Card Lovers Rejoice - Personalized Greeeting Cards are Here!

With a mouse click and a smile, you can customize a fabulous greeting card, add a personal message, and ship it off stamped to the post office through TinyPrints.com. You know Proskalo loves cards and invitations that start the celebration the moment the envelope is opened, and this idea gets out top endorsement!

And that's not all...now you'll never miss an important day - create and schedule cards in advance (and make changes to the cards until the mailing date)! Upload photos to print on your cards, have the cards mailed to your to directly to your recipients, AND cards made today can ship tomorrow (to arrive within 5 days)!

As Tiny Prints says, "It's faster than a store and more personal than an ecard." How does it work? Pay per card or (to qualify for reduced per card prices) sign up for an annual membership.

Click on the image/link below to take advantage of a great offer - Tiny Prints is waiving the first year's membership fee and giving you 3 FREE CARDS. With Mother's Day coming up, it's a great opportunity to test drive this cool new service!

Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Weigh In, Wade In, and Try to Stay Afloat

A search for "wedding invitation etiquette" on amazon.com results is 234 books...TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR! It is a topic that has long been discussed, criticized, feared, sometimes overlooked, and rarely enjoyed. I admit - I have my own reference stack on the shelf and one well-thumbed copy in my left-side desk drawer.

You could talk about wording and surnames and the American or English spelling of favor and honour until you are blue in the face. You can accurately address the female Ambassador's invitation (The Ambassador of the United States of America to Greece and Mr. Christakos, if you were up late nights wondering) and master the use - or non-use of "and family," and you still might miss the point.

Etiquette really boils down to just one thing: a little bit of level-headed respect seasoned with some common sense.

Ask yourself the question - will I carelessly offend someone important to me by abandoning a rule of etiquette? If the answer is yes - well, go the extra mile and avoid that pitfall. If the answer is no - then you decide - do you like the ceremony of tradition of the applicable etiquette or would a little departure make your heart sing?

Example? Your Catholic priest is an 80-year old Irish spitfire who brings you happily to the pew every Sunday but believes the old-fashioned proper wording on your invitation marries you "and" the groom, not "to" the groom. It's one word - and not following the etiquette rule may upset him...etiquette wins here.

Another Example? Your father's best friend is a doctor, but he's also been like an uncle to you growing up. And you know that addressing his invitation Uncle Jack Robbins (instead of Doctor Jack Robbins) will remind him that he's very much in the fold of your family. Put down the rule book, and welcome Uncle Jack to the wedding.

Societal changes necessarily make etiquette an evolving art, and there's no single correct answer. My advice - buy ONE book. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the general rules, consult it for some of the more tricky addressing situations, and don't panic. Remember, care more about the important people in your life than the rules someone has laid out to impress them.

Good Luck!

Sun, Soap, Caesar, and Sowing: Why June is the It Month for Weddings!

Every bride wants to get married in June - but why? Tradition? Sure, but what's behind the legend - where did it start? Like most long-ago traditions, the origin of the popularity of June Weddings is not clear. Or, more precisely, the line has formed to take credit for this coupling custom. Shockingly though, I think I can say with some degree of certainty that Hallmark's not behind this one. Here are a few of the most talked about driving forces:

Weather The least interesting and most obvious reason why June is a popular month for weddings is the nearly universal presence of nice weather. Of course, try telling this to a Southern hemisphere bride where June is their winter season.

An Annual Bath No, that's not a typo. In the 14th and 15th centuries, people generally took their annual bath in May, so June offered brides a relatively sweet-smelling ceremony. And since May has not been favored (marry in May, you'll surely rue the day), June it is. Hedging their bets, many brides in that time also carried flowers to mask any lingering odors - sparking another tradition (bride's bouquets).

Julius Caesar Julius Caesar reformed the old Roman calendar in his day. Well obviously Caesar wouldn't suggest getting married in March (he was assassinated on March 15 - the Ides of March), and you would think since he named the seventh month after himself, that he would be high on July Brides, but even nepotistical Caesar couldn't overcome the wedding bells trump card - June is named for Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage.

Farming When agricultural endeavors dominated, brides married in June (and planning to have children shortly thereafter) would still be mobile early enough in a quick pregnancy to help harvest the crops.

The tradition of June brides has sparked:
Sayings "Marry when the June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go," "Marry in June, you'll be a bride all your life,"
Books June Bride by Teresa DesJardien
Bands English indie pop group started in 1983
Movies The June Brides - Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery (1948)
Songs in Movies June Bride from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

...and a stampede on wedding venues for Saturdays in June. Whatever the true reasoning behind the tradition, it's dug in its heels and is certainly here to stay...So take your bath, make sure the sun's out, and head down the aisle!

Destination: Sophistication

Just when you thought Santa Barbara weddings were all about vineyards and beaches, you find the Canary Hotel, and a sophisticated city rooftop wedding emerges!

From the minute you walk in, the style of the hotel grabs you...it's stucco and Spanish tile, it's wrought iron and polished wood - it's eye candy architecture and old world charm. You may find yourself wondering if the hotel's channeling Casa Del Mar - it is (Santa Monica's Casa del Mar and Shutters are sister properties)...and then you go to the Rooftop.

Forgetting the details for a moment -- gazing out over the city toward the mountains, you imagination conjures images of swanky guests sipping mojitos, the maid of honor flirting with the best man near the fireplace, a slow dance in the moonlit breeze, and the bride and groom stealing a kiss on the staircase.

Then the question arises - can they make it happen? This is where the sales and catering staff comes in, of course, and having spent a lovely lunch with Alison Manna (associate director of catering), I'd say the Canary Hotel is up to the task!

Alison was not only knowledgeable about the hotel and its history, but also about the Santa Barbara wedding industry, the restaurant's lunch menu (take her advice, the tortilla soup is superb), and the details that need a little TLC to ensure a fantastic event.

With new ownership, they've revamped the look of the hotel (in particular the restaurant) and the quality of the food, trained the service staff and road-tested the changes. And (importantly from my perspective), the catering manager is experienced, youthful, open to creative ideas, and excited about making your imagined event a reality.

I have fallen in love with the Canary Hotel, and you just might too. Don't miss this gem during your wedding venue search!

Grace Ormonde Platinum Listing

Proskalo is thrilled to announce our inclusion in the prestigious 2009/2010 Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Platinum List!

The name Grace Ormonde is synonymous with timeless style, luxury, and sophistication, and the Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine is the premier wedding magazine.

The Platinum List is a collection of the top wedding professionals that serves as a wonderful resource for brides worldwide. Membership in the Platinum List is by invitation only, and we are very honored to be included in this exclusive list.

In addition to our print listings (2010 Spring and Fall magazine editions), Proskalo also will have a fabulous Splash page on the Grace Ormonde website in 2009 and 2010. The web posting will be found at http://weddingstylemagazine.com/directory/proskalo/s_l3750c2037.aspx

Proskalo’s signature designs incorporate gorgeous handmade papers, crystals, fabrics, ribbon, and fine printing techniques to create absolutely lovely invitations that guests will treasure. We focus individualized attention on each part of every project and look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence as a part of this wonderful group of professionals.

Update on Postage

There's good news! The post office has issued SOME of the stamps for the new first class rates which will take effect on May 11, 2009. A news release on the USPS website (and a discussion with postal employees) indicate that the remainder of the stamps are likely to be issued on or before May 11th as well.

In the 44-cent category, a photo Wedding Rings stamp, the Purple Heart stamp (previously available in 42-cent version), and a waving American Flag stamp are alternatives to the Simpsons cartoon stamp. There's also slated to be a 44-cent version of the Celebrate stamp (Love It!), a King and Queen of Hearts stamp (so-so), Seabiscuit, a Sailboat, and a customizable Forever stamp.

In the other postage rates, a photo Wedding Cake stamp (61-cents), a 64-cent Dolphin stamp, the Grand Tetons (98-cents), Zions Nat'l Park (79-cents), and a 28-cent Polar Bear may be good choices to use.

Check out Proskalo's earlier post "Wedding Postage Nightmare Part 1" for additional suggestions.

Squares, Short Siding, and the Dreaded Slot

Wedding Postage Nightmare - Part Two!

Getting the correct amount of postage on your wedding invitations is important...and also can be a nightmare. While post offices generally do a great job, when determining applicable postage, I have found a lot of inconsistencies.

What are some of the biggest problems I hear brides say they run into? Square invitations, addressing along the shortest side of the envelope (i.e. tea-length French flap envelopes), and the Dreaded Slot...Beware!

I can't stress enough - take your invitations to the post office for final determination on postage. The information below is not intended to be a set of rules that will guarantee adequate postage or your exhaustive, fail-safe guard against insufficient postage...these are just some descriptions and talking points that I have run across along the way that will at least help you get going in the right direction.

1. USPS Website - it's a good source, but it can lead you astray. My suggestion would be to use the "calculate your postage" option carefully -- and GO TO THE POST OFFICE to check your invitation postage prior to mailing.

2. Weight - how much your invitation weighs will in part determine the amount of postage you need to affix to the envelope.

3. Size - size can determine the rate of postage and whether your piece is mailable at all. The post office has minimum and maximum height and length restrictions for a piece to qualify as a letter. Under the restrictions? Not mailable. Over? Think extra postage as you're in the realm of Large Envelopes now.

4. Squares - many cool invitations are square. The post office classifies square envelopes as non-machinable, and at a minimum adds the current non-machinable surcharge to the amount of postage you need to affix. As per the USPS website, the minimum square size is 5 X 5.

5. Non-machinable - what does it mean? For starters, if you hear it, it means more postage! A piece is non-machinable if it must be physically sorted by a person because it can't be sorted through the USPS machines. Some non-machinable characteristics include: square, too rigid, clasps or other closures, address parallel to the shortest side of the envelope (more on this later), uneven surface (more on this later too), length divided by height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5.

6. Short Siding - a sometimes popular option is to address tea-length invitations parallel to the shortest side of the envelope, using a long French-flap envelope. Again, this is cool and shouldn't be discouraged, but keep in mind that it will mean you need additional postage.

and finally...(hear the Jaws music)
7. The Dreaded Slot - many have fallen prey to the innocent-looking cardboard sheet with the slot. Postal workers look are your slightly thicker invitation and turn for this weapon. Then, casually, with one eye on you and a disapproving look waiting in the wings, they slip your invitation through the slot. If it makes it through the slot - one less additional postage charge...but if it doesn't fit through, it can mean an additional cost to you!

Even the most diligent can fall into postage traps - the best you can do is be prepared, know the terminology, and in true Type-A fashion, check at the post office, then check, check, check again...and then go home with your fingers crossed!

Don't forget about the May 11 postage increase - information and tips are posted below in an earlier message.