The Paper Chase: The huge selection at Kate's Paperie. Invitations Directory Mira Aster 323-463-1252 miraaster.com By appointment only Color is the operative word here. Owner Anne Millett has relocated to L.A. but still travels to New York frequently to meet with clients. She designs pretty wedding invitations with hand-sewn trim and envelopes made from Indian silk organzas (from $10 an invite). She recently did Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro's invitations. Mrs. John L. Strong Fine Stationery 699 Madison Ave., nr. 62nd St. 212-838-3775 Chelsea Passage Barneys New York, Madison Ave. at 61st St. 212-833-2060 The cr�me de la cr�me of invitations: Every card here is hand-engraved on steel dies ($2,500 for 100 invitations and reception cards with ivory tissue-lined inner envelopes). Barbara Hutton used this stuff for all five of her weddings. Nancy Sharon Collins Stationer LLC 917-392-1417 By appointment only The upper crust of bespoke, hand-engraved social stationery. Collins has practiced graphic design and typography for over 25 years. Each piece is individually created for the client's needs using hand-engraved monogram and type styles from the 1920s and thirties. You'll pay for the quality; hand-engraved invitations start at $20 each, with a 50-piece minimum. Papivore 233 Elizabeth St., nr. Prince St. 212-334-4330 papivore.com By appointment only This small, colorful shop features brightly hued European papers, which you can have custom-printed. Look for foil-stamped and letterpress-printed invitations, which offer a fresh, modern alternative to classic script-on-cream invites. Papyrus Call 800-574-3906 or visit papyrusonline.com for store locations Specializing in high-quality custom printing and engraving, these airy, gallerylike shops sell traditional invitations from companies like Crane's, William Arthur, and the Inviting Company (from $30 for ten printed invitations). Rebecca Moss 510 Madison Ave., at 53rd St. 212-832-7671 rebeccamoss.com This tiny midtown shop, best known for its fab pens, turns out loads of traditional engraved wedding invitations (from $300 for 150). It also has a fun selection of more offbeat styles, including some designed specifically for "ceremony-of-the-hearts" weddings (from $300 for 150). Smythson of Bond Street 4 W. 57th St., nr. Fifth Ave. 212-265-4573 smythson.com A top source for seriously traditional, high-end British stationery, this shop has loads of wedding invitations to choose from (100 engraved invitations with colored borders and tissue-lined envelopes start at $1,255). All engraving and tissue lining is done by hand. Staples Call 800-3STAPLE or visit staples.com for locations You might think of it strictly for office supplies, but this massive chain also sells inexpensive invitations. They even have make-your-own-invitation software, which comes with response cards and envelopes. Choose from styles with platinum border, platinum hearts, natural paper with vellum overlay, and more ($24.99 to $39.99 for invitation set of 50). Tiffany & Co. 727 Fifth Ave., at 57th St. 212-755-8000 tiffany.com After registering for their china and silver, uptown girls stop by the store's custom-stationery nook to peruse books of sample invitations. As you'd expect, the style is traditional: Classic invitations with engraved, return-addressed envelopes start at $580 for 100; plain thank-you-note sets, also with engraved envelopes, start from about $240 for 100. The Wedding Library by Claudia Hanlin and Jennifer Zabinski 43 E. 78th St., at Madison Ave. 212-327-0100 theweddinglibrary.com This exclusive one-stop bridal shop is a great source for fancy invitations. It has everything from rich, modern engraved invitations from Claudia Calhoun (100 for $2,000) to whimsical letterpress from designers like Elum (100 for $1,000). Weddings by Lorelei 1725 York Ave., at 89th St. 212-662-0290 weddingsbylorelei.com By appointment only Brides who want something slightly off the beaten path are advised to check out Laura Stemerman Chavis's work. Primarily a wedding planner, she also designs original custom sets using letterpress, thermography, engraving, and offset printing ($5 to $25 per invitation set). Photographed by Kenneth Chen. 1 | 2 | 3       ARTHUR'S Invitations and Prints 13 E. 13th St New York, NY 10003 212-807-6502 www.arthursinvitations.com New York’s premier custom wedding invitations superstore, featuring on-site fine digital offset printing (letterpress, thermography, engraving), exclusive albums, invitation trousseaus and papers such as Crane’s, lavish service/style, professional personal consultants.       The Chelsea Paper Company 136 East 57th St., 4th Floor New York, NY 10022 212-750-6880 chelseapaper.com The Chelsea Paper Studio offers personal consultation with a stationery expert. The studio has over 40 manufacturers, including the company’s own line, Chelsea Notes.       Wedding Things New York 1039 3rd Ave (at E. 61st St) New York, NY 10021 212-308-4680 www.weddingthings.com Visit this specialty boutique and you’ll find unique wedding invitations, favors, confections and fine gifts. A wonderful collection of “baby things” too.   From the Fall 2005 New York Wedding Guide