Save this Summer with Crane!

As many of you know, Crane is the absolute best in personal stationery. Their paper is made of 100% cotton, which makes it both high quality and environmentally friendly. This summer Crane is running a couple of fantastic promotion and we are proud to offer them to you!

First, for the very first time, you can purchase a 50-piece set of personalized Crane stationery for only $59 (plus shipping and tax). This is a savings of $45 or more! You can choose from a variety of pre-designed folded notes, flat card or letter sheets. This is an excellent price for Crane!

Second, Crane has extended their Buy 75, Get 25 Free Stationery Sale. This promotion allows you more flexibility than the first one because it allows you to choose any Crane stock, any ink color and any typestyle and/or monogram.

Both of these sales are for a limited time, so if you have ever thought about trying Crane for the first time, this is your chance!

2011 Wedding Trends

Can you believe that 2011 is almost half way through? Wedding season is in full swing, and autumn brides are starting to come in to pick out their wedding invitations. It has been interesting and fun to see the wedding trends unfold this year. What has surprised me most is the number of grooms we have worked with (sometimes without the brides!). They seem to be taking more interest in things like wedding invitations, thank-you notes and programs.

Purple - in all of its shades, but especially dark hues - is still the hot color this year. I would say that 80-90% of our brides have purple as one of their colors. Teal, bright green, coral, yellow and gray have also been very popular. My roommate, who is getting married on July 8th, chose both teal and a deep purple for her colors.

Another trend that I am seeing - and one that I personally like - is vintage weddings. Lace, ruffles, pearls, big flowers (especially has a head-piece), brooches and colors like peach, ivory, yellow, brown and rustic shades of red give weddings a nostalgic and unique flare. And, of course, this trend can be seen in wedding invitations as well.

For more information and for ideas about about vintage weddings, check out this blog.

This is How Much We Love Our Customers...

We just completed two rush wedding orders. One for programs and the other for programs and napkins. When I say rush, I mean, rush. The programs were ordered on May 31st (less the two weeks ago) and arrived yesterday - the day before the two weddings. We have been a little stressed, to say the least, trying to make sure that these two lovely couples received their wedding programs in time for the Big Days.

One program had to be assembled and ribboned. UPS was running late (of all days!) and time was running out for the groom's sisters to put the programs together before the rehearsal dinner last evening...so we called our UPS man on his cell phone:
- "Where are you?"
- "I am running behind today."
- "You have an overnight package on your truck that we need ASAP. Can you swing by our store first?"
- "No...but I can meet you somewhere."
- "Okay. Where?"
- "Meet me behind Best Buy and Stein Mart at 12:05."
So we did. At exactly 12:05 p.m., we intercepted the package and not too long later, the programs were in the hands of their assemblers. :)

The second wedding received their wedding programs in the nick of time, just like the former, but everyone forgot their personalized napkins (for the reception). This morning (the morning of the wedding), when we realized that they had either forgotten or didn't have time to pick them up, we decided to deliver them...to the church. Their wedding was at 2:00. It was almost 1:00. So with some help from Google Maps and various people at the church (whom God placed in my path to help me or I would still be lost in there), the napkins made it safely into the hands of the mother of the bride.

And they all lived happily ever after...

Congrats to these two sets of newly weds!!!

Three Years and Counting...

This month, I am celebrating my third year at Papers Unique. I have learned MUCH during my time here - about invitations, weddings, proper etiquette, Louisville...

Because of Papers Unique...
1. I can tie a decent bow
2. I am sharpening my mad-rhyming skills
3. I am now a paper and etiquette snob :)
4. I have gotten more in touch with my "girly" side (I discovered I like lace)
5. I can spell fleur de lis, hors d'oeuvres and stationery (stationAry means you're standing still)
6. I can help YOU find the perfect invitation
7. I know why there are those "Keep Louisville Weird" signs :)

Check out this bow!

This job has been a blessing from the Lord and there are a lot of things I love about it. I love my boss Michele. She is my mom-away-from-home, friend and sister-in-Christ. She is amazing. Plus, she let me off work for six months to go to South Asia to serve the Lord! I love praying with her in the mornings before we open. I love helping customers make their envisioned invitations come to life. I especially love it when they give me complete freedom with their invites. :)

A Tissue in Case You Cry...

One of our lovely brides gave us this idea and we think you'll love it as a favor for your wedding day...