The Ten Carat Anniversary

The 50th wedding anniversary may be golden but after that it’s all about diamonds, baby.

According to www.anniversaryideas.com, the gift associated with a 60th anniversary is diamonds. The 70th anniversary gift is diamonds and platinum; for an 80th anniversary, diamonds and pearls, followed by diamonds and emeralds for a 90th anniversary. So how do you top that for a 100th anniversary? The suggestion is a 10-carat diamond.

I don’t think anyone is going to need to buy a 10-carat diamond as a present for a 100th wedding anniversary any time soon – after all, Mayme and Clarence Vail are setting a record with their 83rd anniversary this year. However, there are a number of businesses and organizations that have passed the century mark.

How do they celebrate? Sometimes, they throw parties. That’s what the Jewish Home and Aging Services (JHAS) of metropolitan Detroit did – they held a gala at the Detroit Opera House to celebrate their 100th anniversary in September 2007. They also used the occasion to honor their executive director, Carol Rosenberg, who has played a major role in the continuing success of this agency with her incredible energy, compassion and respect for the oldest members of the community.

As the JHAS says on their website, “It’s not easy, growing old, but it’s a whole lot easier when a community cares.” Clearly, the Detroit community cares a great deal about providing services to the aging. They also have shown their ability to adapt to the changing needs of their population, expanding their outreach and support offerings over time to improve the lives of older adults in many new ways. Congratulations to the JHAS on reaching this amazing milestone.

And these people know how to party - by all accounts, the gala was a marvelous evening. However, it probably went by in a flash. To help preserve the joyous memories of that special celebration, we created a keepsake collage of the gala’s invitation and presented it to Carol.


JHAS 100th Anniversary Gala Keepsake Collage
Here’s the collage we made for Carol Rosenberg of the JHAS.

Whether it’s personal (milestone birthdays, milestone anniversaries, sweet 16s, bar/bat mitzvahs, quinceañeras, new babies) or professional (a collage acceptance, a promotion, a retirement, a new business venture, new facilities) Purple Raincoat keepsake collages are a wonderful way to celebrate the special events and milestones of your life.

And if you’re lucky enough to be celebrating that 10-carat anniversary, the gift of a Purple Raincoat keepsake is a unique, personalized way to preserve the memories of your celebration that won’t break the budget. Visit us at Purple Raincoat to see examples of keepsakes to get ideas for your own celebrations.

Why watching “Survivor” can help you live to be 100

In my May 15 post, I noted that May has been designated as a month to celebrate Older Americans. So I thought it would be timely to pass along these tips for living longer from Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness office of the Cleveland Clinic and coauthor (with Dr. Mehmet Oz) of You, Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty.

In an article in the April issue of Allure magazine, he was asked, “What’s the secret to living to 100?” His answer: “Watching Survivor. Seriously. Researchers have found that one third of centenarians watch reality TV shows, one quarter watch MTV or music videos, and some even surf the web and use an iPod. They’re also into current events, lead healthy lifestyles – exercise, eat right, avoid excessive alcohol and smoking – and consider faith and spirituality to be a priority.”

Sounds like a plan – and I know these tips work because my father puts them into practice (so long as you include watching sports as reality TV - my 97-year-old father remains an enthusiastic fan of televised games involving Detroit’s baseball, basketball, hockey and football teams, along with the occasional golf tournament).



My father with Carol Rosenberg, Executive Director of the Jewish Home and Aging Services, part of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. This photo was taken just after the Bessie Spector Brunch honoring the Oldest Jewish Americans on May 9, 2008. My dad looks pretty good for 97, don't you think?

So the next time someone suggests you get off the couch and turn off “The Hills,” maybe you should just tell them you’re working on extending your healthy lifespan. But be sure you don't wait until your 100th to celebrate - there are plenty of milestones worth marking along the way. And remember to preserve the memories of your celebrations of those milestones on our way to your 100th birthday with Purple Raincoat collage keepsakes that are as unique and individual as you.

Come visit us at www.purpleraincoat.com for unique ways to preserve invitations and honor the special events and special people in your life (including you).

Happy Older Americans Month!

Since 1963, May has been the month designated to celebrate our nation’s longest-living citizens – those who are at least 65 years old. Originally named “Senior Citizens Month” by President John F. Kennedy, the celebration became the more politically correct “Older Americans Month” thanks to President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The purpose of Older Americans Month is to encourage the nation to pay tribute in some way to the 37.3 million people aged 65+ across the country through ceremonies, events and public recognition.

I was fortunate enough to attend one of those events last week. On May 9, the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Community held the Bessie Spector Brunch honoring the "Oldest Jewish Americans" - members of the community at least 95 years old. There must be something in the water in Detroit; amazingly, there were nearly 70 honorees, including several people who were at least 100 years old and one woman who was about to turn 110 years old.

Each of the nearly 40 honorees who was able to attend the event was interviewed and had something of interest to say. They talked about coming to America after being born in other countries, discussed their past and continuing volunteer activities and talked about their most memorable experiences. It was an astonishing event that reminds us of the importance of active living at every age.

What was striking to me was to see to many people at the brunch who still function at a remarkably high level. One of the prime examples among the honorees was my father, Ben Gurvitz, who is living proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to get “old.” He is a marvel who lives independently, has an appropriate joke for every occasion, and enjoys an extremely busy social life involving for the most part people at least 20 years younger than he is who are eager to be in his company. He remembers more names, faces, facts and phone numbers than most people have forgotten. A retired pharmacist, he has aged so little that people still recognize him as the owner of a drugstore he sold more than 30 years ago.

And I’m not the only one who sees my father as special. He is a role model for many people of my generation. As psychologist Steven Ceresnie wrote in the June 2007 issue of Michigan Psychologist, my 97-year-old father is “one resilient human being who treasures each day, never complains, and helps everyone who knows him stay optimistic about the species.” He is living proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop living life to its fullest.

Which is important because by 2030, approximately 75 million people – or about 20 percent of our citizens — will be at least 65 years old. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. So a lot more of us can look forward to being in that same boat. However, as my brother is fond of saying, “getting older sure beats the alternative.” Especially if you can keep a sense of humor about reaching an age where, as my father would say, “God is just a local call.”

So what do you give someone who is celebrating an 80th birthday or 85th birthday or 90th birthday or 95th birthday or even a 100th birthday? Help them keep smiling by giving the gift of memories. I recently presented my father with a Purple Raincoat collage based on the restored wedding photo taken of him and my mother. The look on his face when he first saw the collage was priceless. It was a joy to give him a gift that will keep giving him so much every time he looks at it.

Give the gift that celebrates the past in a way that you can enjoy far into the future. Let Purple Raincoat create a collage to celebrate the older Americans in your life. We can take those old photos and other memorabilia and turn them into unique works of art that touch hearts. What a wonderful way to honor their lives and say “thanks for the memories”.



This collage is similar to the one I gave to my father. The original black and white photo was restored and turned to sepia. Elegant muted papers in tonal prints of bronze, copper, cream, tan, and gold decorate the background of this collage. Read about it in more detail at http://www.purpleraincoat.com/anniversary-wedding-keepsakes.html

Invitation keepsakes start with great invitations, Part III: Wording

(One in an occasional series of tips for creating great invitations)



Don’t let this happen to you.
Most people work hard to get just the right wording that sets the tone for your event and makes your guests feel welcome. The wrestling over wording can get intense even under the best of circumstances. This "invitation" is an example of someone’s imagination running wild. I have to admit that I like the combination of script and block fonts – it’s quite elegant, actually. Looks can be deceiving, can’t they?

Etiquette books (and websites) suggest appropriate invitation wordings for almost every occasion, and every variant of that occasion – bar/bat mitzvahs for twins, weddings where the parents have divorced and remarried, and so on. You will also find many examples in the invitation books. If you don’t see one that feels right, create your own.

There are (almost) no rules (although it is generally accepted that you should not say “request the honor of your presence” unless a ceremony of some kind is being held in a house of worship).

At a minimum, you should make sure that your wording includes the name/s of those whose occasion is being celebrated, along with the time, place, and date of the event.

On more formal invitations, it is customary to use words rather than numbers for dates and times:

Saturday, the sixth of November
Two thousand and four
at eleven o’clock in the morning

But if you’re pressed for space on your invitation you may want to consolidate:

at 11:00AM on Saturday, November 6, 2004

Other things you may want to include either on the invitation or on a separate reception card:

• An opening “invitation” – “Please join us as we celebrate a special day in our family’s life…” or “We request the honor of your presence at the marriage of …”

• An indication of who is hosting the event: Join us as we celebrate our marriage” for a couple hosting their own wedding; “Sylvia Smith and John Jones cordially invite you to attend the wedding of our daughter…”. You can choose to use “Mr. and Mrs. Jones” or Sylvia and John Smith-Jones – use whatever feels right to you and is the custom in your community (again, ask your dealer for help).

• A statement regarding the formality of the occasion: “Black tie” to indicate that formal wear is required; “Business Casual” if khakis and boat shoes are acceptable; “Flip flops welcomed” for a seaside event. (By the way, I believe that an event should be Black Tie or not – the “black tie optional” option is almost guaranteed to make some people feel underdressed and some overdressed – but that’s just my opinion. I am fond of the “Creative Black Tie” option, as well as “Party Attire.)

• An indication of the length of the event: “Join us for dinner and dancing from seven until ten o’clock in the evening” – this is particularly helpful for events where parents may be required to pick up their children at the end of an afternoon or evening event.

If you follow these suggestions, you will be able to create "an invitation to remember" - one that captures the spirit of your event. Which of course you will want to preserve as a framed keepsake of your wedding, which Purple Raincoat will be happy to create for you. See our newest samples of wedding invitation framed keepsakes and bar/bat mitzvah invitation framed keepsakes on our website, www.purpleraincoat.com.

When your friends ask what you want for a gift, be sure to send them to our ordering page so they will get all the information they need to select the perfect gift for you.

Celebrating a 60th? Plant a tree for free

According to Wikipedia, the number 60 – the “natural” number between 59 and 61 – is “semiperfect”* and “highly composite”**. Sound like anyone you know who may have been born in 1948 and is celebrating a 60th birthday?

Even if "60 is the new 40," turning 60 can be tough for some people, particularly if well-meaning friends shower them with “over the hill” themed gifts. I’m not sure where the hill starts, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t keep going up at 60, 70, 80, or more. My husband and I went to see a Tony Bennett concert the other day. Tony is celebrating 60 years of “connecting to people everywhere through the magic of his music,” according to his official website. He may be 82 years old, but you’d never know it by listening to him. He played a solid 90 minutes and thrilled the 10,000 people in the audience with his wonderful performance.

Israel is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. In honor of this occasion, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) will plant a tree in honor of anyone who is 60 years old or has been married for at least 60 years. (Mayme and Clarence Vail, are you listening?) There is no charge – it’s absolutely free.


Visit the JNF website for your free tree

What’s so great about planting a tree in Israel?
From the JNF website: “Over the past century, the JNF family has planted over 240 million trees, built over 180 dams and reservoirs, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks throughout Israel and educated students around the world about Israel and the environment. Through the support of donors around the world, the JNF family was able to ensure that Israel was the only nation in the world to end the 20th century with more trees than it had at the beginning.”

With Earth Day just past, a lot of us are thinking about what we can do to help protect our environment. So this is perfect: The earth needs trees. JNF will plant one for free. You feel great about something really cool in honor of a 60th birthday (or anniversary). The recipient is happy to get something that’s not another “you know you’re 60 when…” gift. Everybody wins.

And the JNF will send out a beautiful personalized commemorative certificate, which Purple Raincoat will be happy to turn into a framed keepsake that would help anyone feel great about celebrating this milestone. Visit Purple Raincoat to see our newest examples of unique special event framed keepsakes and anniversary keepsakes that make perfect gifts for life's special celebrations.

*semiperfect (10 times a perfect number)
**highly composite (has 11 different divisors).

Can a font make you lose your appetite?

A cautionary tale about menus (and invitations)

I believe that “fonts have feelings” – their emotional impact can drive you to make choices on a level that you may not even be aware of. In my February 4 post, I talked about an article analyzing the potential impact of fonts on how voters make their choices for presidential candidates. Well, that article was correct in its prediction that John McCain would be the Republican nominee. Time will tell if the article was right about Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination.

A few days ago, a Boston Globe restaurant review started by wondering why so few of the people who looked at the posted menu actually came into the restaurant. Here is an excerpt from the review by James Reed (March 29, 2008) – I’m hiding the name of the restaurant (they’ve got enough problems):

“Twenty-seven. That's an awful lot of people we watched as they considered dinner at (the restaurant) and then quickly moved on down the street. It was a recent Saturday night, during the prime dinner hours between 7 and 9 p.m., and one by one, would-be diners lingered over the menu posted outside and kept walking…Eventually, though, we figured out why people kept strolling by. Let's start with the typography on the restaurant's sign. It sounds silly, even ridiculous, I know, but (the restaurant) suffers from what one of us keenly described as "hair-salon font." It's true: The slanted, curly-cue script, which extends to the menu, makes it hard to decipher even a simple word like "agnolotti." © Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

The evening that the review was published, I started reading Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan by Paula Marantz Cohen. My husband’s sisters, Ellen and Laura, recommended this book to me as “light reading.” They never mentioned what the book was about, so it was much to my surprise that I discovered it began with Carla, the main character, fighting with her daughter, Stephanie, about selecting an invitation for Stephanie’s upcoming bat mitzvah.

Carla was unprepared for the confrontation. From Chapter One: “Carla hadn’t thought that picking out an invitation would be so complicated. After all, how hard could it be to choose a good paper stock with a colored border and some curly type?”

Sounds as if Carla was talking about the same kind of “hair salon” font that the restaurant chose for its menu. I think the reviewer was right – in addition to being hard to read, the "curly-cue" font sends the wrong message about the restaurant’s personality.

The first moral of this story? Pay attention to the message you’re trying to communicate when you select a font for anything. The same font that works for a bat mitzvah invitation may not work so well on an upscale Italian restaurant menu.

The second moral? Be prepared for the amount of emotion that gets invested in the invitation selection process. Again, from Chapter One of Much Ado About Jessie Kaplan: "The many trivial, hard-to-differentiate variables involved in picking out a bat mitzvah invitation were just the sort of thing liable to cause a meltdown." All the more reason to showcase the "winning" bar/bat mitzvah invitation with a framed Purple Raincoat collage - a great gift for the bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl as well as a wonderful keepsake for the parents. To get ready, you may want to start checking out the wide selection of invitations available online - eInvite, Purple Raincoat's online invitation partner, is a great place to begin.

The third moral? Get your hands on a copy of this book if you’re anywhere near the bar/bat mitzvah years. The story of how bar/bat mitzvah planning can take on a life of its own will resonate with you and make you smile – sometimes with laughter, sometimes in painful recognition of your own experience. I’m not done with the book, but in addition to choosing an invitation it has already covered the joys of building the guest list, selecting a caterer, developing a menu, hiring entertainment, and designing centerpieces – all done within the context of a community where “keeping up with the Joneses” can drive a family way over its budget. The book is a selection of the Hadassah Book Club, and includes a reading group guide. This would be a fun one to discuss over coffee – or better yet, a glass of wine. Happy reading!

What starts at 16 and is still going strong at 99?

Tips for a long-lasting marriage

My 16-year-old daughter doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about getting married, but apparently getting married at 16 was fairly common back in the 1920s. As reported on the Today show, Mayme was only 16 when she married Clarence Vail, an “older man” of 18 on February 17, 1925.

On February 17, 2008 – after their family had grown to include six children, 39 grandchildren, 101 great-grandchildren, and 40 great-great-grandchildren – they celebrated their 83rd wedding anniversary. The record for the longest known marriage belongs to a couple from Taiwan, but the Guinness Book of World Records is conducting research to see if the Vails are the longest married couple alive in the United States.


As we approach the beginning of wedding season, it would seem to be useful to find out what we can learn from the Vail's 83 years of experience. So what are the keys to the longevity of their marriage? According to Mayme Vail, it takes “patience and humility.” She also notes, “you’ve got to admit you’re wrong now and then…I’ve had to do it.” Wise words, as anyone who has ever been married will admit.

Author Sheryl Kurland uncovered some other secrets to long-lasting marriages. For her book, “Everlasting Matrimony: Pearls Of Wisdom From Couples Married 50 Years Or More,” she interviewed 75 couples who had been married at least 50 years - “real-life relationship experts”, in her words – to find out what it takes to reach that golden 50th anniversary.

Here are some of the tips Kurland passes along for surviving 50 years of family holidays. I think these ideas can be useful at any time of year:

• Never discuss sensitive subjects when you’re hungry.
• Make a list of what not to talk about at family gatherings. For example, try to avoid the word “older,” as in “Aunt Mary is older than Aunt Susan” or “For an older man, Uncle Harold has a lot of hair.”
• At family dinners, if you’ve lost weight recently, don’t mention it. In fact, wear baggy clothes to make yourself inconspicuous.
• Never roll your eyes or shush someone else’s annoying, bratty child who is running around or whining.
• Weather turbulence with laughter.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
• The pie crust won’t be perfect. Scale down your expectations, and focus on what’s right rather than what’s wrong.

(Sheryl P. Kurland © December 2005).

Put these tips into action and maybe someday the Guinness Book of World Records will be calling on you to discuss your anniversary. And if anyone out there from the Vail family is listening, please get in touch with me – I would love to make a keepsake anniversary gift for you to celebrate this family milestone.

Is there a milestone wedding anniversary coming in for one of your friends or family members - a 20th anniversary, 30th anniversary, 40th anniversary, 50th anniversary, or any other special number? For any anniversary, the gift that's always right is the gift of memories, and Purple Raincoat makes it so easy for you. One call does it all. We'll take care of everything, including shipping and gift wrapping. No matter what your special occasion, let Purple Raincoat create a unique and memorable gift. Give us a call so we can start creating something special just for you.

Invitation keepsakes start with great invitations, Part II: Select a dealer

(One in an occasional series of tips for creating great invitations)



In this framed wedding invitation, sky blue was selected as the accent color for this elegant cream, black and gold invitation. This particular blue color was featured on an invitation for a shower given in honor of this bride. Pearls, satin flowers, black skeleton leaves and ornate teardrop frame complete the design. See more samples of framed wedding invitation keepsakes at www.purpleraincoat.com on the wedding/anniversary page

The variety of available invitations is astounding. There is something out there for every taste and budget. But how to find that right one? Your dealer can be your best friend when it comes to finding the right invitation. Start by using these tips to find the dealer that’s right for you:

You want a dealer who is known for great customer service.
Ask people who have hosted similar events for their recommendations – not only for good dealers, but also for dealers you should avoid. You want someone who has time to spend with you as you go through the invitation design process, will be available to answer your questions, pays attention to every detail, and can help you make decisions when you get stuck.

You want the dealer with the best selection of invitations for you, not necessarily the largest selection. Don’t assume that “more is better” and that having a larger selection of invitation books and companies is always helpful – sometimes, too many choices can be just as bad as too few choices. A local dealer may choose to carry a limited selection of books and companies, but if they know their customers that may be enough.

Other advantages of a local dealer:

• A local dealer is likely to be familiar with other people having the same kinds of events, so they can help make sure that your invitation is “original’ in your community.

• In addition, a local dealer is more likely to allow you to take invitation books home, which is a huge advantage when making your selection. It's great to be able to take your time and consult with your family - this isn't a process you want to rush.

But there are advantages to exploring invitations on the Internet. If you can’t find someone locally who can help you, there are lots of online options available. It also can be helpful to browse invitations on the Internet to get an idea of what different companies offer at various price points. Many offer the opportunity to order samples, which is important because "seeing" an invitation isn't the same as "feeling" it.

Start your online browsing at eInvite.com, where you’ll find invitations for all occasions from several companies, including our favorite company, Checkerboard. The website gives you the opportunity to see your invitation with your words in the font of your choice. It’s a great way to “try before you buy.”

Watch for Part III, coming soon, on getting ready to answer the questions your dealer will ask.

A framed invitation makes a wonderful keepsake for weddings, bat mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs, sweet 16s – even “grand openings”. Be sure to visit www.purpleraincoat.com to see samples of collages designed to showcase framed keepsake collages for all occasions.

Sweet Little Sixteen

Zoe's Birth Announcement

I can’t believe that 16 years ago today my daughter, Zoe, was born. My mother was born on March 8, and she was quite insistent about not having to share her birthday with her granddaughter; fortunately, Zoe cooperated by being born on March 7th. My mom would have been 96 tomorrow – I will remember her tomorrow, as I do every day.

I recall my own 16th birthday, which was celebrated with a Sweet 16 luncheon for my girlfriends at a restaurant. I know there was an invitation, but there’s no trace of it now. The menu featured a jello mold salad and chicken with a cherry sauce – that’s what passed for sophisticated food at the time. Since that time, I have learned a lot more about food, and have passed along my passion for food to Zoe. Many happy hours pass while we are cooking and baking together. I made her favorite scones as a treat for breakfast today.

Every year, we make her favorite chocolate sour cream cake for her birthday celebration. But this year’s cake will have to wait. Zoe left this morning to spend four days in Washington, DC learning how to advocate in Congress on issues of social justice. My husband and I are trying to teach Zoe that if you want change, you have to get involved and help to make that change happen. This trip will help her build the foundation for a lifetime of taking action on issues she cares about.

On this landmark birthday, it is particularly poignant to look at her birth announcement. I had it framed not long after Zoe was born, but when I began this business she requested that I “redo it”, Purple Raincoat-style. And so I did. There's no expiration date on remembering the joy of a child's arrival in the world. I think that framing a birth announcement is a wonderful gift for a milestone birthday, don’t you?

Happy birthday, Zoe. This one’s for you.

When you're looking for a unique, personalized gift, come to Purple Raincoat, where we are experts in creating one-of-a-kind keepsake gifts. Visit www.purpleraincoat.com to see more samples of framed keepsakes made from birth announcements and collages for other special occasions.

Invitation keepsakes start with great invitations, Part I: Get Started

(One in an occasional series of tips for creating great invitations)

We are nearing the beginning of prime wedding season - May, June, July, and August - so it's time to think about wedding invitations. The most popular months for weddings to take place are, in this order:

* June
* August
* May
* July
* September
* October
* December
* November/April (tie)
* February
* March
* January

For some people, choosing the right invitation is a piece of cake – they scout online, find a dealer, look through a book or two, and make their selections. However, many people are overwhelmed when it comes to selecting, wording, and designing their invitations. I learned this first-hand during the years I spent selling invitations. For samples of my invitation design work, see the invitations framed as bar/bat keepsakes for Zoe, Dylan, Bethany, Ethan and Sarah, as well as the invitation for the small wedding collage.

Here is one of my favorite designs: a simple, elegant wedding invitation, which is distinguished by the elegant font as well as the very modern "debossed" paper. The paper gives you the look of layers without the weight or expense. For a closer look, visit www.purpleraincoat.com.

Fortunately, I found that there are some guiding principles that you can rely on to create invitations that make you happy and make a great impression on your guests. These are the invitations that people will compliment you on not only because they look great but also because they reflect who you are as well as the spirit of your event.

I’m happy to share what I have learned with you. You may think these tips go into ridiculous detail, which they do, but that is because the process of creating great invitations often involves choices where the details really matter.

It’s like building a house – if you’re starting from scratch, you are amazed at the level of detail involved – who knew that there were so many types of kitchen faucets, anyway? But you have to make those choices, so you might as well be informed before you get started.

And here is your first tip: Start Early

To make this process as stress-free as possible, start early – six months or more before your event. Some of my clients were only about three months away from their event…it can be done, but it’s not recommended. The important thing is to select the invitation itself. Deciding on the details, including the particular wording, font, color, and number to order, can be done later.

The most critical step in the whole invitation process is your approval of the proof. You have to allow time for mistakes to be made – they happen for lots of reasons, even with the best of companies. These days, invitation companies can turn an order around in days (after proof approval). Some companies let you see proofs online; some others will have to fax or email the proofs to you, which takes longer. So it is important to build in a “cushion” of time to reduce the stress on you (and on the dealer). So if you're planning a June wedding, I hope you are well along into the invitation ordering process.

Similarly, it is important to begin developing your guest list, with up-to-date addresses, as early as possible. This will help to ensure that you make the right decision about the number of invitations you need when you actually place your order.

Ready to get started? Take a look at the selection available through eInvite.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon, with tips on selecting and ordering your invitations.

(Can't wait? Email me: info@purpleraincoat.com for the complete Purple Raincoat Guide to Creating Great Invitations.)

Once you've created that great invitation, be sure you preserve it with a Purple Raincoat collage. It's a great gift, so when someone asks, "what can we get for the bride and groom that is unique," you've got the answer. Just send them to the Purple Raincoat website and we will create something beautiful for you.