All You Need is Love / Destination Wedding Invitation Suite Revealed!

Hopefully, everyone has received their invitations. I asked my Mom to take photos of the invitation as she opened it and she obliged. Below is the reveal!

The outer 7.5" x 5.5" vellum envelope:

The back of the outer envelope:
"all you need is love"

The inner shimmery 7.25" x 5.25" silver envelope:

The invitation with wrap-around band (the inserts are tucked behind):

The entire invitation suite:
Wedding Celebration invitation mounted on moss colored cardstock, Destination Wedding invitation mounted on navy shimmer cardstock, RSVP postcard, Wedding Events card, Info card

The main fonts I used are Burgues Script and Florencesans Expanded. I also used various photoshop brushes for the images and a font called "Farm & Wild Animals" for the entree selections.

The vellum envelopes are from paperpresentation.com, the silver shimmer envelopes, navy shimmer backings and invitation paper are from cardsandpockets.com and the inserts and band ivory cardstock are from Staples. I was able to use the 61¢ wedding cake stamp which was very convenient, even though I would have like to use personalized stamps, and I used the only option for postcard stamps - a polar bear (insert clever LOST reference here).

Guests invited to the Wedding Celebration only received an invitation similar to the main destination wedding invitation mounted on the navy shimmer cardstock, the information card and a simplified RSVP postcard.

I will try to remember to take photos of this version. I completely forgot to make myself a couple extras for a keepsake and for photographing... so invite making is back on the to-do list.

Overall, I'm quite happy with how the suite turned out. I'm not sure what the cost breakdown is, or if I even want to know. I couldn't have done it without Andy - he really helped put everything together, cut paper, place stamps, stuff envelopes and kept me company until 2am. Thanks hon!

Sand Dollar Save the Dates

As promised, here is a hi-res scan of our "A True Fit" save the dates from eInvite.com. You can see the texture of the paper...

You can read my review here.

It's mail time!

Be on the lookout for our wedding invitation!

I've gotten a few calls and texts that our invitations are showing up, but I can hardly wait to begin getting the responses back and seeing what people write on our postcards! I'll post photos of the invitation is all it's glory this week... stay tuned!

PS - Did you know that ZIP code is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan? I learned of this while waiting to buy postage ;)

Mr. ZIP

invitations are on the way... to my house.

My invitation components are shipping today... that means this weekend will be extrememly coffee, crafty and wedding-filled. I'm just grateful I have no weekend plans. I'm still uncertain about the stamps: post office vs. personalized. We'll have to wait to order until the entire suite is assembled and weighed, but I'm leaning towards personalized stamps like these from zazzle.com:
At the same time, it's a frickin' stamp and it's going to be tossed in the trash after 5 seconds.

happy wednesday!

2-months-2-weeks-2-go

Before I even begin today's freakout, the Regas NY invitations I just posted aren't that different from some of the designs I first came up with.

I just need to simplify my original design, possibly buy an istock seamless pattern, and come up with a cute belly band inspired by the seahorse suite.

That should be easy enough, right? *deep breaths*

It's like someone went inside my brain...

...and created this invitation suite based on all of my jumbled thoughts.

I am still struggling to design my wedding invitation suite. I do realize that the invites should be in the mail by 8/20 which leaves me less than a month to get my act together. However, in my defense, I have ordered paper and evelope samples and designed the events/information/accommodations inserts. I really liked these inserts until today...
This invitation suite has everything I wanted to incorporate in my wedding invitations: seahorses and a very specific Beatles quote.
I may have to scrap what I have and use these as inspiration... oh, eff.



*le sigh*

DIY - Wedding Map

As much as I would love to have a Laura Hooper personalized map, I think they’re a little too busy, plus they’re not in the budget.

Today I spent my lunch making my own map for our wedding celebration. Using Google maps and Photoshop I was able to create this little beauty:

Isn’t she sweet?
It wasn’t too complicated by using the pen tool, clip art and layers I was able to trace my Google Map and add the highway markers. I did the same thing to the city-level zoom and VOILA!

If only more people didn’t know where they were going, I would send one of these suckers out with every invite.

it may be tacky...

...but I would love to use these icons for dinner selection on my RSVP cards!

from PaperSource

love!

I love these "By the Sea" themed invitations from Printable Press that were posted on today’s A Practical Wedding:

It makes me want to both throw my design in the garbage and inspires me to do more with the design, layering effects and colors.

PP's website also gives printing tips, vendor recommendations and printing estimates which is helpful in this stage of the (non-existant) planning process.

Helpful Hive

A big thank you to my physical friends and my virtual friends over at WeddingBee that have offered their opinions on my invitation dilemma… I can’t believe what an awesome response I’ve received. You ladies rock!

Based on the 74 votes (and counting!), the winner is the rounded corner-sea-horse-flourish w/bleed-design!

I will try out some of the suggestions – swapping the sand dollar for the sea horses, trying adding the small “spacer flourish” at the bottom. Now I’ll need to take the theme and morph it into our Save the Dates…

invitations indecision

Here are my top 4 choices for the wedding reception invitation - this piece will help me begin designing the entire invitation suite.
The invitation would be mounted on navy/night colored card stock and I haven't yet decided if I'll be printing on white or cream paper. Here they are in no particular order...

(Click to Extra-Enlarge)

#1

#2

#3
#4

Please help me decide and vote at the poll on the top right!