This week The Citizen will spotlight members of Cayuga County who help make residents' weddings a success.

Today we feature Lydia Rappolt who helps engaged couples choose their wedding invitations.

Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A. Helping customers find and/or design their invitations, stationery and related gifts; seeing a finished product looking the way it was planned.

Q. What is the most challenging part of your job?

A. Getting a printing set-up to work the way I envision it, and the week of the sidewalk sales.

Q. What do you like most about the Finger Lakes?

A. The gentle and friendly people who live here, the lakes and sunsets, the close proximity of commercial areas and no traffic

Q. What do you think is the key to a long-lasting marriage?

A. A solid friendship, devotion, sensitivity to each other's needs, and communication both verbal and non-verbal.

Q. What is the importance of good invitations and stationery for a wedding?

A. An invitation sets the tone of an event. A good one reflects this along with the personalities and style of the participants.

Q. What advice do you offer to couples who want the best wedding invitations possible?

A. There are many, many choices in this market. Plan a budget for this item, develop an idea of the “look” you seek, visit a shop where there are plenty of options, a knowledgeable staff, and where you will get the expert attention regardless of your budget.

Q. Is it actually possible for someone to die of licking wedding invitations for hours, like in “Seinfeld”?

A. No. You can purchase a handy little plastic bottle at an office supply store which holds water and has a sponge applicator on its top.

Q. What is the most unusual invitation?

A. We had a bride whose invitation's time line stated “at one thirty-eight in the afternoon.”

Q. What was your most embarrassing moment on the job?

A. While in a hurry, I neglected to cross-reference a day and date with the calendar. I printed almost an entire set of invitations incorrectly with no back-up card stock. After apologizing and admitting to my mistake, the customer was gracious and agreed to an alternate card allowing me to make up for the error. Now there's a reminder sign on the printer to “CHECK THE CALENDAR BEFORE PRINTING!”