Pair personalized coasters with bridal registry items like glasses, trays and ice buckets.

Every now and then, when we go to a bridal shower, we see a gift that elicits those oohs and ahhs from the guests. “Wow! Look at that gift!” “Oh, that’s so neat!” Want to be that gift-giver? We’ve got some bridal shower gifts that really shine, especially when you combine them with bridal registry gifts the couple asked for.

These days, most brides- and grooms-to-be create bridal registry lists at major retailers, so it’s easy to choose something you know they’ll use.

Often these lists are very utilitarian: whisks, cookie sheets, and colanders. So it’s fun to customize gifts to give them something not only that they’ll use, but that they’ll LOVE too. It feels great to hear all the oohs and ahhs, and to see the delighted surprise on the couple’s faces when they open your gift.

Here are ways to combine a typical gift registry item with a personalized gift that stands out in a crowd. We’ve chosen some of our favorites.

How to Personalize Beverage-Themed Gifts

Couple registered for ….ice bucket for holding bottles of wine or champagne
Personalize this shower gift by adding … 2 engraved Altamira Monogram champagne flutes with a couples monogram and bottle of champagne.

Couple registered for…a pretty glass or metal tray
Personalize this shower gift by adding… 2 Fortaleza shot glasses with their last name and initial.

Pair shot glasses with bar-themed bridal registry items.

Couple registered for…wine opener
Personalize this shower gift by adding…2 engraved Iguala stemless wine glasses   with their last name and an inspirational or fun inscription.

Couple registered for… a bar cart
Personalize this shower gift by adding…Camden Embossed Frame Monogram personalized napkins with their new last initial in an elegant embossed and foil-pressed design

Couple registered for… a beverage dispenser
Personalize this shower gift by adding…a set of 8 Pareja personalized mason jars with their initials in a pretty design

Couple registered for…everyday beverage glasses
Personalize this shower gift by adding…a set of cork Bronson Chevron Monogram personalized coasters with a couples monogram in an eye-catching design

How to Personalize Food-Themed Gifts

Couple registered for… knives
Personalize this shower gift by adding…Established Cutting Board with their new last name and wedding year

Pair muffin pans, cheese knives and knife sets with our bamboo cutting boards

Couple registered for…cheese knife and labels
Personalize this shower gift by adding…  Millport cutting board for instant appetizer set with lots of appeal

Couple registered for…muffin pans
Personalize this shower gift by adding…Merida serving platter, a pretty tea towel and your favorite muffin recipe

Couple registered for… dinner plates
Personalize this shower gift by adding…Rosario personalized guest towels for their first dinner party

Couple registered for…appetizer plates
Personalize this shower gift by adding…Blissful beverage napkins with their names

One you experience the thrill of giving the most popular gift at the shower, you’ll never go back to using just the straight gift registry again.

Foil pressing

January…it’s the time of year for new beginnings and new ideas. New pledges. Resolution. Sometimes bold or even wild imaginings. You don’t stay in business for more than 40 years without taking some risks.

Here at Giftsin24.com, the retail website of Embossed Graphics, we emphasize precision and quality above all else. But we also stand for…

• Optimism.
• Passion.
• Effort.
• Will power.
• Grit.
• Determination.
• Resolve.

We are proud of our products and the effort we put into them. Our New Year’s resolution is to continue our pursuit of excellence in all we do.

Embossing

Which got us thinking…do you know how we do what we do?

The world of printing is fascinating. There’s a lot going on in our production facility. Here are a few of the processes behind the products you buy from us.

How We Do What We Do

Embossing – Our embossed stationery features elegant, textured images. We achieve these through a traditional, centuries-old process known as embossing, where we press a die (a block with a reverse image of your monogram) into paper. While we employ no ink in this process, nevertheless, our embossed monograms and lettering styles convey meaning: tradition, quality, energy and style.

Foil Pressing – Our foil-pressed napkins and stationery embellishments offer just the right amount of color plus shimmer to make your personalization stand out. To create foil-pressed products, we use a heated die to adhere a thin sheet of foil to the paper. The result can range from soft and elegant silver or opal … to vivid blue or red … to bold gold or black.

Thermography

Thermography – It’s a big name that means “raised ink.” We use this process on our stationery. First, we print an image on paper. While the ink is wet, we dust it with a powder and apply heat. The heat fuses the ink and powder together and makes it raise above the paper surface. The result is a delightful, shiny image filled with texture and color.

Laser Engraving  –  We use a laser to personalize our engraved gifts, such as wine glasses, bamboo cutting boards and cork coasters. It’s flashy and fun and high-tech. We use a laser beam to etch into wood, glass, cork or other material. The laser creates such high heat that it vaporizes the material. It takes just a pulse with the laser, so we work very quickly and precisely.

The embossed Delavan Monogram Napkin offers several monogram choices. Shown here is the Classic Monogram.

In the 16th century, bespeak came to mean “to order or arrange in advance.” As with many words, it was only a matter of time before people started using it in a new grammatical form: the adjective bespoke, referring to clothes and other things that are ordered before they are made, according to the fabulous online resource, Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Fast forward five centuries, and the word bespoke is enjoying a renaissance in U.S. culture. In our mass-produced and digital world, we have come to appreciate beautiful objects that are custom made just for us.

The Millennial generation is taking this trend and bringing it to one of the most important occasions of anyone’s life: the wedding day. As young people seek to personalize their wedding according to their own tastes and interests — on a budget — they are looking for bespoke wedding napkins and other  elements of their event.

Young people are using our personalized wedding napkins and guest towels to create that special touch on the wedding buffet or dining table. Here are our most popular wedding napkins and guest towels. Lickety split, you can design the perfect napkin for your wedding shower, reception, cocktail hour, rehearsal dinner or bachelorette party, and in a day, they’ll be in the mail on your way to you.

Follow Your Bliss

Nuptial Napkin with Mr & Mrs artwork.

Blissful Napkin. Perfect for two first names, the raised personalization shimmers on these high quality, three-ply napkins. Choose your lettering style, paper color and foil color to match your wedding theme. Also offered as a guest towel.

Delavan Monogram Napkin. Make it special with a couple’s monogram. The last name initial appears in the center. The first initials of the couple appear on the left and right. Delavan Foil-Pressed Monogram Napkin offers a variety of monogram designs and a wide range of paper colors to coordinate with your wedding colors. Also offered as a guest towel.

Initial & Name Napkin. When it’s time to celebrate the happy couple, reach for these bespoke wedding napkins. They feature a large initial and two lines of personalization arranged in a pleasing design. Available in a wide variety of lettering styles and ink and paper colors to complement any event. Also offered as a guest towel.

Nuptial Napkin. Tying the knot is easy…and so is getting tied up in all the details of wedding planning. Luckily, it’s simple to choose your wedding shower or party napkins: The Nuptial Foil-Pressed Napkin offers you up to three lines of personalization and a choice of lettering style, motif, foil ink color and paper color. Motifs include wedding bands, Mr. & Mrs., To the Moon and Back, bow tie, diamond ring and xoxo. Also offered as a guest towel.

Blissful Napkin from Giftsin24

Wedding Napkin.  The Wedding Foil-Pressed Napkin offers you three lines of personalization in a choice of lettering style, motif, foil ink color and paper color, affording you endless opportunities to create the perfect napkin for your wedding event. Motifs include wedding bells, rings, love, love birds and hearts. Also offered as a guest towel.

Explore our collection of wedding napkins here.

Highland Three Tablet Set with Ribbon

Finishing up those last-minute stocking stuffers is easy at your go-to gift headquarters: giftsin24.com. It’s quick and easy to personalize these notepads. Answer a few questions, check a few boxes, and you’re done. The items ship in 24 hours, so they’ll be ready for Santa to stuff into to stockings.

Customize our notepads for everyone on your list. Everyone loves to see their monogram or name in print. Plus, the clean, sturdy paper and crisply printed personalization will excite the most persnickety gift recipient.

FedEx ground shipping is always free, and if you order by our holiday deadlines, you can rest assured your gifts will arrive by Christmas Eve.

5 Stocking Stuffers That Please Everyone

Delavan Monogram Memo Square offers a choice of lettering styles and ink color

Delavan Monogram Memo Square. This gift idea will please the person who loves things just so…or the person with the perennial messy desk. Basically, anyone who is a get-things-done kinda person, no matter his or her tolerance for mess. Dress up this attractive memo square with an attractive monogram and their favorite ink color. The acrylic holder keeps pages neat and tidy.

Highland 4-Tablet Set.   Make their desk, credenza or counter more interesting with the Highland 4-Tablet Set. Create one line of personalization in a choice of our most popular lettering styles. Offered in a range of vivid ink colors on thick, white paper, this set offers four distinct memo sizes for any use: messages, casual letters, enclosures and more. Includes a holder to keep notepads in order.

Perfectly sized for a stocking, the Highland List with holder is easy to personalize and ships in 24 hours.

Delavan Monogram 4-Tablet Set.  They’ll love showing off their monogram on these square notepads. For anyone who just moved into a new home, achieved a new job or promotion, or loves to organize their day and tick off to-do lists. This set offers a three letter monogram in a choice of 10 popular lettering styles and 8 matte ink colors.

Highland List.   Get the write stuff for your loved ones. Perfectly sized for a stocking, the Highland List offers 260 long, rectangular sheets. Surprise them by customizing two lines of personalization with a choice of lettering style and ink color. The acrylic holder keeps pages neat and tidy.

See our entire collection of personalized notepads here.

There’s nothing like hosting a winter party to bring the warmth of friendship and love into your home. With the fire ablaze, comforting foods on the stove and the camaraderie of your guests warming your soul, the winter holidays provide plenty of reminders of what’s important in life. These events deserve personalization so that they reflect your own joyful intentions as a host. Our personalized accessories feature holiday themes and exclusive lettering styles.

Party napkins and guest towels boast 3-ply paper that offers a beautiful sheen and stands up to use. Our personalized glassware is laser engraved for staying power, and dishwasher safe to boot. Bamboo cutting boards are eco-friendly, sturdy and attractive. Coasters, made from cork or class, protect your table and counter surfaces beautifully.

Here are four of our favorite winter party accessories. Order now, and you’ll have them within a few days. Shipping is free and fast, so you’ll get them in plenty of time for the festivities.

Personalize a stemless wineglass to warm up your next holiday party

Pour Good Cheer into Engraved Glassware

Whether you are sipping wine by the fire or pouring a shot of schnapps to put some heat in your belly, use elegant engraved glassware personalized with your monogram, like the Altamira Monogram Wineglass . Or try the Fortaleza Shot Glass with a handsome initial and optional last name. The Iguala Mason Jar is perfect for mulled cider or your favorite microbrew. Give it a special message for the occasion. See the whole engraved glassware collection here.

Brighten Your Table with Festive Holiday Party Napkins 

Coming home for Christmas dinner to celebrate family style. Gathering for the annual holiday office party. There are as many ways to customize our personalized napkins and guest towels as there are reasons to gather together. Personalize the Yuletide Foil-Pressed Guest Towels with up to three lines of text in your choice of foil ink color, typography and paper color. Motifs include: snowman, Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, ho-ho-ho and snowflakes. Or try the embossed Christmas Napkins which come in an array of paper colors to match any decor. See the whole holiday napkin & guest towel collection here.

Spice Things up with Cutting Boards

Our engraved, bamboo cutting boards have so many uses for holiday entertaining. In particular, the Desmond Cutting Board gives you plenty of room to personalize a holiday message in 3 lines of text. Use a personalized cutting board as an elegant cheese board for your appetizer course. Measuring 8.75 by 11.5 inches, there’s plenty of room for a selection of cheeses. Or serve up freshly baked muffins or quick breads for a warm treat on Christmas morning. And of course, Santa and his reindeer would love to see a tray of cookies and carrots waiting for them on Christmas Eve. See the whole cutting board collection here.

Accessorize Your Entertainment Spaces with Coasters

The Bronson Monogram Coaster in cork, featuring our classic monogram, one of six choices.

Our cork and glass coasters are like earrings for your tables. Coasters dress up a coffee table or counter, breaking up the large plain space with a little sparkle or pizzazz. Not to mention, coasters help protect your surfaces and invite your guests to put down their drinks and relax. Giftsin24 offers more than 30 styles to choose from, including the Bronson Monogram, offering six attractive lettering styles in cork or glass; the Reynosa Chevron Monogram in cork or glass; the Desmond, offering three lines of text in cork or glass; and the Wheat Leaf Initial, in cork or glass. See the whole coaster collection here.

Personalized Accessories Add Polish and Shine

As you can see, we offer a range of attractive accessories to warm up your winter party. You will feel terrific pulling out these accessories during your preparations. Our personalized cutting boards, coasters, glassware and napkins will give your home some polish and shine, and help your guests feel right at home.

We’ve recently expanded our selection of bamboo cutting boards. Have you seen them? Let us make a bold statement: they are your all-in-one holiday entertaining purchase. Whether you are attending a holiday party, hosting one, or giving a Christmas gift, a personalized, engraved bamboo cutting board makes the cut for any occasion.

Who Wants One?

Because everyone cooks, entertains… or at least eats, you can create all your holiday gifts with one easy-to-personalize product.

• Going to Aunt Mary’s for Thanksgiving? Bring your crackers and cheese appetizer on the Valentina Cutting Board that doubles as a hostess gift.
• Looking for that perfect Christmas gift for your newlywed neice? The Established Cutting Board will do just the trick.
• Is your son learning to make his own lunch? Motivate him with his own Master Chef cutting board under the tree.
• Has your mom’s circa-2000 cutting board seen better days? She’ll love how the Wheat Leaf Cutting Board instantly updates her kitchen counter.
• Did your brother just get a new apartment? The Comida Cutting Board will instantly warm up his new digs.
• Maybe your daughter just got a job doing “cutting edge” software development? The Delavan Monogram Cutting Board is just the thing.

One Cutting Board, Many Uses

The durable bamboo stands up to the knife (we recommend using the non-personalized side for slicing, dicing and chopping) for everyday meal making.

And it also makes a great serving platter for any number of yummy party foods, from breads & spreads to Sunday morning muffins to evening charcuterie in front of the fire.

It also makes a particularly attractive cheese board, with ample room for a selection of cheeses and a knife.

Make it Yours in Minutes

When you are running short on time, but running long on your gift list, personalize our bamboo cutting boards in under five minutes. Our personalization tool helps you make customization choices quickly. Fill out the initials or name. Choose a lettering style. Decide whether you want the cutting board displayed on the vertical or horizontal. You’re done!

And One For…

Someone else needs one: You do! Our multi-faceted cutting boards will become indispensable in your home, and perhaps even save the day a few times. Holding pride of place — and the dinner rolls — on the holiday buffet table.  Serving up breakfast for your spouse’s birthday. Chopping scallions and tomatoes for dinner (while sipping a glass of your favorite wine.) A quick serving platter when your neighbors pop in unexpectedly. No matter the occasion, you’ll reach for this item again and again.

Shop the whole collection here.

Imagine…it’s Thanksgiving Day. Family members are on their way. Everyone’s favorite recipes are cooking. Now it’s time to set the table. You’ve washed your best dishes and glassware. Next, you polish the utensils. Now, you lay a freshly ironed cloth on the table. What will you use for napkins? If you’re a Giftsin24 customer, you pull out beautifully printed, festive holiday napkins that remind everyone why you’re celebrating.

Not only are our personalized holiday napkins festive and fun, they are made of high quality, three-ply construction. The designs are crisp and fresh. Choose them for your upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Ramadan celebrations.

Festive Holiday Napkins

Autumn Napkin and Autumn Guest Towel (Foil-Pressed): For all of Fall’s celebrations, strike a warm and inviting note on your party table or buffet. These paper serviettes come in a range of foil ink and paper colors to match your decor. Include up to three lines of personalization in your choice of lettering style. Motifs include: fall leaves, harvest cornucopia, turkey and pumpkins. Also offered in embossing.

Christmas Napkin and Christmas Guest Towel (Embossed): Planning the perfect holiday feast? Serve it with these beautifully embossed napkins or guest towels. Include up to three lines of text in your choice of lettering style. Motifs include: candy canes, Christmas tree, stocking, ornaments, Santa’s hat and holiday wreath. High quality, three-ply construction. Also offered in foil.

Yuletide Napkin and Yuletide Guest Towel (Foil-Pressed): Some people are returning home for Christmas dinner to celebrate family style. Others are gathering for the annual holiday office party. Still others are holding a school potluck to thank teachers for their hard work. There are as many ways to customize these foil-pressed holiday napkins and guest towels as there are reasons to celebrate. Make them yours with up to three lines of text in your choice of foil ink color, typography and paper color. Motifs include: snowman, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, ho-ho-ho and snowflakes. Also offered in embossing.

Religious Napkin and Religious Guest Towel (Embossed): Coming together to celebrate a religious holiday is a tribute to community and faith. Our Religious Embossed Napkins and Religious Guest Towels announce your purpose with up to three lines of text and several motifs, including cross, Star of David and dove. Choose your font and paper color. Also offered in foil.

We have a wide range of other personalized napkin designs. Shop the collection now.

Correspondence or flat card

You would never walk out of the house without at least a quick thought to your appearance. The same goes for sending correspondence out into the world. The best and easiest way to be sure your messages make your best impression is to create a social stationery wardrobe.

Build a social stationery wardrobe with pieces that you love. After all, just like your clothing wardrobe, your stationery represents you in the world, so you should feel proud of the way it fits your unique style. And remember, quality stationery stands the test of time. While many of your missives will be discarded, some will be kept for years, maybe decades or even centuries!

So what’s in a social stationery wardrobe? These are the basic pieces that provide the tools you need for any occasion that pops up. We recommend four must-have pieces in your stationery wardrobe:

Flat card or correspondence card

If you need to write just a couple of lines, a flat card is the perfect tool. Need to send your father-in-law the belt he left at his last visit? Slip in a flat card with a quick hello. Want to send a memorial donation in the name of a friend’s sister? Write your instructions to the charity on a flat card and include the check. Anytime you need to send a casual,  brief missive, the flat card works beautifully.

How to use: Write  your brief message on the side of the card that shows your name or monogram.

Folded note

Folded note or foldover note

A folded note is slightly more formal. It’s perfect for one of the most common social tasks we perform (or should be performing, ahem! ): the thank you note. Folded notes give plenty of space to express gratitude for a wedding, birthday, Christmas, anniversary or baby shower gift. Folded notes are also perfect for acknowledging the nice things that people do for you. It could be that referral that a client made on your behalf. Or the wonderful dinner party you got invited to.  Ask yourself: “Did someone spend time and effort to do something just for me?” Return their energy by writing a thank you note on a folded note.

And using polished and professionally made thank you notes can be rewarding in other ways: If you are on the job hunt, doing job interviews or attending sales calls, that embossed folded note could make or break a potential employer or client’s impression of you.

How to use: Start on the lower inside panel. If you need more space, move to the upper inside panel.

Letter sheet

Writing papers or letter sheets

If you are writing a message of a few paragraphs or more, use writing papers, also called letter sheets. Whether you are channeling your inner Jane Austen or simply telling your college bound daughter how much you love her, writing sheets emblazoned with your name or monogram are the perfect touch.  Accompany the paper with matching envelopes and a pretty stamp, and you will create correspondence worthy of being handed down through the ages… or at least saved for a little while.

How to use: Write on the front of the paper only. Use a blank sheet for the second page and find your best pen filled with blue or black ink.

Gift enclosure

Gift enclosures

Whether you are giving a bottle of wine for getting that big sale or offering a gift to your evening’s host, a gift enclosure is your tool. Keeping a well-stocked stash of these around will help you avoid a last-minute scramble to the drug store. A well-crafted enclosure ensures that every gift is presented beautifully.

How to use: Brevity is your friend here. Sign your name under a brief greeting: “Thank you!” “I love you” “Happy Birthday,” etc.

Assembling your social stationery wardrobe 

You can put together a beautiful stationery wardrobe using individual cards, notes , writing papers  and enclosures that you love on their own. Buying individually gives you more flexibility and design choices. You can select pieces that are on trend, traditional designs or a mix of both.

Or you can purchase a coordinating set. Giftsin24 offers a number of wardrobes and ensembles that represent terrific values. Especially if you love a particular lettering style or monogram, purchasing a wardrobe is an easy way to get what you need quickly. Here are a few of our favorites:

Henley Monogram Wardrobe. This graceful assortment of embossed papers gives you many options to fit any occasion. Featuring your beautifully embossed monogram on high quality paper. Includes choice of monogram. Each Monogram Wardrobe set includes 50 letter sheets, 50 folded notes, and 50 enclosures with 150 paper-matched envelopes. Choose a return address or hand-inserted lining to make this set complete. Supplement with the Delavan Monogram Card to complete your monogrammed, embossed wardrobe.

Cove Wardrobe. An amazing value. The Cove Wardrobe has you covered. Be prepared for all of life’s occasions with a letter sheet, folded note and gift enclosure. Beautifully embossed in a bold, pleasing lettering style. 150 pieces, total, with 150 color-matched envelopes. Choose a return address or hand-inserted lining to make this an extra special gift. Add the Corridor Card to complete the set.

Somerset Wardrobe. The Somerset Wardrobe features three sizes of single panel cards (Apex, Correspondence and Enclosure) in your choice of ink color and lettering style. Containing 150 pieces, plus 150 matching envelopes, this set will cover all your casual stationery needs. Optional hand-inserted lining and return address on the envelopes. Supplement with the Somerset Letter Sheet to complete your raised-ink wardrobe.

For some people, writing wedding thank you cards feels intimidating. Especially if you have a large wedding with lots of guests, the task of writing dozens or even hundreds of thank you notes can Freak. You. Out.

It’s easy to procrastinate. There are several steps: Choosing the right stationery. Locating mailing addresses. Buying the stamps. Crafting the perfect message of gratitude to everyone.  Any one of these can trip you up. But it’s that last step, writing a warm and gracious message, that seems the most difficult.

We know you feel gratitude in your heart. That is not up for debate. It’s the worry that you won’t be able to express your gratitude in an eloquent and mindful way that’s stopping you. Plus, your handwriting! Will anyone be able to read it? It can feel like a lot of pressure.

Rosedale Monogram Note features your couple’s monogram and your name.

We feel you! And we are also here to say that with a bit of planning and an easy template to follow, you can crank out those wedding thank you cards in no time. Here is the who, what, when and how of thank you card writing etiquette, plus templates for writing the most common types of messages.

Who

Be sure to thank …

• Guests who came to your wedding, including parents who helped pay for the wedding and your wedding party.
• People who gave you a gift (If you received a group gift from people who don’t live with one another, write separate wedding thank you cards to each person in the group)
• Anyone who helped with the wedding planning or day-of festivities
• Wedding planners and vendors

What

Be sure to write…

• An acknowledgement of their presence or absence at the wedding
• What you intend to do with or how you will enjoy the gift
• A warm sentence of gratitude for their friendship and love
• Most importantly, don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your wedding thank you cards, especially if you have hundreds to write. If you come up with a nice turn of phrase that you like (“Sheila and I so appreciate the generous check you sent, and we look forward to using it as a down payment on our home.”), then by all means, reuse it. The most important thing is to convey sincere gratitude and warmth.
• See our sample wedding thank you note templates below.

When

Be sure to send it…

• Optimally, within 2 weeks after receiving a gift. If you receive gifts before the wedding, it’s fine to send thank you notes before the event.
• At most, within 3 months of the wedding.

How

Be sure to get the right tools…

• Keep a detailed gift log that lists the gift, giver, date received and whether you’ve sent the thank you note. This will help tremendously in sending out thank you notes.
• Use a nice pen that flows easily and doesn’t smear or leak. Give the pen a practice run before you write.
• Folded notes are perfect for wedding thank you cards. The style doesn’t have to be an exact match of your invitations, but can reflect their general flavor. Write on the inside bottom section of a folded note, and if you need more space, move to the inside top.

Impression Oversized Note ships in 1 business day.

Many Giftsin24 folded notes can accommodate more than one name. Here are some of our favorites:

Colonial Note    A crowd favorite, the Colonial Note offers a choice of lettering style and ink color, plus two borders that give it distinction.

Infinity Note   This folded note offers an elegant gold foil design and several lettering styles that can appeal to both of you.

One-Line Note  Offering a cool, “Mad men” vibe, this embossed note channels a Mid-Century Modern feel.

Montevideo Note  Impress your family and friends with this exuberantly styled lettering style in a choice of raised-ink color.

Impression Note  This is our go-to couple’s note, offering plenty of room for two names in raised ink on the front and lots of room to write inside of this oversized folded note.

La Tour Note Couples with room in their budgets can splurge on luxury notes from our Silver Leaf Collection. La Tour features an elegant gold edge with rounded corners.

Templates for Wedding Thank You Cards

For a wedding guest who gave a gift:

Dear Melanie, Thank you so much for attending our wedding! We were so happy to be able to connect with you and be surrounded by all our friends and family on this most special day. Your gift was so very generous! Anthony and I will put it to great use as part of the down payment on our condo. With great appreciation and love, Sam and Esperanza

For a person who gave a gift but did not attend the wedding:

Dear Uncle Van, We missed you at the wedding, but completely understand that it’s a long ways to travel. Thank you so much for your very generous gift of the bread maker. It was so sweet of you to think of us on our special day. Every time we make fresh homemade bread, we will think of you! We love you, Susan and Todd

For a person that attended the wedding but did not give a gift:

Dear Aunt Martha, Thank you so much for coming all the way from California to be at our wedding. It meant so much that you were there to be with us on this most special day! Our family reunion photo wouldn’t have been the same without you. We’ve enclosed a photo of you dancing with Dad — you can tell you are brother and sister because you have the same dance moves! With great love, Melanie and Reggie

Looking for more wedding thank you note card ideas? See all of our beautiful folded notes here.

“A WOMAN is known by the stationery she uses. Paper talks. We read between the lines, along the margin, and across the envelope, the story of good or bad taste which speaks in tone, texture and design.” So opens A Desk Book on the Etiquette of Social Stationery published in 1910 and written by Jean Wilde Clark. What was true then, with a slight tweak, is still true today. Our stationery can speak worlds about us. What’s changed? “The Rules,” or stationery etiquette, are more relaxed: we no longer must use black-bordered mourning stationery after a loved one’s death, for example. In addition, we can all agree that men have just as much of a need for stationery, and that their stationery choices speak for them too.

What’s more, in this age of fast fashion, speed-of-light communication across the globe, what’s “In Style” changes on a dime. And that makes us lucky: there’s no need to cram our taste into rigid expectations of what’s proper or even what’s in style. Sure, white or ivory paper will always be correct. But if you want to use red pepper, who will care? Citrus paper? Be my guest. The fabulous Jackie O used robin’s egg blue paper. If she could do that in the 1960s, the sky is the limit for us in the late 2010s.

On the one hand, the lack of stylistic expectations is liberating, because it means we have the freedom to choose whatever stationery suits us. On the other hand, it can be slightly intimidating, because we’ve got almost unlimited choices.

Let it be your style.

There’s one rule to follow in 2017/2018: You be you. Don’t worry about what a friend is doing, or what you saw in a magazine.

Not sure what you like? Look at the furnishings in your home and the clothes you wear.

Do you tend toward traditional (try a 3-letter monogram), primitive country (try a quirky or hand-lettered font), or contemporary (try your name in block letters)?

Like neat, clean surfaces (look for simple lettering) or do you like to cram every nook and cranny with beloved objects (look for curvy, embellished designs)?

Do you like to follow the rules (center the personalization at the top) or do you like to push them (personalization goes in a corner or at the bottom)?

What colors do you like to surround yourself with? Pastels? Metallics? Jewel Tones? Neutrals?

Take advantage of the preview function when considering lettering styles for your name. Scrutinize the way your initials look – perhaps you like one font’s S better than another?

These are great clues to help you pull together your stationery style. In the end, whatever you choose will be perfect, because you chose it.

Business or personal?

When you’re writing a note to your pastor, the school principal, or your favorite author, you might want to consider a more formal letter sheet or correspondence card that tends toward business-like. Perhaps it’s embossed. Perhaps it’s on white paper with gray ink. Or ivory paper with coffee ink. This stationery might include your middle initial and the formal version of your first name.

It will work equally well for when you’re sending a gift to your best friend, writing to your brother, or thanking your neighbor for her homemade scones. Or, for those more personal uses, you could purchase a second set that reveals your more relaxed side. Any form — letter sheet, flat card or folded note — will do. Perhaps there is a small illustration, or your nickname, rather than your given name. You might use colored paper with black or metallic ink or a more brightly colored ink on ivory paper.

Raised ink vs. embossing?

It’s really a matter of choice. Raised-ink printing, or thermography, is a more affordable version of engraving. Engraving, a centuries-old printing method, requires the creation of dies, which are expensive to produce and reside at the stationery company until you require more stationery. Raised-ink printing conveys a pleasing texture and a shimmery quality to the ink.

Embossing lends an even more delicious texture because the paper is pressed from below. In that sense embossing resembles traditional engraving, as well. Especially on white or ivory paper, embossing tends to be more formal. It also tends to be more earth-friendly, because the paper recycles easily.

So to recap, choosing stationery can be an enjoyable and fulfilling exercise. Taking time to think about your style and consider your options will reward you each time you sit down to write. See all of our personalized  correspondence cards and folded notes. Happy choosing!