The Wedding Series – Wedding Gift Giving Formula

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"Maybe the pickle fork in her pattern is part of the dream
we all have when we get married…
until then the pickle fork is great for picking the lock
on a bathroom dor (sic)
when the kids lock themselves in.”
~ Erma Bombeck, Nevada Daily Mail, October 7, 1985  

As both the vintage graphic and quote indicate, wedding guests have given -- and brides and grooms have received -- some interesting gifts over the generations. Some have been expected and some quite unexpected. There are the long-running jokes about the wedding couple receiving a half-dozen blenders or bun warmers, or that hideous vase from Great Aunt Ernestine that lives on the closet shelf except when it's hauled out and given a place of honor when she comes to visit!

Here Comes The New Year – Are You Ready?

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Let our New Year's resolution be this:
we will be there for one another
as fellow members of humanity,
in the finest sense of the word.
~ Goran Persson

 

With the beginning of each New Year, many if not most of us start ticking off those areas that we wish to improve in the coming year, sitting down to compose the time-honored -- or infamous, depending on how you look at it -- New Year's Resolutions.

Holiday Season 2015 – “Politically Correct” = Decency and Respect

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Some people find it impossible to accept
That all people are deserving of respect
Fairness and decorum they will reject
And scorn it as politically correct.

Two Decembers ago Fox News' Megyn Kelly declared on her show that, "...by the way for all you kids watching at home Santa just is white…” That statement caused quite a stir, but as the persona of Santa/Saint Nicholas/Father Christmas/Kris Kringle has progressed through several centuries and many countries, it's quite possible that this jolly man might have at some time been darker complexioned than the current version. There is even some historical indication that women might have taken turns during the progression of the Santa concept (although some children in the U.K. who were recently asked if Santa could be a woman had some interesting answers that proved we still have a way to go on the gender bias thing - hmmm).

Holiday Season 2015 – Making Things Better, Not Worse

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 “…you can prove that you’re a Christian.
You can’t prove it, then, you know, you err on the side of caution.”

“…calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States…”

“…I don’t think orphans under five…should be admitted into the United States at this point.”

The news is not good these days for those of us who teach etiquette to students and professionals. You can't pick up a newspaper, watch the news on TV or go online without reading or hearing the maelstrom of incivility aimed at certain ethnic and religious groups.

Holiday Season 2015 – Inclusion

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Archie Bunker: “What color is she?” 
Archie’s young niece, Stephanie: “A regular color.”
All in the Family, Season 9, Episode 25 - The Family Next Door

 

Back in the 1970s, All in the Family was one of the top TV shows and in the view of many one of the greatest TV series ever produced. It was also a groundbreaker, addressing the controversial and divisive issues of the decade. The show centered on Archie Bunker, a loudmouthed, undereducated, white middle class blue collar worker who was a bigot. Archie rarely passed up an opportunity to offend someone, either behind their backs to their faces. His absurd and outrageous remarks were both shocking and funny. Indeed, it was the comedic nature of the show that softened the contentious situations and biting dialogue, and the reactions of those who were offended and often bewildered by his odd use of the English language. Archie's intolerance was balanced by his longsuffering wife, Edith, who was inclusive and kind-hearted, and his feminist-minded daughter and liberal-minded college student son-in-law. The latter two regularly challenged Archie's bigotry and ignorance, sometimes revealing their own hypocrisies. However, it was clear throughout the series that Archie's attitude and behavior were dead wrong. Through his dramatization of what a bigot looks like, Archie Bunker raised the consciousness of a nation   

The Wedding Series – The Formal Invitation – Part 3

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Photo credit / source: inmylittlekorner.blogspot.com

"Details create the big picture."
~ Sanford I. Weill

 

The formal wedding invitation suite may include all or some of several components that should be assembled carefully for the most accurate, beautiful and delightful presentation when opened. The suite may also apply to less formal invitations, i.e., those that use colors, designs, typefaces and so on that differ from the strictly formal guidelines that have been discussed in the previous two entries.  

The Wedding Series – The Formal Invitation – Part 2

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 “Nothing annoys people so much as not receiving invitations.” 
― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

 

The size and shape of the formal wedding invitation is a rectangular portrait orientation, 5 1/2 X 71/2 inches. The folded variety opens like a book and is printed only on the front, with the inside blank. A very nice alternative, however, is the flat card, which I favor. Although a heavy card stock of white or cream is used, it's generally less expensive to make and mail. (Check last week's entry for information regarding wording and printing of the invitation and reply card.)

The Wedding Series – The Formal Invitation – Part 1

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 The Honour Of Your Presence Is Requested...

By the time your attention turns to selecting your invitation you should have your wedding planning well under control. You've decided on the kind of wedding you want, selected your venue, set the date, finalized your master guest list and mailed your save-the-date cards (if necessary). You've coordinated all the elements of your wedding to reflect your style and your invitation should be a beautiful reflection and preview of the festivities to come.