The New York Times published an article, “The Art of Condolence,” about the importance of handwritten sympathy notes in the digital age. Our Creative Director Leo Mascotte offers some of his insight into how to properly craft a thoughtful sympathy note. There are few pieces of correspondence one wants to write less than those sent …
Category: manners
The History of the Calling Card
To honor our Annual Calling Card Event, we wanted to share the history of the calling card and how its purposes have evolved over time. We hope that this piece inspires you to put your best card forward! History Before the age of the telephone, the calling card (or carte de visite in French) had a significant …
Spotlight on Leo Mascotte
Austin Ackles sat down with Creative Director, Leo Mascotte, to discuss some of his favorite Dempsey & Carroll wedding suites. AA: This wedding took place in beautiful Lake Bluff, on the shores of Lake Michigan, just outside of Chicago. How do you feel that location is reflected in these designs? LM: Beautiful indeed. No less …
National Letter Writing Month
“How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen, to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.” – Haruki Murakami The Dempsey & Carroll Team has accepted the challenge of …
How to Send a Thoughtful Thank You
A sincere and eloquent note of thanks will be remembered forever. Thank-you notes allow us to acknowledge deeds large and small, in a thoughtful and considered way. Here are a few of Dempsey & Carroll’s tips to perfecting this skill. 1) Set aside adequate time to think about what you’re going to say and how …
So you’re engaged!
An entirely new vocabulary and course of etiquette awaits you as you plan your upcoming celebration. Does the Mother of the Bride sit on the left or the right? What are the responsibilities of an usher? Who is the MOH? Never fear – Speak Wedding, by Annie Lee of Daughter of Design, is the perfect …
Writing Notes
Repost from our friends at The Bouker: I spend a good portion of my day sitting down to write notes to people. I believe the time taken to handwrite a personal note to someone means a whole lot more then firing off an email. Also, I hold those who take the time to write me …
Handwritten Notes from the CEO
While in flight to Engage14, I stumbled upon Rodger Dean Duncan’s article entitled “How Campbell’s Soup’s Former CEO Turned the Company Around” on Fast Company. Doug Conant, the former CEO of Campbell’s Soup, practiced the art of the handwritten note to sincerely extend his gratitude and praise to his employees. Through several kind gestures, he …
A spotlight on Bizia Greene
Dempsey & Carroll event curator Austin Ackles sat down with Bizia to discuss etiquette and her recent wedding. AA: Most of our clients have their thank you cards printed at the same time as their wedding invitations. Occasionally, I get panicked phone calls as gifts start arriving far in advance of the wedding. When should …



