Holiday card question - poll inside

hrparker

Yes, I know it's early, but I'm going to be traveling for the last couple of weeks in November, so I thought I'd start thinking about it now.

This will be our first holiday season sending out cards as a married couple.  I put together our holiday card list this weekend based on our wedding invitation list, and was bored today so I went out window shopping and ended up purchasing holiday cards.

Now I'm wondering about how to address these stupid things (we have about 90 - 100 to send out).  Apparently etiquette says these are no different than the wedding invites in that handwriting is a must, but my penmanship is terrible, so I paid to have a calligrapher make our envelopes all pretty -- something I am NOT willing to do for holiday cards.

My options are (1) handwriting them (time consuming, won't look very pretty, but etiquette-ly correct), (2) use a standard (or clear) printed label (quick and easy, but apparently the devil in terms of etiquette), or (3) put the envelopes through our laser printer with a nice font (quicker, pretty, jury's out on etiquette).

Thoughts on any/all of these options?  What is everyone else thinking of doing?

[Poll]

gakester8

although i hand write the recipient's address i use a label w/a picture of holly next to our names (which are in red ink in a handwritten looking font) for the return address

EastCoastBride

I truly can't tell you how envelopes are addressed when they come at the holidays.  This is a detail I don't pay a lick of attention to.  I personally see no issue w/ printing labels or on the envelopes.

What I actually find annoying is the total lack of a signed card.  I get so many photo cards where the "w/ love, the Smith Family", or what have you, is computer printed.  If anything should be handwritten, the family's saluation should be.

hrparker

EastCoastBride:

What I actually find annoying is the total lack of a signed card.  I get so many photo cards where the "w/ love, the Smith Family", or what have you, is computer printed.  If anything should be handwritten, the family's saluation should be.

Totally agree with you on that point.  A short note and our signatures will definitely be handwritten.

Dr.Loretta

As far as I know, there is no etiquette for holiday cards as there is for wedding invites. IMO, printing either labels or directly on the envelope is perfectly acceptable. No one gets the side-eye from me when they address their holiday cards this way.

 

Bella in CT

We usually run ours through the printer if I don't have time to hand address them.

I agree with PP about the note on the inside.  I hate when those are pre-printed.

grahamsm3

We ran our wedding invites through the printer (and we only had 50), shhh don't tell!

kingandprincess

I was planning to do labels for the first time this year.  Why not when a mail merge is so easy?

I do agree on the hand written signatures and little note though. I always flip it over a few times thinking it's odd that it's a blank card in an envelope.

traveling turtle

I'm definitely more of a label person. You can make it fun and get cute labels from Paper Source instead of the regular Avery 5160s.

These are cute, they wrap around the envelope with your address in the small square: (scroll down for an alternate image)

 

 

 

They are a little expensive, though. Another option is just a cute label

or

 

crushandtang

I always think it is a little more personal when you handwrite them

TupeloChick

Well, I would never send out all those cards, only family and close friends get cards from me (and then of course I have the emergency cards that I send out if someone I wasn't expecting a card from sends me one) but if you want to do it, print up labels. Nobody is going to look at the address on the front and say "Oh, she's so rude, she didn't hand write our address". They are going to rip open the envelope, say "how nice" throw out the envelope, put the card up, send you a card then throw the card out when Christmas is over. I wouldn't get too worked up over this.

riderpunk

Doesn't matter with holiday cards. Do what is easiest for you guys. We always have printed them. In the end it won't matter they get chucked.

MrsP7309

I'm writing them out because our puppy decided to chew up the cord to our printer.  So he kind of made that decision for us.  Otherwise I'd probably print nice labels.

devilsluvchild12

traveling turtle:

I'm definitely more of a label person. You can make it fun and get cute labels from Paper Source instead of the regular Avery 5160s.

These are cute, they wrap around the envelope with your address in the small square: (scroll down for an alternate image)

 

 

 

They are a little expensive, though. Another option is just a cute label

or

 

 

You have to be careful with these labels.  I used them for a friend's bridal shower and a lot of them came back from the post office.  Something about the return address not being in a recognizable location. My postman said it's all computerized now and the machines just don't like these.  Just a word of caution.

drh's_biogirl

Seriously, anyone who really cares if you hand address needs to get a life and is not worthy of receiving mail. To be honest, it all end up in the trash/recycling anyway. For our wedding, I whent to Walmart and purchased clear address labels and printed the addresses in nice font then stuck the label to the envelope. Getting all 250 invites in the mail in 2 afternoons sure beat the writers cramp and time wasted for something that was just going to be tossed. I so would have done postcards or even an evite if certain people would have let me, so we compromised on the labels.

bunnybean

Well, they're not wedding invitations, so I think whatever makes you most comfortable works.  I just handwrite everything because I never plan ahead that well!

sappyjenn

You could use a clear label with a pretty font like Monotype Corsiva (it's a cursive, yet legible, font).  Or just use the nice font on the envlelopes themselves.

Ready4theParty

I usually sit down with a good holiday movie (last two years it's been Elf) and addressed labels.  We don't send them to that many people so it's not a huge issue.

wendilea

Mail merge is my friend.  I am far too busy to hand write all the addresses.  I do make sure there's a personal note in each one.

HelloAnnie!

EastCoastBride:

What I actually find annoying is the total lack of a signed card.  I get so many photo cards where the "w/ love, the Smith Family", or what have you, is computer printed.  If anything should be handwritten, the family's saluation should be.

I also totally agree with this. 

DH and I make cards a family project, and like pp, we do it in front of the TV with a good holiday movie playing.  He has bad handwriting, so he's in charge of stuffing and stamping.  I address and write a quick note (Just something like, "We're looking forward to eating your famous stuffing, Aunt Alice.  Merry Christmas!").  How's your SO's penmanship?