Our Paper Bride

This Sunday, January 25th we will be an exhibitor at the Richmond Wedding Expo to show off one of the things we do best, helping brides select the perfect stationery statement for their big day. We thoroughly enjoy meeting and working with brides to help them select that perfect Save the Date, invitation, program, bridesmaid gift, and so much more! Evidence of our bridal appointment calendar proves that we are quickly becoming the bridal stationery boutique in Central Virginia to visit.

In preparation for the bridal show, we decided to have some fun with our paper lady, store mascot, whom we affectionately named "Cricket" last year. She will make her debut as a "paper bride" at our show booth, wearing some of our favorite invitation styles as her gown. She is quite the paper diva if I do say so myself. The staff and I had a fabulous time getting her dressed. Stop by the store to see her soon, she will remain on display in the store in our bridal boutique after the show. Photo opportunities welcome!

New Customer Referral and Rewards Program

We have started a new Customer Referral and Rewards Program at The Cordial Cricket and wanted to let you know how you can participate if you would like. I have so many folks who tell me all the time that they have told so many people about our store, which is greatly appreciated by the way. In an effort to thank these friends and customers who are doing so much word-of-mouth advertising for us, I have initiated a new Customer Referral and Rewards program that works like this:

• Customer Referral Coupons are now available for pick-up in our store, or can be mailed or emailed to you upon request to give out to friends, co-workers, family, neighbors, etc. or anyone who you would normally tell about our store.
  
• There is a place on the coupon where you would put your name before you give out the coupon (I was referred to shop here by: ______________).
  
• The coupons are good for $5 off any purchase, made by a new customer to our store, on their first purchase of $25 or more.
  
• For each Customer Referral Coupon that we receive back with your name on it as the Referrer, we will send you a coupon of your own to use for the same amount, $5 off any purchase of $25 or more, good any time.
  
• There is no limit to how many you can receive, and they do not expire; however, you may only use one coupon per purchase.

I feel that many of you will really enjoy doing this because you so often bring and tell folks about our store whom have never been in. I really hope that it will be fun and rewarding for you, saving you money and giving your friends a nice little discount too.

Please let me know if you would like me to email/mail you some of the new Customer Referral Coupons to keep with you or set some aside at the store with your name on them for pick up the next time you stop by.

Thanks for your continued support of my business. I wish for you many wonderful things in 2009!

Upcoming Bridal Event

If you are a bride-to-be, or a friend or relative of one, bring them by our booth at the upcoming Richmond Wedding Expo on Sunday, January 25th at the Richmond Marriott. This is one of Greater Richmond's Largest Bridal Shows. The doors open at 12:00. Click here to register to attend, purchase tickets and print admission coupons. All brides who stop by our booth and make an appointment for a wedding invitation consultation in our store will receive a FREE gift! There will be great ideas for your wedding at this show, so don't miss it! See you there.

Faded But Not Outdated

The holiday merchandise and decor are now a distant memory as we spent the weekend cleaning up the store, rearranging, putting out new product and creating additional seating for brides (hint, hint, you should come see the results!). In the process, we have discovered some faded, but not outdated products, some scratched and dented product, and other random stuff. So we put it all together in a new clearance section. All of the product is still just like new on the inside, however, the packaging may be damaged from window display light, or a portion of the packaging may be damaged, etc. All clearance items are 50% off every day and All Sales are Final. You never know what you might get half off!

Get To Know Us in 2009

One of the greatest joys of being a business owner is finding just the right associates to assist you along the way. Employees who put your mind at ease, knowing that they treat all of your customers as you would your most delicate items, are extremely hard to find. I have been incredibly blessed in this department. With the growth of our store to a new, much larger location, what I used to try to manage by myself all of the time, is not quite as manageable. I am proud to say that I can now finally share some of it with a very capable staff, both as a team working together and in my absence. Whew, is it good to finally have some freedom!

I want to make sure that my wonderful customers are able to get to know my wonderful staff and feel just as comfortable when they work with them as they do when working with me. To my customers, know that you are always in good hands at The Cordial Cricket. Now let me make some brief introductions that will help you learn who is who at the store.

Sara Cravath - Sara is a confident and professional stay-at-home mother of two little ones. She enjoys motherhood, spending time with her family and being involved in her church. Being a mother of two, she has planned kid's parties and attended MANY more (as all young mothers can relate to). She always knows just the right words for your theme party or can suggest the perfect age appropriate gift for anyone. Sara really enjoys meeting new people every time she works at The Cordial Cricket. You can find her at the store helping out usually about 2 Saturdays a month.

Jennifer Eschbach - Jennifer is an experienced and certified wedding and event planner and loves sharing her wedding expertise with the brides that she meets in the store. Whether it is helping brides select the perfect Save the Date or wedding invitation or just giving them helpful advice, her professionalism and expertise always shows. She and her husband are expecting their first little one in June of this year and we all couldn't be more excited for her! You will find Jennifer at The Cordial Cricket 3 days a week and on Saturdays.

Billy Johnson - Billy is a retired educator and my very caring mother. She is a very busy grandmother and volunteer. She enjoys her book club, garden club and church activities. She has always been at the store to help with whatever was needed since even before day one. She loves to meet new customers and help them find just the gift that meets their needs or help the little ones in tow find the kids play area to be entertained while their mommies shop. You can find her at the store about one Saturday each month.

Jessica Lindsay - Jessica is the design mastermind behind all of our gorgeous in-store merchandise displays, decor, fabrics and accessories. She is also a busy mother of two and enjoys spending time with her kids and husband in their wonderful new home that they just finished building this summer. She has an extraordinary know how for all things design, decor and entertaining. She can help you choose just the right invitation for your party theme or design flair, make wonderful gift suggestions and help you pick the right ribbon frame to match your decor. You will find her at The Cordial Cricket decorating every other Wednesday.

Jaime Poole - Jaime is a hard-working mother of two, who enjoys family-time and working with the youth at her church. When she is at The Cordial Cricket she works hard to keep us all straight as the inventory manager, which believe me is a job! She can always tell you what we have or what we are out of. She also enjoys working with brides and customers to help them navigate the thousands of invitation choices we offer. Since she has helped out at The Cricket the longest, there isn't a job she hasn't done. You can find her at the store whenever I can pull her away from her full-time work long enough.