PROOFs
First proofs are delivered within a week, and color, pattern and wording changes are 100% free! Just submit any notes via the form right on your proof page, and revisions will arrive within 3 business days. And remember: it doesn’t matter if you send 1 edit or 10…as long as you submit the changes all at once, it just counts as one round of changes, so be sure to include every single note you can think of before you hit “submit.” The great news is that your order includes not just one, but two complete rounds of changes, so you have every opportunity to get things 10000% perfect. Just be sure to note change requests in the form of instructions - “on reply card A, please change this to that” - so there’s no confusion over what you’d like to see. Most importantly, please be very sure to review your proofs extremely carefully. Once you’ve signed off, your order will go directly to production and post-production changes are very costly and may even require a complete reprint.
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COUNTS
You can increase your counts in any increment of 25 any time before you sign off on your final proofs, and you typically want to order at least 15 extras beyond what you actually plan to mail. If you do need extras later, the minimum reorder is 75 pieces (100 for items with foil stamping), and reorders often take just as long as initial print runs. So, for both cost and timing reasons, we do strongly suggest ordering plenty of extras in the first place. And of course, if you still end up short and need to reprint, please let us know as soon as possible.
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TIMING
MAILING
You typically want to mail your invitations out 2 months before your Mitzvah, but you’ll actually want to receive your invitations at least a month before that. This is partly so you have time to order matching postage and partly because even though virtually nothing ever goes wrong in shipping, well, it could, and if it does, we’ll obviously need some time to reprint. We’ll work together during your consultation to determine your ideal risk-free sign-off date, and we strongly recommend you stick to it to ensure your event goes off without a hitch!
DEADLINES
Sign-offs and guest address lists are always due on Wednesdays by 5 pm EST, although we strongly suggest submitting both at least a few hours (if not days) in advance of the final deadline in case there are any unforeseen issues. Please be aware that deadlines are indeed firm and because of our rigorous production schedule, extensions are rarely possible. Plan ahead and be sure to have all change requests - including any count increases - in to us no later than 9 am Tuesday morning to ensure a stress-free process.
SHIPPING
Orders ship 12 business days after official sign-off date. Please add a week for foil stamping and when your production window includes major holidays. Orders are shipped via UPS ground and delivery times will vary based on your distance from Philadelphia. Expedited shipping is available but must be requested in advance as orders do often ship ahead of schedule.
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logos
Whether you already have a matching logo or need one created for you, we’ve got you covered and can add your logo to any component in your order. If you’d like to send us your own artwork, simply email us your editable .pdf file and we’ll take it from there! If you prefer to have us create a logo for you, just give us a call to discuss your vision and - whether a basic monogram or something more complex - our designers are here to make it a reality. And if you simply want something made to match your invitations for use in your gobo, stickers and montage, you can order that from your proof page or click here to order your matching logo and we’ll email you both .pdf and .jpg files!
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ADDRESSING
BASICS
We offer all 4 types of addressing: guest, return, reply and thank you note return, and all are ordered a la carte. All addresses are printed directly on your envelopes in the same fonts and colors as rest of your suite, so you’ll be sure to dazzle guests right from their first peek into the mailbox! If you would like us to print your guests’ mailing addresses, simply complete our excel template and return it to us the day you approve your proofs for press. You can get the template right from your proof page or click here to download our guest address template.
FORMATTING
As for best practices on addressing itself, any time you are inviting the entire household - mom, dad, all the kids - we suggest you simply use “The Samplestein Family.” It looks super clean on the envelope, and - side bonus - you eliminate unnecessary opportunities for typos. If, however, you are inviting all adults but only one or two of the kids, then you’ll write “Sam and Samantha Samplestein” in the NAME 1 field, and then “Sophie and Benjamin” or “and Sophie” in NAME 2. Similarly, you can always use the ADDRESS 2 field for “Apartment 3C” but if the street address itself is relatively short you can write “123 Main Street, Apt. 3C” in ADDRESS 1 instead. Just remember, everything will print exactly as you enter it - we do not edit your list in any way - so be sure to proofread thoroughly.
TITLES
Most of our suites are fairly modern, and it’s perfectly acceptable to leave off titles such as “Dr. and Mrs.” if that feels best to you. Just remember, the guiding principle of all etiquette is simply to make other people feel good, so if you have older relatives who would likely prefer to be greeted (postally-speaking) as “Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Samplestein,” there is also nothing wrong with addressing their envelopes a bit more formally than others on your list. If you do opt to use titles throughout, you’ll want to use Miss for girls under 18, Ms. for single women over 18, and Mr. for all males. (While it was commonplace 100 years ago, we do recommend that you refrain from referring to 13-year-old boys as “Master,” and ask simply that you think of their future wives and co-workers.)
ADDITIONS
For better or worse, virtually all our clients end up submitting slightly imperfect lists, if only because kids often make new friends and guests occasionally move after everything has gone to print. Just be sure to order plenty of extras and you can always hand-address or make labels for any late additions/revisions. Sadly, we cannot print additional names after your order has shipped as the envelopes are quite thick once they are lined (we print them before they are lined). We strongly recommend that you do not attempt to print your extras yourself on your home laser or inkjet printer as you stand a very good chance of breaking your printer. But please don’t worry - everyone has a few they have to address by hand.
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ENVELOPES
We always suggest ordering at least 15 extra invitations beyond what you actually plan to mail, and this means you should have 15 extra envelopes built-in, but if you still find yourself with an envelope emergency later, please know that we do stock unlined, unprinted envelopes in most colors, and we can usually get those out to you with very little notice. Just give a call!
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POSTAGE
CUSTOM
We include a complimentary matching stamp image with your order, perfectly sized so you can order your own custom postage from Stamps.com in just a few clicks! You’ll download the image using the black button on your proof page (directly below your proof images to the left) and then, once you’ve received your invitations and determined the correct postage amount, you’ll click the black “Stamps.com” button on your proof page to go to their site and place your order. Please note: we are not affiliated with Stamps.com in any way - just fans - so please be sure to reach out to them directly with any questions on their products, services, pricing and lead times. Lead times do seem to vary, so be sure to order early!
COSTS
As for postage costs, sadly, we are finding that no two post offices seem to quote postage quite the same anymore, so the only truly safe thing to do is to take your actual suite to your actual post office and have them quote it for you. We also strongly suggest going to more than one office to be safe (in case you get the new guy and he tells you the wrong amount). There is NOTHING worse than having your gorgeous invites returned for insufficient postage, so we always say better safe than sorry, especially when the USPS itself is so inconsistent. And when in doubt, it never hurts to add a bit to your postage, just as insurance.
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MAILING
STUFFING
There is no “one right way” to stuff your envelopes, so if there is some particular combination of layering that looks best to you, we encourage you to express your creativity any way you like. Having said that, however, we generally suggest you make the invitation itself the first thing guests see and be sure to have it facing guests as they open envelopes for maximum impact. Then, try placing larger inserts - like the reception card - to the back of the envelope, with smaller pieces - like reply and info cards - in between the invitation and reception card, with all components facing the recipient. The idea is that the smaller pieces get sandwiched in the middle, so when guests remove items from the envelope, the smaller cards will get pulled out with everything else instead of remaining stuck in the envelope. (Of course, if you have ordered a pocket you won’t have to worry about that.) But in any case, keep in mind that when you receive your order, there will be a single suite packaged on top for you to take to the post office, and you may want to take a quick photo of how we put everything together so you can refer back to it when assembling.
SEALING
When it comes to sealing, we truly suggest you never lick another envelope again as long as you live (and no, not because of that Seinfeld episode - we just know too much about what goes into envelope glue – ick!). Of course, if you try sealing with a sponge, you stand a good chance of wrecking your envelopes with too much water. Best practice we’ve found? A good old-fashioned glue-stick. We like the kind that goes on purple and dries clear so you can see what you are doing (just make sure it really does dry clear!). Also, be sure to seal a couple and let them dry overnight to make sure you’ve used enough glue – you don’t want to risk everything falling out in the mail sacks!