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Are you sending Christmas cards of some sort?

lalaith50lalaith50 member
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in Catholic Weddings
I can't decide! Leaning heavily towards not... it's our 2nd married Christmas together, but last year we had *just* sent thank-you cards out to everyone (since we had just gotten married,) and it seemed wasteful to send cards out again to mostly the same list so soon. But this year it still seems... pointless! Both DH and I are *very* practical... he said that we could send them if we can do it for less than $50, which seems reasonable to me. I haven't really thought much about how many people we would send it to, but postage alone adds up quickly, and if you get cards of any remote quality (like that you can't see through the envelope!) that adds up so fast!

So what are you doing? Feel free to comment with about how many people (like what degrees of closeness) you are sending cards to, and if you're married, since I feel like now that we're married it's something that we really should! AND if you know of a cheap online place to get higher quality cards! :-)
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Re: Are you sending Christmas cards of some sort?

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    professorscienceprofessorscience member
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    I really like receiving cards.  I didn't have any picture cards, although now I kind of regret not doing something cute with our wedding photos.  I just went and bought some religious cards and we'll send them to family and close friends.

    And then starting next year we'll have a snuggly kiddo to show off in our cards.  ;)
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    lalaith50lalaith50 member
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    We do have a really cute picture of us dressed up all fancy in front of a Christmas tree that we took last year... when we took it, we were like, "we should include this with our Christmas cards next year!" haha... maybe that's a sign...
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    erin5286erin5286
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    We aren't this year, we need to just focus on getting all our thank you cards out!  I suppose we might do it next year, but probably just to close family and friends.  Maybe it's because we just went through it with wedding invites, but just thinking about how many to send out, where do we draw the line on sending/not sending to family member, postage, etc. kind of makes my brain hurt!  Maybe by next Christmas that won't be such a big deal :)
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    monkeysipmonkeysip member
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    I've been sending the X-mas cards for my mom and I (or just myself if it's just someone i know) for many years, so it seems weird for me to stop now or when i get married.

    I always get really beautiful cards on clearance after X-mas or from half price books.  I always handwrite the address and a little greeting inside.  Doesn't cost too much, but that's also because i don't know that many people.  I usually only have to send like 15 cards.

    When FI and I get married, I guess it will have to be more.  I'll need to send some to his family.  But even then, I'll get FI to help, and it might be like 30 total.

    Maybe we'll do picture cards.  But I tend not to like them so much because they're always just impersonal and printed.  Like, a picture of someone, and it's printed with "Happy Holidays from the Smiths".  Worse to me when they have print-off address labels to the recipients too.

    I guess I'm just really traditional when it comes to cards.  But hey, maybe if I had 50 cards to send out, I'd be doing less personal cards and pre-printed labels too!

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    bibliophile2010bibliophile2010 member
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_are-you-sending-christmas-cards-of-some-sort?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:6382e503-f2e2-4382-b605-8d372141814dPost:82c68feb-49cf-4c87-b9e1-d42f432d09a8">Re: Are you sending Christmas cards of some sort?</a>:
    [QUOTE]I really like receiving cards.  I didn't have any picture cards, although now I kind of regret not doing something cute with our wedding photos.  I just went and bought some religious cards and we'll send them to family and close friends.<strong> And then starting next year we'll have a snuggly kiddo to show off in our cards.  ;)</strong>
    Posted by professorscience[/QUOTE]

    Team kiddo to show off in our cards. <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-tongue-out.gif" border="0" alt="Tongue Out" title="Tongue Out" />

    Last year, we sent a picture card with one photo from the wedding and one from our honeymoon.

    I'm a big fan of sending and receivng cards. I've been sending them myself for probably 7 or 8 years now.
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    Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
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    i love to get cards, and usually the only way to get cards is to send cards!

    i was really bad and bought secular stamps this year rather than the religious stamp.  i got the "holiday baubles" and htey were just too cute to pass up.  first time ever.  guilt!
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    professorscienceprofessorscience member
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    edited November 2012
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_are-you-sending-christmas-cards-of-some-sort?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:6382e503-f2e2-4382-b605-8d372141814dPost:02aa555b-1e42-4223-afdb-f48aeb3bb316">Re: Are you sending Christmas cards of some sort?</a>:
    [QUOTE]i love to get cards, and usually the only way to get cards is to send cards! i was really bad and bought secular stamps this year rather than the religious stamp.  i got the "holiday baubles" and htey were just too cute to pass up.  first time ever.  guilt!
    Posted by Calypso1977[/QUOTE]

    <div>Haha, we'll probably be using leftover wedding stamps and American flag Forever stamps, so don't feel too bad.  :p</div>
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    Resa77Resa77
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    I want to send out cards this year, so we'll see...

    Monkey, it's funny to me that you call picture cards impersonal, because I always think they're so much more personal!  But then again, no one sends me a card with a note.  So it's either some generic "Seasons Greetings" with a picture of a wreath, or it's a picture of people I know.  I think it's awesome that you take the time to write a little note.  I'm sure your recipients really appreciate it.

     

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    bibliophile2010bibliophile2010 member
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    This year, I am totally just planning to stuff the envelopes with our photo cards. I do, however, always address envelopes by hand, but will use return address lables.

    Before I was married, I never sent photo cards, and would write a quick note in each card. I also sent far fewer cards -- maybe 30, whereas I plan on ordering 75 this year. With the baby, I don't really have time to write notes, and most of the people who will receive them either talk to us on a regular basis or know what's going on in our lives through FB and the like. I might add a note for some of our older relatives that we aren't in close touch with.

    I really like the religious stamps, but standing in line at the post office with the baby is a pain (and don't order stamps online), so we'll probably end up using the weird printed ones that come out of the self-serve machine and I can pick up when I go do my weekly kidless grocery run. I do think they have a Christmas design though. A tree maybe?
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    monkeysipmonkeysip member
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    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_are-you-sending-christmas-cards-of-some-sort?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:6382e503-f2e2-4382-b605-8d372141814dPost:2821d77a-473f-4efa-908f-80800e357e4c">Re: Are you sending Christmas cards of some sort?</a>:
    [QUOTE]I want to send out cards this year, so we'll see... Monkey, it's funny to me that you call picture cards impersonal, because I always think they're so much more personal!  But then again, no one sends me a card with a note.  So it's either some generic "Seasons Greetings" with a picture of a wreath, or it's a picture of people I know.  I think it's awesome that you take the time to write a little note.  I'm sure your recipients really appreciate it.
    Posted by Resa77[/QUOTE]


    It's not the fact that it's a picture, I really like seeing the pictures.  I guess I just don't like that there was so little effort involved.  I know they didn't print them themselves, so it's just take photo to walgreens, pay for cards, put them in envelopes, and usually print out address labels for recipients.  If they just hand-signed the photo card it would make a world of difference to me.

    Sounds silly, I know.

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    Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
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    monkey, i detest photo cards for the same reasons.  i also feel like we should be celebrating god and the season, not someone's pet or kid.  i much prefer a card with a photo included, but in all honesty, i really dont care about seeing people's kids or pets period.  people who know me will tell you i am in love with my cat but i dont ever put his picture on or in a card.
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    lalaith50lalaith50 member
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    Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about photo cards, and along the same lines, those "here's what happened this year" letters. Which is it? A Christmas greeting? Or a "everything about us"?
    I mean, part of me likes to see a picture of them and hear about their lives if we haven't really kept in touch... but most of those to whom we would be sending cards are our friends on FB, and can see alllll of the pictures and updates about us that they want! (and some....) hahah...


    P.S. Does anyone else find that literally every single time you try to post something, it doesn't post, so you're just in the habit of cutting and saving everything before you post?
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    bibliophile2010bibliophile2010 member
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    Eh, I use photo cards with religious messages -- I was actually coming to tell you, lala, that Shutterfly is having a really good sale right now. :)

    I don't mind pets with kids, but dislike pets by themselves.

    Similarly, I don't mind update letters that say "Bobby is 10, is in 4th grade and loves baseball." I hate, "Our sweet boy Bobby is 10. He is in 4th grade at St. Someone elementary school where he made honor roll 3 semesters in a row. He plays shortstop on his Little League team that one district last year. He also placed third in the science fair . . ." Like, enough already!

    Because of the FB thing, I'm intentionally not posting the pictures that will be on our cards until after they go out. :) I like photo cards, so I'm all about defending them. :)
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    Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
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    see, i like to hang up my cards on a ribbon to display them.  the photo cards i get literally go straight to the trash can because im not going to display photos of people's kids that i either hardly know or in some cases dont particularly care for.  and im defintiely not going to hang up a picture of my best friend's dog!

    as far as the letter, my mom has always called them "brag letters".  most of them annoy me, but there is one we get every year that my mom, sister and i wait in great anticipation for because the thing is hilarious as heck.  we actually call each other when we get it in the mail so we can laugh at it together.  the unchristian thing, tho, is that its not funny because of its content, but rather the extremely poor grammar and spelling.  Embarassed
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    MedStudent13MedStudent13 member
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    I love to see pictures in Christmas cards, especially when you don't get to see your family very often. Of course, now with facebook you get to see them all the time but oh well! My FI and I are sending out Christmas cards this year, mostly because I got some really cute ones at an after christmas sale last year and I just can't hold on to them another year before sending them out!
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    Resa77Resa77
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    I display every photo card I get, and throw away most of the others lol!  But I only get about 10-15 Christmas cards each year, so it's usually pictures of my nieces and nephews or god children, so I actually love them.  If I was getting photo cards from someone I hardly know, I'd probably not appreciate it. 

    Calypso,my mom's neighbors used to do one and would include things that you wouldn't think they'd WANT to mention.!  Like "Our 16 year old daughter is pregnant, and due in February.  At first we weren 't thrilled, but now we're looking forward to being grandparents.  Plus, now she's off drugs, so we couldn't be happier about that!  Our son is still on probation from his trouble last year, but his PO is pleased with his progress."  It's amusing, but also annoying when they mention "his trouble last year" or whatever, and I'm like "what trouble?!  What did he do???"  It's just so entertaining, like reality tv or something.

     

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    Resa77Resa77
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    Also, Calypso -- now I really want to send you a picture card with a super long brag letter.  I'm such a pest sometimes!

     

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    professorscienceprofessorscience member
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    My dad sends out a letter every other year or so, mostly to our family and close friends.  He'll have a paragraph for him and my mom, then one for me and one for my sister, with pictures included.  I doubt many people really read through it, especially now that everyone can keep up with our news via facebook, but he enjoys it and I think people like the updates.  Before Facebook our family was really spread out, so I think he did it to stay connected.
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    Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
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    Resa, haha!  im waiting to get one with a pic of someone's goldfish.

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    lalaith50lalaith50 member
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    So I found cards at our local "discount" grocery store, that are actually decent and say "Merry Christmas!" (This could be a total spinoff, but I really prefer that they specify "Christmas." No one to whom we are sending them doesn't celebrate Christmas in any form.) And they were only $1 for 16 cards!!!! (I love this store....) That alone is going to be most of the battle in convincing DH to let me send them! My biggest concern with buying "cheap" cards is that usually the envelopes are noticeably flimsy, but 2 of the packs I got have colored (and thicker) envelopes, so that made me really happy! (They're red. Is that cheesy? I thought it was festive, and our Christmas cards are really going to stick out in people's pile of mail!) Just thought I'd share! :-P
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