The stores also do in-house printing, or they'll send the invitations to a company that does engraving or offset printing. Remember, the invitation sets the tone. If you get a beautiful invitation, you want to buy a dress and put it on your schedule. Rush jobs are available. Normal turnaround, however, is three to five business days.
Many guests opt for a bottle of wine.
Decorative fabric bags with silk cords are gifts that keep on giving. The hostess can reuse it when she brings wine to someone else's party. Admittedly, alcohol can be inappropriate. Michael Christopher Hemphill, owner of Michael Christopher Designs in Wilmington, likes to bring a gift related to the event. Just because you receive a gift doesn't mean you have to reciprocate, says Cynthia Lett, director of the Lett Group, a Silver Springs, Md., firm specializing in business and social etiquette.