Invitations, Cards & Stationery
Archived Q&A and Reviews
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Where to get wedding invitations printed
Feb 2007We are looking for wedding invitations that reflect a contemporary, simple but elegant style. We are also looking for something affordable. We're looking for stores in the East Bay or websites that people have had success with. anon
For wedding invitations - as well as stationary, cards, announcements etc - try Susan Gildea Personalized Printing, on Ashby Avenue between Claremont and Domingo. 510-883-0890 Personalized service and a wide variety of options.
Laurie
We got very nice, reasonably priced invitations for my son's bar mitzvah from Debra Fleming at Fleming's Letter Shop: debra_fleming[at]sbcglobal.net. She works with lots of vendors so I would imagine would have a good range of wedding invitations also. asymetry
We were really happy with our invitations from Propser Press, a small, hand-crafted letter press shop in Berkeley. (http://www.prosperpress.com/, 510-548-7289). We really wanted the handmade look and texture of letter press, so we were willing to pay for the added labor, but among letter presses, Prosper was reasonably priced. (Affordable can means lots of different things to different people!) We found them easy to work with, and the finished product received many compliments. We even have one invitation framed to hang on our walls!
Happily Reliving Wedding Planning Memories
I recently searched just about everywhere for invitations -- from high-end services to do it yourself paper sources. By far, the best look and the best cost was Anto Offset Printing (ask for Anto) in Oakland/Emeryville at 843-8454. Previously, he also printed my custom business cards and letterhead. The work was always of excellent quality, on time, great price, and to top it all off, he is old-world friendly. I will be going back to him for our baby announcements. anon
There is a GREAT designer in San Francisco, Heather Landers, who creates one-of-a-kind, BEAUTIFUL wedding invitations and can do other print materials for your wedding. Her studio website is http://www.studiopicotee.com/celebrations
Katie
On-line invitation printing
May 2005Looking for a recommendation/experience with on-line invitation printing. Bob
I've ordered invitations online twice from http://www.finestationery.com/ They have a huge selection of different brands, and it's easy to customize and lay it out exactly as you want. They shipped when they said they would (it was about a week later) and they had great customer support. I've also ordered blank invitations for printing at home. G
Thank you's for sympathy cards
Sept 2004I have been unable to find cards that I can send to folks who have sent me sympathy cards for a recent death in the family. I want to send cards to thank them for their cards I am in Walnut Creek and am not sure where to look there. I have checked near my office in SF at Papyrus, Patrick's Stationery, and Cardology at the SF Galleria with no luck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. lori
Why not just get small, simple blank note cards and save yourself so much running around time? -always looking for the easy way mom.
When my father died, we sent out little handwritten notes to everybody who sent cards, who called, and/or sent flowers. We did this under the guidance of my stepmother's big family who really knew their way around 'death in the family etiquette'.
They were brief notes, and really wasn't a lot of work and it felt like part of the healing process- the chance to do all those little things in respect for the ''departed''.
I have received store bought cards, and I have received handwritten notes, and the latter meant a lot more to me (as a personal communication always does).
Another thing that I learned from this family at that time was to have someone one step removed from the diseased answer the phone and keep a log of everybody who calls to express sympathy so that they can be acknowledged later. When you have just lost your husband/wife, father/mother, child. sister/brother you are in no shape to take many phone calls and you may be too dazed to even remember who called. The phone answerers assured the callers that their messages would be passed on to us, we returned calls from people who we really wanted to speak to personally, and we sent notes to the others later. I was very impressed with their organization, and have found it very useful since to have a system to just put into place after a close death in the family. anon
Technically (though you did not ask), it is not appropriate to send a card with the words ''thank you'' preprinted on it. Such cards, like preprinted sympathy cards, are certainly available, but they are considered in poor taste to send. Of course, these days, I suppose to get a card at all instead of an email is a coup. On the other hand, there are preprinted cards for everything, but that by itself doesn't make them appropriate to send (''happy divorce?''). Not all pre-printed cards fall into this category (but thank you and sympathy cards do).
Also, technically, you do not need to send a ''thank you'' card when you receive sympathy gifts and cards, though it is always nice to do so and not considered in bad taste. The theory is that people know that you are grieving and do not expect a response during this difficult time (or after). Also, because the ''gift' does not necessarily commemorate a joyous event, it is not necessary to thank someone. I suggest -- as do most etiquette books -- that you simply write a heartfelt note on a piece of blank stationary (the theory being that if you don't have the time to write a heartfelt thank you, then you probably don't mean it anyway). -- Tsan
Stationary/Printing retail store
Aug 2004Hi, I'm due in mid-October, new to the area and am seeking a one stop high end stationary shop in Berkeley or Oakland that also offers printing of announcements [baby announcements specifically] in store or via the shop. If anyone has any recommendations or advice, I'd be greatly appreciative. Patricia plm
Papyrus has nice announcements, everything from ultra- traditional Crane designs to more informal cards you can choose and have printed up. One stop shopping. But not inexpensive! Christina