I am a huge stationery fan. It all began when my father purchased personalized stationery for me when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I even worked a part-time job at a very high-end British stationery and small leather goods boutique as an adult. Oh and guess what else? I dabble in calligraphy (another hobby I owe to my father). So much so that one of my girlfriends paid me to address her wedding invitations. Add to all of this that I’m a bridal blogger and let’s just say that the pressure to have “THE BOMB” invitation suite was a bit daunting. Okay, it was very daunting.
As much as I have learned over the years about the sophistication of “bruised” stationery, tissue lined envelopes and such, what ultimately mattered most to Mr. TK and me was adding personal touches to our invitation suite. My dreams of calligraphy addressed invites? Gone. I simply didn’t have time so clear labels saved the day. Tissue lined envelopes? It didn’t happen. Hand-engraved invites? Not us. But what we did insist upon was a mention of my deceased father and Mr. TK’s deceased maternal grandmother on our invitation. We also incorporated a way for guests to impart special and individual messages to us about marriage on their RSVP cards. And we stayed in our budget, too.
The moral of the story (for me at least) is that rarely in life do we get everything we want all at once. The disappointments/challenges Mr. TK and I are experiencing during the wedding planning process are great preparation for what is sure to come in our days ahead as husband and wife. We’re already a great team, but I truly believe the planning process is making us stronger. Good stuff.
And you know what? We’re still getting a plethora of compliments on our invitation suite! Hmph.
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” is a message we should all take to heart. Sure, sweet little touches in every area are great. But, when they require energy and expense that induce stress, it’s time to bless and release. Remember, Stress destroys the body and in fact, Kills.
@SD – Thank you! Remember, Stress destroys the body and in fact, Kills. <--- Duly noted. I'm grateful you reminded me of this today.
Good 4 u! You saw the bigger picture. The truth is, people throw wedding invites in the trash. Focus on what you and mr tk think is most important!
@Christina – Thanks for stopping by and showing love.
B, I’m proud of you & TK for staying true to your hearts and your long-term priorities. People advise us planning brides to ‘enjoy the process’ but, the truth is, it’s a lot of work and at times, it’s alienating, frustrating or boring. We each have to focus on a few things that are important and not get too bogged down in the rest. I put away my calligraphy dreams a while ago. I’ll do it for something else in life. For now, I have to stay focused on keeping my wedding circus a happy celebration which reflects my and beau’s core values.
@Ronda – YES, YES and YES! Thanks for commenting.