Wedding Blog: BD**2 - 82

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gsabc · #1 Post by **gsabc** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:29 am

Okay, so the shower invitations are filled out and ready to send. The Post Office, though, has crappy forty-two-cent stamps. The forever stamp gives them the excuse to delay printing new value postage, and the local branch sent back all their 41's.

Our choices, besides the glamorous Forever stamp, are Frank Sinatra, the Purple Heart medal, and news correspondents. Anyone want a stamp with Eric Sevareid on it? How romantic. The new wedding stamp won't be out until June, probably too late for the actual invitations. Grrr.

MarleysGh0st · #2 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:36 am

Do you want our permission to forget about this one little detail of picking out the perfect, romantic little stamp for the invitatations? Or would that ruin the entire event?

Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this blog.

gsabc · #3 Post by **gsabc** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:53 am

MarleysGh0st wrote:Do you want our permission to forget about this one little detail of picking out the perfect, romantic little stamp for the invitatations? Or would that ruin the entire event?

Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this blog.

Don't care about romantic. Just want a pretty stamp. Ol' Blue Eyes and Sevareid don't do it for me. And fuggedabout using the Purple Heart, for obvious reasons.

MarleysGh0st · #4 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:01 pm

gsabc wrote: Don't care about romantic. Just want a pretty stamp. Ol' Blue Eyes and Sevareid don't do it for me. And fuggedabout using the Purple Heart, for obvious reasons.

What's the picture of Sinatra look like? He sang some romantic songs, didn't he?

Okay, let me indulge the over-the-top extravangance that is required for any proper wedding planning.

1. Design a romatic and pretty "pseudo-stamp" for the little invitation envelopes. Because that's not legal postage...

2. Insert that evelope in another envelope, to which you affix one of the boring stamps.

3. (Optional) Include a nice, engraved note, explaining that the inner envelope is how you wanted the invitation to look, so the invitees should kindly ignored the outer envelope, which was required by the terribly unromatic USPS.

silvercamaro · #5 Post by **silvercamaro** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:08 pm

You can find a web site where you may download a photo of your choosing for use on stamps you print out on your own color printer. You will pay extra for the privilege of personalized stamps, but if it's that big a deal, I suspect that the cost difference won't make a blip in a percentage point for the overall costs of this wedding.

Personally, I think "Forever" makes a rather nice statement for a wedding in this day and age.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #6 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:14 pm

Go with the Purple Heart, it's the most romantic.

Or you can do the $.41 wedding stamp, with a $.01 Tiffany lamp make up stamp. (They are available at the online post office stamp store.)

Are you sure that the invitations only need one stamp? Our invitations needed two.

MarleysGh0st · #7 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:16 pm

silvercamaro wrote: Personally, I think "Forever" makes a rather nice statement for a wedding in this day and age.

Hey, you make a nice spin doctor for my argument, SC!

Bob Juch · #8 Post by **Bob Juch** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:20 pm

Stamps.com allows you to have custom-made stamps printed. Use their portrait.

http://photo.stamps.com/Store/?source=si00001331

fantine33 · #9 Post by **fantine33** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:34 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:3. (Optional) Include a nice, engraved note, explaining that the inner envelope is how you wanted the invitation to look, so the invitees should kindly ignored the outer envelope, which was required by the terribly unromatic USPS.

For possibly the first time ever, Marley made me laugh like a loon. If not the first laugh ever, definitely the best laugh. So well done, Wedding Blog. YAY!!1

I read this as the wedding invites at first, but I see it's for the shower. Isn't the shower supposed to be given by the maid/matron of honour, a best friend or a sister? Let them worry about it. Or let them not worry about it and have confidence that they will make sure everybody knows when and where to show up bearing gifts.

MarleysGh0st · #10 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:45 pm

fantine33 wrote:For possibly the first time ever, Marley made me laugh like a loon. If not the first laugh ever, definitely the best laugh. So well done, Wedding Blog. YAY!!

First time? Maybe you and I have different styles of humor.

And you're right, gsabc is talking about shower invitations, not wedding invitations. And it shouldn't be gsabc's and GW's responsibiity, but since the shower is being held at their house, I'm not surprised the invitations have landed in their laps, too.

But now that I've completed my curmudgeonly complaining for today's blog entry, the suggestion about customized stamped put forward by silvercamaro (link provided by BobJuch) sounds like the way to go. BD and FSIL can use their new engagement photo.

gsabc · #11 Post by **gsabc** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:01 pm

To clarify:

Sis is throwing the shower. Relative's house where these things usually occur isn't available. Our house became the only possible location.

PO's are all out of 41's, or even 40's. They have nothing even remotely nice-looking for 42's yet. The stamps are needed today for the shower invitations. (Yeah, I know, plan ahead.)

42-cent wedding stamps aren't out until June 10th. Given that the issue date is exactly two months before the wedding, we'll be getting them that day and using them that night. Assuming we wait that long.

MarleysGh0st · #12 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:07 pm

gsabc wrote:To clarify:

Sis is throwing the shower. Relative's house where these things usually occur isn't available. Our house became the only possible location.

That I recall, since you've already reported on all the extra inconvenience this is causing. I'd still dispute your home being the "only location". Are there no restaurants?

But let that slide. If Sis is still the "host", it's her problem picking out the stamps. Especially if she needs them today!

gsabc · #13 Post by **gsabc** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:14 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:
gsabc wrote:To clarify:

Sis is throwing the shower. Relative's house where these things usually occur isn't available. Our house became the only possible location.
I'd still dispute your home being the "only location". Are there no restaurants?

But let that slide. If Sis is still the "host", it's her problem picking out the stamps. Especially if she needs them today!

Nope and nope. Sis lives in SLC. We get to do all the legwork. Plus I think GW wants to do this, unfortunately leaving me with a grumpy GW as she stresses over details.

It will be catered, but I have no idea where the food will come from, or what type. Need to talk with Sis to get more information on what she wants.

MarleysGh0st · #14 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:24 pm

Are there no post offices in SLC?

ulysses5019 · #15 Post by **ulysses5019** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:44 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:Are there no post offices in SLC?

Yeah, but they're all out of wedding/shower stamps.....

ulysses5019 · #16 Post by **ulysses5019** » Tue May 20, 2008 1:50 pm

ulysses5019 wrote:
MarleysGh0st wrote:Are there no post offices in SLC?
Yeah, but they're all out of wedding/shower stamps.....

Oops, that was Eldorado, TX.

peacock2121 · #17 Post by **peacock2121** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:20 pm

MarleysGh0st wrote:Do you want our permission to forget about this one little detail of picking out the perfect, romantic little stamp for the invitatations? Or would that ruin the entire event?

Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this blog.

LOL Ya think?

sunflower · #18 Post by **sunflower** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:33 pm

Let me just throw my two cents in as a frequent invitee of weddings and showers...

I know that the bride to be and every female involved in planning thinks that everything needs to be perfect. Sometimes this need for perfection carries over to the males as well.

But rest assured, NO ONE who is invited will notice or remember what stamp is on the invitation. People might notice the invitation itself, but really no one cares. They care about the event and the meaning behind it...not having the "perfect" stamps is not going to ruin the day, trust me on that. This crisis will come and go and you will likely not even remember it a year from now. So relax...go with the forever stamps...or hey, save the money and do evites! Seriously, it is so NOT a big deal...

kayrharris · #19 Post by **kayrharris** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:10 pm

I agree. I'd hold out for a nice stamp for the wedding invitations, but a shower? Nah.

I got an invitation to a baby shower last week with a little note card enclosed telling me to bring an appetizer or a dessert! Heck, who couldn't host a shower if the guests brought all the food??

I was mortified and busy, so I had to extend my regrets.

sunflower · #20 Post by **sunflower** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:52 pm

kayrharris wrote:I got an invitation to a baby shower last week with a little note card enclosed telling me to bring an appetizer or a dessert! Heck, who couldn't host a shower if the guests brought all the food??

I was mortified and busy, so I had to extend my regrets.

That's pretty tacky. Is it a first baby? Maybe I'd understand if it was a second baby, and it was just really close friends and family invited. But then again, if I'm expected to bring a gift, the least someone can do is feed me! What's next, maybe I should just bring my own brown bag lunch next time??

peacock2121 · #21 Post by **peacock2121** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:21 am

kayrharris wrote:I had to extend my regrets.

That reminds me of a question I have had for many years.

If you send regrets, do you also send a gift?

Not, what should one do, but what do you do?

I do not send a gift unless I would send a gift even if I wasn't invited.

sunflower · #22 Post by **sunflower** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:25 am

peacock2121 wrote:
kayrharris wrote:I had to extend my regrets.
That reminds me of a question I have had for many years.

If you send regrets, do you also send a gift?

Not, what should one do, but what do you do?

I do not send a gift unless I would send a gift even if I wasn't invited.

If it is a shower, I do not send a gift if I can't attend. The only exception is if it's a co-worker or a really close friend, if I'm going to see them, I'll usually buy a gift and give it to them in person.

For a wedding though, I would send a gift if I couldn't attend, I usually just send a lesser amount than I would if I did attend. I don't have to "pay for my plate" at that point, it's just a thought.

But that's just me...

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #23 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:53 am

kayrharris wrote:I agree. I'd hold out for a nice stamp for the wedding invitations, but a shower? Nah.

I got an invitation to a baby shower last week with a little note card enclosed telling me to bring an appetizer or a dessert! Heck, who couldn't host a shower if the guests brought all the food??

I was mortified and busy, so I had to extend my regrets.

At they didn't ask you to clean the house before the party as well!

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #24 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:54 am

peacock2121 wrote:
kayrharris wrote:I had to extend my regrets.
That reminds me of a question I have had for many years.

If you send regrets, do you also send a gift?

Not, what should one do, but what do you do?

I do not send a gift unless I would send a gift even if I wasn't invited.

I usually send a gift if we can't attend. Usually the gift is nicer if we do attend.

kayrharris · #25 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed May 21, 2008 8:20 am

I send a gift even I can't attend. At the moment I'm dealing with high school graduation invitations (or is it more of an announcement?) Anyway, I now have 5 gifts to shop for and send.