The Green Kangaroo - Unique Wedding Invitations and Stationery

Okay brides, you do NOT want to miss out on this month’s promotion! Our entire line of wedding day stationery is eligible for a 20% discount, today through September 30, 2010! This is an incredible savings on all the stationery items you’ll need on the day of your wedding, including wedding programs, wedding reception place cards, table cards, and menus.

Just enter the promo code: sept20wds at check out to receive this great 20% off savings.

And just to keep things interesting … Head Kangaroo Kristen told me to throw in FREE reply postcards on Signature Wedding Invitation orders! No promo code required for this one. Simply select the “postcard RSVP” option during the Build & Buy ordering process and the discount will be automatically applied to your order. How cool is that?

Both offers end September 30, 2010 and are not retroactive to any orders placed prior to this announcement. Free RSVP postcard offer does not apply to Signature Pockets, Signature Raised, or Couture invitations.

When it comes time to place your wedding invitation order, be careful in determining the actual number of invitations you need. Don’t over-buy wedding invitations! While your “headcount” is probably bouncing around in your brain as a critical number for every vendor from the ceremony site to the caterer, remember that you don’t actually need an invitation for every single wedding guest. Many, if not most, of your guests are members of the same household, which means you can double (or triple, or quadruple!) up on how many individuals a particular invite is addressed to. This translates into major savings over buying an invitation for every guest!

Circles and Dots Clutch Wedding Invitation

Here are the guidelines for determining whether or not a guest should receive their own invitation:

1. Immediate family members, living in the same household, can all be included on a family invitation.

2. However, children over the age of 18 should receive their own invitation, even if still living at their childhood home.

3. You can send a single invitation to a non-married guest who is invited to bring a date if you don’t know the date well enough to send them their own invitation. Simply pen “and guest” following the person’s name on the inner envelope.+

4. Inviting a set of roommates? Send them each their own invitation, even though they live in the same household.

Of course, you will want to order a few extra invitations to account for last minute guest list additions and several keepsakes for yourself and perhaps your parents. And most stationers will supply you with a few extra envelopes to account for addressing goofs, but it’s wise to double check this policy with your vendor. We recommend ordering 10-15 extra invitations as a standard cushion.

+Note: If you know the name of the “guest-of-your-guest,” as in a situation where you are inviting someone with a long-time boyfriend / girlfriend, it is nice to address the inner envelope to both people, even if they don’t live at the same residence. For example, you would address the outer envelope of the invitation to “Mr. Randolph Lathram” and the inner envelope “Randy and Caroline.” We prefer this practical, personal approach to wedding invitation etiquette over the somewhat impersonal choice of “and guest.”

Last week we gave you a few tips for assembling wedding invitations. Which got us to thinking about a few more tricks of the trade we wanted to share with you – this time relating to addressing wedding invitations.

1. Address all of your envelopes first, before you begin stuffing the invitations. This allows the ink time to dry and prevents smudging and smearing all over your lovely invites.

2. Address your envelopes in sets, keeping the inner and outer envelopes together for each family. This tactic helps you be sure to put the correct inner envelope in the corresponding outer envelope when stuffing!

3. If you’re enlisting help with addressing your envelopes, be sure the handwriting on each envelope set matches. Guests will notice if your straight, small penmanship graces the outer envelope and your mother’s large, flowery letters adorn the inner!

Of course, you can always opt for our time-saving guest addressing service, and let us take care of the hard part!

We often receive questions from brides seeking the proper etiquette guidelines for stuffing wedding invitations. And in fact, there is a certain “protocol” for assembling your invites and placing them in the envelopes. While we always include a fully assembled sample in every order to serve as a visual reference, here are a few tips to streamline the process:

1. Layer accessory pieces from largest to smallest on top of the invitation.

2. Place your invitation with the accessory pieces into the inner envelope so that the printed side of the invitation faces the back side of the inner envelope.

Image courtesy of Invitation Advice

3. The inner envelope is inserted into the outer envelope in the same manner, with the front side of the inner envelope (with the guests’ names) facing the back side of the outer envelope.

If you keep in mind that, when a guest opens the envelopes, the printed side should always be what is seen first, this will be an easy trick to remember!

If you’re planning a fall wedding, I’m sure you are in the very thick of the planning stages! To give you autumn brides a little cool inspiration during these hot summer days, I wanted to feature one of TGK’s gorgeous fall-themed designs, the Acorn wedding invitation.

The hand-drawn acorn branches bring to mind crisp autumn days and are a supremely elegant nod to the season. We love this design in traditional, subtle earth tones, such as chocolate and grass shown above.

And we just launched this new Acorn Square Clutch invitation design, also shown in chocolate and grass, but with a little more green for a bit more punch! The clutch features your invitation on the front with an innovative pocket on the back. It’s similar to a pocket, but a bit more streamlined without the booklet-style opening.

Check back with us for more autumn inspiration in the coming weeks! And try to keep cool until then …

Taking a cue from our popular pocket wedding invitations, last year The Green Kangaroo introduced a new pocket-style concept: our unique clutch wedding invitation style.

The Monogram Clutch, in periwinkle and pewter.

Since its introduction, brides have loved the simplicity of this innovative design, which features your invitation on one side and a pocket on the reverse to hold three accessory cards. No unfolding necessary! Just flip the invitation over and your maps, accommodations, and reply information are all there, tucked neatly into the simple pocket on the back.

The Circles and Dots Clutch, in tropical pink and aqua.

And an added plus is that clutch invitations cost a bit less than pocket invitations because they use less paper. Just one more spin on a new classic from our design team!

One of Melissa and Kristen’s fellow Wedding Aces posted a helpful article on navigating the etiquette of addressing some of the trickier titles when addressing your wedding invitations. See some of her helpful tips below, and click the linked photo below to read the full article on the Wedding Aces site.

Excerpted from Addressing Envelopes II: Dr., Hon., ...Esq.?

~ If both Jane & John Doe are doctors, address the envelope using either Drs. Jane and John Doe, or use their degree in their title as Jane Doe, M.D. and John Doe, Ph.D. (when using the second option, forgo the “Drs.” at the beginning.)

~ If John is a doctor, but Jane is not, the envelope could be addressed Dr. and Mrs. John Doe though if Jane is the doctor, it would be Dr. Jane Doe and Mr. John Doe.

~ If Jane is a lawyer, Jane Doe, Esq. is accurate, however since a wedding is a social invitation, it may be most appropriate to address the invitation more formal and less business. When in doubt, ask the guest how they prefer to be addressed.

Don’t forget to add the wonderful Wedding Aces to your blog list so you can stay in the loop on all the fabulous wedding insider tips!

If you’re looking to create a vintage vibe for your wedding day, we love the idea of using sealing wax to secure your wedding invitation envelopes. A perfect complement to our retro chic Hollywood or our classic Grace invitations!


There are seals with every monogram and image you can imagine to personalize the impression pressed into each dollop of wax. Many brands of sealing wax are mailable, and we particularly love the selections available online through Letter Seals.

Carry the old world charm of wax seals into other aspects of your wedding day. Gift your bridesmaids with these gorgeous fine silver wax seal initial necklaces by Etsy artist Shannon Westmeyer. The perfect way to say thank you to your lovely maids!

Or imprint a seal on the side of wine bottles or hurricanes as table centerpieces.

The ideas are limitless!

Sealing wax images courtesy of Letter Seals

Over the last few weeks, we’ve launched four new square pocket invitation designs. If you love the clean, modern look of pocket wedding invitations, we think you’ll adore our fresh – and square! – takes on this “new classic!”

The Seahorse Square Pocket incorporates our popular palm tree, sand dollar, starfish, and (of course) seahorse motifs to set the scene for your laid-back chic coastal wedding! The square pocket design is a terrific solution for packaging the vital details and information for a tropical destination wedding.

Our Monogram Pocket’s clean lines appeal to brides looking to keep things simple, timeless, and elegant. Perfect when paired with subtle, sedate hues, this invitation really pops with vibrant colors, such as the grass green and navy, shown here.

Since we launched it last year, our charming Magnolia motif has quickly become a favorite! We love the “surprise” of this gorgeous southern blossom gracing the lower corner of the invitation when the pocket is opened! A stunning addition to our square pocket family.

And of course, we can’t launch a new set of invitations without finding a home for our beloved Josie motif, whose updated floral filigree design sets the tone for weddings of all styles. Josie, like my little sister, looks good in just about any color or shape we put her in! And the square pocket style is no exception.

Have you fallen in love with being “square” yet?

Cinco de Mayo is here and we are ready to celebrate with a little POSTCARD Fiesta!

We love that everywhere we look, everything is green. It’s a sure sign that summer is almost here! We’re just one sombrero away from turning green ourselves! To celebrate May and the green in us all, we’re offering FREE postcard reply cards with any Signature Invitation order!

Save paper AND postage with this month! Be green with The “Green” Kangaroo!

Qualifying invitation orders placed between May 5 and May 31 are eligible to receive a free postcard reply card! Simply make your selection in the “Design Options” tab when you are customizing your order.

Hurry! This offer expires on May 31, 2010.

In honor of Earth Day, The Green Kangaroo is announcing that ALL of our products are now available for printing on 100% recycled white paper! We’ve been searching for quite some time to find just the right recycled paper that meets our high quality standards while still offering a cost effective solution for our customers.

Now, we understand you may not get as excited about paper as we do! But we just have to tell you about this new design component that has everyone in the studio over the moon. This recycled paper is made from 100% post-consumer products, which means that every bit of the paper has been repurposed from a previously used paper source. In addition, it is ultra heavy weight which gives it a luxurious heft and substance appropriate for fine stationery. This means your designs will look amazing and utterly professional when printed on this paper!

We also love that, because of the nature of the recycling process, each sheet of paper has a hallmark “natural” appearance, where you can discern the teeniest flecks and slight imperfections. While all of the recycled papers are white, no sheet of paper is exactly the same as the next, so your guests will be able to tell that you selected an environmentally friendly product by the paper’s unique, slightly distressed look.

If you’re interested in seeing how your invitation will look on our new recycled paper, simply select that as an option when ordering your samples and we will send you the papers of your choice so you can touch, feel, and see the difference.

Happy Earth Day!

Last month, we announced a special charitable promotion where 5% of all sales during March featuring the color blue would be donated to the Oceanic Preservation Society. Well, the results are in, and we are delighted to announce that TGK is sending a donation of $645 to OPS! A big thank you to all of our customers who got a little blue with us to rally behind this organization with a firm commitment to preserving ocean life.

Now that April is in full swing, don’t forget that this month we’re getting back to basics with our promotions. No percentages to calculate, no colors to consider … just FREE stuff! Receive free note cards, place cards, or favor tags with any Signature Invitation or Signature Pocket order! See last week’s blog posting here for all the details.

And thanks again for supporting TGK and the Oceanic Preservation Society in March!

Brides planning summer weddings at beach-y locales will love our sophisticated take on a classic coastal theme. Introducing our new Starfish wedding invitation! Inspired by our ever-popular Coastal Couture design, which features an actual dried starfish embellishment, our designers have incorporated this unexpected motif into one of our most affordable invites. Right now we’re loving this design in bright contrasting shades that are right at home on the hot sandy beaches for mid- and late-summer weddings. But this design also looks great in more muted shades that speak to the natural hues of the coast, such as taupe, pale blue, and soft pink. Whatever your style, we think you’ll love this fun new design!

The Starfish Wedding Invitation in Tangerine and Tropical Pink:

or in Lime and Turquoise …

or try Tangerine and Aqua!

More new coastal designs are currently on the drawing boards, so keep watching for additional beach-themed inspiration!

According to Brides magazine, turquoise is the “it” color for this year’s spring weddings. And we agree! Want to get in on the turquoise trend? Check out these different uses of turquoise resulting in completely unique looks.

If you aren’t afraid of making a bold turquoise statement, then incorporating a deep swath of this color across the background or pocket of your invitation is a great way to go! Shown here is our Coastal Pocket Invitation with the favorite pairing of turquoise and chocolate brown.

You can use the same turquoise-and-chocolate color scheme and achieve a completely different look! Our Cari Postcard Save-the-Date uses a lighter shade of turquoise as the background color for a softer feel. Yet you can still maximize turquoise’s impact with a pop of a deeper shade on a single flower!

Maximize the fun quotient of turquoise by pairing it with luscious tropical pink, as shown here on our Circles and Dots Ribbon Program!

Turquoise brightens our Layered Flower Place Card and pairs beautifully with lime green …

And works just as well as a fun complement to classic black-and-white on our Booklet Program

Try turquoise with silver, navy, or even chartreuse. The options are limitless!

We love when brides get creative with incorporating personalized details throughout their weddings! When we came across these amazing cakes created by our friends at Swank Cake Design here in Cary, North Carolina, we were instantly reminded of the petite budding flowers that grace our Cherry Blossom invitation. Consider providing your cake designer with an inspiration point, such as your wedding invitations, to give your event an extra level of customization and personality!

All cake images courtesy of Swank Cake Design.

TGK’s Cherry Blossom wedding invitation in tropical pink and chocolate ink.

A few more variations on the petite floral theme from Swank …

. . . and we love this one below from Lynn’s Traditions that we saw at the recent Cary Magazine Wedding Gala. It coordinates very nicely with our line of Bird and Blossom stationery!