She’s baaa-aaack! In a follow-up to her buzz-worthy Part I on Invitations, Triple B contributor Nae returns with the 411 on her invitation suite designs and more. As always, show love in the comments.
Once we had the guest list finalized, it was time to choose our invitation suite. Early on in the planning process I attended a bridal event at a stationery store. All of the talk about letterpress and typeset made me realize that Mr. DrummerBoy and I would not be going the traditional wedding stationery route. After browsing several different styles, we decided on the Love Story design above (picture from Pinterest).
In an attempt to get an early start on the save-the-date/invitation timeline, we initially met with a designer in December. By February 1st, we still had not received the Save-the-Date proof. Frustrated, we made the decision to focus on sending out the invitations in March in lieu of sending STDs. When we finally received the invitation proof the first week of March, we were highly disappointed. As a result we ended up severing ties with our original designer.
At almost two months out, we had yet to send a STD and had no invitation design in the works. Wedding coordinator to the rescue! She found a designer on Etsy that was able to do a rush job on the love story design that we really wanted, including response card wording (given our concern about +1s) similar to this:
__ seats have been reserved in your honor
__ will attend __ will not attend
We were on our own for envelopes, labels and overall assembly. This is where my teeny, tiny DIY streak came in. I knew that I wanted wraparound labels so after combing through several websites, I found a downloadable Chevron design that I liked and worked well with our colors. With one brief trip to the office supply store, I gathered my mom, sister and wedding coordinator for an impromptu assembly line on Easter Sunday – for which we were rewarded with a homemade meal courtesy of Mr. DrummerBoy. Despite additional (minor) drama regarding the final delivery of the invitations, I was happy to finally get out our wedding invitations exactly two months in advance of our big day. We certainly never planned on partial DIY invitations but in the end we were elated with the end result:
Next up: seating …..Oy!
Hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Not original but so true, meaning always have a “plan B” and make it happen. Congratulations on getting your invitations out in good time.
Good for you, Nae, for thinking on your feet and having chosen a wedding planner who is really on your side! Personally, I love a little DIY since it lets family/friends feel invested in the process rather than being ‘decorations’ on the big day. I recall a dear friend of mine who had all of the b’maids who lived locally come over one night and we all assembled her invites together. It was great- we polished off a couple of bottles of wine and listened to Maxwell to set the mood. It was especially fun to hang out with the other b’maids. I would wish you luck with the rest but, you’ve been so smart and resourceful so far that I’m sure you can figure a way through this next challenge, too!
Sister!!! Yes, after going to the initial meeting with you and the first vendor I was so excited and couldnt wait to see your finished product. But when we got that proof………….Lord Help Them! It was something the kids could have made on the computer. I’m soo glad that you found something in the style you both wanted and more than happy to help you put them together. 6 weeks and counting….I can’t wait!!!!
When’s the big day?
I know all of this is so nerve wrecking and time consuming. Don’t let it stress you. I’ve had clients who had started looking into things themselves and wanted to plan their own wedding but soon realized they bit off more than the could chew. Congrats, btw.
If you need any help, I’d be happy to assist as much as I can. :)
Nae, I’m leaving this comment as a fellow planning bride — not a blogger…KUDOS to you and Mr. DrummerBoy for pulling a rabbit out of the hat and finding a way to have fun while doing it. Enjoy the rest of your planning! xo
I’m going to a wedding today. I liked the invite, but it’s now in my drawer. The one featured at the top tells a story, taked the guest along on a journey. And if you have a large wedding, not everyone (your parents coworkers, your coworkers) know the details of your love life, so it would make them feel included. Great way to personalize your day even more!
So glad we go that part finished and on to the next…:0)
I LOVE the look of them and I’m so glad that you were able to finally find what you were looking for in a timely manner! Early congrats and best wishes!