Invitations Part 5 – A Labor of Love

As I previously posted, our invitations went out last month and we have been receiving a steady stream of RSVP cards. As I was going through the pictures of the assembly process, it makes it look easy. Trust me, it was very intense and not the easiest invitations I have put together! (This is my […]

Our invitations are officially out and RSVPs have already started coming in! My mom, bridesmaid Julie, and I created the whole thing by ourselves so it was definitely a labor of love. Here’s a look at the final package! Note to other brides: if designing and printing invitations yourself, do NOT print the RSVP cards […]

Designing my own invitations was undoubtedly the most daunting and time-consuming DIY activity thus far.  Prior to assuming the responsibility myself, I perused hundreds of invitation templates, online and in-person, searching for the following criteria: simple, concise, personal, one-page (green), my colors (kraft-paper-brown and silver), travel-themed, rich, and affordable.  During that time, I found a lot […]

After the church and reception venue were booked and the date was set, it was time to think about our Save the Dates.  Matt and I were talking one night and decided that we wanted to create a map chronicling the paths we each took to find each other and where we are now.  We both went off to college, moved across the country […]

Kathy at Merriment Design has outdone herself again!  I adore these fabric-backed invitations with half sewn fabric flowers.  My favorite part is the creative use of patterned fabric to create several unique designs with the same components. You can find the complete list of supplies and a full tutorial at Merriment Design!

In November EAD held a DIY contest, and E. encouraged me to enter my invitations, still in progress. Oh sure, I said, If I finish them soon! E., I totally did not finish them soon. Ladies- (And gentlemen? If you include DJ and one brother) I finished printing the maps on July 17, the night […]

I get lots of font-related questions over at Oh So Beautiful Paper, so this week I thought I’d focus on a few of my favorite fonts – specifically calligraphy and script fonts!  I’ve also got a few suggestions for serif and alternative fonts (like wood type and slab fonts), but will share those in a […]

The most difficult step in creating our invitations was not coming up with the design, or choosing the supplies, or even printing with the Gocco … it was finding an adhesive that worked! I went through SIX products in an attempt to secure the invitations to the mats to the pocket folds and the stamped […]

I’m sure you’ve all been on the edges of your computer chairs waiting to see our final invitations! Well, I hate to disappoint, but they’re not quite ready for prime time. To be honest, Nick and I have had little time to work on them lately, what with showers and parties. I may not be […]

Last we chatted I told you about my reluctance to take the Gocco out of its perfectly packed box. But it had to be done. So I spent many hours reading tips on Weddingbee and right here on EAD. I watched videos on YouTube, and I found a very detailed tutorial on Flickr. There are […]

Last Friday I traveled to my parents’ house with a Gocco, a Xyron, an embosser, 8 lbs. of paper, and a whole lot of anticipation! As much as I want to jump right in and tell you all about our first experience with the Gocco, first I need to set the stage. Nick and I […]

A few weeks back, EAD reader Alyson left a comment letting me know that she had gotten her letterpress invitations at cost – so I jumped at the chance to ask her a few questions about her invitations.  Alyson worked with an up-and-coming designer to create a gorgeous blue + white pocketfold invitation suite, which […]

Sunday confessional: My DIY invitations failed. Completely and utterly failed. I spent months designing a suite that I loved (featuring the prettiest little birds on each insert), bought paper, talked to printers… then bam! Out of nowhere, we find out that nobody could print on the paper we bought (oh, about $100 worth). And the […]

It’s been a busy week.  I got my dream job offer, flew to DC, found an apartment, and have packed 7 fridge-sized boxes since yesterday in preparation for my big move to DC this weekend.  Although this means my fiance and I will continue our long-distance relationship for another 6 months or so before we […]

They were only 2 weeks late with 2 months to go until the wedding but this weekend we finally finished and sent the invitations. {All images from Author’s personal collection – designs by (2) & (7) Baby Jewels (3) Author; (4), (5) & (6) Alex} We wanted our invitations to be beautiful but practical. Much as we […]

I love letterpress, but wedding budgets don’t always allow for letterpress or engraved invitations, particularly in today’s difficult economic environment.  For brides still seeking custom invitations, the Gocco (or now the Yudu!) can be an excellent, and more economical, alternative.  Some brides choose to go the DIY route, but for brides who don’t feel comfortable […]

Yesterday was my birthday and after a long search, I finally found and purchased a Gocco as my birthday gift to myself. I’ve basically been on the fence about purchasing a Gocco for a year at this point and naturally, by the time I realized just how much I wanted one they were completely sold […]

I may have mentioned, once or twice, how we initially planned to handwrite our invitations. How we had bought the cards and the envelopes and had a stamp designed with a peacock image to complete the look. {Image from Author’s personal collection; design by Baby Jewels} Well, I said last week that in the interest […]

Throughout the planning process, I mentioned before that I wanted to stay sane and delegate where I could.  That included finding a florist who I trusted to do just about whatever she wanted, letting my parents be in charge of the catering and the alcohol, and letting my bridesmaids choose much of their own outfits. […]

As I may have mentioned before, M is an English teacher and I an avid lover of books and literature. This common ground proved to be one of the first things we truly bonded over as I made it my goal in life to prove to the English teacher that I, a mere mortal, was […]