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I love the look of custom-made maps for wedding invitations, but seeing price tags of $300 or $400 per map, I decided that good old Google maps would be good enough for me!

But that was before I saw this fab tutorial over on Weddingbee.com. Though Mrs. Ballet Flats used Microsoft Power Point, I used Microsoft Publisher instead. I imagine either program would be fine since they use the same tools, but, since I did all of my invitations stuff on Publisher, I figured I'd keep it up!

Here's how my first map turned out...

(Obviously, I changed the names of the major streets and rivers. Hehe, I don't live in a spy-themed town!)

I really love the way it turned out. I have to do a test print to make sure the words are going to be big enough to read on the 3.5"x6" direction card, but I'm pretty confident that they are.

Ciao,

Invitation Envelopes

While I'm waiting for my mom and Steve's mom to provide us with the addresses for our Save the Date cards, I've been busy thinking about the invitations! One of the latest additions to our To-Do List from The Knot is to order our invitations, so I feel like I need to get on board with their design!

I was hoping to get away with folding the cardstock in such a way that it could be an envelope in and of itself, like this example...
That way, I could save money on envelopes and the presentation would still be super cute! The only problem is that I usually see this style inside of another envelope, like this...

Is there some sort of invitation etiquette that I'm missing out on?!?

Now that I've come to terms with the fact that I'll need envelopes, the mission has been to find the cutest ones at the lowest price! Here's what I've found...


At just $1.09 each, they're a pretty good deal! :) While they may be the most expensive part of the invitation, I think they'll be a nice touch.

*Edit: I take back every single time I've ever said how much I love math and how it was my best subject in school! The envelopes are only $0.11 each! Hehe, forget to carry the decimal over two places!*

If worse comes to worse and I don't want the added cost, I'll either just found some simple white envelopes or try my idea of using the invitation itself as an envelope.

As far as sizes go, I will probably go with the A7 envelope, which will fit a 5" x 7" invitation. Not too big, not too small! Since we are sending about 115 invitations and 115 thank you cards (230 total, if you do the math!), we'll probably get three boxes - 2 pink and 1 orange. Hehe, I always have to overdose on the pink!

Ciao,

In Case You Get Lost in the Mail

Well, phase two of our Save the Dates is under way...the return labels! I contemplated hand-writing the return address, but I couldn't resist making these cute return address labels!

(Obviously, the ?'s are filled in with the actually numbers or letters, but I'm a stickler for privacy! )

The faces, which are supposed to be Steve and me (and they're actually pretty accurate!), were created at pose prints. If they look familiar, you're very observant! I used them for my blog heading!

All in all, I'm so happy with this project! My handwriting can get pretty sloppy pretty fast, so hand-addressing all of them will be hard enough!

Ciao,

Invitation Iterations

Although I still need to finish the Save the Dates, I'm already thinking about the invitations! Honestly, though, I've been thinking about them for some time! I think I've gone through about five completely different iterations so far...

From a purple and blue (yes, I said purple and blue...told you they'd be completely different!) version of this vintage-inspired invite...

to a pink and orange version of this elegant stationary...

My latest (and hopefully final!) iteration mimics the Save the Dates with the damask stamping technique. Although, I may get a little fancy and use embossing powder! Here's what I had in mind...

(click image to enlarge)

The response card, which would be about postcard size (which makes sense b/c, well, it'll be a postcard!), would be in a little pocket. I considered adding a direction card as well, but most people these days have access to a computer or GPS, so I figured they can map it themselves! :) Plus, we added a little blurb at the bottom about our wedding website, so guests can go there for directions and such.

I'm not entirely sure how big the invitations will be. I initially considering making them to fit an A2 envelope (4-3/8x 5-3/4"), but now I'm considering making them slightly larger to fill an A7 envelope (5-1/4 x 7-1/4"). But, I won't worry about that until I get Microsoft Office back on my computer and I can start playing around with them again!

*Side note: See the cute little pink blurred out word on the first line? That's my last name. See the much longer pink blurred out word just underneath? That's Steve's last name. Ugh, not looking forward to that name change! :P

Ciao,

Ouch, My Stamping Hand Hurts...

Well, the Save the Dates are done! At least the first batch of them... All it took was...

a paper cutter to cut cardstock into fourths...

stamp pads in fabulous colors like pink and orange...
and an inked up stamp!


The results, if you ask me, are pretty fabulous!

The stamp didn't always fill in ink throughout the entire imprint, but I think it looked a little more vintage and "worn in". After a few practices sheets, I determined that a few blots on the inkpad and medium pressure resulted in the best coverage.

Menu Cards

I've been on a bit of a stationary kick lately! It started last week when I purchased the supplies to make our Save the Dates! After a weekend of stamping (you'll see the results later this week!), I am on stationary overload! So, now seems like the right time to post on menu cards!

Whether at each individual setting....

or situated between two settings...

...I love the idea of a menu card!

My aunt offered to help with any of the planning, but she specifically mentioned menu cards. Honestly, at that point, I didn't even know there was such a thing as menu cards! But, now that I've done my research, I'm loving the idea!

I think we would probably do individual menu cards laying on top of the napkin like in the first photo. That way I don't have to find cheap frames or little stands for the card! :)

Of course, menu cards aren't one of the "essentials" of the wedding, and if the budget tightens, it would be one of the first items to go. But, if I already have the cardstock from the invites and a printer, it wouldn't be too expensive at all! Ooh, and it would look cute with the damask stamp we're using on the Save the Dates and invites!

Wedding Party Itineraries

I'm generally a very organized person, so something like an itinerary definitely appeals to me! Especially at a wedding, where guests and attendants can get caught up in all of the excitement, an itinerary can be a fabulous tool to keep everyone on track!

While browsing The Knot's wedding galleries, I fell in love with these itinerary cards!

It took some zooming in, but I finally was able to read the text below each picture!

11:30 - The Last Supper! Lunch at Nick & Jake's in Parkville.
12:30 - Get to work! Decorate the reception site.
1:30 - Pretty in pink! Get ready in the bridal suite at HH.
4:00 - Say cheese! Formal pictures begin.
5:30 - Here comes the bride (& you)!
6:45 - Eat. Drink. Dance! Repeat.

Our own itinerary might be slightly different. I'm thinking...

10:30 - The Last Supper! Brunch at Mama J's in Milwaukee. [For the boys: "Mama K's in Racine]
12:00 - Pretty in pink! Get ready in ___. [hehe, I have no idea where we're getting dressed yet!] [For the boys: "C'mon, 007 - get on your tux at ____!]
3:00 - Here comes the bride (& you)!
4:15 - Say cheese! Formal pictures begin.
6:00 - Eat. Drink. Dance! Repeat.

Yay, another project for me to tackle! :)

Ciao,

Unique Guest Book Ideas

So, we all know about the guestbook. Usually a hard-covered album. Pages with lines to sign your name and such. Usually joined by a pen in a cheesy holder. Looks something like this...
It's actually quite cute (ok, I guess I fall for anything pink), but it's not 100% my favorite. I wanted to do something a little less traditional. And then, I found the "guest bowl"...
Naturally, it's another Martha project. :) Not sure where I'd find such an extravagant vase, but I'm considering using a fishbowl!
My only concern, though, is that people won't realize it's a guestbook and will bypass it. I guess I could have a big sign that says "THIS IS THE GUEST BOOK - SIGN IN!", but that's a little cheesy. :)

Another unique option is a rolodex!
There are a few options available at Etsy that I adore...
Steve is pretty handy, and I'm a little crafty, so we may just make our own! We'll see how ambitious we are!

Ciao,

Stationary - Save the Date

After about five iterations of stationary, I think we've finally decided upon a design! Though we won't be sending out "save the dates" for several months, I wanted to organize our attack plan early! So, here's what we've got...

They will be sent out as postcards to reduce postage costs. I considered e-mailing them to friends/family that are more technologically-savvy, but I'm afraid they'll be deleted without being looked at. I know I've done that more than a time or two!

The pink and orange damask print won't actually be printed though - they'll be STAMPED! With this fabulous Heidi Swapp stamp, we'll be able to customize all of our stationary!

This way, we'll be able to print out most of our invites in black and white and have the damask stamps add just the right punch of color! I'm so excited - I want to get started already!

Ciao,