Since we are having such a short ceremony, and also have a small bridal party, we are not making ceremony programs. While this may also be part of the recent trends that are going around, I also think that they are a good idea to use because they give your wedding guests a feel for who is important to you and who is taking part in celebrating your special day. I also think it's a great way to honor those that you love, by including a sweet note to them.
So, I am looking for some way to be able to express our thanks to our immediate family - thanks for supporting us and being there for us along the way. I don't want to just do this in the speech we will likely give at dinner, either, because I feel like that is kind of expected, and won't really mean as much as we actually mean it. I'm looking for suggestions on how we can really make it known to our family how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate all that they have done for us.
Are any of you doing something extra to show those you love how much you appreciate them?
Showing posts with label Paper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paper. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Stop Overthinking
I finally just came to the conclusion that the Save the Date is not going to be practical or appeal to every person on our guest list. I've had enough overthinking about this project, and something needs to go out, because we have had lots of people asking us about the wedding and when it is.
So, I've decided that I'm just going to use one of our engagement pictures and put some text over it, have it printed, mount it to cardstock and mail them off. Simple, easy, quick, and while it may get lost in a pile of paper somewhere, at least we're telling our guests to mark the date on the calendar. It will do it's job.
So, here's what I have done with some of our pictures. I'm trying to come up with something creative, and I want it to stand out, but I'm torn on the design.
So, I've decided that I'm just going to use one of our engagement pictures and put some text over it, have it printed, mount it to cardstock and mail them off. Simple, easy, quick, and while it may get lost in a pile of paper somewhere, at least we're telling our guests to mark the date on the calendar. It will do it's job.
So, here's what I have done with some of our pictures. I'm trying to come up with something creative, and I want it to stand out, but I'm torn on the design.
Engagement Picture by Matt Ferrara Photography / Text added by self / Personal Image
Engagement Picture by Matt Ferrara Photography / Text added by self / Personal Image
Engagement Picture by Matt Ferrara Photography / Text added by self / Personal Image
I need input! Which style do you like best? The one with the words on the picture, or the one with the words separate? And of each of those styles, which one do you like best? Would you send out more than one, and split up who gets which one?
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Is it possible for it to be practical?
Save the Dates. There are some really creative ideas out there, but the thing that is getting to me most, is practicality. I want our Save the Date to be practical to our guests. And not just some of them, but all of them. And that's where I am running into so many problems.
For example:
1. Magnets
Magnets are good to keep papers and pictures stuck to items, like a refrigerator. But, if you have a stainless steel refrigerator, magnets don't work. That nixes that idea. Plus, it's too overused at this point anyway, and I don't really want a magnet.
2. Pocket Calendars & Save the Date Stickers
Pocket calendars seem like a really good idea, especially if you circle, or do something special on your wedding date, like a Save the Date sticker, that way your guests would remember. Problem with this - who uses a pocket calendar? Probably 90% of our wedding guests have smartphones or other devices that they use as their calendars, so this would be useless and "just another thing" for them to put in a pile and lose.
3. Customized Seed Packets
Yes, this would match our venue perfectly, it being a Botanical Center and all, but there are a lot of our guests that don't have anywhere to plant seeds. Some of our college friends still live in apartment complexes, and everyone is spread out throughout the country, therefore, we would have to customize the type of plant they are being sent. Sounds useless to me.
4. Pencils
I thought these were cute, but they just really aren't us. We really don't have any ties to pencils, and on top of that, I heard that they aren't the easiest things to ship in envelopes, and shipping 50+ little boxes would put postage out of this world expensive.
5. Bookmarks
If you actually knew us, you would know that this would be hilarious. I haven't read a book since I was a sophomore in college, and FI listens to books on CD or MP3 since it's easier and faster for him. Bookmarks would make no sense.
See what I'm doing here? I find all these great ideas, yet I always find something that makes it not practical. And I have been doing this for months now.
Am I overthinking this? Should I just choose an idea and go with it? Or should I ponder a bit longer until I find something that is totally us and is practical to all our guests?
For example:
1. Magnets
Magnets are good to keep papers and pictures stuck to items, like a refrigerator. But, if you have a stainless steel refrigerator, magnets don't work. That nixes that idea. Plus, it's too overused at this point anyway, and I don't really want a magnet.
Image via MagnetStreet
2. Pocket Calendars & Save the Date Stickers
Pocket calendars seem like a really good idea, especially if you circle, or do something special on your wedding date, like a Save the Date sticker, that way your guests would remember. Problem with this - who uses a pocket calendar? Probably 90% of our wedding guests have smartphones or other devices that they use as their calendars, so this would be useless and "just another thing" for them to put in a pile and lose.
Image via Inkello Letterpress
3. Customized Seed Packets
Yes, this would match our venue perfectly, it being a Botanical Center and all, but there are a lot of our guests that don't have anywhere to plant seeds. Some of our college friends still live in apartment complexes, and everyone is spread out throughout the country, therefore, we would have to customize the type of plant they are being sent. Sounds useless to me.
4. Pencils
I thought these were cute, but they just really aren't us. We really don't have any ties to pencils, and on top of that, I heard that they aren't the easiest things to ship in envelopes, and shipping 50+ little boxes would put postage out of this world expensive.
Image via Junebug Weddings
5. Bookmarks
If you actually knew us, you would know that this would be hilarious. I haven't read a book since I was a sophomore in college, and FI listens to books on CD or MP3 since it's easier and faster for him. Bookmarks would make no sense.
See what I'm doing here? I find all these great ideas, yet I always find something that makes it not practical. And I have been doing this for months now.
Am I overthinking this? Should I just choose an idea and go with it? Or should I ponder a bit longer until I find something that is totally us and is practical to all our guests?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
More Paper Samples
Well, you've already seen the first part of our invitation suite, but what about the rest? We have decided to do pocketfolds, and while these may not be unique anymore, they are beautiful and easy to put together. Since this is completely a DIY operation, I needed to decide what to do about paper for the other elements of the suite: response card, accommodations, and directions/map cards.
I did not want to go the traditional route of having everything be on a solid color paper, so I decided to go look at more scrapbook paper since it seems to be thick enough and big enough for me to get multiple of each size card out of one sheet.
In staying with our color palette, I decided to use green and yellow paper for the response card and accommodations card, but since there will be a map printed on the backside of the directions card, that I would just stick with white.
After ordering a ton of different paper samples, we have decided to go with these two:
Since these are the only pictures of the paper on the website, they don't really show you exactly what we'll be using. The green paper has a swirly green look to it on the side they only show the corner of, and that's actually the side we will be using, not the one with the dots. And for the yellow paper, we will be using the side with the grid. We felt that while the dots on both of the papers would make it match, it made it look a little too young, and actually reminded me of a baby shower, which I really didn't want to make our wedding invitations feel like.
So the paper is on it's way, and I'll take more pictures when it comes time to create everything, because I know you will all want to see the whole DIY process.
Anyone else using scrapbook paper or patterned paper for their DIY invitation suites?
I did not want to go the traditional route of having everything be on a solid color paper, so I decided to go look at more scrapbook paper since it seems to be thick enough and big enough for me to get multiple of each size card out of one sheet.
In staying with our color palette, I decided to use green and yellow paper for the response card and accommodations card, but since there will be a map printed on the backside of the directions card, that I would just stick with white.
After ordering a ton of different paper samples, we have decided to go with these two:
Bo Bunny Press Double-Dot Paper - Kiwi Green / Image via Scrapbook.com
Doodlebug Design Petite Prints Collection - Dot Grid Bumblebee / Image via Scrapbook.com
Since these are the only pictures of the paper on the website, they don't really show you exactly what we'll be using. The green paper has a swirly green look to it on the side they only show the corner of, and that's actually the side we will be using, not the one with the dots. And for the yellow paper, we will be using the side with the grid. We felt that while the dots on both of the papers would make it match, it made it look a little too young, and actually reminded me of a baby shower, which I really didn't want to make our wedding invitations feel like.
So the paper is on it's way, and I'll take more pictures when it comes time to create everything, because I know you will all want to see the whole DIY process.
Anyone else using scrapbook paper or patterned paper for their DIY invitation suites?
Friday, September 2, 2011
Envelopes & Pocketfolds
When I first started populating my Google Reader with blogs, one of the first ones on there was Road to the Aisle. Heather was a new blogger, documenting her journey through wedding planning and DIY projects. Her blog, which was retired after the recaps of her wedding in 2009, is still popular among DIY brides all over message board communities.
I am taking more than a few ideas from her blog, as she seems to have great taste! One of things that I am doing is pocketfold invitations. I love the look of these and the simplicity of keeping everything together in one place. The difference, is that I will not be making the pocketfolds, but I will be making the cards to fit inside. I have so many other DIY projects on my plate, and while making these would likely save me money, I figured that I could find a good deal online.
I came across Cards & Pockets and they had great prices, so I ordered a few samples, and they were shipped off to me. They arrived in the mail a few days later and looked great! The paper that I chose had a slight sheen to it, like it was almost metallic, but was sturdy and folded very neatly. I tested the interior pocket to make sure it would fit a lot of thick paper in it, and then I was sold.
I hopped back onto the site and added the correct number of pocketfolds, the matching envelopes, and the RSVP card envelopes I needed for the invites to my shopping cart, added a coupon (never shop without coups!), and then hit the little submit order button.
Wanna see what I ordered?
I am taking more than a few ideas from her blog, as she seems to have great taste! One of things that I am doing is pocketfold invitations. I love the look of these and the simplicity of keeping everything together in one place. The difference, is that I will not be making the pocketfolds, but I will be making the cards to fit inside. I have so many other DIY projects on my plate, and while making these would likely save me money, I figured that I could find a good deal online.
I came across Cards & Pockets and they had great prices, so I ordered a few samples, and they were shipped off to me. They arrived in the mail a few days later and looked great! The paper that I chose had a slight sheen to it, like it was almost metallic, but was sturdy and folded very neatly. I tested the interior pocket to make sure it would fit a lot of thick paper in it, and then I was sold.
Signature Pocketfold Size Chart / Image via Cards & Pockets
I hopped back onto the site and added the correct number of pocketfolds, the matching envelopes, and the RSVP card envelopes I needed for the invites to my shopping cart, added a coupon (never shop without coups!), and then hit the little submit order button.
Wanna see what I ordered?
A7 European Flap Envelope in Onyx / Image via Cards & Pockets
RSVP European Flap Envelope in Onyx / Image via Cards & Pockets
Signature Pocketfold in Onyx / Image via Cards & Pockets
I can't wait to choose the rest of the paper and then start putting together these invitation suites!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
I Love Paper
I have known that I've wanted to make my own invites and paper products for the wedding since I came across my first wedding blog. The blogger made her own invites and programs, and essentially everything paper, and I knew that being the bargain hunter that I am, that's what I was going to do. Cost saving and crafty is right up my alley.
So, I began looking for paper, and fell in love with letterpress. OMG, letterpress is gorgeous!
But the price-tag!!! Oh, the price-tag.... Since I haven't mentioned this yet, FI and I are paying for the wedding ourselves. This means that while we are comfortable splurging for some things that will make a big impact on the wedding day, there are some things that will need to be sacrificed in order to keep costs reasonable. Unfortunately, letterpress invitations are one of those sacrifices. I did not come to this conclusion lightly, however, as I did attempt to create my own letterpress and fail miserably. I might tell/show you that one at some point. But it's really eh...
Back to letterpress and it not happening... Since that was now out of the question, I decided to do some research on paper that I could use to create my own invitation suite. I searched the usual paper sites and found some beautiful papers, but I wanted something different. I didn't want a plain colored paper with some sort of pattern inked on. I wanted something with a pattern already so that it would stand out. Then, I came upon scrapbook paper, and thought that it was interesting and could be potential wedding invite paper.
Then I saw it. The paper. The beautiful orange paper with a pattern that is perfect for our wedding. Gorgeous 12"x12" sheets of orange leaf print paper that match our theme perfectly.
And I ordered it. A lot of it. Too much of it, actually. Because I counted wrong. But that's alright, because it's beautiful and I can definitely find something else to make out of the extra sheets.
Any ideas on what else I can use the paper for? Wedding or Non-wedding related?
So, I began looking for paper, and fell in love with letterpress. OMG, letterpress is gorgeous!
But the price-tag!!! Oh, the price-tag.... Since I haven't mentioned this yet, FI and I are paying for the wedding ourselves. This means that while we are comfortable splurging for some things that will make a big impact on the wedding day, there are some things that will need to be sacrificed in order to keep costs reasonable. Unfortunately, letterpress invitations are one of those sacrifices. I did not come to this conclusion lightly, however, as I did attempt to create my own letterpress and fail miserably. I might tell/show you that one at some point. But it's really eh...
Back to letterpress and it not happening... Since that was now out of the question, I decided to do some research on paper that I could use to create my own invitation suite. I searched the usual paper sites and found some beautiful papers, but I wanted something different. I didn't want a plain colored paper with some sort of pattern inked on. I wanted something with a pattern already so that it would stand out. Then, I came upon scrapbook paper, and thought that it was interesting and could be potential wedding invite paper.
Then I saw it. The paper. The beautiful orange paper with a pattern that is perfect for our wedding. Gorgeous 12"x12" sheets of orange leaf print paper that match our theme perfectly.
And I ordered it. A lot of it. Too much of it, actually. Because I counted wrong. But that's alright, because it's beautiful and I can definitely find something else to make out of the extra sheets.
Any ideas on what else I can use the paper for? Wedding or Non-wedding related?
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