue to hold a large group. If you choose to host your party outdoors, this doesn’t mean the party must be casual, depending on time of day and the setting you create. You could set up a sheer silver tent, either renting one or draping silver fabric over poles secured in the ground. Then set up tables beneath with silver tablecloths and silver candelabras holding ivory tapers. The party time should be in the evening, creating an elegant ambiance and the perfect setting for a delicious dinner beneath the stars.
If you decide to rent a venue, lay silver tablecloths, whether you’ll have a sit-down meal, buffet, or drinks and dessert only, and use silver urns to house flower arrangements. If you’ll have the party catered, request silver-rimmed plates to match your theme. To set the tone before the party, you could send a tri-fold 25th birthday party invitation with a glittering champagne glass on the front and words “25th birthday party” embossed across the front.
If you want to host a fun party with silver accents and your birthday takes place during a warm month, consider a pool party. You could sport a silver bathing suit, and if you’ll play water games, could buy a silver volleyball to tie in with your theme. Your 25th birthday party invitations could be aqua or light blue and have pool party printed in bold silver lettering.
Don’t think you have to wait for your 25th anniversary to host a silver-inspired party! Go ahead and apply it to your 25th birthday and send silver birthday party invitations to announce a stylish party guaranteed to shine.
Whether you are celebrating your 25th birthday or your 75th, sending out chic silver birthday party invitations is always in style. Be inspired by this regal color when you are picking out the perfect birthday invitations.
Choosing Birthday Invitations For A Little Girl’s Birthday
March 28th, 2009Through the cheerful design, kids birthday invitations should clearly set the tone for the party, whether it is dressy or casual, themed or not themed. Girls birthday invitations are no different, and with the right tone and theme, these invites help create a cohesive and memorable birthday.
Choosing the Right Girls Birthday Invitations
Girls birthday invitations will set the tone for the party and should match the theme you choose. For example, if the celebration will be held as a backyard pool party, then the kids birthday invitations should not depict a frilly, flowery theme. Guests might interpret a dressier occasion and not come prepared with swimming trunks and flip flops.
When selecting a theme for your daughter’s birthday party, choose one that highlights her hobbies. Does she love to play dress-up or constantly imagine she is a fairy princess? Perhaps she loves to draw or swim or play with dolls. Whatever her passions, you should base her birthday party theme and kids birthday invitations on one of her interests.
Kids Birthday Invitations for an Arts and Crafts Theme
If your daughter loves to draw and make crafts, you might consider having an arts and crafts themed birthday party. This theme gives the party structure and keeps kids busy and entertained. You could send kids’ birthday invitations picturing scissors and glue on a colorful background to signal a hands-on crafts party. At the party, you could have the girls decorate t-shirts or small tote bags to take home. Or, you might host the party at a local paint-your-own-pottery store and send girls birthday invitations featuring an array of colorful paint supplies spread out across a bright pink background.
Girls Birthday Invitations for a Princess Theme
What little girl doesn’t dream of being a princess? Whether she is fascinated by a particular princess, such as Cinderella, or just loves princesses in general, you might send girls birthday invitations in light pink with a sparkling tiara on the front. Then, you might ask everyone to wear their best princess outfit to the party and welcome the girls with a tiara to wear.
Girls Birthday Invitations for a Tea Party Theme
If your daughter loves to play dress-up, why not host a tea party for the “ladies” by having an array of feather boas, hats, party gloves, and beaded necklaces for the girls to adorn themselves before tea? You could send girls birthday invitations featuring delicate tea cups on lace doilies or choose a more colorful kids birthday invitation with a bright pink background and a border of tea cups in various patterns. To vary the theme, you could invite guests to bring a doll or teddy bear, setting up small chairs to accommodate the extra guests.
Creating a theme that connects with your daughter’s interests will separate her birthday party from a generic one with just cake and ice cream. With a fun and personalized party, her celebrations are truly meaningful because they are now centered on a theme she loves. Selecting girls birthday invitations that complements the theme not only sets the tone, but can double as a special keepsake so she never forgets her party.
If you are planning a memorable girl?s birthday party, be inspired by the vast array of available kids invitations and choose unique birthday invitations that reflect your daughter?s passions and interests.
Birthday Invitations For The Ultimate Birthday Party
March 27th, 2009Birthdays are an important celebration, allowing friends and family to come together and share memories and love. Why not celebrate in style this year with the ultimate birthday bash that your friends and family will not soon forget?
Choosing Birthday Invitations
Your festivities must start with exciting birthday invitations that will have guests enthusiastic for your party. If you are planning a fun theme, then extend it to your birthday invitations to prepare guests. You might plan a Mexican fiesta theme with your birthday invitations featuring margarita glasses against a bright green background.
You could also use color as your theme, whether you choose your favorite color to inspire your birthday party or choose a color that fits in with your birth date. For instance, if your birthday is in March, you might consider hosting a green St. Patrick’s Day birthday party and select green birthday invitations with leprechauns or four-leaf clovers.
Planning the Ultimate Intimate Birthday
If your idea is a quiet, intimate birthday party, you can still plan a fun theme or activity to make your birthday stand out. You could plan an ice-skating party and have your friends meet you at your local ice rink. Afterwards, you can all eat dinner at your favorite restaurant after you’ve worked up an appetite doing pirouettes on the ice.
You could also have an all girls or guys night out birthday party and be as crazy or tame as you want. You might invite your friends to a pub crawl if you live in an urban area, a relaxing day at the spa for the girls, or a rousing game of paintball for the guys. Your birthday invitations should reflect the nature of your party, such as featuring a picture of girls wrapped in towels getting pampered for a spa party, or a birthday invitation that looks splattered with paint drops for a paintball party.
Tips for Hosting a Large Birthday Party
If you want to go all out and have a huge birthday party bash, kudos to you! However, keep in mind that extra planning comes with inviting extra people. For parties of 100, 200, or even 300 potential guests, you will probably need to rent a venue for your party. If your birthday will take place during warm weather, or you live in a warmer climate, consider having your party outdoors. This can cut down on cost if you choose a local park or even your own backyard.
You could easily host a potluck so that you don’t have to worry about feeding hundreds of your closest friends. A theme works well for large gatherings, and you can choose one that has meaning to you. You might have a spy theme, for example, if you are a big James Bond fan. On your birthday party invitation, ask guests to dress as their favorite Bond character. Or you can ask that everyone comes “undercover,” similar to a costume party.
Your birthday party will be a success if you plan accordingly, choose a theme you love, and send birthday invitations that get guests as excited as you are for your approaching birthday.
Whether you are planning the ultimate birthday party for 50 or 500 guests, be inspired by the vast array of available birthday stationery and choose unique birthday invitations that reflect your dynamic personality and special day.
Fill-in-the-Blank Versus Printable Birthday Invitations
March 24th, 2009Every special occasion deserves great stationery, and your birthday party is no exception! From the fold of the card to its color, the right kind of birthday party invitations can make or break your party.
When announcing the big day, a person has to ask themselves, “Should I print the birthday invitations or should I opt to write out all the information by hand?” The answer will vary depending upon your personal style, party size, and available printer specs. Indeed, there are some distinct differences between fill-in-the-blank and printable stationery.
Opting for Printable Birthday Invitations
Printable birthday invitations are a popular option, especially for those who want a professional look, but do not want to pay the high costs of a professional printer. With the wide array of appealing styles and themes, even the most fashion-forward party planner can find the perfect printable birthday invitations.
Because they can be printed from home, printable birthday invitations typically include easy-to-follow directions. Limitless in the number of birthday announcements that can be printed, people who have large guests list often enjoy sending this type of invitation.
Precautions to Take with Printable Birthday Invitations
With this in mind, there are several precautions you should take with printable invitations. To accommodate for potential printing mistakes and jams, it is recommended that you purchase 10% or 20% more extra invitations than your guest list needs. This will ensure that you will have sufficient birthday invitations, even if you make a mistake with the wording.
In addition, you can take action to prevent printer jams when creating your birthday invitations. Printer jams cost both time and money, but feeding a few sheets of paper at a time will help avoid a catastrophe from happening.
Noting whether you have the right type of printer to do the job is also essential before starting the task. For example, if you have an ink-jet printer, make sure that the printable invitation is compatible and not only designed for laser printers. You should also pay attention to the size of the invitation because printing programs are usually only set to print on standard sized paper measuring 8.5’ x 11’.
The Convenience of Fill-In-The-Blank Birthday Invitations
Fill-in-the-blank cards are convenient, and they are ideal for parties that have small guest lists. Without worrying about printer jams and formatting, you can simply write out the details for your birthday bash. In addition, in today’s modern digital world, your handwriting can be a nice personal touch. However, for larger parties with guest lists greater than 10, it may be more time-efficient to simply use printable birthday invitations.
Comparing the Text between Fill-In and Printable Birthday Invitations
Because there is a limited amount of space on the front of a fill-in-the-blank card, party details should be short and to the point. You may also need to browse through a variety of options before finding the fill-in-the-blank birthday invitation that has the right tone and style for your party. However, from formal and elegant wording to casual and witty templates, there are a wide variety of fill-in birthday invitations.
On the other hand, printable stationery may allow for more information to be added to the invitation. Printable invitations look professional and eliminate confusion where messy handwriting is concerned. If your penmanship resembles that of a doctor’s, consider spending extra time printing your birthday invitations so that your guests will be able to read the invitation without any hassle. Or, if your heart is set on fill-in birthday invitations, enlist the help of a friend with the writing process.
Although both types of stationery have their advantages, only you can choose the right kind of birthday invitation for your big celebration. Whether you write in the information yourself or print it from home, remember this—no one throws a party like you do!
Excite your guests with unique birthday invitations from MyExpression.com, where you can find a wealth of resources ranging from how to choose birthday stationery to planning the perfect party.