Apurva Shree asked:


Few would disagree that hosting a baby shower is the only authentic means of pregnancy celebration. The joy that baby shower brings to the expectant mother is for real. Anybody who genuinely cares for the mom-to-be must seriously consider the option of planning a baby shower for her. For this is a prudent way of relieving the mother of her anxiety and reassuring her before she goes into pregnancy labor. Or you can comfort her and express your unconditional support to her by hosting a baby shower even after the baby is born.

You may not be aware, but as per baby shower etiquette, there are different types of baby showers you can opt for pregnancy celebration. Read on to familiarize yourself with different types of showers and their etiquette.

The Primary Type:

The traditional kind of shower is held at the host’s home, at somebody else’s home who is known to the host, or at the Church. This kind of shower is usually organized 4 to 8 weeks for pregnancy celebration before the due date of delivery. These showers are usually all-women events. Since the trend of throwing more than one showers for the expectant mother has set in, you may receive an invitation for a shower 4 to 6 months prior to the due date. The baby shower gifts for this type of party are usually of practical nature i.e. diapers, baby bottles, baby clothes, bibs, lotions, powders, and so on.

Giving A Surprise To The Expecting Mommy:

If you wish to surprise the expectant mother by organizing a party for pregnancy celebration, then you can plan a surprise baby shower. For hosting a surprise shower, you will have to exercise caution to plan it in such a way so that mom-to-be does not get to know about it from some of the guests you intend to invite over. Also, the date of shower should be decided on after giving considering the availability of the expectant mother and her close ones on the scheduled date. Such showers are usually organized when a woman is pregnant for the second time. The gifts for this type of shower are more varied in nature and are not necessarily restricted to baby items.

The Mixed Type:

Although conventionally only women used to participate in showers, but with time this trend has changed too. Nowadays, many people organize couple showers where men are also invited along with their wives. For couple showers some gender neutral or masculine games are also included. Inclusion of men certainly adds to the fun of pregnancy celebration.

Welcoming The Baby:

If for some reason you missed planning a baby shower for the mom-to-be during her pregnancy period, you can still felicitate the mom by arranging a welcome shower. Such showers are organized after the baby is born. Just remember to keep a gap of at least two months between the childbirth and the party so that the new parents get enough time to recover.

Now that you know some ingenious means of pregnancy celebration, make a choice.

Grace W Chen asked:


Often, save the date cards are closely associated with weddings, but they can be extremely useful prior to planning a large birthday celebration, particularly a milestone birthday where attendance is important.

Importance of Sending Wedding Save the Date Cards

Weddings are an important day in anyone’s life, and friends and family are usually invited to witness the event. Even your closest friends and family have busy lives and could face a very awkward dilemma if your wedding happens to coincide with a pre-planned trip.

To avoid this scheduling conflict, save the date cards should usually be mailed 6 to 8 months prior to your wedding and at least one year in advance of a destination wedding. They not only act as a physical reminder and give advance notice of your wedding, but provide logistics details for those who would need to travel to attend your wedding. People are busy, so respect their schedules up front with save the date cards.

Wedding save the date cards needn’t list every detail that will appear on the actual invitation, such as the address of the ceremony and reception. You only need to list a general location at this point so that anyone who will be traveling can plan to be in that area on that day. You could provide a few travel tips, such as local airport information and local hotels, to make travel arrangements easier.

When to Send Birthday Save the Date Cards

Although save the date cards aren’t always associated with birthdays, anytime you plan a celebration, you want to ensure that friends and family will attend. This is particularly relevant to parties with a potentially large guest list or for milestone birthdays. After all, a big event with a small turnout might not sit well with the guest of honor. Of course, if you are planning an intimate dinner party, for example, where the absence of 1 or 2 guests would be noticed, definitely consider sending save the date cards so you can hopefully avoid a gap in the guest list.

The best way to prepare guests for a birthday bash is to send save the date cards. You won’t need to send these months in advance as for weddings, but you should plan to have them in the mail at least two to three months in advance of the party. If you’re inviting out of town relatives or friends, it would be nice to include travel information or even offer to house them for the party (depending on your circumstances).

Save the Date Ideas

You can send photo cards with a picture of the happy couple or the guest of honor, depending on the occasion. Consider transforming the save the date card into a magnet for guests to put on their refrigerator to remember and enjoy. If you are budget-conscious, consider fill-in or printable save the date cards. As long as you write legibly or choose a clear font, your guests will still appreciate the notice.

You can be as elaborate and creative as you desire when choosing save the date cards because they’re not only functional, but also help entice guests to attend a fun and memorable event.

 

Vikram kuamr asked:


 

Weddings are special events. It is a once in a lifetime, life-changing event that is worth celebrating. It is even more special now that couples are ready to take vows for everlasting love. Most couples would wish that the event would be special and memorable in every detail of their wedding preparations. This is even true to the point that selecting wedding invitations providers can be a crucial concern.

 

You might be asking what to look for in save the dates or wedding invitations provider. This question is important if you want your wedding to be relayed in a special way. The wedding invitations or save the dates are important notices that relays one of the most special events in your life. Getting the right invitation provider is important when you want the announcement to be special.

 

First, you should see to it that the provider understands the value of special communication. Meaning, the provider should not only provide products in plain paper. It should be said in special papers and themes that the provider can offer professionally and qualitatively.

 

Second, the provider should understand the importance of words that are relayed. They should have quality words that have special messages for the special event. This is even true when you want to release save the dates for your wedding where the announcement is initially made. Anyhow, if you want your own words to be put in the wedding invitations or save the dates, then the provider should offer customized services that can place your own words to prints. They should not be fixed with what their templates offer.

 

Third, the invitation providers must offer quality and unique wedding invitations and save the dates that are offered in affordable price. The provider should understand the budget needs. Remember that there are still many items to be bought for the wedding. It is then impractical to have an expensive save the dates and wedding invitations. However, quality should not suffer because of economical price. The provider should be able to meet quality of products and affordability of price together.

 

Lastly, the wedding invitation provider should be able to work on the themes of your wedding. In other words, it should offer products that match with your preferred wedding theme. If the wedding is in the beach, the wedding invitations and the save the dates should have designs that match with the theme.

 

Now that you know what kind of wedding prints provider to look for, you need to see to it that there is one available near your place or at least online. This way, it will not be hard for you to get their products that suits your wedding invitations needs.

 

One of the companies that offer wedding invitations of these characteristics is Love Me Always. Love Me Always has several wedding invitations products including save the dates, bridal showers, thanks you’s, social events and other relevant invitation cards. They also offer baby invitations such as baptismal, baby shower, and first birthday invitations among others. This simply means that Love Me Always is a company that can be with you from the time that you wed to the time when you celebrate your baby’s first birthday.

Linda Kling asked:


A bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah ceremony is meant to be shared with friends and loved ones.  As your son or daughter comes of age in the Jewish faith and you are planning the celebration for this rite of passage, you may want to consider sending save the date cards.  These announcements can give your guests the advanced notice they need to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements.  So, what do you need to know about bar mitzvah save the date cards?  Here are the top dos and don’ts.

Do mail your bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah save the date cards at least four months to a year in advance.  Simply put, people have busy schedules.  They make plans well ahead of time, schedule vacations, business trips and family obligations.  You want to make sure that your guests know about your child’s bar mitzvah date before they make those other plans.  It is also a courtesy to people from out of town, so that they have enough time arrange for discounted air fares and hotel rooms.

Do include the important phrases “save the date” and “invitation to follow” on your bar mitzvah save the date cards.  Whether you’re making your own cards or ordering them from a professional, it is important to emphasize that these are not invitations.  Bar mitzvah save the date cards are a relatively new innovation, so it is possible that some of your recipients may not understand the purpose of the card, unless you are very clear.

Don’t add RSVP to your save the date cards or enclose a reply card.  This can really confuse people.  You just want to alert them to date of your child’s bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah ceremony and celebration, so they have time to plan ahead.  A response is not necessary.

Do include your child’s bar mitzvah website address to your save the date cards, if he or she has one.   You can update the website with travel and hotel information, as well as the plans you are making for this big event.  If you don’t have a website, you can always print a list of hotels in your area, with their 800 numbers, and slip it into the envelopes for your out of town guests.

Don’t forget to send a formal invitation to every last person who received one of your bar mitzvah save the date cards. You don’t need to send a save the date card to everyone you’re inviting.  But if you send one, you must follow it up with an official invitation.  If you’re not sure someone will make it to the final guest list, don’t send them a save the date card.

Do consider photo bar mitzvah save the date cards.  The latest trend is to include a photo of your child on the card.  You might even want to use more than one photo of your son or daughter at different ages.  This is a fun way to give your guests a glimpse into how your child has grown! 

Do send bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah save the date cards that will stand out.  Shop around until you find a design that reflects your child’s personality.  Whether you go with your own handmade creation, a store-bought card or professionally custom made postcards, magnets or photo cards, the object is to grab your potential guest’s attention. 

In this hectic society, it is a nice gesture to alert your friends and loved ones to this upcoming event.  It shows consideration of their busy lifestyles and allows them to plan ahead. As a result, those who receive your bar mitzvah save the date cards will be likely to reach for their calendar and save that special date.

Linda Kling asked:


Bat mitzvah and bar mitzvah save the date cards are a relatively new concept. They have increasingly grown in popularity over recent years.  But isn’t an invitation enough?  Do you really need to send out bar mitzvah save the date cards, too?

No, save the date cards are not an absolutely necessary prelude to your child’s bar mitzvah.  But there are some circumstances where it might be a good idea to consider.  Here’s some questions to help you decide.

1. Does your guest list include friends and loved ones from out of town?  If people have to travel to get to your child’s bar mitzvah, then sending save the date cards can give them extra time to make those travel arrangements.  The more advance notice they have, the better chance they have to track down airline and hotel discounts. They may also need to schedule vacation time so they can attend.

2. Does your child have friends who may also be planning a bat mitzvah or bar mitzvah around the same time?  Since his or her friends will all be around the same age, the odds are good there could be some overlapping.  Of course, your child will want his friends to share his celebration, so sending out save the dates can alert the parents before they make their own plans.

3. Does the date of your child’s bar mitzvah coincide with any holidays or school vacations?  Take in account weekends around Thanksgiving and Columbus day or any holiday where people might make plans because they have extra time off from work or school.  Also, keep in mind that schools have different schedules for winter break and spring break. If you let your guests know your special date before they make other plans, it’s more likely that they will choose to attend your child’s bar mitzvah.

But even if you are only having a small party to celebrate this rite of passage in your child’s life, with local people attending, you might still want to send bar mitzvah save the date cards anyway. Why, because they’re fun!  It’s your first chance to announce this event in a big way and get your guests excited about sharing this special day.

If you decide to go this route, you can do it very inexpensively.  One easy idea is to buy a posterboard and print on it in big bold letters – Save the Date for My Bar Mitzvah – followed by the date.  Take a photo of your child holding the sign, get reprints, and send them out.

Is your child creative, or are you?  If so, you can paint, draw, scrapbook just one save the date card.  Then photograph, scan it, or take it to the copy center.  You can print it at home, make color copies at the office supply store or have a local printer run off your creation.  These will really get noticed by your potential guests because they are so original.

Another alternative is photo bar mitzvah save the date cards.  These really stand out and often cost less than save the date cards you would pick out of an invitation book in a store.  Check online for the best deals.  You can even find photo bar mitzvah save the date cards that use multiple photos of your child, so everyone who receives it can see how he or she has grown. Some online companies can tie your child’s theme into the photo cards, so shop around to see what’s available. 

You could also go with photo magnets for save the dates.  The magnets might cost a little more, but if you want to send something your guests will immediately stick on their refrigerators, then this is a good option.  They are not likely to forget a date that they see on their fridge every day. These come in different sizes to fit every budget.

Bar mitzvah save the date cards are not mandatory.  But if you decide to give your guests this extra advance notice, they are sure to appreciate the consideration.  Whether you craft your own cards, order photo bar mitzvah save the date cards or go with magnets, you don’t need to spend a lot of money.  Just get the word out, so that friends and loved ones will mark their calendars and reserve the day for your child’s bar mitzvah.