I saw this little eCard on Pinterest the other day, and burst out laughing.
Nailed it!
However, monogramming isn’t just for Southerners or sorority chicks anymore. Thanks to creative, inspiring design sites such as Pinterest and Etsy, monogramming has skyrocketed in popularity, to the somewhat confused interest of our friends who come from above the Mason-Dixon line.
Despite this Forbes’ writer’s hesitance in her amusing article, “Is Monogramming Classy or Tacky?”, I confidently join the ranks of classy Southern women who were “raised right” in thinking that monogramming adds an incredibly thoughtful touch to any gift, especially if one follows proper etiquette to avoid any confusion or the accidental faux pas.
As we are coming up on the season of Mother’s and Father’s Day, Graduations and Weddings galore, I am especially excited about the gift ideas below.
For a married or soon-to-be-married bride, the traditional custom for a three letter marriage monogram is to have the bride’s first initial on the left, her maiden last name initial on the right, and the larger letter for her married initial in the middle. For gifts to the couple, it is thoughtful to use the formal Marriage Monogram, also known as the Duogram, for the husband and wife, Â in which case the wife’s first initial is on the far left, the husband’s first initial on the far right, and the larger letter in the middle represents the last name.
These gorgeous sheets of 600 count Egyptian cotton from Bedside Manor would be beautiful and appropriate with the Marriage Monogram:
A pair of monogrammed terrycloth robes would also be adorable with the Marriage Monogram/Duogram:
I would personally find it all too tempting to violate every rule of etiquette and wear these monogrammed Seersucker Pajama Pants from SERCIE out and about! They are so cute! I so wish someone had given my husband and I a cute blue and pink set for our wedding 3 years ago!
A lovely bridesmaids’ gift would be one of these Monogrammed Candles from Post and Gray. These candles would also make perfect hostess, Mother’s Day, office mate birthday gifts etc.:
For the single person, a 3-Letter Monogram may also be used. For Kallah Rachel Oakes, proper etiquette dictates my 3-Letter Monogram would be KOR, with the letter in the middle (representing the last name) larger than the two letters on each side.
Great monogrammable gifts for the classy single girls in your life, whether they are moms, single moms or college or highschool grads, can be found at many boutiques here in Charlotte.
At BLACKLION in Dilworth, there is a whole huge selection of custom-made monogrammed gifts since they sell the lovely products of Oliver’s Originals.
There’s also these unique Walnut Earrings from SERCIE at Cotwold Marketplace:
All of the above would make beautifully thoughtful gifts for the mama’s in your lives.
As far as those highschool grads pining for the college experience, SERCIE at Cotswold Marketplace has a ton of cute and unique options.
(That way, she can at least feel cute while doing her first load of laundry in the dorm laundry room.)
I think that having the personal monogrammed touch on such things as a necklace could be a sweet reminder of where she came from and how much she is loved.
Monogrammed Running Shorts, for the preppy college-bound athlete.
These iPhone cases are custom-designed at SERCIE and so cute.
Oh and did I mention the adorbs seersucker wear-everywhere pajama pants?
Oh yeah, oops! They’re so cute they get to be mentioned twice. I think any Southern girl would love a pair.
The other option for the single girls’ monogram is the 1-Letter Monogram, in which case either the first or last initial may be used. This would be cute for these little children’s sunhats, available at BLACKLION in Dilworth, a great gift for a very young lady in beach season:
In addition to all these great, specific gift ideas, SERCIE offers much more custom designed monograms, from necklaces and bracelets to unique cake toppers! They have provide a convenient color palette and start the custom-designed gifts at $49:
If you’re still at all overwhelmed by the etiquette and options of monograms and are in need a quick reference guide, or more ideas on very unique monogram designs, you can use this extremely helpful cheat sheet I found on the Southern Wedding Magazine site, created by cute Savannah-based graphic designer Emily McCarthy!
SERCIEÂ Candles & Gifts Mon – Sat 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM |Â 704-534-1229
Blacklion Dilworth 10635 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28210 | (704)541-1148
Bedside Manor 6401 Morrison Blvd, Suite 19, Charlotte, NC 28211    |    866-554-7727
