I just came from BrideTide's blog, specifically the post, "Is it necessary to write thank you-cards to my wedding vendors after our big day?" written by Rudy, the site's founder. She responds to this popular question with,

In short, no, it's not necessary to send your wedding vendors a thank-you card, but, personally I feel it is an overall nice gesture that is often overlooked by most newlyweds. Wedding professionals do a lot of behind-the-scene work that if done properly, most people won't even notice. That fact by itself is a reason to send them a quick note of appreciation. But, what if your vendor went above-and-beyond what you would call exceptional service?

I think this is great advice. Sure, the newlywed couple have fulfilled their end of the bargain by fulfilling their contractual obligations and paying all the vendors. But if those vendors have made life easier for the bride and groom during a hectic time and have contributed to the success of the most important day of the couple's lives, is a gesture of thanks not in order?

Rudy continues with an extremely insightful point on another type of thank you gesture.

One great way to show a wedding vendor some gratitude for their outstanding service at your wedding is to post some stellar reviews of them on some popular wedding vendor rating websites such as Wedding Wire, Project Wedding or Yelp. Unlike personal written thank-you notes, customer testimonials are a public recommendation to potential clients that a certain vendor is professional, reliable and newlywed approved.

She goes on to say,

Your online review and testimonial not only helps build their professional credentials, it creates an atmosphere of helping, support and guidance.

I can relate to this, as part of my job is to showcase the work of others. Often, I write about our customers' DIY creative projects. I tout the quality papers and environmental policies of of the mills that we work with. I even interview people within the wedding industry that might not necessarily have an existing relationship with LCI Paper. By writing about these individuals and companies, not only am I creating content that is interesting to our readers, but I am extending a gesture of thanks to those I write about by talking about them in public. It's a testimonial of sorts.

So when you have positive dealings with an online organization, consider blessing them with the most beneficial type of thanks--an online review on a popular web forum, an article about your experience with them on your blog, or even a shout out on Twitter. You can bet they'll be happy to return the favor. The good that you do will come back to you.

Joshua Birch
josh@lcipaper.com

New bride Rebecca and LCI Paper owner & founder Larry Chase met through a Twitter conversation. Rebecca, a full-time designer at Integrated Network Technologies, had designed her own wedding invitations and used blank pochettes, cards, and envelopes that she purchased from LCI Paper. Larry encouraged her to submit her invitation to me so that I could share her design with you. And here it is!

Rebecca was kind enough to tell me about her decision to design her own wedding invitation. Here is that interview:

How did you decide to make your own invitations?

My decision to make my own was based on two points; I am a professional graphic designer and my friends and family pretty much expect to see me flex my creativity muscles. Also, my husband and I were pretty much paying for the majority of our wedding, so saving on costs was important.

You used LCI's Copper Ore 6 1/4" square pochettes, Copper Ore response
envelopes, and Wet Black Forest 6 1/2" envelopes. Did you end up using the 6x6 vellum overlays?

Yes, I did actually. Good catch.

Tell me about the two unique pieces on your envelope -- the return address sticker and the flower embellishment in the lower left corner.

I wanted to add a unique personal touch, part of my job as a designer is to be economical and creative. Since it was small run of 160, I added the personal touches by hand. I bought scrapbook handheld flower dye cuts from a local craft store, one for the corner of the envelope so the copper would show through and the other to create a sticker as envelope seal. For the sticker I found the exact paper used for the copper envelope. I bought sheets of double stick paper and order a custom stamp design with our last name initial and return address circling around. We hand address the envelopes with a copper marker. Yes, my hands were a little sore afterward, but it was worth it.

The beautiful folder with the flower stencil... Is that your wedding program? Please tell me about that piece.

The folder was a guide of all the information you need to know for the wedding; location, times, food choices, directions, website address, etc. That way the guests had it all in one and could use it as a guide at the wedding. The flower stencil was of a lotus, my uncle, also an artist, built a large sculpture for the a background piece in the ceremony (attached). I carried the lotus symbol through out the design.

What were your guests' reactions to your invitation?
I think they were impressed, but wouldn’t of expected anything less from me. One friend, Corrine Feld (You have spoken to her), I recommended your company when she started designing wedding invites for others.

Do you think you made the right decision to make your invitations yourself?

I definitely believe it was the right decision, it made it special and was very economical.

Recommended Links:
Share Your Creativity
Follow LCI Paper on Twitter

Joshua Birch
josh@lcipaper.com

Last week, Barry Levine, Vice President Sales & Marketing, received an e-mail thank you from a customer, Phillip Zerebny, who was kind enough to allow us to reprint his letter on our blog.

Dear Barry,

I can’t thank you enough for the outstanding service and expert advice you provided me with my recent purchase. My brothers and I are planning a birthday party for our mother and I took on the task of creating the invitations. I placed an order for paper and envelopes through your web site. Within a few days they arrived and I was very pleased with the quality. I printed the invitations and upon stuffing the envelopes, I realized I had the incorrect phone number for the reply.

On Sunday I placed an identical order for the misprinted paper. The very next day I received a voice message from Linda explaining there was a problem obtaining the paper from the manufacturer. I immediately returned her call and she suggested that I speak with you regarding possible alternatives. I have to say that I was very impressed, not only with your knowledge of my printer but the knowledge of your products. You informed me that the weight of the alternate paper I was interested in wouldn’t be suitable for my printer and suggested that I email the invitation to you.

When I returned from work the next day I had a voice message from you. I called you back and you told me that you had taken it upon yourself to print the invitations and send them out that very same day…I was floored. Never before have I received this type of extraordinary service from any company or merchant. You have gained a life-long customer and advocate of the products and services you provide. Once again, thanks a million.

Sincerely,

Phillip Zerebny

I asked Barry about the circumstances surrounding his interaction with the customer. LCI Paper does not offer printing services, so I wanted to know why Barry had gone ahead and printed Phillip's invitations.

"Because we didn't have the stock that he originally chose, we suggested the same color of stock in a different line. My biggest concern about sending him that stock was since it was Vice Versa stock that we were substituting, the pattern of the finish is quite different than the smooth stock. It's the same color, but the finish is quite different. That being said, and the fact that the customer was in a crunch time situation where they had to get their invitations out the door, I suggested that I would test the papers out for the customer to let him know whether I found it acceptable on my office printer--which I feel is a good printer and a reputable one--before I actually sent the paper out to the customer."

Barry was also concerned that Phillip might have been using an HP inkjet printer, "...which in most cases, feeds paper from a bottom tray. As we all know, not all printers behave the same way with various papers we have. So I tested the Vice Versa paper on my inkjet printer. I determined that it was certainly an acceptable paper for inkjet, at least as it pertains to the printer that I was using, and made somewhat of an on-the-spot decision that if the customer was OK with the paper, because there were so few that he needed, I was going to print the remaining card stocks for him. He was nice enough to provide me with the file that he had so nicely created. It was more or less of a service that I provided personally as a gratis service."

Recommended Links:
LCI Paper's line of Gmund Vice Versa Textured Card Stock

Joshua Birch
josh@lcipaper.com

LCI is pleased to announce its metallic Stardream envelopes are now available in 5 ½ and 7 ½ square sizes. Previously offered in traditional A4, A7, A9, and policy sizes, these new unique envelopes add yet another creative option for customers working with this elegant line.

LCI began carrying the Stardream line in February of this year. As a result of customers' immense positive reaction to this stunning line, LCI has been continuously expanding on its Stardream selection ever since!

“Customers love Stardream; absolutely love it,” says LCI Vice President Barry Levine. “It is a line so unique and so popular that it speaks for itself.”

Made by Italian manufacturer Gruppo Cordenons, Stardream’s vibrant surface is one that no other paper manufacturer in the world has been able to replicate. This fine line of papers, cards, pochettes, and envelopes is truly one of a kind, and serves as a prime example of LCI’s commitment to offering distinctive, quality products to its customers.

All Stardream products are acid-free.

Gruppo Cordenons is a proud member of "Trust the Forest" dedicated to
protecting Virgin Forest and promotes social and economic development of
local communities.

Recommended Links:

LCI's Stardream Envelopes

Kristen Desrosier
kristen@lcipaper.com

LCI Paper now offers the Treasury brand, available in full size sheets in a unique gold color range. Treasury is manufactured by Gmund in Germany with a strong commitment to the environment.

The Treasury line shows gold in all its facets from natural to glamorous, traditional to modern. The unique color range includes eight different shades of gold and are named as Porcelain, Composition, Essence, Nature, Value, Shimmer, Trust, History, Beauty, and Tradition.

Treasury is suitable for the following applications: offset printing, letterpress, blind embossing, hot foil stamping, paper etching, thermography, silk-screen printing, and die cutting.

• Eight golden shades plus two white colours
• Soft feel surface texture
• Different extraordinary effects
• Fade resistant, pH neutral
• FSC certified (except Trust)

Recommended Links:
LCI Paper's Treasury line of full sized sheets
Gmund's Paper Making Tradition - Herbert Eibach Interview Part 1
Gmund's Paper Making Tradition - Herbert Eibach Interview Part 2

Joshua Birch
josh@lcipaper.com